The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has today contributed US$36.7 million on behalf of the American people to help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) provide food assistance at the peak of the lean season between October and March next year. In a year marked by COVID-19, climatic shocks, food and fuel…
Staff Writer Nicole Roos is the first woman to be appointed as Nestlé’s Chief Executive Officer for East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) taking over the reins from Bruno Olierhoek who served as Chairman and Managing Director in the region since 2018. Roos is currently the Business Executive Officer (BEO) for Coffee and Beverages for…
By Hillary Munedzi The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has underscored the critical importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across agriculture sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There were calls to place emphasis on SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, SDG 13 on climate change,…
By Ms. Farayi Zimudzi – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Ethiopia On 16 October 2022, Ethiopia joined the rest of the world to commemorate International World Food Day under the theme– “Leave no one behind. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life”. The theme calls…
If Russia’s invasion and the ensuing war significantly reduce Ukrainian grain exports, surging prices could increase food insecurity and carbon dioxide emissions, as marginal land is pushed into crop production. That’s the chain reaction predicted by modeling from a research team that includes Amani Elobeid, a teaching professor of economics at Iowa State University.
Own Correspondent As a superfood, Moringa contains an impressive 92 nutrients and antioxidants. Moringa is undeniably the best superfood out there. Moringa is a great addition to your daily diet. Great for inside and out due to its properties. If you’re looking for a natural way to improve your health, then Moringa is the way…
By Emily Barone The African continent is no stranger to famine. In the 1970s and ‘80s, countries across the Sahel plunged into a drought-induced food crisis. In the mid-80s, an estimated one million people died from food shortages in Ethiopia. Somalia faced widespread famine in the ‘90s. Both those countries, along with neighboring East African…
By Hillary Munedzi Nestlé has invested over one billion Swiss francs in the Nescafé Plan 2030 which seeks to help coffee farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve farmers’ livelihoods in seven countries. The food giant will be working with coffee farmers to test, learn and assess the effectiveness of…
A Zimbabwean food show is to be launched on DStv’s Honey Channel, and a call has been made for Zimbabwean foodies to bid to be the presenter of the series. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the show would be called My Zim Plate. “It is in the style of…
By Chimeno Azriel Kadoma youthful entrepreneur, Mr. Godwin Gwara celebrated his birthday with the elderly at a ceremony held in Kadoma last Saturday. The youthful businessman celebrated his birthday in style by giving out maize to the Kadoma senior citizens in the Rimuka high-density suburb. Instead of throwing big parties and receiving presents, Gwara decided…
Zimbabwe launched the My Food is African campaign at the National Seed Fair which was graced by the Guest of Honour, Dr. George Kembo, the Director-General of the Government’s Food and Nutrition Council (FNC). Zimbabwe’s National Seed Fair is hosted by the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP), which the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe…
By Baboloki Semele Gaborone, Botswana – The warning lights are flashing on high: armed conflict, climate-related emergencies, economic hardship and political obstacles are leading to a growing wave of hunger in countries around the world. The misery for millions will deepen without immediate urgent action, warns the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent…
After banning wheat exports in May, India has now banned exports of broken rice, while imposing a 20 percent tariff on exports of unmilled rice, husked brown rice, semi-milled rice, and wholly milled rice, effective from Sept 9. At a time when the Black Sea “food corridor” has just restarted, easing the global food crisis…
By Baboloki Semele Calls have been made for increased effort in upscaling food and nutrition security by African Union member states in order to realise development outcomes as espoused in the AU’s Agenda 2063. Although the African region seems to have witnessed a decrease in malnutrition of its population by about 13.5%, from 35.5% in…
By Wallace Mawire A four-day farmer exchange visit facilitated by the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM-Zimbabwe) in Mazvihwa community in Zvishavane from 10 to 13 August 2022 has capacitated local farmer organizations to learn and share knowledge, information, and ideas to promote water harvesting in the wake of climate change, especially in the arid…
Among the many difficult challenges facing grain, executives are assessing climate change impacts. The headline of a special Fitch report, published in June, provided a stark reminder of the massive stakes associated with climate change: “Developing countries are more challenged by climate change adaptation.” The report’s focus was on “the stark differences across the world…
By Baboloki Semele The 13th African Union Commission (AUC) Task Force on Food and Nutrition Development (ATFFND) meeting will be held on 7-9 September 2022 in Gaborone, Botswana, culminating with a High-level National Launch of the theme of the Year on Nutrition, as a cascade of the launch performed during the 35th Ordinary Session of…
By Charles Dhewa The seasonal nature of African food systems implies there are times when particular food commodities are out of season and other times when so much some food is abundant that preservation or semi-processing would increase shelf life by several months. While the absence of value addition is more visible in fruits like…
Millets – a cereal grain that belongs to the grass family are repositories of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Thus, it is often touted as a ’superfood’ because of its nutritional value. The best part is that this grain can be used in everything – from sides to salads and mains. There are different kinds…
Amidst gloomy statistics showing that the war in Ukraine has left many Africans grappling with soaring inflation and Covid-19-induced economic hardships that have affected countries like Zimbabwe, Dost Eli of Turkey has distributed food hampers to more than 400 families in Darwendale. Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank recently opined…
Global warming is likely to boost crop yields in some countries, helped in part by higher carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, which increases plant growth and helps them become more efficient in using water. The results may seem hopeful, given the current surge in food prices globally. But there’s a catch – despite higher yields, future global…
By Baboloki Semele The Pan African Parliament (PAP) has been oriented on the AU Theme for 2022: “Strengthening nutritional resilience and food security on the African continent: strengthening Agri-food, health, and social protection systems for the acceleration of the development of human, social and economic.” Held on 24 August 2022 at the headquarters of the…
By Hillary Munedzi Fertilizer companies call for more funds for the procurement of raw materials on the auction floor, with the United Nations predicting that food prices will rise by an additional 8,5% by 2027. Speaking to Spiked Online Media, Dr.Richard Dafana, the Managing Director of Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company said there has been a 300…
In pursuit of alleviating food insecurity in the country, Turkish organisations have partnered with the Government of Zimbabwe in agricultural projects in Mashonaland West Province. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in conjunction with Islamic Information Bureau Trust represented by Mr. Adam Wadi and the Dost Eli executed a successful agricultural project at the…
Climate change could have more of a negative impact on low-latitude countries than on high-altitude countries, further widening the gap between the fortunes of wheat farmers in developed countries and wheat farmers in developing countries, according to research from China published Aug. 19 in the journal One Earth. The researchers developed a climate-wheat-economic ensemble modeling approach in which…
Initial farm-level cultivation of Golden Rice is underway on 40 hectares during cropping season in the Philippines as part of a nutrition initiative by the global research partnership CGIAR. This project is part of the expansion of seed production in partnership with the Philippines’ PhilRice branch stations, partner seed growers, regional Department of Agriculture research…
By Hillary Munedzi Community nutrition gardens have the potential to transform urban communities and increase local opportunities to eat better and fight poverty caused by soaring food and fuel price inflation imposed by the war in Ukraine. Community nutrition gardens are mostly found in rural areas as they have ample space. Implementing the concept in…
Against the backdrop of recurring adverse climatic and agronomic conditions, such as drought, disease, and pests in Africa, a study by researchers from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has established that environmental stress-tolerant sorghum varieties are most valued among Tanzanian farmers. The results could contribute to improved crop productivity and…
By Lovemore Chazingwa Sungura music exponent, Simon Mutambi has sent tongues wagging on social media platforms as well as on the streets when he crafted a poster marketing his upcoming Uchataura Zvese album outreach family show at Kamwaza Beer Hall in Raffingora this Sunday. The poster boldly screams out to the public that fans do…
The Youth Circle event organised by the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN) that was held virtually yesterday underscored the important role that children and young people play in driving climate-smart agriculture. In her keynote address during the virtual conference, Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, the African Union Chairperson’s Youth Envoy said she was pleased…
IFC will provide USD 35 million to agrochemicals player Jubaili Agrotec to support growth, promote environmental best practice and improve food security in Africa. World Bank Group subsidiary International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed a USD 35 million financing agreement with Nigeria-based agrochemicals company Jubaili Agrotec. Under the remit of the fellow World Bank Group subsidiary the International…
By Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina Fertilizer price hikes of over 300% make it increasingly difficult for African farmers to grow enough wheat, maize, rice and other crops It didn’t take long for Russia’s war in Ukraine to impact Africa. Already grappling with soaring inflation and still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa now…
Mr. Ntiokam Divine, a prominent advocate of sustainable development has said the involvement of youths in such initiatives is a key ingredient in ensuring a bright future and peaceful world. He is the Executive Director of Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN). He told Spiked Online Media that as a demonstration of his commitment…
By Baboloki Semele The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in partnership with Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF) seeks to hold a two-day youth and media awareness and orientation symposium on the AU year of nutrition. The two-day orientation billed for 9th and 10th August in Accra, Ghana will be held under the theme “Strengthening Resilience…
In Kansas, more than 2,000 cattle died in a record heat wave. In Tunisia, fires razed fields of grain to the ground. In southern China, historic flooding damaged almost 100,000 hectares of crops. In northern Italy, a farm lobby warned that drought could claim half the region’s agricultural output. That was just June. The global food supply is taking a hit from…
By Charles Dhewa When you want to understand African food systems, visit African mass food markets in big cities. This is where most food commodities are mobilized from diverse parts of each country. While every community may have its own local market, commodities in that market are not as diverse as those found in mass…
Human capital development plays a key role in the implementation of the National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) as espoused in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in pursuit of achieving the delivery of the Malabo Declaration on Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation. This emerged today during a panel discussion at the high-level NAIPS…
Dr. Richard Munang Whenever I think of food security in Africa, one insightful proverb comes to mind – “there is honey but no bees”. This self-explanatory proverb implies that the solutions to achieving Africa’s food security are like unprotected honey. They are accessible and not exotic. But just as we know, “he who doesn’t find his way back…
During a high-level policy dialogue that kicked off in Dakar, Senegal, yesterday on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) food system review, stakeholders gave an overview of the status of the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and lessons drawn from the programme in the last 15 years. In a breakaway session that focused on…
Despite a plethora of challenges affecting food and nutrition security in Africa, the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and Regional Agriculture Investment Plans (RAIPs) are instrumental in driving the agriculture transformation processes and building resilient food systems on the continent. In her welcome remarks delivered virtually at the high-level meeting of the National Agricultural Investment…
The Government of Japan has made an additional contribution of US$500.000.00 to the World Food Programme (WFP) to help alleviate food insecurity in Zimbabwe. The contribution is especially timely, given that many in the country will struggle to feed themselves at the peak of the lean season because of successive drought and chronic economic challenges,…
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Union Commission Department of Agriculture, Rural Economy and Blue Economy (AUC-DARBE) in association with Akademiya2063 will be holding a high-level stakeholder consultative meeting in Dakar, Senegal, from 26 to 28 July 2022 to review the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme’s National Agricultural Investment Plans (CAADP/NAIP) success…
While the causes of malnutrition are complex, it is proven that exclusive breastfeeding till the age of six months is a key factor to prevent malnutrition and ensuring young children get a good start in life. This emerged at the World BreastFeeding Press Briefing held on Monday, 18 July 2022 at the UNICEF Zimbabwe Offices…
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) Board of Directors approved a loan of USD 271 million to finance Egypt’s Food Security and Economic Resilience Support Program to support efforts to mitigate the impact of the global shocks on the domestic economy from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and to preserve resilience. The program includes two major components: Support…
By Bernard Marr The famous golden arches are recognized worldwide not only as an icon of fast food, but also of technological transformation. McDonald’s – the world’s largest restaurant chain – has been an early pioneer of tech-driven innovation, from the drive-thru to self-service kiosks. Today it’s forging a path for fast food into the…
