Africa is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets to end hunger and ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round, and to end all forms of malnutrition. The most recent estimates show that 281.6 million people on the...

Two new studies published by the Agriculture Policy Research in Africa (APRA) collaboration present a bleak picture of Malawi's smallholder farmers' future. This article builds on the results of APRA Working Papers to better understand the realities of smallholder farming in Malawi and what the future holds for those who...

In the Adjumani and Amuria districts of Uganda, women are responsible for 75% of agricultural labour. Only 30% have rights over the land that they farm.  Male ownership of property is culturally ingrained in these communities. Women only have secondary rights through their male family members, which are often lost through...

The holistic gardening project in Emuhaya, Western Kenya, is attracting local and international acclaim. Bio Gardening Innovations (BIOGI) is equipping smallholder farmers to break away from monocultures and create thriving, overflowing “food forests” on their farmland.

Uganda made impressive economic development in the last three decades. Poverty headcount declined from 56% in 1992 to 27% in 2018 and 33% of the total population belongs to the middle class. However, the rosy economic growth is marred by inequalities and social exclusion. Youth; majority of the total population...

The Nyagatare district (Eastern Province) is Rwanda’s breadbasket - a vast area of agricultural land providing food for the entire country. The people of this district are mainly farmers, rearing livestock and cultivating crops such as maize and rice, but they suffer a long dry season stretching from June to...

The 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit was designed to create a path towards transforming the global food system so that it feeds the world sustainably, equitably, and inclusively. Small-scale farmers and other rural people must play an essential role in doing that. They are the backbone of the global...

Proper nutrition for fish is dependent on the quality of the ingredients used to make their feed, how it is formulated (recipe), the techniques and equipment used in producing it, care taken during storage and the feeding technique applied. This manual of good practices in fish nutrition and feeding in the...

This monthly e-newsletter gives a bird’s eye view of all the exciting updates from Access Agriculture, a world-leading organisation for quality agricultural training videos in international and local languages, working across the Global South. The Access Agriculture Panorama features information on new videos, audio podcasts, blog posts, articles contributed by experts,...

L’élevage de porcs est pratiqué en milieu lacustre au Bénin malgré une forte présence d’eau de surface. L’étude vise à identifier les facteurs de risque de la dissémination de la peste porcine africaine (PPA) dans les pratiques d’élevage des milieux lacustres afin de proposer des mesures de biosécurité adaptées à...

This article narrates the story of Movai Matombo, a 57-year-old woman smallholder farmer who began practicing agroecology in 2010. Matombo resides in the Shashe region of Mashava, Masvingo province, Zimbabwe, where she learnt about agroecology farming, a technique that produces a high yield while conserving the soil and the environment....

This video (in English) presents a way of thinking about the issue of cross-border transhumance by mobilizing a reflection on the future: territorial foresight. The method was implemented during a participative case study conducted by FAO and partners (CIRAD, ISRA, and local organizations) in Burkina Faso and Togo in 2019-2020,...

FAO’s Regional Office for Africa is committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners through supporting transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind. Each quarter, we aim to bring you stories...

This study was carried out by PAFO and the staff of PAFO Secretariat in Kigali provided general guidance throughout the process and shared valuable information that enabled the analysis to be carried out in a meaningful way. Consultations were also carried out through online discussions and engagements with all the...

A la fois science, mouvement de pensées et ensemble de pratiques culturales, l’agroécologie définie l’application des principes de l’écologie à l’agriculture pour assurer une production durable et en quantité optimisée. Philippe Roudier, chargé de recherche à l’Agence française de développement (AFD), nous présente ici les applications possibles des principes de...

This manual is a visual, practical document on good beekeeping practices for sustainable small-scale beekeepers in Africa. It has been designed to serve as a beekeeping training tool and is a concise, practical reference document. The manual opens with an illustrated story of the damaging effect of certain practices adopted...

The thirty-three case studies shed light on the tremendous success of agroecological agriculture across the African continent. They demonstrate with facts and figures how an agricultural transformation respectful of the farmers and their environment can yield immense economic, social, and food security benefits while also fighting climate change and restoring...

VOA-Zimbabwe broadcasted a fascinating story of agroecological practices in Senegal.  The story featured some farmers and activists who are trying new farming techniques to reduce the use of chemicals and improve crop yields. Click below to listen to Allison Lékogo Fernandes checks on an agroecology experiment in a Dakar suburb.

Within Maasai pastoralist communities, milk provides a rich source of nutrients and income, especially for women, and plays a central role in cultural and religious ceremonies. Having milk means having livestock, and having livestock means the continuation of the Maasai people. While a vital nutritional and cultural resource, milk is...

An agroecology project from Tanzania found significant improvements in the diversity of children’s diets and food security for households after farmers learned about sustainable crop-growing methods, gender equity, nutrition and climate change from peer mentors. The investigator of the project said, “We found that this intervention approach of combining agroecology...