Farmers need to gain access to agricultural information

Farmers need to gain access to agricultural information

By Erastus Ngaruka, Technical Advisor: Livestock & Rangeland Management Agriculture is by far an economic pillar in Namibia as it directly or indirectly supports all livelihoods in the form of food, employment, and income. Besides that, agricultural production faces many challenges that are associated with climatic conditions, technology, markets, and knowledge or skills amongst others. For example, potential agricultural production in Namibia is vulnerable to climate change […]

January 31, 2024 34

Africa

Nigeria’s plastic ban: why it’s good and how it can work

By Temitope O. Sogbanmu, University of Lagos Two weeks into January 2024, Nigerian authorities took steps to curb environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution in the country. The Federal Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State government both announced bans on single-use plastics. The Federal Ministry of Environment was the first to issue a directive. It banned single-use plastics in its own departments and agencies. The Lagos State government […]

January 31, 2024 40

Environment

Can bioplastics help shape a more sustainable future?

Mike DiGirolamo holding a boomerang produced by the ARC Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocompositses. Image by Nicolas Rakotopare for Mongabay. By Abhishyant Kidangoor, Mike DiGirolamo via Mongabay As the world struggles to contain plastic pollution, eco-friendly alternatives to plastics have garnered attention in recent years. One example: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a naturally occurring bio-based polymer, have been touted as a potential solution. Biotechnology startups have enthusiastically embraced the functional and economic […]

January 31, 2024 22

Environment

Can ‘degrowth’ solve our ecological, social & economic problems?

Two people biking in Amsterdam, a city well known for its cycling culture. Image by Sabina Fratila (@momhasapples) via Unsplash. By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald via Mongabay Research published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications finds that just in the United States, trillions of dollars are wasted on things that do not improve the quality of life for Americans. Podcast guest Timothée Parrique, an economist and researcher at the Lund University School of […]

January 31, 2024 25

Environment

Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet

A lemon shark in the mangroves in the Bahamas. Image by Anita Kainrath / Ocean Image Bank. By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay Human actions are rapidly changing the world’s oceans, whether through overfishing, pollution or coastal development. But among the most intense pressures placed on the seas right now is humanity’s ongoing burning of fossil fuels, pumping dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn has pushed sea temperatures to record levels. […]

January 31, 2024 8

Environment

Ancient Roman wine production may hold clues for battling climate change

Remnants of a mixed ‘alberata’ vineyard in Marche (Italy). Dimitri Van Limbergen, Author provided Dimitri Van Limbergen, Ghent University It is no secret that the Romans were heavy wine drinkers. Estimates put the average Roman male’s consumption at a litre or more of diluted wine per day. The drink was also a symbol of civilised behaviour, and widely used as a drug, medicine and ritual beverage. Winemaking was therefore a […]

January 30, 2024 20

Africa

El Niño: Malawi’s harvest of maize – its staple food – may fall by 22.5% this year

By Joachim De Weerdt, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Channing Arndt, CGIAR System Organization; James Thurlow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Jan Duchoslav, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Liangzhi You, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) , and Weston Anderson, University of Maryland Maize is the preferred staple of most of southern Africa. […]

January 30, 2024 45

Environment

Scientists warn of ‘extinction crisis’ stalking Africa’s raptors

An adult secretarybird on a flat-topped tree. Image by LionMountain via Pixabay (Public domain). By Malavika Vyawahare via Mongabay Secretarybirds build their nests high in flat-topped acacia trees to avoid land-bound predators. So when researcher Wesley Gush climbed up those trees to get to their nests, he knew it was a surprise for them. What the nestlings did surprised him too: They played dead, according to Gush. But a new study warns that the […]

January 30, 2024 22

Environment

Climate change made 2023 Amazon drought 30 times more likely, scientists say

The river that supplies water to the Kokama Indigenous People of the Porto Praia community was mostly dry in October of 2023. Image © Marizilda Cruppe / Greenpeace. By Carla Ruas via Mongabay Global warming was the main driver of the severe drought that parched the Amazon River Basin in 2023. That is the alarming conclusion of a new report from World Weather Attribution (WWA), a team of international climate scientists […]

January 29, 2024 17