On the Ugandan shores of the largest lake in Africa, fishers were increasingly coming up empty-handed. Lake Victoria once boasted 500 species of fish but in recent years overfishing and poor fishing practices have taken a heavy toll on fish stocks, the environment and the communities who depend on them. ...

They are dotted with riverine vegetation, palm and hardwood trees. They are speckled with salt flats, savanna and mangrove creeks. At the first glance, the forests and the woodlands of the Gambia, tinged in different shades of green, look menacing and breathtaking in equal measure. Adorned with an array of prominent...

As the escalating climate crisis threatens access to water for millions across Africa, Drying Out African Lands: Expansion of Large-Scale Agriculture Threatens Access to Water in Africa unveils the devastating impact of large-scale agricultural plantations on the right to water on the continent. Since the 2007-2008 food crisis, Africa has...

The objective of the study was to assess the socio-economic effects of agroecological systems and practices inside and outside three bocage schemes, or hedgerow landscape schemes, set up by TERRE VERTE andAZN, and to evaluate the preconditions for developing the implementation of these systems and practices. The study was conducted...

A few weeks ago, my colleague Francesco Rampa rightly pointed out the need to seek more structural solutions to Africa’s food insecurity, rather than focusing only on short-term emergency responses. An important question remains: how can this be achieved? And where does the much-talked-about African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)...

Plusieurs organisations membres de la Plateforme souveraineté alimentaire mettent en œuvre des projets d’appui à des pratiques agroécologiques, notamment en Afrique sub-saharienne. Ces projets forment des paysans et paysannes-ressources, qui ensuite transmettent leurs connaissances et leurs pratiques à d’autres familles paysannes. Les bénéfices des pratiques agroécologiques sont de mieux en mieux...

Ce carnet retrace l’accompagnement conduit par le Gret pour la création d’un périmètre agroforestier dans la province du Haut-Katanga en République démocratique du Congo, et la façon dont s’est structurée sa gouvernance. En réponse à la pression grandissante sur l’écosystème de miombo, dégradé par l’urbanisation, la production de charbon de bois...

Agriculture makes up nearly 20% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy—a higher percentage than any other region worldwide. From Nigeria to the fertile land across the East African Rift Valley, the continent is home to 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land. Given the massive role of agriculture across the region, this...

Though essential to food security on the continent, Africa’s small-scale farmers are often under-resourced and impoverished while also baring the brunt of climate change and biodiversity loss. With the Ukraine war raising fears about food insecurity and hunger, it’s never been more critical to help remove whatever barriers exist for this...

Face au défi alimentaire et aux instabilités climatiques, l’agriculture du Bénin doit accroître ses performances économiques, sociales et environnementales, en particulier par le développement de l’agroécologie. Le numérique est souvent cité comme un levier majeur de la transition agroécologique, mais les innovations numériques en agriculture au Bénin restent peu visibles....

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the structural weaknesses of the global food system and has been an aggravating factor in existing food and nutritional crises. Roughly 690 million people were already suffering from hunger in 2019, and current projections indicate that the pandemic will push as many as 132 million...

Hundreds of smallholder farmers gathered in the city of Morogoro on November 17 and 18 for the 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania or the National Network of Small-Scale Farmers Groups in Tanzania (MVIWATA).  The organization was founded in 1993 by self-organized farmers in the...

Millions of people rely on nature-rich farming systems for their subsistence and income. The contributions of nature to these systems are varied and key to their sustainability in the long term. Yet, agricultural stakeholders are often unaware or undervalue the relevance of those contributions, which can affect decisions concerning land...

This paper reviews the progress in climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in sub-Saharan Africa farming systems. Farmers, organizations and Governments in the region have developed policies and innovations to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It appears that the developed and implemented innovative adaptive farming systems...

Traditionally, inadequate delivery of agricultural support services has been, and still is, a major challenge in most parts of the world.  Since 2012, Access Agriculture has reached out to more than 90 million farmers, and is striving to reach more farmers globally, promoting agroecological principles and rural entrepreneurship through capacity development...

Partnerships between producer organizations (POs) and enterprises are promoted as a model for structuring value chains to integrate small producers more equitably and sustainably. They offer attractive opportunities, especially for smallholder producers and their organizations. However, they also pose risks, and failures still occur frequently. The lessons learned from capitalizing on four recent experiences...

Special reporter Patrick Worms writes passionately of what he witnessed among agroecological farmers in Zambia and the potential for expanding their practices much more widely. Despite the challenges, the world is sprinkled with extraordinary farmers achieving amazing results by applying agroecological principles to restore degraded ecosystems. They combine the growing...

In this edition, we are sharing updates on our work for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life in Africa. Find out about the One Country, One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative in Africa, the latest news on the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, an innovative rice and fish project...

The FAO partnered with the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP) to understand and document the various business models along the cattle dairy value chain nodes in Ada’a and Sululta districts. Dairy businesses are highly heterogeneous in Ethiopia and, even though most are profitable, milk production, marketing, service, input and...

Le combat du siècle de l’Afrique, c’est mettre fin à ce triste tableau : être un continent importateur de produits et détenir 65% des terres arables du monde non exploitées, disposer d’une grande diversité agro-écologique, avoir une population jeune et des technologies insuffisamment utilisées.Ici, il nous faut miser davantage sur...