Hill farming system involves diverse crops and their varieties, medicinal plants, forest species, practiced by the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. These tribal farmers are conserving biodiversity and meeting the food, balanced nutrition and health benefits from this farming system.

Adding various components on to a farm and integrating them has helped small farmers in Tamil Nadu reap rich harvests. The bio intensive farm models promoted by the Department of Science and Technology and based on agro-ecosystem principles, have resulted in a sustainable farm production and livelihoods.

Spreading risk is an essential means to reduce vulnerability, especially for already vulnerable people. Increasing the use of underutilised crops is one of the better buffers to help farmers diversify, and sustain, nutritional, environmental and financial security in times of change.

A recent workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh, focused on the role of small indigenous fi sh species in ensuring incomes and nutrition for the rural poor.

The Agenda Item of the 28th Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on securing sustainable small-scale fisheries (SSF), dealt mainly with discussing follow-up to the Global Conference on Securing Small-scale Fisheries, held in Bangkok from 13 to 17 October 2008.