Stakeholders are geared for the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit to mark the adoption of a new 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan: 2026-2035, as well as the Kampala CAADP Declaration to be held in Uganda from 9 to 11 January 2025. In her remarks for the African Union…
Writes Lloyd Rabaya The sun is just rising above the horizon at Elizabeth Mpofu’s homestead in Shashe as farmers are running up and down preparing to board the morning coach to Masvingo town. Smiles on their faces as they appear eager to implement what they had learned the past two days during an exchange visit…
Writes Felicidade Banze MAPUTO (Mozambique) – Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) has begun the distribution of more than eighty tons of food products to people affected by hunger in the country’s central province of Sofala where more than 13 000 people are facing acute hunger. INGD’s delegate in Sofala, Aristides…
National Environment Awareness Trust (NEAT) in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, donated food and new clothes to two orphanage homes as an early Christmas gift to the underprivileged members of the community. The event, held on Saturday, was a celebration of community spirit and generosity led by the Church…
The United Nations (UN) has partnered with Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe to witness substantial investment and the inaugural launch of the Goromonzi Community Development Project and the Public Welfare Experience at Vhuta Primary School in Goromonzi. In his closing remarks, Sirak Gebrehiwot, the UN Partnerships, and Development Finance Advisor delivered on behalf of His Excellency…
Writes Felicidade Banze MAPUTO (Mozambique) – Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) has warned of the possibility of Tropical Cyclone Chido affecting the north and center of the country, starting on Saturday. Cyclone Chido is moving west and passing the top of Madagascar and is expected to make landfall between Pemba and Nacala on Sunday…
Writes Edgar Gweshe The Member of Parliament for Epworth North, Zivai Mhetu, has expressed concern over the rampant destruction of wetlands for housing purposes in his constituency. In an interview, Mhetu said land barons were largely behind the invasion of wetlands in the area. If left unchecked, this unfortunate trend will adversely affect the water…
Writes Edgar Gweshe As part of efforts to protect the Cleveland Dam Ramsar Site, stakeholders gathered in Mabvuku, Harare on Tuesday to mull the formation of a site management committee tasked with the management of the internationally recognised wetland. Cleveland Dam is an internationally designated wetland and key biodiversity area under the Ramsar Convention on…
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 09/12/24 – Around 13 billion dollars of gross domestic product in North Africa and the Middle East is lost to sand and dust storms, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The diplomat made these remarks while speaking at the United Nations Convention Forum (COP16) on combating…
Libreville, Gabon 4/12/24 – The policy framework of the African Union’s sanitary and phytosanitary systems seeks to strengthen the efficiency of intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), senior AU programme coordinator Chiluba Mwape said in Libreville, Gabon. Chiluba Mwape, who was speaking at the fifth coordination session…
Charlene Ruto, the Founder of SMACHs Foundation, which advocates for smart agriculture and climate action, has encouraged the inclusion of youth-led organizations of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes to ensure they are not left behind. Speaking during her maiden visit to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa at the Shape Africa Summit, as…
The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the European Union have taken steps to reinforce their political and economic partnership during their formal Partnership Dialogue held yesterday in Harare under the auspices of the Samoa Agreement. This meeting focused on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, peace and security, climate action, and development,…
Writes Sirak Gebrehiwot 28 November 2024, Victoria Falls – At the Partner and Donor Roundtable Discussion on the 5th session of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers for Disaster Risk, Mr. Edward Kallon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, delivered a compelling message on the urgent needs arising from the El…
Writes Chimeno Azriel In an endeavor to strengthen climate change education in Zimbabwe, UNESCO is supporting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary(MoPSE) to develop learner guides for primary schools’ curricula to strengthen climate change, disaster risk reduction, and education for sustainable development. This came to the fore during a workshop that kicked off on…
Writes Dr Mathew M. Abang Grown in more than 135 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and Africa, bananas and plantains are staple crops for the food security of some 400 million people. With around 15 percent of global production exported, the total trade value of bananas was about USD 7.5 billion…
Fatou Lo, the UN Women Representative and Chairperson of the United Nations Communication Group (UNCG) for Zimbabwe has urged the media to focus on human interest stories in their coverage to promote sustainable development. She was addressing a UN-Media Seminar on Development Reporting on 21 November 2024 in Masvingo after the journalists had concluded…
Views from Climate Action Network and other CSOs A very bad deal has been passed for people and the planet and as CAN, we will reject the outcome. We are not defeated; we will fight back home, fight in Brazil and we will fix it in Brazil. In Baku, developed countries tried to avoid…
Writes Reginald Tapfumaneyi Baku, Azerbaijan – Zimbabwean Innovator, Simbarashe Gwenzi, who is currently attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan representing the country and his organization YEC Fund, shared an inspiring story of his journey. Gwenzi delivered his presentation during the sidelines of the COP29, at an event titled Youth-Driven Sustainable Cities:…
Following the negative impact of the El-Nino-induced drought that affected Southern Africa, Zimbabwe included, the United Nations (UN) country team is supporting smallholder farmers in irrigation schemes in Masvingo Province. One such initiative is the Mushandike Irrigation Scheme located in Masvingo District which is one of the oldest irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe. The scheme…
“I dropped out of school just after starting my secondary level, there was no point – where was I going to get school fees? What about exam registration fees? Dropping out to help my mother work and to take care of my younger siblings was my option”, said Ashley Marime clenching her jaw, clearly trying…
Writes Kirubel Tadele Baku, Azerbaijan – As the second week of COP29 negotiations continues, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) launches its latest publication, Agroecology Works: Evidence from Kenya. This booklet offers a deep dive into the transformative power of agroecology through 15 inspiring stories from across ten counties in Kenya, providing a rich…
Eastern Africa is a region of stark contrasts, where immense potential coexists with pressing challenges. On one hand, it presents a myriad of business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors worldwide, offering a gateway to emerging markets with significant growth potential. However, this promising outlook is tempered by the persistent threat of drought and severe…
COP29 is attempting to replace the supposedly “met” political target of $100 billion with a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance amid tactics of filibustering. Is Africa ready for calls of radical approaches and decisions? By Martha Bekele, Co-founder and Head of Financing at DevTransform; And Wellington Madumira, Coordinator for Climate Action…
Wellington Madumira, the National Coordinator of Climate Action Network (CAN) Zimbabwe has said as we reach the midpoint of COP29, it is deeply disturbing to witness the climate finance negotiations come to a standstill. He said developed nations continue to display a disturbing level of apathy, viewing vital climate finance as mere investments rather than…
Parliamentary involvement is critical in the climate change dialogue and to demonstrate this, the Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hon Advocate Jacob F.N. Mudenda is leading the legislative delegation from the Southern African country in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the parliamentary meeting on the occasion of COP29. The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Advocate J.F.N Mudenda,…
Writes Lloyd Rabaya Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF)’s recent exchange visit in Shashe, Masvingo, has proved to be of great importance to farmers as they taught each other various agroecology elements. During the two-day visit, farmers had the opportunity to watch and learn from other practicing farmers on best sustainable practices that include water…
Writes Ebrima Jarra, Soil Scientist and Civil Actor from The Gambia A Path Toward Equitable and Sustainable Development by “The Soil Solution” (NGO) Abstract As climate change accelerates, its impacts disproportionately burden local communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These communities, often with minimal contributions to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, face severe challenges,…
African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Ambassador Josefa Correia Sacko reaffirmed in Baku, Azerbaijan, that climate change poses a threat to Africa’s economies and jeopardises the continent’s developmental gains. Amb Josefa Sacko, who was speaking at the United Nations event on Africa’s climate achievements and the importance of…
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for Southern Africa convened a Multidisciplinary Team meeting to discuss and agree on how FAO can better support agrifood system transformation in Southern African countries. The meeting was held today 11 November 2024 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, Zimbabwe. …
OWN CORRESPONDENT As COP29 opens in Baku, Azerbaijan, tomorrow, ActionAid International’s Global Lead on Climate Justice, Teresa Anderson, says: “Frontline countries who have done almost nothing to cause the problem are being pushed deeper into debt by the climate crisis. Yet they are the ones getting stuck with an escalating climate bill as they bear…
Writes Lloyd Rabaya With the sharp voices of the Zvamahande Primary School pupils cutting through the air echoing the food sovereignty message with their poems, the farmers from various provinces who were gathered at Shashe Agroecology School celebrating the International Day of Rural Women, which was preceded by International Food Sovereignty Day, lauded and ululated…
Writes Charles Dhewa In addition to unearthing community resilience and coping mechanisms, baseline studies can be good at identifying relevant partners and local expertise. A lot of market infrastructure in many African countries has remained unused because construction has not been adequately informed by baseline studies. The absence of baseline data also leads to…
Dr. Christian K. Tiambo, Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) – International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Progress at COP16 The “People’s COP”, COP16 summit concluded on the 2nd of November in Cali, in the Valle del Pacífico Event Center, the second largest and most modern event space in Colombia and the…
A high-level political forum on global action against hunger is underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with stakeholders seeking to achieve this goal, importantly in Africa where a large proportion of the population is food insecure annually and increasingly goes hungry. These were the sentiments for His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe,…
The winners of the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) Stories Challenge were sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to attend the commemoration of the 15th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS), the 20th edition of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP) and the associated Malabo…
The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) aimed at achieving economic growth and stability, food and nutrition security, structural transformation, and value chains among many common priorities. These were the sentiments of Mr. Spencer Dube, the Acting Chief Director of Political Affairs in the Ministry of…
On November 2, 2024, at the Pan African Youth Forum in Oran, Algeria, the event titled “Empowering Youth through Education for Climate Resilience” brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including youth leaders, educators, and policymakers, to address the urgent need for climate education. This gathering underscored the pivotal role that young people can play…
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Progamme (CAADP) Biennial Review Reports have shown that countries have missed targets on enhancing investment finance in agriculture, ending hunger, halving poverty, boosting intra-African trade, enhancing resilience to climate variability, and promoting mutual accountability by 2025 as espoused in the commitments that support the Malabo Declaration. This was revealed by…
The Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) shared knowledge of the approaches and opportunities for effective agricultural risk management (ARM) in Africa. Speaking during a side event titled “Accelerating Investments for Inclusive and Holistic Agricultural Risk Management in Africa” on the sidelines of the commemoration of the…
African governments have been urged to prioritise investment in biotechnology research and development to address pressing challenges in the sector, including climate change, pests and diseases, and declining soil fertility. The call was made to African Ministers from six countries, including Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Eswatini, during a ministerial roundtable held on the…
The Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) and the African Union Development Agency of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) are co-organising the side-event “Accelerating Investments for Inclusive and Holistic Agricultural Risk Management in Africa” on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 15th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS), the 20th…
Since the birth of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) through the Maputo Declaration of 2003 followed by the Malabo Declaration of 2014, tremendous progress has been made by the member states in transforming agriculture despite facing various challenges including the effects of climate change, pandemics, geo-political conflicts, and global recession, a senior government…
Zimbabwe hosts the 20th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP) and Commemoration of the 15th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) under the theme “Cultivating the Nexus of Nutrition, Agrifood Systems, and Education for Africa’s Growth.” The meetings will run from the 29th of October to the 1st of November…
The Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems – Southern Africa (SHEFS-SA) consortium seeks to catalyse the transformation of Southern African food systems and communities towards systems and communities that are healthy and resilient to climate risks. This emerged at a side event ahead of the Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC) 2024 running under the…
Climate change, global financial shocks, and growing food insecurity are threatening Africa, the world’s fastest-growing continent, and hampering the achievement of global development goals. To tackle these challenges and speed up the continent’s efforts to achieve these goals, the president of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on Thursday called for bold reforms…
