Agriculture | Page 13 of 32 | Best African News Online

ICIEC, Al Rajhi International sign MOU to implement Agricultural and Food Security Project

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (http://ICIEC.isdb.org) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al-Rajhi International Investment Company (RAII) of Saudi Arabia whereby the two parties would cooperate in synergizing coordination, business development and efficient implementation of projects in the vital agricultural and food security sectors in ICIEC’s…

US focuses on Africa for food sustainability

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

By Hillary Munedzi The United States of America is focusing on Africa as the continent holds 60% of the world’s unused arable land as it reaffirms the commitment of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), and the Malabo Declaration and its call to Action at the recently held US-Africa Leaders Summit. The Malabo Declaration…

AU Member States Pledge to Improve Nutrition and Food Security in Africa

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago07 mins

African leaders gathered for a three-day meeting to draw attention to the 2022 African Union Year of Nutrition. The meeting ended with the signing of an “Abidjan Declaration” African Union Member States met in Abidjan and called on governments to speed up investment, coordination, and implementation of programs to improve nutrition and food security in…

How fragmented agricultural projects are undermining African food systems

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago014 mins

By Charles Dhewa If there was more harmony and consolidation between agricultural interventions in Africa, most African countries would have defeated food and nutrition insecurity many years ago. Unfortunately, it seems there are people who benefit more from projectizing agricultural interventions than properly organizing and coordinating food systems. Fragmentation is due to the fact that…

Why claims that gene editing doesn’t involve insertion of foreign genes or DNA are false

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago029 mins

By Claire Robinson of GMWatch with technical advice from Dr. Michael Antoniou and Dr. Yves Bertheau Currently, governments around the world are moving to scrap regulatory safeguards around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are claimed to contain no foreign genes or foreign DNA. They choose to believe GMO lobby assertions that GM gene-edited plants and…

Achieving Zero Hunger in Africa is within reach: Global leaders

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

By Baboloki Semele Eradicating hunger in Africa by 2030 is possible, said global agriculture leaders in Rome. Meeting ahead of the African Food Summit (Dakar 2) to be hosted by President Macky Sall in Dakar, Senegal, from 25-27 January 2023, President of the African Development Bank Group Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the International Fund for Agricultural…

Sprout Women Empowerment Trust hosts successful seed fair

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago012 mins

The Sprout Women Empowerment Trust (SWET) hosted a successful Food, Seed, and Cultural Fair with the support of the Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre on Monday. Caroline Mutimbanyoka, the Director of SWET told Spiked Online Media that the seed fair had many benefits for women who constitute the majority of the labour force in the agricultural sector….

Climate-smart agriculture increases food production, promotes regional trade and integration

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago07 mins

Mr. Pardon Njerere, a Value Chain Expert under the COMESA’s European Union-funded Regional Enterprise Competitiveness and Access to Market Programme (RECAMP), commended the role of Climate Smart Agriculture initiatives in catapulting production gains of food systems to promote regional trade and integration. He made the remarks during the COMESA Regional Dissemination Meeting on Climate-smart Agriculture…

African mass food markets – honing expertise in decolonizing entrepreneurship

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago012 mins

n response to persistent criticism for producing job seekers, not entrepreneurs, several African governments have been setting up centers of innovation and entrepreneurship at universities. While this is a noble cause, it has given the impression that entrepreneurship is something that can be taught in universities. On the contrary, the level of entrepreneurship happening in…

COMESA promotes climate-smart agriculture best practices in the region

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago08 mins

The Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) is implementing 5 Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) pilot projects in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Madagascar, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zimbabwe with funding from the European Union (EU) under the Intra-ACP (Organisation of Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States) and the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+)…

Programme increases women’s participation in agriculture

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago04 mins

By Elvis Dumba Yomba, Raffingora – The innovative Agriculture for SHE programme designed to increase women’s participation in agriculture activities has been hailed as a game changer for the fairer sex. The program will see women benefit from small-scale irrigation schemes under Irrigation for SHE, Horticulture for SHE, and cotton for SHE programmes among other…

Fish farming attracts rural smallholder farmers

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago05 mins

By Calisto Nhamo (32) Before I adopted agroecology, my farming focused only on growing rain fed maize and gardening. This routine did not give me much in terms of diverse food for my family or income. However, in October 2022 I attended an agroecology workshop that was organised by Schools and Colleges Permaculture (SCOPE) Zimbabwe,…

Madhvi4Ecoethics commemorates Tree Planting, International Day for Persons with Disabilities

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

Ecoethics Global Movement, a non-governmental organization founded by US-based young climate activist, Madhvi Chittoor, on Saturday spearheaded an awareness tree planting programme that incorporated persons with disabilities. The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on the 3rd of December on annual basis and this merely coincides with Tree Planting Day which is commemorated…

Calls for amendment of Seed Act get louder

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago04 mins

By Tafadzwa Muranganwa There are calls to amend the Seeds Act to promote community seed systems that are resilient to climate change. This was heard recently at an agroecology media training organised by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe, recently. A community seed company, Champion Farmer Seeds, has revealed that there are many hurdles…

Pan-African Parliament youth dialogue focused on ending hunger and malnutrition

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago05 mins

Young parliamentarians have been challenged to take the lead in the formulation of policies and strategies that enhance the full participation of the African youth in political and decision-making processes. The call was made yesterday at the official opening of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Youth Dialogue, hosted by the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco,…

Mauritius journalist appeals for amplified voices over floods, climate change

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago03 mins

By Nhau Mangirazi in Cape Town, South Africa Shehzad Joomun, a journalist from Mauritius is suffering from emotional pressure affecting communities against the effects of climate change that has resulted in property damages, food insecurity, and health challenges in his home country. Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometers off…

Pan-African campaign “My Food is African” launched

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago09 mins

Diverse actors from 30 countries call for a comprehensive Africa Food Policy that addresses Africa’s need to feed itself in the face of global uncertainty and climate change. The social movements’ call came following the conclusion of the 4th Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) Biennial Food Systems Conference, which was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon,…

Regional policy harmonisation and fertiliser sector development in Southern Africa

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago013 mins

By Mathew M. Abang (Ph.D., MBA) One of the main constraints to food security, poverty alleviation, and economic growth in the SADC region is low agricultural productivity, which is partly attributed to the underuse of fertilizers that are at times of poor quality. An adequate supply of, and access to, good quality fertilizer that is…

Zimbabwe partners Smart Africa in implementing revolutionary agriculture ICT system

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago06 mins

By Fitzgerald Munyoro The government of Zimbabwe through an amalgamation of the ministry of land, agriculture, fisheries, and rural development and the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services has partnered with an African development conglomerate, Smart Africa, in the development of a real time agricultural data mapping system called Agriculture Information Management…

Whole Grain Impact on Global Food Security

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago09 mins

By David Kamau and Peiman Milani The world is facing a global food crisis like none other, with food prices at historic highs, supply chains disrupted by war and disease, and climate change threatening harvests in virtually all geographies. Global food insecurity is rising so rapidly that hunger pushes one child per minute into severe malnutrition and in 2021, up to 828…

What if removing middlemen can kill over 60 percent of food markets?

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago012 mins

By Charles Dhewa Middlemen are often blamed for reaping off farmers and consumers. However, most of the criticism is based on a poor understanding of how markets function and the gaps closed by middlemen. All markets have unique ways of assigning roles to different actors. If middlemen were not important in coordinating supply chains and…

Take business ownership, improve economy: BEEF’s Dr. Solomon Matsa tells Zimbabweans

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

Dr. Solomon Matsa, the President of the Business Economic Empowerment Federation (BEEF) has implored Zimbabweans from all walks of life to take ownership of businesses and drive the economy. Founded in November 2017 by Zimbabwean business entrepreneurs, BEEF seeks to promote business and economic empowerment of native businesspeople, including citizens in the diaspora. “As a…

Herbal farming gets a huge financial boost

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago04 mins

By Elvis Dumba The African Empowerment Fund -Organic Africa, is set to go into partnership with Farmers for Economic Development for herbal farming. Farmers for Economic Development National Chairperson, Tapiwa Chitate, said his organisation is targeting at least 5 000 hectares of land along the Zambezi Escarpment for the project. Chitate revealed this when he…

Afreximbank Outlines US$3 Billion Country Programme for Kenya

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago07 mins

Kenya is set to benefit from a US$3 billion Country Programme from African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). This was announced during a meeting between Kenya’s President, His Excellency Dr. William Ruto, and Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank. During the meeting held at State House Nairobi, Prof. Oramah…

Rural poultry programme empowering communities in Zvimba North

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago03 mins

By Elvis Dumba Katawa – Women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable community members in Zvimba North Constituency’s wards 15, 30, and 33 got empowered through the Presidential Rural Poultry Program. Hundreds of people received road runner chicks which were handed over by Zvimba North Constituency legislator and ZANU PF Central Committee member, Hon Marian…

Mushrooms bring emancipation and formalisation to women in Mutasa South

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago08 mins

By Kudakwashe Tagwireyi The unpredictable weather conditions that were being experienced in Mutasa South District and the persistent cyclones that had ravaged Manicaland, had placed women in the surrounding villages, in the limelight of dependency syndrome to their husbands and the donor community. Fate however has been in their favour this year as with the…

Team of local, global experts develops new ways to fight drought

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago04 mins

Research organisations based in Kenya are fast-tracking a joint deal to introduce new technologies that would produce maize varieties that are tolerant to the spread of the Fall Army Worm (FAW). Leveraging the knowledge of the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CiMMYT), scientists argue that the initiatives will boost food security in Kenya…

COP27: Pan African Parliament participates in Green Recovery Action Plan

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago03 mins

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira attended an African Union (AU) High-Level Ministerial Dinner on the implementation of the Green Recovery Action Plan (AU GRAP) 2021-2027, adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2022. The event took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 27th annual Conference…

Egypt, FAO launch FAST Initiative to transform agri-food systems, improve food security

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago05 mins

Egypt’s COP27 Presidency and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation or FAST, at COP27 yesterday. The new initiative will increase climate finance contributions for agriculture and food systems to support the most vulnerable communities. FAST will reimagine agrifood systems to deliver triple wins for people, climate action, and nature….

Pan African Parliament, AUDA-NEPAD pushing for continent’s food and nutrition security

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago010 mins

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is pushing legislation toward the promotion of food and nutrition security on the continent as evidenced by a model law on the theme that it tabled during the first session of its sixth Parliament in Midrand, South Africa while the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) is leading the awareness of the…

Decarbonisation Day at COP27 Calls for Urgent Action to Reduce Emissions

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago06 mins

COP27’s thematic day dedicated to Decarbonization called for urgent action to reduce emissions across the industry with a specific focus on the most carbon-intensive sectors including steel, oil, gas, and fertilizers. The agenda featured several sessions that launched initiatives including the Sharm El Sheikh Methane Reduction Roadmap and East Mediterranean Gas Forum decarbonization initiative. “The…

Nestlé injects US$ 100 000 in Africa Food Prize

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago06 mins

By Hillary Munedzi Nestlé in conjunction with Africa Food Prize will award US$ 100 000 to individuals and institutions that are pioneering agricultural and transforming food systems in Africa and strengthening the continent’s food security as rich and emerging economies come together under a “climate solidarity pact to keep the 1.5 degrees celsius within reach.”…

Chihana offside on Zimbabwe’s land reform: Tatenda Mavetera

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago06 mins

Malawi’s Mzimba North West parliamentarian Hon Enoch Chihana, who is a member of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) is again off-tangent regarding Zimbabwe’s land reform programme, Hon Dr. Tatenda Mavetera has said. This emerged today in Midrand, South Africa, the seat of the PAP, during a debate on the Model Law on Food Security and…

Thousands of Pfumvudza/Intwasa farmers receive Crop Insurance Pay-out from AFC Holdings

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

AFC Holdings, partnered with a consortium of insurance companies and the Government of Zimbabwe to run a pilot project on Area Yield Index Insurance for farmers who received Pfumvudza inputs in the 2021/2022 Season in Rushinga and Mwenezi districts. The project was monitored and evaluated through the assistance of PULA, a technical advisor on Area…

Government urged to involve communities affected by human-wildlife conflicts

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago09 mins

By Nhau Mangirazi The government has been challenged to consult widely communities most affected by human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) before the endorsement of funding compensation announced by the cabinet last week. Members of Parliament whose constituencies are affected called for community input before endorsement of the funding. Mbire Member of Parliament Douglas Karoro said his constituency…

COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to Focus on Delivering on the Promises of Paris

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago010 mins

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 6 November 2022 – The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 opened today with the key aim of ensuring full implementation of the Paris Agreement. Discussions at COP27 begin near the end of a year that has seen devastating floods and unprecedented heat waves, severe droughts and formidable storms, all unequivocal signs of the…

Hon Stars Mathe has confidence in the PAP to deliver on its mandate

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago05 mins

Hon Stars Mathe-Thebe, the Member of the National Assembly for Nkayi South Constituency in Zimbabwe has expressed confidence in the power of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to deliver on its mandate. She revealed this to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of the ongoing First Session of the Sixth Parliament of the PAP. “We…

Pre-COP27: Global launch of State and Trends in Adaptation in Africa 2022

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

The Global Center on Adaptation is inviting stakeholders to the virtual launch of the 2022 State and Trends on Adaptation in Africa Report. The launch is set for Thursday 3rd November from 13.00 – 14.00 CET. With less than one week until COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the Global Center on Adaptation is gathering…

Pfumvudza inputs inadequate: Banket peri-urban farmers

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago06 mins

By Elvis Dumba Banket – Smallholder farmers practising peri-urban agriculture who receive free inputs under the Presidential Climate Smart Agriculture Inputs Scheme commonly known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, are crying foul after the government reduced the number of inputs being distributed. Peri-urban farmers are being offered 2kg of maize seed per farmer whilst three people share a…

The unknown side of food processing and value addition in African countries

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago012 mins

By Charles Dhewa There is no shortage of abandoned small to medium-scale food processing plants in many African countries. After getting into a community and seeing abundant tomatoes, mangoes, pineapples, and many other types of fruits, some development agencies and government departments have been compelled to mobilize resources for setting up a processing plant. However,…

Nature-based solutions: another way to obstruct food system transformation?

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago03 mins

By IPES Food With international climate negotiations in Egypt fast approaching (COP27), and food systems high on the agenda for the first time, the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) is warning that a growing number of green buzzwords are being used to obstruct food system transformation. Our new briefing, ‘Smoke…

African Lead Negotiators map out strategy for approaching COP27

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago07 mins

The African Lead Negotiators are currently meeting in Sharm El Sheikh to map out a strategy to approach the negotiations at COP 27 focusing on the need to accelerate action for climate adaptation and mitigation solutions. Mr. Washington Zhakata who is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focal person for Zimbabwe and…

Zimbabwean youths issue statement on climate change in lead-up to COP27

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago2 years ago09 mins

BY ZIMBABWE YOUTHS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE Appreciating the support from the Government of Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment Climate Tourism and Hospitality Industry (MECTHI), ACT alliance, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Zimbabwe Youth Environmental organizations for organizing the first Local Conference Of Children and Youth in Zimbabwe. Acknowledging…

Food processing an avenue for youth employment, development

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago05 mins

By Hillary Munedzi Africa’s emerging processing sector faces a myriad of challenges including limited access to finance and poor infrastructure. As a panacea, calls have been made to create a conducive environment to attract tech-savvy youths. A new report launched in Harare during the 2022 Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) conference illustrated…

World Food Day: Regenerative agriculture topical

Byron Adonis Mutingwende2 years ago07 mins

By Hillary Munedzi Food giant Nestle has championed regenerative agriculture as the panacea to domestic food price inflation, a development that has cushioned household food security as the world commemorates World Food Day. Zimbabwe is leading the world’s top ten countries worst affected by domestic food price inflation, all because of supply chain disruptions fuelled…