Food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: options and challenges

Food Security Assessment in ERS annual report indicates that the number of food-insecure people decreased an estimated 7.5 percent from 2009 levels to 882 million in 2010. Although the short-term situation has improved, ERS projections point to deteriorating food security over the next 10 years, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Production shortfalls and subsequent rises in [...]

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Inheritance and the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Considerations (Working Paper)

In many Sub-Saharan African societies, inheritance is one of the most common means by which physical property is transferred from one generation to another. As such, policy initiatives concerning the intergenerational transmission of poverty (IGT poverty) would do well to attend to how inheritance systems are governed, and particularly which considerations affect who is included [...]

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Assembly of the heads of state and government of the African Union / Kampal: Speech by Professor Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairperson of the African Union

The African Union decided to place highest priority on agriculture and food security as the basis for economic transformation and change within the shortest period of time. For this, new strategic partnership for the “The African Food Basket: Innovations, Interventions and Strategic Partnerships” that will initially be implemented in Africa. As the proposal, the African [...]

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Standard Chartered pioneers new way of farming

Standard Chartered Bank is providing nearly R3bn to fund agricultural production in SA, using an innovative scheme that avoids the conventional approach of asking farmers to provide a physical asset as security. Under the scheme, the bank does not lend directly to fund the farmer; instead, the contractor acts as the middleman between the bank [...]

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Mozambique to get 19 million dollar biofuels project

Mozambique’s state fuel company has partnered with the private sector to invest 19 million dollars (14 million euros) in biofuel production. According to state media, a minimum of 10,000 hectares will be cultivated at first, with possible expansion to 50,000 hectares later. Recent fuel price hikes and the declining value of the Mozambican currency have [...]

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Devastating new maize disease spotted in Uganda

A new maize disease has emerged in Uganda, threatening the food security and livelihoods of millions of people. The Rough Dwarf maize disease, which experts say has not been reported anywhere else in Africa, was first spotted early this year in the western and central parts of Uganda. Initial indications show that the infected maize [...]

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The Road to Food Security

An agriculture expert says a relatively simple solution could provide food security to sub-Saharan Africa: roads. More paved roads would bring rural communities out of economic isolation. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, almost 70% of all people living in rural areas live more than a 30-minute walk from the nearest maintained road. Strengthening each link in [...]

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China technology to boost Africa’s food production

China has agreed to transfer her agricultural technology to Africa to enable the continent boost production. The Beijing declaration for the massive agricultural technology transfer came in the China-Africa Agricultural Forum, 12 August, 2010. The declaration called for a leap in Africa’s agricultural output by transforming its rural agriculture through infusion of Chinese agricultural characteristics. [...]

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Innovations in Access to Land: Land Grab or Agricultural Investment

There has been a documented trend in recent years of foreign governments and private firms investing and acquiring large tracts of land in other countries for the purpose of agricultural production and export. Recent campaign by NGOs and other activists opposed the guiding principles endorsed by the World Bank, the FAO, IFAD and UNCTAD on [...]

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Africa Poised For Major Expansion of Food Production

A major gathering of over 700 African scientists, farmers, ministers, policymakers, and public and private sector in Burkina Faso have concluded with a firm consensus that African-led agriculture innovations are poised to move the continent in food production. The gathering, which mainly focused on how to increase investments in African agriculture in the wake of [...]

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