Webinar: RBAs Webinar on Bridging Research and Policy Responses to COVID-19 Three United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs), IFAD, FAO, and WFP have partnered with ICABR, ICWAE, IAAE, World Bank, and IFPRI to present a 2-day event with lightning talks related to: "Bridging Research and Policy Responses to COVID-19: Value Chain, Food Security, Women, Youth and Vulnerable Groups." The webinar will take place on June 12 and June 19, 2020, at 5pm CSET. Please note, you must register for this event. Find the registration form, as well as more information and the webinar program. READ MORE. |
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31st International Conference of Agricultural Economists The 31st International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) will be held in New Delhi, India, from August 20 (pre-conference workshops) to August 25, 2021. The theme of ICAE 2021 is “Agriculture under the 4th Industrial Revolution.” Visit the conference website www.aeraindia.in/icae2021/ for more information and to sign up for conference updates. READ MORE |
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COVID-19 is, First and Foremost, A Global Humanitarian Challenge. Thousands of health professionals are heroically battling the virus, putting their own lives at risk. Governments and industry are working together to understand and address the challenge, support victims and their families and communities, and search for treatments and a vaccine. Government and businesses around the world need to act promptly. This document is meant to help senior leaders understand the COVID-19 situation and how it may unfold, and take steps to protect their employees, customers, supply chains and financial results. READ MORE |
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IFPRI’s new COVID-19 Food Price Monitor tracks warning signs of stress in local markets Many fear that food supply disruptions caused by COVID-19 could lead to price spikes and erode people’s access to food in low- and middle-income countries. Price spikes can be early warning signals of tightness of food markets. Since the 2007-2008 food price crisis, IFPRI’s Food Security Portal has been monitoring global markets for staples including wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans. Prices in these markets are easy to monitor on a daily basis thanks to good data systems. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, these markets have remained relatively stable. READ MORE |
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African Development Bank unveils strategy roadmap to safeguard food security against impacts of COVID-19 The AfDB has unveiled a strategic roadmap of projects and programmes to assist African countries in tackling the nutrition and food security aspects of the COVID-19 crisis through a raft of immediate and longer-term measures. The Feed Africa Response to COVID-19 (FAREC) paves the way for a comprehensive intervention to build resilience, sustainability and regional self-sufficiency in Africa’s food systems and help farmers cope with coronavirus-related disruptions to the agricultural value chain. READ MORE |
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Coronavirus May Cost Africa $4.8 Billion in Crop Exports The coronavirus pandemic could cost Africa as much as $4.8 billion in lost agricultural exports and affect the livelihoods of 10 million farmers, McKinsey & Co. said. Disruptions ranging from canceled flights to the closure of chocolate factories in Europe have limited exports of crops ranging from nuts to roses, according to the consultancy firm. Livelihoods will be affected through “job loss or price reductions,” McKinsey said. READ MORE |
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Protecting Food Security in Africa during COVID-19 Even before the global COVID-19 pandemic broke out, food insecurity was a serious concern throughout sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 239 million people in the region were undernourished as of 2018. Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, these chronic food crises have been driven by a variety of factors, including economic shocks, climate, and conflict. READ MORE |
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AfDB’s TAAT Initiative Plants the Seeds of Change. The AfDB-funded Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation initiative, or TAAT, disseminates ‘best bet’ crop seed varieties, agricultural inputs and farming practices to farmers by directing proven technologies across the African landscape. With tens of millions of smallholder farmers potentially benefiting from TAAT, the initiative is bringing a green revolution closer to home. READ MORE |
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The True Impact of Locust Swarms on Africa’s Agriculture Sector While the start of the year saw COVID-19 send panic across the globe, another crisis was brewing in East Africa. From December 2019 to spring 2020, a plague of locusts – the largest the region had seen in generations – swept across the region, from the Horn of Africa to the deserts of Kenya, decimating the crops that feed tens of millions of people. Kenya hadn’t faced a plague this severe in over 70 years, and Ethiopia and Somalia not in a quarter of a century. READ MORE |
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The Need for a Private Sector Coalition on Agriculture Agriculture presents the greatest opportunity for the continent. Agriculture and agribusiness, sectors currently worth $300bn in Africa, will transform into a market worth $1tn by 2030. With 60% of the world’s available arable land and generally favourable conditions, the continent has a clear competitive advantage. The challenges and opportunities are well documented; Africa accounts for 75% of the world’s cocoa production – Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone account for 65% – but the continent receives only 2% of the $100bn annual revenues from global sales of chocolate and cocoa related products. READ MORE |
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