September 5, 2024 | No. 59 |
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| Researchers root for agricultural biotech to tackle food insecurity in Africa |
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With Africa being the continent with the highest food insecurity in the world, leveraging agricultural biotechnology potential is one of the ways the continent can meet the food needs of its increasing population, researchers have shows. The researchers said agricultural biotechnology can contribute to addressing hunger and malnutrition on the continent, through producing crops that are resistant to diseases, pests, and drought, and safely introducing vitamins or proteins into crops that lack them for nutrition improvement, among other ways.Read more
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| Harnessing the sun for agriculture: pathways to the successful expansion of agrivoltaic systems in East Africa |
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Research on agrivoltaic systems (AVS) has focused on their technical efficacy rather than the social dimensions of their installation and usage. In this study, researchers worked with participants in East Africa who had installed AVS on their farms to better understand their experiences with the technology. They also sought to identify factors that could widen AVS adoption in the region. Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) offer an innovative opportunity for farmers to generate energy, harvest rainwater, and reduce crop losses by shading and sheltering plants from extreme weather. These elevated solar panels have been gaining popularity in East Africa, as they increase electricity access and improve agricultural yields while still allowing access to land. Read More
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| Green Climate Fund approves $151 million for African Development Bank’s climate resilience programme in the Horn of Africa |
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The Green Climate Fund has approved $151 million in financing for a major resilience program supported by the African Development Bank to address climate vulnerability in the Horn of Africa. The approval was granted at the Fund’s 39th Board meeting and comprises a $90.7 million grant and a $60.3 million loan. The financing will support the Bank Group’s “Building Climate Resilience for Food and Livelihoods in the Horn of Africa program,” benefiting 4.6 million people across Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Read More |
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| Unlocking Africa’s agricultural power to ensure food security for all |
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Despite having 60% of the world's uncultivated arable land, Africa continues to import large amounts of food, with over R68bn in farm products imported in 2021. At the recent Standard Bank 'Africa Unlocked' conference in Cape Town, it was highlighted that Africa's reliance on exporting raw materials and importing finished goods is costing the continent jobs and crucial foreign income. Read More |
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| MSMEs Highlighted as a Force in Building Africa’s Food Systems in the Latest Leading Agriculture Report |
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AGRA has launched its 2024 Africa Agriculture Status Report, titled “Harnessing the Private Sector for Food Systems Transformation in Africa." The report provides an in-depth analysis of the significant role that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play in transforming food systems across Africa. Developed through extensive collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders, it explores the vital contributions of MSMEs to agricultural and economic transformation on the continent.Read more
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| Africa: Agricultural Future Lies in Agroecology |
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A premise which has its roots in traditional knowledge and ecological principles, some people may find the term agroecology mysterious or esoteric. However, far from being an abstract concept, agroecology can be a lifeline for long-lasting food systems, providing a route that links the welfare of people with the health of the land. Agroecology is not just about farming and growing food; it means combining social justice, ecological science, and indigenous knowledge. Overall, it is a holistic system in which ecosystems and agriculture work in harmony to produce food that is both environmentally sustainable and safe for consumption. As an approach, agroecology prioritises not just yields of crops, but the health of ecosystems, the well-being of communities, and people`s sovereignty over their food systems. Read more
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| (FOCAC) Guest Opinion: Sowing new seeds for China-Africa agricultural cooperation |
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From hybrid rice to flowers, from tropical agriculture to dry farming, from technology demonstration centers to poverty alleviation pilot projects, China and Africa have seen increased exchanges and fruitful achievements on agricultural cooperation since the launch of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and in particular, since the start of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Chinese crop varieties and agricultural technologies have been transported thousands of miles to the African continent, helping improve productivity and local livelihoods.Read more
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| Project seeks to end post-harvest aflatoxin problem in Tanzania |
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For years, Tanzania has faced a recurring problem of high levels of aflatoxin in harvested grain. And countries that routinely buy maize from Tanzania, such as Kenya, have often temporarily banned imports, citing the chemical. Now Tanzanian authorities say the problem could soon be a thing of the past. A five-year aflatoxin control project to equip Tanzanian farmers with better ways of growing, harvesting, and storing crops is set to end the problem. The Tanzania Initiative for Preventing Aflatoxin Contamination (TANIPAC) project, part of the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 (TDV 2025), focuses on post-harvest hygiene, including adequate drying and waterproofing. Read More
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| African coffee beans find new market in China, boosting China-Africa trade |
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"Three, two, one, get (Rwanda coffee) on the cart! Sold out!" Back in May 2020, James Kimonyo, Rwandan Ambassador to China, joined an online livestreaming event on e-commerce platform Taobao, during which he sold nearly 1.5 tons of Rwanda coffee beans in just a few seconds, before even finishing an introduction to the products. This amount is equivalent to Rwanda's total coffee bean sales from the previous year. This was not the first batch of African coffee exported to or sold into the Chinese market. However, it was an impressive feat that boosted the confidence of African coffee farmers in exporting their products to China.
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| Trade Can Support Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In Africa’s Agricultural Sector, New Data Shows |
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The latest Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) indicates that intra-African agricultural trade has already reached a new high of US$ 17 billion, finally surpassing its previous 2013 peak, which was reached after a tripling of growth the decade prior. This recent surge, despite the disruptions and aftereffects of COVID-19, must be further accelerated through additional policy and infrastructure support, as well as intra-regional trade facilitation, argue the authors. Published by AKADEMIYA2063 and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the 2024 AATM explores the complex links between trade and climate change, analyzing carbon emissions associated with the production and transportation of agricultural products, embedded water content in traded agricultural products, and climate stress-induced yield changes in agriculture. Read More
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