January 15th, 2013

Benin solar market garden project one of five most hopeful energy projects of 2012

FSE's Benin solar market garden project was picked as one of the most five hopeful energy stories of 2012 by National Geographic. Jennifer Burney, FSE fellow and lead on the Benin project, is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. FSE began its partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund in 2007 and continues to work together to spread the technology into new villages in West Africa.

• » Solar Market Gardens as a Tool for Rural Development
• » National Geographic: Five most hopeful energy stories of 2012
• » National Geographic: Solar energy brings food, water, and light to West Africa

April 23rd, 2012

Small-scale irrigation investments needed in sub-Saharan Africa

95 percent of farms in sub-Saharan Africa are rainfed and rely on water from a short, 4-5 month rainy season. These conditions exist despite the fact that Africa has water, and that poor water access and distribution are closely connected to high rates of malnutrition and poverty. New investment strategies focused on small-scale irrigation systems are needed to curtail sub-Saharan Africa’s water and food security crisis. Read more »

March 1st, 2012

Benin solar market gardens: Inspiring innovation through imagery

This annotated photo gallery displays the success story of a women's farming group in Nothern Benin who through the adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps increased household income and nutritional intake in just one year. It is intended to inspire investment in innovative ideas that link food security, energy security, and water security in the world's poorest areas. Read more »

Benin solar market video gallery

This video gallery features the success story of a women's farming group in Nothern Benin who through the adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps increased household income and nutritional intake in just one year. It is intended to inspire investment in innovative ideas that link food security, energy security, and water security in the world's poorest areas.
Read more »

December 5th, 2011

Fighting hunger in Africa with new methods of irrigation

Stanford scientists are calling for investments in small-scale irrigation projects and hydrologic mapping in sub-Saharan Africa to help buffer growers from erratic weather and poor crop yields that are expected to worsen with climate change.
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May 17th, 2011

FSE's Jennifer Burney named 2011 National Geographic Emerging Explorer

National Geographic has announced its 2011 class of Emerging Explorers. Among the 14 visionary young trailblazers honored this year by the Society for their achievements is environmental scientist Jennifer Burney of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Burney, also affiliated with the joint FSI Woods Institute Program on Food Security and the Environment, focuses her research on simultaneously achieving global food security and mitigating climate change. Read more »

April 18th, 2011

FSE and SELF working to bring solar to the world

FSE's solar electrification drip irrigation project in Benin highlighted in piece on the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) and its successful partnerships. The results of the project, studied and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were clear: the PV-powered system increased food yields, which brought a chain of prosperity. Read more »