Investment in pastoralists could help combat east Africa food crisis

Underinvestment in livestock-based systems in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya have contributed to the extreme food insecurity in the Horn of Africa. Governments need to build a coalition of support for pastoralists to tap their potential for economic development in east Africa,  Jeff Hill, director for policy at USAid, said. The crisis in the Horn has [...]

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‘Africa prepare for another recession’

Africa needed to prepare itself to weather and survive the looming second wave of the global recession, said Human Settlements Minister of South Africa Tokyo Sexwale in African Union Housing Finance general meeting in Johannesburg. Referring to International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde’s statement that the world’s economy was on a “threatening downward [...]

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Network to Increase Credit to Agriculture

Agriculture is set for increased funding, following the establishment of a network by the East African Community. The East Africa Agriculture Finance Network, which is sponsored by USAID, will constitute banks, insurance firms, co-operatives, venture capitalists, private equity funds and investors, government representatives and regulators, regional economic communities and small-and-medium enterprises. Across Africa, many bank [...]

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AGRA makes great impact in agriculture – SARI

Dr. Stephen Nutsugah, the Director of the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has lauded a giant stride made by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in Ghana’s agricultural sector. A field demonstration was held to find out the improvement of the soil fertility after [...]

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Growing Little by Little

Many would argue it an impossible task; changing the farmer to consumer cycle in such a way that effectively feed the poor, create employment and reduce the impact on climate change. Yet from within Cape Town’s poorest areas, a farming revolution is underway. There is no one in sight except for older women hunched over [...]

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Plan farms for climate change: Minister

Adapting agriculture in Africa to accommodate drastic climate changes will reap benefits for future food security and the poor, International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says, at an African ministerial meeting on climate change in Johannesburg. Climate change could affect agriculture through higher temperatures, greater crop water demand, more variable rainfall and extreme climate [...]

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Harnessing agriculture for national development

In every democratic government, the legislature is indispensable for the development process . It further serves as a bulwark of the other two arms of the government while checkmating their activities. To contribute to the effective parliamentary support system in Nigeria, the African Leadership Forum (ALF) a not-for-profit organization with a quest for effective leadership, [...]

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Palm Oil Fuels Land Grabs In Africa – Analysis

The oil palm nursery occupies several hectares of newly cleared forest and fallow land in Sierra Leone. This is the newly growing investment of palm oil production by industries and companies from Asia. Government targets for the use of agrofuels in Europe, China and North America are making palm oil, which can be used to [...]

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Further funding for African agricultural technology

Kenya on Monday called on African, Caribbean and Pacific States ( ACP ) member countries to put more funds on agricultural and technology development to help make it marketable. Agriculture Permanent Secretary Romano Kiome told delegates attending a Eastern and Southern Africa agricultural meeting in Nairobi that they must put emphasis on inputs, markets, credit [...]

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