FAO assesses that globally 41 countries, of which 31 are in Africa, continue to be in need of external assistance for food. Conflict remains the main driver of high levels of severe food insecurity. Weather‑induced production declines and economic instability have also adversely impacted on food availability and access.

This newsletter has “scaling” as the focus theme. The various stories illustrate some of the various approaches that AIRCA members use to maximize the impact of our innovations.

The notion that maize is central to food security in Malawi is a widely held view. To date, however, ‘maize-led development’ has produced disappointing outcomes. The study provides an overview of the historical, political, environmental context of the maize agrifood system in Malawi, and uses the TEEBAgriFood framework to analyze...

AFSA continued the work started in 2017 with more training courses on bio-fertiliser production and saw a growing demand and uptake of the technologies. Trainees have been energised to pass on the knowledge to others, and have recognised through practice and on-farm trials that this technology is a success, and...

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is a broad alliance of different civil society actors that are part of the struggle for food sovereignty and agroecology in Africa. These include: African farmers’ organizations, African NGO networks, specialist African NGOs, consumer movements in Africa, international organizations which support the...

The objective of the forum is to identify concrete - practical, innovative and collaborative - solutions to address water scarcity in agriculture in a changing climate. With a focus on Small Island Developing States and West African countries, the forum is expected to illustrate how water scarcity in agriculture can be...

28 February, 2019, Bamako—Highly-vulnerable communities in the Sahel has agroecology as a mechanism to stem the rise of hunger and malnutrition in a region buffeted by increased pressure on natural resources including soils and water, the loss of biodiversity, and the uncertainties associated with climate change.

The growing need to intensify smallholder farming systems to enhance food security for a rapidly growing population in sub-Saharan Africa constitutes a major sustainability challenge. Intensification of agriculture has often resulted in degraded, highly vulnerable, exhausted and unproductive soils. Even though smallholder farming systems are heterogeneous and dynamic, conventional approaches...

Once again, agricultural mechanization is top on the policy, research, and development agendas in sub-Saharan Africa. However, whether labor is limiting in this region—and mechanization is in demand—remains debated. The hypothesis of this study is that labor is a major limiting factor to the productivity of most farming systems in Africa.We used...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

The amount of data in soil science increased at exponential rates over the last decades, promoted by rapid technological innovation. This development led to a better understanding of processes but also required the introduction of data mininginto soil science. With diffuse reflectance Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy, one of those new methods, soil scientist could build up...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

For rural youth, many of the opportunities available locally are in agriculture, but young people often view this sector as tedious, risky, low-income and generally, not a worthwhile pursuit. They prefer to migrate to larger cities in the hopes of finding a better life.  To directly address these issues, FAO is...

This course, organized by Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) prepares you to meet the standards of the organic market for cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, turmeric, and ginger. This comprehensive course includes classroom tuition, practical training in the plot, and a field visit to spice farmers in the Uluguru Mountains. The objetive of this course...

Today’s farmer is as much a businessman as his city cousin is. This blog article looks at harvesting a field of cabbages and try to find their management similarities.

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

Small-scale farmers, particularly women, face challenges that affect their seed sovereignty such as lack of access to quality seed, the infl ux of fake seeds in the markets, and increasing pressure from multinational corporations. With all these challenges it is diffi cult to increase production and productivity to achieve food...

Malawi is vulnerable to the devastating impacts of climate change, owing to its significant exposure to climate variability and environmental degradation as a result of human activities over the years. In a bid to enhance resilience among rural subsistence farmers, who make up 70 percent of total population of about 17...

Petit village rural de 5 500 habitants - Aujourd'hui, nous vous proposons un document exceptionnel :   1) pour la qualité de l’établissement crée (rien y manque) - et son emplacement en brousse, loin de tout autre centre de santé 2) pour des raisons de proximité : le lien professionnel entre le président du...

In Niger, climate change and economic factors are affecting the living conditions of agricultural producers. Distorted by the promise of better yields, many Nigerien producers have abandoned their farming practices and peasant varieties to adopt new and sometimes inappropriate practices. This case deals with black millet and white onion, two...