In Brazil’s soy belt, community seed banks offer hope for the Amazon

In Brazil’s soy belt, community seed banks offer hope for the Amazon

By Ana Ionova Not too long ago, the plot of land that Maria Ivonete de Souza inherited was barren, the soil hardened by years of cattle ranching. When the family had arrived to the Amazon from southern Brazil four decades earlier, her father had swiftly cleared the dense rainforest to make way for pasture. “He razed it all by hand, with a saw and an ax,” Souza […]

February 20, 2024 11

Africa

DR Congo capital in tumult as river bursts banks

Burst riverbanks are causing turmoil in DR Congo's capital Kinshasa, with dark and foul-smelling water pouring into homes across working-class neighborhoods in the central African megacity. The impoverished metropolis of some 15 million people sits on the Congo River -- the second largest in Africa after the Nile -- which has swollen to near-record levels over the past several weeks. Kinshasa is crisscrossed with small rivers and waterways, which often […]

January 12, 2024 27

Africa

Climate change and farming: economists warn more needs to be done to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa

Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso, North-West University and Abiodun Olusola Omotayo, North-West University Sub-Saharan African countries strongly rely on the agricultural and forestry sectors. Agriculture contributes up to 60% of some countries’ gross domestic product. But the sector is highly vulnerable to climate change because it relies heavily on climatic factors. This vulnerability is particularly marked in the region because of its slow rate of technological advancement. As agricultural economists we carried […]

November 17, 2023 21