Africa: Capacity Building Is Key to Africa’s Digital Sequencing Success Story

[ad_1] Bulawayo — Christian Tiambo has always wished to uplift local farmers' communities through cutting-edge science. As climate change wreaked havoc on local agriculture, Tiambo, a livestock scientist at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), focused on conserving and developing livestock that could withstand environmental stress. Genomics, a Game Changer Tiambo's research took an exciting turn when part of his PhD studies was to characterize and establish local poultry […]

October 22, 2024

Africa

Africa: How African Women Are Protecting Communities From Devastating Droughts

[ad_1] The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have released a new global report today - the International Day of Rural Women - calling for better recognition and support for women-led efforts to protect vulnerable communities from the devastating effects of drought. The report highlights 35 promising practices showcasing the efforts of organisations and community members, particularly women leaders, in combating, mitigating, and responding to drought and its deleterious impacts. This […]

October 15, 2024

Africa

Africa: New Report Showcases Women-Led Solutions for Building Drought Resilience

[ad_1] Bonn — Women at the Forefront of Combating Drought Women and girls are not only experiencing greater hardships but are also demonstrating remarkable leadership in the face of drought, finds the new report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Launched on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, the report titled Women-Led Solutions for Drought Resilience calls for better recognizing and supporting women-led […]

October 15, 2024

Africa

Africa: Growing Africa’s Digital Economy from the Soil Up

[ad_1] There is an economic sector in Africa worth $1 trillion a year, and yet most of the people who work in it are invisible. "Farmers are the folks that you don't see," says African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi A. Adesina. "Banks don't see them. Buyers don't see them. Traders don't see them. Insurance companies don't see them." These smallholder farmers often live in remote areas with unreliable connectivity and few links to markets, leaving them with no digital footprint and […]

October 3, 2024

Africa

Africa: East Africa Braces for Wheat Price Surge As Russian Crop Falls to 11-Year Low

[ad_1] East Africa faces the prospect of higher wheat prices in 2025 due to a projected poor crop in Russia, the region's primary supplier. The 2025 Russian wheat crop is expected to fall to an 11-year low, raising concerns for countries like Kenya, which imports up to 75 percent of its wheat needs from Russia and Ukraine. The Sovecon consultancy warned earlier this week that wheat sowing rates in Russia have dropped significantly, dampening the outlook for next year's harvest. […]

October 1, 2024

News

Liberia: Agriculture, Roads, and Tourism Are Key to National Investment, Says Acting Finance Minister

[ad_1] Monrovia — Liberia's Acting Finance and Development Planning Minister, Anthony G. Myers, has identified agriculture, roads, and tourism as crucial sectors for national investment across the country. Acting Minister Myers made this statement during a brief ten-minute presentation at the ongoing National Investment Conference organized by Nova Africa Ventures, held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Oldest Congo Town, Paynesville. According to Myers, both private and public sector investors should consider economic specialization in activities that will […]

August 15, 2024

Africa

Africa: Empowering Women in Agriculture ( EWA)’s 7th High-Level Breakfast Meeting on the margins of the 37th African Union Summit

[ad_1] The 7th High-Level Breakfast Meeting of the Empowering Women in Agriculture (EWA) initiative in line with the established mechanisms of the African Union Commission on Food and Security, aims to highlight and commend the significant strides made in empowering women in agriculture. EWA is championed by HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of the Republic of Liberia and HE Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It has been recognized by AWLN as an innovative project […]

February 12, 2024

Africa

Africa: Secrets of Soil-Enriching Pulses Could Transform Future of Sustainable Agriculture

[ad_1] From lentils to chickpeas, and even the humble baked bean, pulses are perhaps best known as an alternative, plant-based source of protein. These plants are environmental heroes: they work together with soil microbes to "fix" nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil with nutrients to allow them to thrive. As their nitrogen-fixing capacity is becoming better understood, scientists are hoping to find ways to increase productivity, and eventually apply some of these effective soil-enriching characteristics to other crops such […]

February 12, 2024

Africa

Africa: Climate-Smart Farming Gets Funding Boost at COP28, But Small Farmers Still Struggle

[ad_1] Despite not securing a phase-out of fossil fuels, COP28 witnessed a historic focus on food. The summit saw over $7 billion in funding commitments, as well as a pledge by 152 countries to include food and agriculture in their climate plans. There is no doubt that commercial agriculture is a major contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Greenpeace. This includes emissions from land use change, on-farm production, processing, transport, packaging, and retail. […]

January 30, 2024

Agribusiness