EU provides EUR €3 million to support urban communities in Southern Africa

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of EUR 3 million from the European Union (EU) to support the continuation of nutritional support and services to the most vulnerable urban communities in Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The contribution will explore viable pathways for WFP, governments, and partners to reduce and mitigate…

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Breakthrough in agricultural technology: Azerbaijan boosts grain yield with Innovation

In the modern world, agriculture is one of the key sectors playing a crucial role in ensuring food security and sustainable development. The rapid development of technology and the introduction of innovations have significantly changed agricultural practices, including methods of growing grain crops. Currently, agriculture in Azerbaijan is undergoing significant changes. To increase productivity and ensure the…

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Nigeria Launches 4 TELA Maize Varieties To Enhance Food Security

Nigeria has achieved a significant milestone with the launch of four TELA maize varieties: SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T. These varieties, publicly presented in Abuja, were developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with support from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). During the launch…

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Climate Action Network’s take on the Bonn talk shop

Bonn, Germany – Proper progress is urgently needed at the UNFCCC climate negotiations this week as, with each day passing, the talks are turning into a cesspit of inaction. Underscoring this is how divorced Bonn is fast becoming from real-world conversations, while long-standing inequities within the UNFCCC process, and between and within countries, are worsening. Providing…

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AU, ILRI collaborate to make informal food markets in Africa safer

An estimated 70 percent of Africa’s urban households buy food from informal sources, such as street vendors, kiosks, and traditional market sellers, recent studies have found. Now, the African Union and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), are joining forces to design the first-ever guidelines to help African governments improve food safety in informal food…

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SADC report spotlights fisheries’ contribution to food systems and healthy living

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, through its Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration Ms. Angele Makombo N’tumba, launched the highly anticipated SADC/FAO Report “The Contribution of the Small-Scale Fisheries to Healthy Food Systems and Sustainable Livelihoods in SADC”. The launch event took place on 5th June 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during…

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580,000 young children in Zimbabwe are living in severe food poverty

Zimbabwe’s activities to improve children’s diet diversity and prevent malnutrition need more funding to be scaled up Around 181 million children worldwide under 5 years of age – one in four children – are experiencing severe child food poverty, making them up to 50 percent more likely to experience wasting, a life-threatening form of malnutrition,…

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SADC humanitarian appeal: FAO pledges USD10 million to ameliorate El-Nino-induced drought

The SADC region faces a humanitarian crisis because of the ongoing El Niño induced drought and floods that are negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the region. According to the SADC El Nino Appeal, an estimated 60 million people in Southern Africa are food insecure. Across the southern half of…

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H.E Edward Kallon rallies environmental sustainability, climate action and food security

HE Edward Kallon, the Zimbabwe UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, has rallied stakeholders to ensure environmental sustainability, climate action, and food security as part of efforts to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). This emerged at the 2024 SADC Regional Commemoration of World Environment Day Theme: “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience” held at the Geo…

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Call to action: Save 30 million people affected by El-Nino induced drought

More than 30 million people across Southern Africa have been affected by a severe drought. Millions could be pushed into acute hunger unless support is urgently mobilised to scale before the next lean season, warn the United Nations (UN) and partners. The joint call was made yesterday by the UN, NGOs, regional and national authorities,…

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SADC urged to harness CAADP’s transformative impact to develop the agricultural sector

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been urged to ride on the success story of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), with its transformative impact on the agricultural sector, to draw invaluable lessons that can be applied in the pursuit of food security to spur progress and development in the region. This was…

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Zimbabwe’s Gastronomy Heritage: A Key to Healthy Living

Writes Catherine Murombedzi  In nature’s nurture, open your eyes to see the healthy habits from the past. Before the 1960s, lifestyle diseases were minimal. People grew their own food and lived healthy lifestyles. They worked in the fields. They were physically fit. Sedentary work was also taken when shelling nuts after harvest. Grandmothers were the…

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25,000 people in Bikita to benefit from USAID food assistance grant

In response to the El Niño-induced drought in Zimbabwe, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded CARE Zimbabwe with a US$3 million grant to support 25,000 people in Bikita district in Masvingo province from June to November. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment 2023 Report, 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe are in dire…

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SADC Regional Technical-Level Consultation deliberates on CAADP Post-Malabo Agenda Process

Stakeholders are gathered in Lusaka, Zambia to deliberate on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Technical-Level Consultation which is the third in a series of five regional dialogues on the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Post-Malabo Agenda Process. When African leaders adopted the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, CAADP, as Africa’s policy framework…

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Who’s investing in climate adaptation for smallholder farmers?

Writes Jennifer Marston Climate adaptation is underfunded globally but especially so in emerging markets. Developing countries alone need some $212 billion per year by 2030 to adapt to increasingly inhospitable growing conditions in agriculture, according to a recent report from AgFunder and ISF Advisors. But it can be a challenging space to invest in, say investors….

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RFMO Accountability Tracker Highlights Actions at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

As part of its effort to promote transparent and open ocean governance, Accountability.Fish has released the results of the 28th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 13 -17. The results can be found at: https://accountability.fish/meeting/iotc -2024 “Once again, as the IOTC doesn’t report out the actions taken by…

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SADC launches regional humanitarian appeal in the wake of El-Nino-induced drought and floods

The Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola on 20 May 2024 launched the SADC Regional Humanitarian Appeal of at least US$5.5 billion to support over 61 million people affected by the El Niño induced Drought and Floods The Humanitarian Appeal, which was launched during…

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Food production reduced over land squeeze: Experts

Writes Nhau Mangirazi A new study has exposed how land grabs in various forms have led to doubling land prices globally since 2008, thereby placing unprecedented strain on farmers and rural communities. The report early this week by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) warned that pressures are exploding, including for…

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African Heads of State endorse Nairobi Declaration on Fertiliser and Soil Health

Writes Sally Nyakanyanga Africa African Heads of State and Government endorsed the Nairobi Declaration on Fertiliser and Soil Health during the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, which was held last week in Nairobi, Kenya. This move by African leaders and relevant stakeholders seeks to enhance the promotion of soil health for sustainable food systems…

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Accountability.fish blasts “unprecedented” Chinese proposal at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Calling a move to curtail stakeholder participation at a meeting on 13 May 2024 of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) an “unprecedented and unnecessary infringement on the right of stakeholders to submit data and have it be openly considered”, accountable marine governance advocates Accountability.Fish has called on Commission parties to reject the proposal. The…

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African food systems are better understood as food baskets not value chains

Writes Charles Dhewa Value chain is one of the major notions associated with industrial agriculture where the food production process is viewed as a chain of activities from production to consumption. However, when applied to African indigenous food systems, the value chain notion is found wanting because the majority of commodities that make up African…

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UNICEF calls for USD 84.9 million to respond to El Nino emergency in Zimbabwe

UNICEF’s appeal will provide emergency support to 866,000 children UNICEF is urgently appealing for USD 84.9 million to fund its emergency response aimed at assisting children and women affected by the El Nino crisis in Zimbabwe. This funding will provide life-saving interventions to 1.34 million people, including 866,000 children, amidst a complex humanitarian crisis exacerbated…

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Paris Summit expected to Close Clean Cooking Funding Gap for African Women

The Paris Summit is expected to build on ground-breaking clean cooking initiatives launched at COP28 and the African Development Bank’s Adesina (www.AfDB.org), Tanzanian President Hassan, Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol will co-chair the event. Development partners gathering in Paris on 14 May are expected to pledge…

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SADC Extraordinary Heads of State and Government Summit to tackle El Nino’s humanitarian impacts

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will on 20 May 2024 hold a virtual Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to discuss the humanitarian situation in the region, following the ongoing El Niño induced drought that has negatively impacted the lives and livelihoods of an estimated 58 million people. The Extraordinary Summit will…

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Climate change has a profound impact on children: UNICEF

As Zimbabwe faces the effects of climate-induced El Niño, UNICEF is taking proactive steps to highlight the profound impact of climate change on children. Under our climate campaign “Invest in Climate, Invest in Children!” we are launching a petition to urge government entities, development partners, and the private sector to prioritise children in their climate…

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AUDA-NEPAD and Norad Partner to Accelerate Soil Health for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa

The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Government of Norway have joined forces to launch a transformative partnership aimed at enhancing soil health for sustainable food systems across Africa. The partnership marks a significant milestone in addressing the pressing issue of soil health on the continent. This ambitious 3-year Programme is designed to support…

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African leaders commit to tripling domestic production and distribution of fertilisers

The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH) organized by the African Union concludes with the adoption of a 10-year action plan that aims to increase investments in the local production and distribution of both organic and inorganic fertilizers, ensuring they reach 70% of small-holder farmers across the continent. The plan reasserts the 2006 Abuja…

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The Disappearing Rains of Zimbabwe

OWN CORRESPONDENT Zimbabwe, like many other African nations, heavily relies on agriculture as a major source of livelihood and economic activity. The country’s agricultural sector is primarily rain-fed, meaning it depends on regular and adequate rainfall for successful crop production. However, Zimbabwe has experienced a series of prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns over the…

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ZAOGA keeps the legacy of late Archbishop Professor Ezekiel Handinawangu Guti alive

Writes Ronnie Chisamba The passing on of Archibishop Professor Ezekiel Handinawangu Guti has not deterred the ZAOGA church from keeping the late visionary’s vision of a better world for all alive, regardless of race, tribe, or origin. A walkathon was held at Grange Christian School – in the capital – on Saturday morning last week,…

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Placing farmers at the core of Development Effort is Key to Achieving Food Security

As Africa races against time to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and the Malabo Commitment to end hunger by 2025, the continent faces formidable challenges aggravated by climate change, inflation, and regional conflicts. The urgency to re-evaluate financing mechanisms is increasingly recognized, with a growing emphasis on mobilizing domestic resources and exploring…

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Low-Cost Techniques for Fruit and Vegetable Value Addition in Rural Zimbabwe

Writes Zvikomborero Machinga In rural Zimbabwe, small-scale farmers face the dual challenge of surplus produce and limited market access. However, with the right value-addition techniques, these farmers can transform their excess fruit and vegetables into profitable products. This article explores low-cost value-addition methods tailored for small-scale farmers in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, empowering them to maximize the…

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Use cyberspace for growth: Gospel artists urged

Gideon Madzikatidze; and Simbarashe Sithole  Gospel artists have been urged to embrace cyberspace to reach a wider audience and move with time, whilst taking the platforms to make ends meet, Pastor Clyde Mutemachani of the Izodzo Choral Group has said. Speaking during his preliminary album launch interview on the national broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)’s…

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UNDP hands over goats and agricultural equipment worth over US$82 000 to Esigodini Agricultural College

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handed over feed analysis, laboratory equipment and goats to Esigodini Agricultural College worth over US$80 000 to advance the agricultural training institution’s capacity in goat breeding and nutrition. The initiative is set to enhance the institution’s educational programmes, extension, and business advisory services. “The integration of these resources into…

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FAO Regional Conference for Africa concludes with strong commitments toward agri-food system transformation

The 33rd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa has concluded with a strong ministerial declaration that calls for greater support to build resilience in African countries against climate shocks, increase cooperation for Blue Transformation to intensify African aquaculture, a revival of underutilized African crops, and inclusive rural transformation. The declaration comes at the…

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Immediate Action is Needed as Southern Africa Grapples with Worsening Drought

Southern Africa is on the brink of a devastating hunger crisis as a relentless drought tightens its grip. El Niño has led to searing heat that led to massive crop failure causing water sources to dry up. As a result, millions of people in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia have been driven towards starvation. To highlight…

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Zimbabwe’s Independence: ZIMCODD spotlights urgent need to address socio-economic challenges

Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) As Zimbabwe marked its 44th Independence Day under the theme “Unity, Peace, and Development towards Vision 2030,” it is crucial to reflect on both the progress made and the persistent challenges facing our nation. Despite strides in various sectors, Zimbabwe continues to grapple with significant socio-economic issues that…

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IFT Highlights How Under-utilised and Bio-fortified Crops Can Improve Food and Nutrition Security

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization with global members spanning academia, government, and industry, has released a white paper that examines how underutilized and biofortified crops could help improve global food and nutrition security. Food Science and Technology Solutions to Improve Food and Nutrition Security: Advancing the Use of Underutilized and Biofortified Crops examines benefits,…

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TIME Reveals the 2024 TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

Today, TIME reveals the 2024 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The issue has 4 worldwide covers, each highlighting a member of the TIME100: singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, football quarterback Patrick Mahomes, actor Taraji P. Henson, and Yulia Navalnaya, a leader of Russia’s opposition movement. See the full 2024 TIME100 list, tributes, videos and…

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Converting harvests into commodities and products that last longer

Writes Charles Dhewa The lack of capacity to convert harvests into commodities and products that last longer has negatively impacted African food systems for more than five decades. Huge harvests are meaningless if much of the food is not consumed or turned into better livelihoods and employment creation. If there was serious investment in food…

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SADC Member States meet to validate Regional Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has organized a three-day workshop to validate the SADC Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP); developed with technical and financial support of FAO under the European Union (EU) funded Capacity Building Related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements…

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WFP provides technical support for food distribution in Zimbabwe

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with the Government of Zimbabwe by providing information communication technology (ICT) equipment to alleviate hunger in the country. The WFP today handed over ICT equipment to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare. The donation comprised 75 tablets, 5 laptops, 2 desktops, and 3…

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Dry weather hits southern Africa’s farmers, putting key maize supplies at risk

How to blunt the impact South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe have recently published reports indicating a potential decline in grain harvest because of intense El Niño-induced dryness. These developments could put the entire Southern African maize supply chain at risk, with Zambia and South Africa hard hit by heatwaves and dryness. The neighbouring small producers such as Zimbabwe,…

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