Agronomist Samuel Guindo, the new Syngenta Foundation Country Program Manager in Mali, shares his views and future vision

Star anise is familiar to Western consumers as a component of mulled wine, various pastries and as a flavoring of spirits such as Pastis and Sambuca. It is far more widely used in Asian cuisine, being one of the key spices in Chinese five-spice powder, an essential component of the Vietnamese soup phở, and of various Indian curries. It also has medicinal uses, learn more about this interesting crop!

Many good initiatives struggle with scaling and true empowerment. Meet three farmers and learn how Farmers’ Hubs in Kenya led to more empowerment, scaling and a source of inspiration.

CDE is launching a new study programme. This cutting-edge MSc seeks to train students to become sustainability specialists. Students will be equipped to critically analyse sustainability issues in interconnected dimensions and develop comprehensive practical solutions at local, national, and international levels. The programme starts in the autumn semester of 2024.

Over the past few decades, increasingly intensive maize farming by smallholders in the uplands of northern Thailand has produced a maize boom that has fed the country’s livestock industry. Despite continuously high demand for feed maize, its cultivation has declined unexpectedly over the past decade, pointing to a major land use transition in the uplands. This study investigates the causes of this maize bust and its accompanying land use changes from the perspectives of smallholders. Drawing from fieldwork in the northern province of Nan, we examined their household-level decision-making, challenges, and future visions around land use and livelihoods.