Agriculture experts from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have called for an intensive scale-up of climate-resilient seeds and climate-smart innovations, including drought-tolerant seeds and soil and water conservation practices in Eastern Africa. The call comes against rising drought impacts in Kenya and other parts of East Africa. In Kenya, farmers are eager…
Body slums FAO’s agricultural model over biodiversity loss
The current industrial model of agriculture underpinning the global food system is destroying itself, and us with it: This is the conclusion that we can draw from the report released by the FAO State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture. The report provides some alarming details of the irreversible and catastrophic damage being…
Nigerian biotech body approves commercial release of genetically modified cowpea
The Nigerian Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has approved the commercial release of genetically modified, pest-resistant cowpea to farmers in Nigeria. The action is a culmination of more than two decades of research, field trials, and risk assessment by multiple organizations. This places the country on the path to becoming the first country ever to cultivate…
African Union honours FAO’s Director-General
The African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday awarded FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva with a special certificate of recognition for his contribution towards the eradication of hunger in Africa and the sustainable development of the continent’s agriculture sectors. “His (Graziano da Silva’s) passion for the Zero Hunger vision and relentless leadership…
Climate change: Plan to end Drought on African Farms
With news from last week’s global climate talks in Poland looking ominous for African farmers, a high-level group of African agricultural experts gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday to accelerate farmer access to innovations that can sustainably increase food production—even as temperatures rise and weather extremes and crop pests become more common. The event,…
Africa’s agricultural progress: Political support more crucial than seeds, weather and soil, says new Report
Lack of political will by government leaders more than farm inputs continue to stem Africa’s agricultural development and its contribution to spark widespread economic growth across the continent, a major new study released today by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The report, “Catalyzing State Capacity to Drive Agricultural Transformation,” is the most…
Building Resilience to Climate Risks in Africa’s Agriculture
By Mohamed Beavogui Agriculture represents tremendous opportunities for African economies. The sector contributed more than $100 billion to Africa’s GDP in 2016. But much of that potential could be realised if there are effective solutions addressing the factors that drive the under-performance trend in the sector. Over 60 per cent of the Sub-Saharan African population…
East African research centres plot for climate-ready cassava
By Patrick Amunavi A team comprising of researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) in Tanzania, in collaboration with Basque Institute for Research and Development in Agriculture (NEIKER) in Spain are evaluating and developing cassava cultivars adaptable to the climate change-induced stresses. The project…