Report Finds Radical Change Needed for Global Agriculture

A new report released in pivotal global meeting suggested a change as radical as those occurred during industrial and agriculture revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries to transform the agriculture agenda to meet the challenges of climate change and population increase. The report strongly recommended the need for massive reform, investments to agricultural research, [...]

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Assessing the role of microfinance in fostering adaptation to climate change

The current policy debate on adaptation to climate change has focused on estimation of adaptation costs, and ways to raise and to scale-up funding for adaptation. There is however little emphasis so far on actual delivery mechanisms to channel these resources to target the poor. In new research paper, the lending portfolios of the 22 [...]

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Ghana Widens Fertilizer Use to Boost Cocoa Yields, Board Says

The Ghana Cocoa Board plans to double the amount of land under fertilizer use as it targets production of 1 million metric tons of the beans by 2012/13. The board subsidizes 40 percent of the cost of a bag of fertilizer and uses licensed buying companies to distribute the chemicals to farmers. The smallholder farmers [...]

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U.S. sees food security as next big Africa push

The Obama administration will put food security at the heart of its Africa policy, as it seeks to enhance ongoing U.S. efforts on trade, investment and HIV/AIDS on the continent. According to a top U.S. diplomat, the administration want to see the food security initiative take on greater momentum as more African countries are drawn [...]

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“Please Cut Emissions and Help Us Adapt”

Africa is profoundly vulnerable to climate change though the entire continent produces only 4% of the global total carbon dioxide emissions. The reason for that is that it is less resilient. The contribution of agriculture in Africa to climate change is insignificant compared to what happens in the developed countries just because, if you take [...]

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Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa

Organic agriculture is a sustainable and environmentally friendly production system that offers Africa and other developing countries a wide rage of economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits. Evidence from research shows that agricultural yields in organic systems do not fall, and at least remain stable when converting from systems that use relatively low synthetic inputs, [...]

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Africa is Capable of Feeding itself

The celebration of World Water Day (March 22) is a call for action over one of the greatest challenges we face – ensuring a growing population has access to clean and sufficient water so that it can feed itself. According to some experts, Africa will suffer most from rising temperatures, droughts and other climate change [...]

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Farmers Insured Through Mobile Phones

Kenyan farmers can now protect their harvest from droughts or excess rain conditions with an innovative micro-insurance plan. The plan protects farms as small as one acre with affordable insurance by incorporating mobile phone and solar powered weather station technologies. The insurance plan is called “Kilimo Salama” – which means, “safe farming” in Kiswahili – [...]

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Smallholder Agriculture and Land Reform in South Africa

There is basic question that how land reform contribute to a revitalization of smallholder agriculture in South Africa. The article focuses mainly on South Africa, where a high unequal distribution of land coexists with deep rural policy. Since 1994, economic policies adopted by the democratic governance have done little to develop the smallholder sector, and [...]

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Kenya eyes software to boost coffee marketing

Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania are eyeing a software developed by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) to market and sell agricultural products through an internet portal. Once adopted, farmers will have increased access to market information and be able to trade coffee directly. Farmers in most of the coffee producing countries use agents to access the [...]

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