Researchers predict climate change-driven reduction in beneficial plant microbes

Bacteria that benefit plants are thought to be a critical contributor to crops and other ecosystems, but climate change may reduce their numbers, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. They published their findings in Nature Food. The collaboration, including Francisco Dini-Andreote, professor of plant science at Penn State, characterized the abundances…

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Benefits of consolidating government programs and development initiatives

Writes Charles Dhewa The benefits of collaborating and building partnerships to solve shared problems like climate change seem very obvious. Mounting evidence indicates that dividing issues into themes often breaks natural synergies, for instance, between agriculture, environment, energy, mobility, and other issues that should be approached holistically. However, the fact that many development organizations and…

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AMR poses threat to public health and sustainable food production

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) poses an increasingly serious threat to public health and sustainable food production, necessitating an effective response involving all sectors of government and society, stakeholders attending the World AMR Awareness Week in Zimbabwe have said. Addressing delegates during the official opening ceremony of the 5th Continental World Antimicrobial Awareness Week for Africa in…

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Minister Chombo praises Grace Gaidzanwa for impressive agricultural enterprise

Writes Elvis Dumba Chinhoyi – A Chinhoyi-based young woman has caught the eyes of Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon Marian Chombo after she turned an urban piece of land into a vibrant agriculture enterprise boasting of a fish farming project. Grace Gaidzanwa erected a small dam from the harvested…

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Zimbabwe Hosts the World AMR Awareness Week 2023, 18-24th November 2023

The Quadripartite partners consisting of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in partnership with African Union agencies, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Inter-African Bureau for…

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AfDB supports small livestock farmers in Zambia to adapt to climate change

With 96.7% of households adopting new production practices for milk, the nutritional benefits for adults and children have also improved The Climate Resilient Livestock Management Project, implemented by the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) in Zambia between 2017 and 2022, has helped to equip small livestock farmers to adapt to climate change. In particular, the percentage…

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AGRA’s Extension Model Hits 11m Farmers With New Technologies

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has recounted the efforts it made towards implementing its mandate, saying it has reached over 11 million farmers in Nigeria. The Country Director of AGRA, Rufus Idris, disclosed this during the just concluded Africa–Wide Agricultural Extension Week (AAEW) in Abuja. Idris, while receiving an award for AGRA’s…

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FAO opens Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators

Scores of international experts, including government officials, researchers, and industry leaders from several continents, gathered at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters in Rome for the two-day Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators. The Forum focuses on a sector that generates more than $400 billion in annual commercial…

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Beekeeping renews forests

Writes Nhau Mangirazi Beekeeping is renewing forests in Zimbabwe as part of biodiversity aimed at community development, an official said last week. Zimbabwe Forestry Commission assistant entomologist, Leon Tshuma, made the remarks last week on Friday during a meeting facilitated by the Africa Wildlife Foundation on Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy report dialogue series on Opportunities for…

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Implementation of innovation, knowledge-led initiatives transforms economies: Dr Bayisa Bedada

Dr. Bayisa Bedada, the State Minister of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia has encouraged African countries to accelerate economic transformation through knowledge-based and innovation-led initiatives. He made the remarks today at a stakeholder validation meeting of genome editing communication and advocacy training materials and curriculum underway in Addis Ababa from 15 to…

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FAO Food Outlook Predicts Declining International Trade in Some Basic Foodstuffs

Production prospects across most basic foodstuffs are favourable, but extreme weather events, rising geopolitical tensions, and sudden policy changes pose risks for global food production systems and could potentially tip delicate demand-supply balances and dampen prospects for trade and global food security, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United…

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Workshop validates genome editing communication training materials and curriculum

A three-day workshop kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia today to validate genome editing training materials and curriculum that will be used at the continental level to communicate new breeding tools and create awareness of the technology meant to optimize African agriculture. In his welcome remarks, Dr. Kassahun Tesfaye, the Director General of the Ethiopian…

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Care Zimbabwe and partners deploy automated weather station in Manicaland

In a collaborative endeavor to enhance disaster preparedness, CARE International in Zimbabwe and Caritas Zimbabwe, in partnership with the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) of Zimbabwe, have successfully deployed an automated weather station at Cloudland in Ward 33, situated within the Vumba area of Mutare District. This initiative which was spearheaded through the Strengthening Disaster Preparedness…

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Africa shifts towards genetic modification to boost food security

The designation of Ghana as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) collaborating center for Africa, focusing on plant breeding and associated technologies for food and nutrition, is being seen as a pivotal moment in the application of genetic modification in Africa. In a recent press statement, the IAEA announced its collaboration with the Biotechnology and…

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Digital tool to increase farm profitability, sustainability

A western Australia-based project aims to develop a scientifically rigorous decision-support tool to help farmers and their advisors increase profitability and optimise risk management. Dubbed the Agri-analytics Hub, the $4-million project will help producers analyse variability in crop performance and profitability on an in-paddock scale. The project involves the Food Agility Co-operative Research Centre, NGIS,…

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Funding critical for driving genome editing, agricultural innovations

Funding strengthens institutional capacity and the uptake of genome editing through strategic partnerships, alliances, and linkages with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) spearheading biotechnology in eight countries in Africa. Genome editing, with its immense potential to revolutionize various aspects of human life, holds an important place in the realm of scientific discoveries. The GE…

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Increasing the capacity of communities to process information and knowledge

By Charles Dhewa One of the reasons why democracy has taken so long to germinate in African countries is that ordinary rural people lack the capacity to process information from within their own communities as well as information from government sources, from members of parliament, from development agencies, and from mainstream media. Given that higher-quality…

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Rising El Niño Intensity Sparks Global Food Security Concerns

Global climate shifts this year are likely to disrupt food production throughout the world, straining food security worldwide. A report published this month by scientists associated with Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) explained that El Niño is going to bring too much rain to some parts of the world, and too little to others. This…

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Strategic partnerships, alliances with institutions of higher learning drive genome editing

There is a need for strategic partnerships, alliances, and linkages with institutions of higher learning and national research institutes for the successful implementation of genome editing tools that require strong institutional capacity, a senior government official has said. This was said today in Harare by Deputy Chief Secretary in The Office of the President and…

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Great optimism for African agriculture if continent embraces right strategies

The 14th African Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP) painted a bright future if the right strategies are embraced to ensure the continent’s food and nutrition security. In his address, while pulling the curtain down to the meeting, Mr. Patrick K. Kangwa,…

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Extend Malabo Declaration Commitments from 2025 to 2030: WFP’s Stanlake Samkange

Mr. Stanlake JTM Samkange, outgoing Chair of the Development Partners Coordination Group (DPCG) of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has called on the African Union and development partners to extend the time period for implementing the Malabo Commitments through…

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Key takeaways from 14th ADFNS and 19th CAADP PP: PELUM Zambia

Writes Wilfred Miga (PELUM Zambia, Head of Programmes) The ongoing 14th Africa Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) commemoration and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP) conference highlighted a number of issues that are of interest to Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zambia. It is evident that there is a…

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CAADP Commitment: African Youth Consortium in Agriculture and Climate Change Network launched

BABOLOKI SEMELE AND BYRON MUTINGWENDE LUSAKA, ZAMBIA: “We can do so much, we have so much, and yet we seem to be not doing that so much, the much that we want,” these powerful words resonated with hope and determination as Vice President of Zambia, Mutale Nalumango, delivered her keynote address at the launch of…

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JICA promoting agriculture development in Africa

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA’s policy for agriculture development in Africa is transforming the continent in the promotion of food and nutrition security. In his address during a plenary session at the ongoing 14th Africa Day on Food and Nutrition Security and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP…

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AU member states committed to addressing food and nutrition insecurity

To demonstrate their commitment to addressing food and nutrition insecurity, African Union member states and other key stakeholders are in Lusaka for the 14th Africa Day on Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP). In her keynote speech while officially opening the meeting today, Mrs….

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Empowering Farmers: A Step Towards Sustainable Agriculture in Mutoko District

Own Correspondent In the heart of Zimbabwe’s Mutoko District, a group of dedicated farmers is revolutionising the agricultural landscape. Through their hard work and determination, members of the Dorowera Irrigation Scheme in Ward 6 have found a sustainable livelihood and avoided urban vices. Tinotenda Musowenyama (27) is one such young man, along with his wife…

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Parliamentarians play key role in the attainment of Malabo targets in agriculture

Parliamentarians play an important role in effectively lobbying towards the achievement of the Malabo targets, Hon. Dr. John Kanyuithia Mutunga, MP for Tigania West Constituency, and Chairman of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee of the Kenyan National Assembly has said. He made the remarks during a plenary session to commemorate the 14th Africa Day for…

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Initiatives to enhance food systems in Africa gain momentum

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – The vision towards enhancing food systems in Africa is gaining momentum as the continent is positioning itself and giving food and nutrition the necessary attention. This came to the fore at the 14th commemoration of the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and the 19th CAADP Partnership Platform (CAADP PP)…

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Accelerated implementation of CAADP to improve African food and nutrition security

There is an urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a continental framework for agricultural transformation and agriculture-led growth strategy to achieve ambitious targets on food and nutrition security as outlined in the Malabo Declaration. These were sentiments by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)’s Director of Agriculture,…

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CAADP PP, ADFNS to promote intra-Africa agri-food trade and improved nutrition

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – The 14th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) Commemoration and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP) running from the 30th of October to the 2nd of November 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia will ensure cross-fertilization and provide a platform for sharing experiences and lessons and discussing…

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ICGEB offers course on biopesticides and biocontrol agents

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is offering a course on “Harmonising regulatory requirements for registration of biopesticides and biocontrol agents in Africa: From principles to practice” which will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 27 to 29 February 2024. The Scientific Organiser is Dr. Dennis Obonyo Ndolo from ICGEB…

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Indian-based horticulture seed manufacturing company to set base in Mashonaland West

Writes Elvis Dumba Chinhoyi – An international agriculture company has been attracted to the country by Zimbabwe’s favourable climatic conditions and investment environment. Right Seeds, an Indian-based horticulture seed manufacturing company intends to set a base in the country. This was revealed by Right Seeds Company Indian Director, Annirudha Tinali, when he led local and…

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Workshop looks into benefits and regulation of biopesticides

A workshop by various stakeholders in the agricultural value chain has brought to the fore the benefits and regulation architecture of biopesticides. The workshop is being held in Harare from 24 to 26 October 2023 under the auspices of the Southern Africa Biopesticides Project titled, Enhancing Trade Through Regulatory Harmonisation and Biopesticide Based Residue Mitigation…

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Biopesticides increase agricultural productivity and production

Increased agricultural productivity and production can be achieved through adaptation and use of new technologies such as biopesticides, a senior government official has said. This came to the fore today at a workshop on targeted interventions towards enhancing the registration and use of biopesticides in Zimbabwe that is running from 25 to 26 October 2023…

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Fossil fuel, mining, and extractive industry expansion threaten remaining tropical forests

Indigenous and civil society organizations hold press conference calling on world leaders gathering at the Summit of the Three Basins this week to commit to protecting tropical forests in these critical basins and to scale up rights-based legal protections We are at a critical juncture in the nature crisis: the science is unambiguous about the…

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Marian Chombo warns abusers of Presidential Inputs Scheme

Writes Elvis Dumba Sanyati – The government has put adequate measures to ensure a successful 2023/24 agriculture season by ensuring the timeous availability of agriculture inputs with people being warned against abusing the program. Launching the Presidential conservation farming, Pfumvudza/Intwasa for Sanyati District, Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon Marian…

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Sir John Kennedy Primary School’s environmental club bears fruits

Writes Chimeno Azriel The introduction of Environmental Clubs is benefitting educational institutions like Kadoma-based Sir John Kennedy Primary which joined the Head of State and Government, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa during the 2023 edition of the Harare Agricultural Show where it scooped the best stand award for the schools category. The impacts of climate…

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Communication and advocacy spurs uptake of genome editing

MOMBASA, KENYA – Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) director for programme development and commercialization has urged proper communication and advocacy to influence the adoption of biotechnology and complementary innovative technologies like genome editing so as to catalyse productivity transformation and improve food system resilience in Africa. He made the remarks in…

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Zimbabwe to invest in multi-billion dollar biotechnology industries

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said his administration is investing in emerging industries such as the multi-billion dollar biotechnology industries as a way of expediting the achievement of an upper-middle income economy by 2030. He made the remarks while officially opening the Great Zimbabwe University Innovation Hub during the institution’s 17th Graduation Ceremony, held under the…

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China Approves “Dozens” of Genetically Modified Corn, Soybean Varieties

Bloomberg writer Hallie Gu reported that “China has approved dozens of genetically modified corn and soybean seed varieties for planting, in a breakthrough move that could eventually boost production and reduce dependence on foreign supplies. “The country is the world’s top importer of soybeans and corn “A national committee set up by the agriculture ministry has approved 37 GM corn seed and 14 soybean…

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Communication, commercialisation and innovation systems for genome editing intertwined

MOMBASA, KENYA – There is an interconnectedness of communication, commercialisation, and innovation systems related to genome editing, a multi-stakeholder strategic workshop on biotechnology in this coastal city of Kenya that is meant to improve African agriculture has revealed. Moderating a roundtable discussion on insights into genome editing/biotech communication and advocacy, Veronica Mwaba, the Director of…

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Mozambique’s Prof Alsácia Atanásio encourages girls and women to take STEM subjects

MOMBASA, KENYA – There are vast opportunities for women and girls in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, Prof Alsácia Atanásio of Mozambique has said. The scientist revealed this in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing genome editing strategic workshop in Mombasa, Kenya, that is organised by the African Union Development…

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