Sir John Kennedy Primary School’s environmental club bears fruits

Writes Chimeno Azriel The introduction of Environmental Clubs is benefitting educational institutions like Kadoma-based Sir John Kennedy Primary which joined the Head of State and Government, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa during the 2023 edition of the Harare Agricultural Show where it scooped the best stand award for the schools category. The impacts of climate…

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Communication and advocacy spurs uptake of genome editing

MOMBASA, KENYA – Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) director for programme development and commercialization has urged proper communication and advocacy to influence the adoption of biotechnology and complementary innovative technologies like genome editing so as to catalyse productivity transformation and improve food system resilience in Africa. He made the remarks in…

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Bulawayo Sneaker Expo demonstrates importance of MICE tourism: Tongai Mnangagwa

The Bulawayo Sneaker Expo signals the potential that exists in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) phenomenon, Hon Tongai Mnangagwa, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, has said. “It has been a pleasure to join Bulawayo at this year’s edition, which is the 3rd edition of the Bulawayo Sneaker Expo, an annual…

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China Approves “Dozens” of Genetically Modified Corn, Soybean Varieties

Bloomberg writer Hallie Gu reported that “China has approved dozens of genetically modified corn and soybean seed varieties for planting, in a breakthrough move that could eventually boost production and reduce dependence on foreign supplies. “The country is the world’s top importer of soybeans and corn “A national committee set up by the agriculture ministry has approved 37 GM corn seed and 14 soybean…

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Scientists call for Africa to adopt gene editing for success of agriculture

MOMBASA, KENYA – Scientists attending the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) strategic meeting on gene editing in Mombasa, Kenya have called for muti-stakeholder collaboration to ensure the success of the biotechnology meant to ensure food and nutrition security in Africa. In her presentation, Dr. Florence Wambugu, the Chief Executive Officer of Africa Harvest, said gene…

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Scientists celebrate Nigerian Professor Charles Adetunji’s high achievements

MOMBASA, KENYA – Stakeholders gathered in Mombasa, Kenya for a workshop on genome editing that is being spearheaded by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), are celebrating one of their own, Professor Charles Adetunji, who has attained the prestigious number 1 position among the top 500 prolific authors in Nigeria, a distinction he has maintained…

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Genome editing offers Africa opportunity to harness new and emerging technologies

MOMBASA, KENYA – With the potential that biotechnology possesses in developing crops and animals that are more resilient to climate change and risks of diseases, the adoption of genome editing sets the stage for Africa to harness new and emerging technologies to ensure food and nutrition security on the continent. These were the sentiments of…

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Glen Lodge upgrades facilities to international standards

Bulawayo’s prime accommodation service provider, the Glen Lodge, located in Newton West has expanded and upgraded its facilities to international standards. Speaking to this publication on the sidelines of the ongoing Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Bulawayo, Mrs. Beauty Bhulu, the Founder and Managing Director of Glen Lodge, said the facility is moving with times…

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Bulawayo’s Entabeni Lodge stands tall as best accommodation and conference facility

Established in 1998 by leading woman entrepreneur, Faith Makamure, Entabeni Lodge has stood the test of time and is arguably one of Bulawayo’s prime accommodation facilities. The lodge is situated in Hillside amongst reputable restaurants, golf courses, bowling clubs, banks, ATMs and large shopping centers as well as a police station. It is adjacent to…

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14th ADFNS Commemoration, 19th CAADP Partnership Platform on cards

Writes Baboloki Semele Lusaka, Zambia, is set to become the focal point of significant events at the end of this month. The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with various departments and partners and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) are organizing a series of important gatherings to commemorate the 14th Africa Day for Food and…

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National Seed Fair breathes life into long-lost millet varieties

By Lloyd Rabaya As the Green Stars traditional dance group was dishing out their transcendent performance of the Mbakumba dance, the unmitigated crowd’s cheerful plaudits with the golden dust going straight to the skies marked the permanent return of a lost hope. Since time immemorial in Zimbabwe, different occasions called for different dances, which vary…

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Africa, global south should act now on disaster risks reduction

Dr. Tendai Mhizha, the Secretary-General of the Health Harm Reduction Conference has urged the Global South, with a particular focus on the African continent, to take appropriate action to address challenges hindering sustainable development. She made the remarks during the second edition of the African and first edition of the South-South Health Harm Reduction Conference…

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Food security a top priority for Morocco, Africa’s future

Morocco’s Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki, has said food and health security and sovereignty are at the heart of Morocco’s political and economic concerns with a continental vision. The importance of the orientation of the food systems and their agri-food value chains that Morocco is developing towards…

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Sky is the limit for renowned Masvingo’s Pastor Isaac Makomichi

Own Correspondent For youthful Masvingo prophet, Pastor Isaac Makomichi, life has been a roller coaster as the 30-year-old man of God has transformed from a hapless orphan into one of the biggest things in the world of Zimbabwean Pentecostal Churches. The story of Pastor Makomichi, a man of cloth-cum business mogul and philanthropist seems like…

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Agriculture insurance a wake up call as climate change takes toll

Writes Elvis Dumba Zvimba – The agriculture sector is facing a huge challenge due to the ever-changing weather patterns as a result of climate change. Zimbabwean farmers involved in various agriculture sectors have not been spared from the effects of climate change with threats of another poor rainy season due to the expected El-Nino weather…

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The significance of a Problem Statement in building resilient food systems

Many interventions by African governments and development organizations have failed to make a difference in several communities due to poor problem definitions from inception. Massive dams and irrigation schemes have been set up for growing exotic food when communities need simple equipment for harvesting abundant underground water and surface water to produce indigenous food. Hybrid…

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Preparations for 2023 Conference on Land Policy in Africa underway

Writes Baboloki Semele The stage is set for one of Africa’s most significant gatherings in the field of land policy and governance, the 2023 Conference on Land Policy in Africa. Convened by the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa,…

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Accountability.Fish Blasts WCPFC For Continued Meeting Secrecy

OWN CORRESPONDENT POHNPEI, MICRONESIA: Fisheries governance watchdog Accountability.Fish today blasted the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission for continuing its practice of holding key compliance meetings in secrecy, saying the practice threatens to make a sham of the Commission’s rhetoric around sustainability. A prepared statement read by Mike Klein, Accountability.Fish Communication Lead, at the WCPFC’s…

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Zimbabwe to be represented at Mr Africa International male pageant

Mister Africa International Zimbabwe, a product of Mister Africa International was founded by Ayutonde Twitch in London 2012. The pageant was founded in the roots that are meant to promote Africa’s male models and to celebrate the modeling sector. Mister Africa International pageant directors from different countries select a delegate/model who will represent his country…

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Korea and the African Development Bank strengthen drive towards Africa’s food security

The Government of Korea and the African Development Bank Group are intent on strengthening their partnership to support African countries in achieving food security in five years and boost the continent’s capability to produce its own vaccines and other pharmaceutical products. Speaking on Monday during a meeting with Korea’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural…

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Agriculture drives tourism development: ZTA

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in diving tourism, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has revealed. Speaking to this publication in an interview at the ongoing 113th Zimbabwe Agricultural Show running under the theme “Sustained Growth. Adaptation. Productivity and Linkages”, Godfrey ‘Chief’ Koti, the ZTA’s Head of Corporate Affairs said agriculture is one of the mainstays…

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ZANU (PF) affiliates congratulate President Mnangagwa

ZANU (PF) affiliates, Young Miners for Economic Development (YM4ED) and Farmers for Economic Development (Farmers4ED) have congratulated President Emmerson Mnangagwa following his declaration by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election. “Young Miners for Economic Development (YM4ED) congratulates His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa on…

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Partnerships leading to greater access to nutritious food and affordable diets

The Coalition on Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation (SPG Coalition) brings together researchers, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners to advance a world with greater access to nutritious food and affordable diets. The Coalition recognizes that increasing the productivity of natural resources through climate adaptation and mitigation is instrumental to reaching…

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Correcting the underrated value of studying African mass food markets

Writes Charles Dhewa It is not enough for research conducted in African countries on food systems to end up in academic journals. In most cases there is often no clarity on who benefits from such research and intended uses of the findings. Unless African governments study mass food markets intentionally, policymakers will continue finding it…

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Rooftop Promotions Pioneering Digitalisation of Local Scripts

Students, researchers, thespians, and scholars will soon be able to access old and new scripts of plays staged at Theatre in the Park online after Rooftop Promotions established a digital archive. The project which is funded by SANORD will make it easier to provide scripts and information regarding the playwrights and cast and the years…

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WFP and Government of Zimbabwe launch roadmap toward food security

The Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) to formalize their collaboration on improving food systems and reforming the social protection system in Zimbabwe. The LoU aims to bolster the capacity to respond to emergencies and effectively foster investment in agricultural entrepreneurship. The Government…

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Shaka Ilembe on Mzansi Magic Channel 161: Polygamy, love as plot thickens

The latest episode of Shaka iLembe introduced a different tone compared to the end of episode five which saw the traditional newlywed love between King Senzangakhona kaJama (Senzo Radebe) and Queen Nandi kaMbengi (Nomzamo Mbatha) while this week’s episode six showcased a lot of emotional weight between the couple marking a nerve-wracking tale. Episode 6 marks trouble in…

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My Food is African! Campaign promotes consumption of traditional Zimbabwean foodstuffs

Under the auspices of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe is undertaking a campaign in Zimbabwe to raise awareness and consciousness on the farming, and consumption of traditional Zimbabwean food under the banner of the My Food is African! Campaign. In Zimbabwe, the campaign is…

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USAID enables WFP to provide support to Zimbabwe’s urban communities

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a US$2 million contribution from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support more than 2,000 vulnerable families in three urban areas over the next year. Under the initiative, WFP will create assets and develop transformative skills that will improve vulnerable families and communities’ access to…

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7 critical uncertainties that affect African farmers and food systems

Writes Charles Dhewa While volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) have become a major characteristic of all economies across the globe, the situation is worse for African farmers and food systems. In agriculture-driven African economies, some of the enduring uncertainties include the following: 1. Price uncertainties – whether producing for the domestic market or export market,…

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ActionAid report: High food and fuel prices affect world’s marginalised communities

The cost of food, fuel, and fertiliser in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities is continuing to escalate to crisis levels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with families spending up to ten times what they paid almost 16 months ago, according to new analysis from international humanitarian organisation ActionAid. A survey of more than…

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Trading raw commodities generates more knowledge than trading processed food

…surprises from African mass food markets By Charles Dhewa For people keen to learn about indigenous entrepreneurship, African mass food markets never disappoint. Also known as territorial markets, these institutions are the heartbeat of genuine knowledge exchange. Like any other institution where thousands of people congregate, African mass food markets are not perfect but they…

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Japan helps boost community resilience in Zimbabwe’s rural areas

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has rolled out resilience-building activities with the support of the Government of Japan to boost food security and improve the livelihoods of nearly 9,000 people in Chiredzi district, in southern Zimbabwe. The funding, a US$ 900,000 contribution coming at a critical time, will help WFP to provide food…

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Food safety risks in developing countries’ informal sector tackled in new report

The report was produced by Spencer Henson, Steven Jaffee, and Shuo Wang  More sticks, fewer carrots: New directions for tackling food safety risks Key messages Despite ongoing structural changes, small-scale processors, grocers, market vendors, and food service operators dominate the food systems of most low- and lower-middle-income countries; Unsafe food is widespread in informal food…

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USAID and WFP Help 66 000 Hunger-Stricken Zimbabweans

Writes Evans Muranganwa Humanitarian agency, World Food Programme has received US$8.7 million for its 2023 Food for Assets programme from the United States government through USAID. Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID acting mission director Mr. Ramses Gauthier said the donation will help food-insecure households in Rushinga, Masvingo, Kariba, Mwenezi and Zvishavane. “I  am honoured…

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AUDA-NEPAD spearheading genome editing to optimise agricultural production

The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) through its Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Innovation is running the Genome Editing (GEd) project meant to foster a broader understanding of modern biotechnology focusing on GEd among different stakeholder groups through communication and advocacy for enhanced uptake of the tool to optimize agriculture in Africa. This…

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Food systems are broader than value chains – thanks to African mass markets

By Charles Dhewa While there is a tendency for policymakers to conflate food systems with value chains, mass food markets reveal how food systems are broader than value chains. That distinction is very important in clarifying and creating pathways for decolonizing food systems. Putting African mass food markets at the center of food systems demonstrates…

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Selmor Mtukudzi and Tendai Manatsa celebrate 16th marriage anniversary

The month of May marks a joyful moment for the lovebirds Tendai Manatsa and Selmor Mutukudzi as they turn 16 years into a happy and strong marriage. Taking to his social wall today, writing a congratulatory message to his wife while celebrating the anniversary, Tendai Manatsa described his wife Selmor as a supportive and loving…

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