Agriculture
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Public confidence needed for adoption of biotechnologies like genome editing
ACCRA, GHANA – There is a need to create a science culture among the citizenry to boost public confidence in such emerging modern biotechnology sciences as genome editing, a workshop here has revealed. In his opening remarks at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) In-country Training Workshop for Genome Editing Communicators today in Accra, Ghana…
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Genome editing knowledge products solve agricultural, healthcare challenges
Product knowledge of genome editing provides transformative technology in the field of biotechnology, unlocking unprecedented possibilities for solving complex challenges in various sectors, ranging from agriculture and environmental conservation and healthcare. These were remarks by Mrs. Anna Tinarwo, the Chief Director of Devolution and Development Planning in the Office of the President and Cabinet, who…
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A look into the science of genome editing in Africa to optimise agriculture
Genome editing is one of the latest tools that has been developed by scientists to effect changes in organisms of agricultural, medical, and economic importance. The advent of genome editing has increased the available tools and the effectiveness of developing new productive and better-adapted organisms of economic importance. Genome Editing (GEd) involves the deliberate introduction…
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How to stem the turbulent tides of food insecurity across Africa
Food insecurity in Africa is off track. The situation keeps becoming aggravating as soaring food prices, inflation, conflict, and climate change are plunging parts of the continent into a severe and enduring food crisis, magnifying hunger and malnutrition. This extreme situation is hitting great swathes of Africa in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel particularly…
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Who needs a wholesaler when consumers can speak directly to food producers?
Writes Charles Dhewa Fundamental shifts in African food systems are accelerating changes in the food distribution landscape, blurring traditional boundaries between distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. These structural challenges are dismantling the wholesaling business model, forcing wholesalers to continuously rethink their aggregation and distribution strategies to remain relevant. In a fast and fluid distribution landscape driven…
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Science module on communicating genome editing under review
A science module on communicating genome editing – a powerful tool that holds immense potential in revolutionizing the field of biotechnology to optimize African agriculture, is under review in Harare this week. Addressing participants in his welcome remarks today, Dr. Leonard Madzingaidzo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre…
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Food Security: Experts Advocate Adoption Of Technology And Innovation
Experts and agricultural researchers have advocated the adoption of technologies and innovation to produce intensive agriculture and bridge the yield gap between Africa and other continents so as to ensure food security in the continent. The researchers, from different research groups including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), WorldFish,…
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Which is critical, using what you have or looking for what you don’t have?
There is a strong realization by SMEs that knowledge and technologies from outside are not donations but come with negative terms because whoever is providing those resources will eventually benefit at the expense of local economies.
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Climate change, pandemics and global conflicts affecting SDGs implementation
Writes Elvis Dumba Chinhoyi – Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon Marian Chombo, has said there is a need for the acceleration of actions that will ensure the successful implementation of sustainable development goals in the country, which has been hampered by various challenges. Minister Chombo was speaking during the…
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TELA Maize to boost food security in Nigeria: NABDA Director-General
TELA Maize will lead to a substantial reduction in pesticide use, benefiting humans, livestock, and the environment
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COP28 Outcomes: The key lessons for Zimbabwe and the Global South’s Quest for Climate Action and Justice
Traditionally, the push for acknowledging historical climate obligations was put to the test, as some of the big emitters joined forces with global southern countries to push for a fossil fuel phase-out position.
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Government allays fears of grain shortages
The government has allayed fears of grain shortages and assured food security for all citizens despite low rainfall amounts countrywide as the Southern African region is grappling with an El Nino-induced drought. This came to the fore as the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development toured the National Foods processing plant in…
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Developing countries that depend on external inputs are still colonized
While African countries have embraced industrial food production practices that depend heavily on external inputs, there is still enough room to replace these practices with purely indigenous organic practices that are becoming ideal in combating climate change.
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Ministry of Education promoting greening of schools
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is spearheading a school greening initiative as part of the climate education curriculum. This emerged today at the National Clean-Up Campaign exercise held at Warren Park High School where Hon. Torerayi Moyo, the Minister of Primary and Secondary School led the delegation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the National…
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Farmers urged to destroy tobacco seedlings to prevent carryover of diseases and pests
Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development has reviewed the date of the tobacco seedlings’ destruction for the 2023-24 season intending to curb the carryover of diseases and pests. “As all tobacco growers are aware, the last day of destroying all seedbeds for this season is 31 December 2023.…
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WCPFC Refusal to Address Compliance Secrecy Calls Sustainability into Question
WASHINGTON: “90% transparency is not transparency.” That was the verdict from Accountability.Fish Global Director Ryan Orgera, who yesterday blasted the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission for failing to address continuing secrecy issues in WCPFC’s compliance processes during its Annual Meeting earlier this month. “The WCPFC and its cheerleaders in the industrial fishing community have been…
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A New Bean Product Development and Scaling in East Africa
In the heart of Kigali, Rwanda, Govindaraj, a Senior Scientist in Crop Development at HarvestPlus, and Telesphore Ndabamenye, the Director General of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), found themselves engaged in a crucial conversation. The purpose of the meeting was to deliberate on the future of bean farming and scaling in…
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2nd Food Safety Conference for Africa takes off in Accra
The African Continental Association for Protection (ACAFP) is organising its 2nd Food Safety Conference for Africa under the theme “Towards A Safer Food Supply for Africa”. The conference is taking place from December 12-14, 2023 at Erata Hotel, East Legon, Accra. This aligns with the sustainable and safe food production and supply initiatives in Africa. The…
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Grain Industry Insights in Africa
The grain industry is a cornerstone of food security in Africa, serving as a staple for millions across the continent. With a burgeoning population and socioeconomic transformations, understanding the volume of grain production and consumption is pivotal for ensuring the resilience of food systems in Africa. The data obtained from IndexBox shows that the largest countries in…
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Training provides regulatory frameworks for application of Genome Editing
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPA) is holding training to create awareness among in-country regulators drafting and implementing policies and regulations critical for shaping communication and advocacy narratives on genome editing. In a speech on behalf of Mr. Willard Munango, the Deputy Chief Secretary for the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mrs. Anna Tinarwo,…
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AUDA-NEPAD collaborates with NABDA to strengthen capacity in Genome Editing and Biotechnology
Writes Toyin Omozuwa (Press Secretary to the DG/CEO NABDA) Vice-Chancellors, Chief Executives, Deans of Faculties of Agriculture and sciences, academic and research leaders in selected institutions, as well as policymakers, regulators, and senior researchers, gathered on 7 December 2023, at the Abuja Continental Hotel for a Two-Day Workshop on Strengthening Institutionalised Capacity in Genome Editing…
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AI-Powered Solutions for Agriculture in Africa
In this rapidly modernizing World, the slow blending of technology with AI Development is painting a new reality that is quite unimaginable. Apart from this collaboration, AI is catching up with agriculture too much and taking it to the next level. Regions like Africa, where agriculture is the cornerstone, face the scope of development. In…
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Clean energy critical for adapting and mitigating against climate change
The Government of Zimbabwe has put in place Policy frameworks which have created a conducive environment for clean energy infrastructure to be put in place in response especially to clean energy and adapting and mitigating against climate change. Tariro Chipepera, the Director for Community Development in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium…
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Kenya Develops Innovative Hermetic Bags to Revolutionize Grain Storage
The Kenyan government has been working in partnership with private sectors to develop new technologies to ensure that farmer’s harvest were well preserved during storage to avert losses. Hermetic Storage Technology Bags are able to preserve stored grains while restricting the existence of cereal pests by depleting oxygen levels. The air-tight bags prevent air or…
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Rosella Brings Cheer to Mbire Farmers
Writes Tafadzwa Muranganwa Mbire is an arid area where farming has never been a lucrative venture for many but thanks to a rosella farming project by Organic Africa, some villagers are smiling all the way to the bank. Farmers who were undergoing training on organic farming in this wildlife-infested area lauded the initiative by Organic…
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Makoni RDC, chiefs embrace gender inclusivity in land allocation
Makoni Rural District Council (RDC), in partnership with the local traditional leadership, has scored a first by embracing gender inclusivity by parcelling out pieces of land to women, both the council and traditional leaders have confirmed. Chiefs in the area are also promoting women to become village heads and headwomen. Traditionally, land ownership was a…
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Re-Gain: Green Climate Fund and AGRA partner to transform Africa’s food systems
By AGRA Content Hub Despite the challenges posed by the climate crisis, Africa holds tremendous potential to become the world’s breadbasket. The opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s food systems are immense. The continent possesses 60 per cent of the world’s unused arable land and has the potential to accelerate agricultural productivity by 2 or 3…
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Southern Africa Fertilizer Program a game-changer for farmers
Writes Dr. Mathew M. Abang Agriculture is the backbone of most economies in Southern Africa. However, overall the sector is not performing well due to low agricultural productivity which is partly attributed to the under-use of oftentimes poor quality fertilizers. The poor performance of the agriculture sector is posing a serious constraint to economic growth,…
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University of Edinburgh and the International Livestock Research Institute Renew Partnership
In order to further advance collaboration in livestock systems research, the University of Edinburgh and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a CGIAR centre, have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding, further strengthening their decades-long partnership. This strategic alliance, announced at ILRI’s Nairobi Campus in Kenya on 29 November 2023, underscores a shared commitment to deepen…
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Drought claiming livestock in Matebeleland South
Own Correspondent Rural communities in Matabeleland South have raised calls of despondency following the depletion of water sources and grazing plains which has resulted in the death of livestock which include cattle and donkeys. The prevailing harsh climatic conditions have precipitated an erratic start to the 2023/2024 rainy season currently being experienced in most parts…
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Zimbabwe to pitch regenerative agriculture at COP28
Writes Tafadzwa Muranganwa As Zimbabwe gears for COP28 in Dubai where nations will deliberate on various strategies to avert the climate crisis, it has emerged that the country is going to pitch on regenerative agriculture to combat climate change. Speaking ahead of the climate summit during a pre-COP 28 media sensitization workshop on Wednesday in…
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Farmers to benefit from global programme
Kenya smallholder farmers will benefit from a global programme seeking to support their efforts to produce more high-quality food free from pests and diseases such as the fall armyworm. Kenya farmers are among 75 million growers to benefit from a programme dubbed PlantwisePlus targeting 27 countries globally by 2027. The programme being administered by the…
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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…