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Femme népalaise devant étagères pleines de bocaux remplis de diverses graines

Preserving local and indigenous knowledge to protect biodiversity

In an unprecedented context of declining biodiversity, a team of scientists has just published a paper calling for the preservation of local and indigenous knowledge of biodiversity, alongside that of plants.

Small-scale family farming, an age-old model and sustainable solution for the Global South

Family farming, an age-old way of working the land, also embodies a tangible future for sustainable farming in the Global South. It a crucial and promising sector, in light of the number of farmers involved, production volumes, surface areas cultivated, well-established growing practices and...
Paysage rural sahélien avec arbres et cultures à leurs pieds.

The Great Green Wall, for the benefit of environments and rural societies in the Sahelo-Saharan zone

The Great Green Wall is an unprecedented project designed to mitigate the effects of climate change and combat land degradation and poverty in the Sahelo-Saharan zone. The project represents much more than a simple reforestation initiative on the edge of the desert. It mobilizes scientists...

Seabirds and coral islands: at the heart of reef conservation

Tropical seabirds play a key role in the ecosystems of coral reefs, and in turn depend on islands associated with these reefs in order to reproduce. To improve conservation of these birds, researchers are calling on the scientific community to develop international communication networks devoted to...

IMAGO surveys the oceans

The IMAGO research and support unit, located in Brest, Dakar, and Nouméa, deploys observation devices and analysis techniques. The unit's teams use both stationary and mobile measurement instruments that continually monitor the ocean, gathering essential data for physical oceanography and marine...

Water management, a sustainable development issue

As the source of all life, water is essential to our health, well-being and dignity as well as to the functioning of our ecosystems and societies. Access to water is therefore synonymous with development. However, around the world, water is being overexploited, wasted, and contaminated at...

Genetic variation in chickpeas revealed

An international team of researchers has studied the genome of 3,366 chickpea varieties from different parts of the world. Their work provided a clearer picture of the chickpea’s evolutionary history and the effects of domestication on the genome, while also highlighting interesting genetic...
Close-up on the head of a snake (with different shades of beige), with vertical pupils.

Snakes, scorpions and envenomation: a tropical health challenge

Experts on venomous animals, envenomation and treatment, and the related cultural aspects are working to reduce the disastrous effects of these accidents on communities in tropical regions in general and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Scientists and practitioners from IRD, the African Society...

Biodiversity: between fragility and sustainability

All the indicators agree: erosion of biodiversity has now reached a level not seen in hundreds of thousands of years. Human activity is to blame, and its impact is not just being felt by such emblematic species and ecosystems as the polar bear or Great Barrier Reef. The major health, social and...

Safou fruit reveals dynamic urban genetic diversity

Disturbances linked to human activity - overexploitation, deforestation, climate change etc. - are all threats to the genetic diversity of plants. However, city dwellers with cultivated gardens can play a key role in protecting species. A multidisciplinary study combining genetics and ethnoecology...

Development: the place of gender

At school, in their family relationships, in hospital or in court, women in the Global South face inequalities on a daily basis. Despite the significant progress observed in the areas of education, healthcare and legislation, they are fewer in number than boys in universities and salaried employment...

Uganda may hold the key to the future of robusta coffee!

Hit by climate change, coffee production is seriously under threat. To combat this risk, international teams, including the IRD team led by Valérie Poncet, went in search of wild coffee plants such as robusta in the forests of Uganda. They thus identified previously unknown and drought-resistant...
a whitish caterpillar in an open corn stalk held by a hand

The fall armyworm in Africa: a new insect pest in corn crops

In Kenya, the survey of pest insects in corn crops has revealed that a recently-arrived pest, Spodoptera frugiperda, has not replaced existing pests. The various species of pests are co-inhabiting in fields and calling into question the pest control strategies currently in use to preserve the yields...
Deux visons noirs au fond d'une cage

Origin of the Covid-19 virus: the trail of mink farming

In praise of glaciers, those dragons of ice viewed with concern and fascination

Changing the way we conduct research: Advocating for Sustainability Science

Bats, a never-ending source of viruses posing a threat to human health?

For weeks now, all eyes have been on an invisible enemy which is stalking the populace and threatening the health of millions, killing far too many, profoundly altering our way of life, bringing the global economy to its knees and paralysing our politics.

How Environmental Changes are Causing New Diseases to Emerge?

Petites maisons colorées sur un bout de terre entourée de mer

Islands and island environments faced with global changes

Openness to the outside world, incorporation within the global economy but also the growth in natural risks and rising sea levels.... With their unique characteristics, often under threat, island environments and communities are today faced with unprecedented destabilising factors.