Based on experience and lessons learned in 2014-15, Africa’s Regional Initiative 2 (RI2) (originally entitled “Integrated Management of Agricultural Landscapes in Africa”) has been revamped for implementation in 2016-17 to sharpen its focus and to make it more programmatic. It takes a food systems approach with two integrated components, namely...

Populations in Africa are increasingly exposed to the negative impact of natural and human-induced disasters such as drought, floods, disease epidemics and conflicts which threaten the agriculture production systems and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. The initiative on “Building Resilience in Africa’s Drylands” was developed to enhance the capacity of these...

Food and nutrition insecurity has been a major challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With land frontier closing, farmers in SSA must intensify and diversify food production to alleviate food and nutrition insecurity. In the face of climate change, African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) can offer opportunities to diversify production systems and...

This handbook presents a guidance and protocol for determining the socio-economic value of pollinator-friendly versus -unfriendly practices that can be implemented at different spatial levels (for example, farms or landscapes). Values are generally quantified by contrasts. This protocol shows contrast between pollinator-friendly vs. unfriendly practices. By focusing on practices, this...

Meet Eunice, a successful smallholder farmer who lives outside of Mombasa, Kenya.In Kenya, around 80 per cent of people have access to some form of farmable land. Although the soil is rich and fertile for farming, many plots of land stand empty or with failed crops. In the Mombasa region, Haller...

This publication provides guidance on using a common methodology for monitoring pollinator diversity and abundance, as part of the GEF supported Project “Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable Agriculture, through an Ecosystem Approach” implemented in seven countries - Brazil, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan and South Africa. The project...

Over 100 international agriculture and food experts, including from 27 African countries gathered in Nairobi to discuss ways to boost agricultural mechanization for the benefit of smallholder farmers in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Farm mechanization has huge potential for increasing agricultural production and transforming rural families’ livelihoods by reducing...

The Haller Foundation, a Kenya based sustainable agriculture best practice organisation is famous for its resource efficient, holistic approach to sanitation, agriculture and livelihoods development in rural communities. They have now broadened their scope to include urban poor and have been adapting state of the art sustainability to the urban...

This article presents findings on the local economy impacts of seven African country SCT programmes evaluated as part of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) “From Protection to Production” (PtoP) project. The countries are Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The PtoP project has facilitated expansion of...

In Kenya, small-scale farmers stabilise river banks and reduce rainwater runoff from nearby plots by planting trees and grasses.e

The study had the major objective of identifying and documenting climate-smart agriculture initiatives, technologies, practices and stakeholders in the Eastern Africa Sub-region with a special focus on Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, so as to produce a report that would enable stakeholders to understand the opportunities and constraints associated with adopting...

In Africa, small-scale agriculture – including post-production activities such as handling, processing and marketing – is a major source of income in rural areas. In recent years, women have increased their role in the rural sector significantly, and their contribution to household and commercial agriculture is fundamental. Empowering and investing...

As individual farmers lack resources to invest in, or learn about, Conservation Agriculture. This video shows a group in Kenya that has come together to share knowledge and equipment and to assist each other.

In Kenya, WRUAs first began forming in the 1990’s. They are established by communities along rivers and guarantee the participation of their members in all management decisions taken on the use of the river water.

The 88 page illustrated book showcases 15 case studies, showing how agroecology benefits Africa in terms of food and nutrition, livelihoods, restoration of biodiversity, knowledge and innovation, and climate change resilience. Leading experts in their fields explain how agroecology reforms food systems to promote better nutrition and health, especially among poor...

The Italian government established the Wei Wei Irrigation Scheme in the early 1990s, enabling farmers to practice drip and furrow irrigation along the river banks and produce crops off-season.  The farmers have mainly focused on maize production, but further technology has been necessary to increase diversification of food products while...

The first edition of a biannual magazine supported by the Karamoja Development Forum, this publication gives a glimpse into the life of a Karamajong herder. It compiles essays, opinion pieces and articles by individuals who come from the Karamoja region of Uganda, spanning pertinent issues such as climate change, resilience,...

The brief aims at summarizing the efforts of FAO to maximize the impacts of social protection interventions in the Sahel and West Africa by strengthening the linkages with resilience, food security, nutrition and economic growth; ensuring the effective reach of most vulnerable households and making national social protection programmes risk-informed...

For over a decade, CIAT has tested agronomic and soil management practices in Western Kenya. From minimum tillage to integrated soil fertility management, two trials, established in 2003, are the most comprehensive picture of tropical soil health in Kenya. What these trials allow us to do is show-case changes in soil...

Stone lines induce a natural process of terracing as they trap sediments. They are also built to rehabilitate eroded lands. Farmers in Kenya show how they construct stone lines.