insert_link Uncategorized Malawi and maize: prices have spiked on the back of bad weather and trade bans By Simon Roberts, University of Johannesburg and Namhla Landani, University of Johannesburg Maize is the leading staple food in Malawi and crucial for food security. Typically, local production from smallholder farmers meets and exceeds annual requirements of around 3 million metric tonnes. The country, however, is currently facing a crisis with 4.4 million Malawians (22% of the population) being food insecure. This is due firstly to a […] todayMarch 19, 2024 4
insert_link Africa El Niño threatens Zimbabwe’s corn production Zimbabwe has warned that farmland planted with corn has shrunk by 12% because of scorching El Niño weather patterns, threatening the nation’s food staple and potentially triggering surging prices and social unrest. We contacted Eddie Cross an economist from Zimbabwe for his comment. todayMarch 14, 2024 34
insert_link Namibia Prime Minister’s office partners with WFP on food security The Executive Director in the Office of the Prime Minister, I-Ben Nashandi, and Dr. George Fedha from the World Food Programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening the capacity for Vulnerability Assessment Analysis and systems for early warning systems. Here is I-Ben Nashandi. todayFebruary 29, 2024 28
insert_link Africa Norwegian salmon farms gobble up fish that could feed millions in Africa A salmon farm in Finnmark, Norway. Image by Ninara via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). By Francesco De Augustinis via Mongabay Norwegian salmon farms are taking huge amounts of wild fish from West Africa, mining the food security of the region, according to a report from the U.K.-based NGO Feedback. The analysis comes as the industry faces a wave of public opposition after revelations of high mortality rates and the sale of fish […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Climate change, extreme weather & conflict exacerbate global food crisis Global food insecurity has risen substantially since pre-pandemic times, exacerbated by extreme weather, climate change, war and conflict. What the U.N. World Food Program calls “a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions” plays out differently around the world. In this story, three of Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellows detail the local situation in their region – from rising inflation and flooding in Nigeria to diminished local food […] todayFebruary 22, 2024 21
insert_link Videos Food security ‘vital part of national security’, Sunak tells farmers Rishi Sunak has told farmers that food security is a vital part of national security as he set out support for the sector. Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) annual conference, the Prime Minister outlined a doubling of the amount going to technology and innovation schemes such as robotics, roof-top solar and agricultural research, to £220 million, helping farmers to increase productivity. The money is part of the Government’s […] todayFebruary 21, 2024 6
insert_link Business / Economics Agri-focus – 13 February 2024 Technical advisor at Agribank Namibia, Hank Saisai, provides an update on the state of the agriculture sector in the country. https://iono.fm/e/1405951 todayFebruary 14, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Trucking innovation highlights Africa’s cold storage problem and opportunities By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency A new, sustainable method of generating electricity to refrigerate trucks has been introduced into the African cold storage market. As reported by Creamer Media’s Engineering News, Global logistics company DP World partnered with food and clothing retailer Woolworths to unveil a mobile refrigeration trailer in South Africa powered by AxlePower technology. According to Engineering News, the project's AxlePower technology “transforms ordinary […] todayFebruary 9, 2024 11
insert_link Local Namibian photograph wins international award. A photograph of a Mahangu (Pearl Millet) harvester in northern Namibia has won first prize in an international photographic competition organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The competition was part of the FAO’s International Year of Millets, which raised awareness of the nutritional benefits of millets, including Mahangu, and their cultivation under changing climate conditions. The picture, taken in May 2021 by Jonathon Rees, shows […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 17
