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 23
insert_link 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. […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 41
insert_link Namibia Otjiwarongo residents cultivate gardens to address food insecurity Gardens can be seen on the outskirts of Otjiwarongo's informal settlements, with some residents busy ploughing and planting vegetables to address food insecurity. Some are using riverbeds for planting maize and pearl millet, known as mahangu. Those who planted last year anticipate harvest soon, while others rely on hoped-for rain. Here’s Otjozondjupa Governor James Uerikua. todayJanuary 23, 2024 68
insert_link Africa Ghana wants to make importing food like rice and tomatoes more costly: expert explains why it’s a bad idea By Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor, University of Guelph Ghana, like many other developing nations, relies heavily on imports of food and consumer goods to feed its population. For instance, Ghana imports 55% of the rice that is consumed locally. The country’s import dependence is primarily a consequence of the production of low-value primary products without substantial value addition. To forestall over-dependence on foreign goods, the government has proposed a trade […] todayJanuary 23, 2024 7
insert_link Namibia Call for youth to be given land for farming. In order to ensure food security in the country, farmers in the northern region of the country are busy ploughing their fields in anticipation of a good harvest. Local youth, Willem Amutenya, has though called on traditional authorities to allocate land to young individuals for farming purposes, saying that young people are capable of contributing to the agricultural sector if given the opportunity. Amutenya further encouraged his fellow youth to […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 29
insert_link Environment Healthy food is hard to come by in Cape Town’s poorer areas: how community gardens can fix that Community gardens can be a boon for residents. Nattrass/Getty Images Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira, University of the Western Cape In 1950, as part of the Group Areas Act, South Africa’s apartheid government banished people of colour to outlying areas, away from central business districts. The Cape Flats are one such area, sprawling to the east of central Cape Town. Today the legacy of apartheid spatial planning endures. The area is home […] todayJanuary 16, 2024 13
insert_link Africa Isaac Sesi’s GrainMate moisture meter: An affordable solution for countering Food loss in Ghana’s farming communities By Sefakor Fekpe, bird story agency Isaac Sesi picks up a small bucket of maize to demonstrate the latest iteration of his moisture-measuring device. Powering the device with batteries, he presses a button. A white screen shows the types of grain to select for the test; he selects the maize category and then presses another button to take the reading. Sesi is demonstrating the latest model of the GrainMate moisture […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 32
insert_link Africa 60% of Africa’s food is based on wheat, rice and maize – the continent’s crop treasure trove is being neglected By Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine African countries have become reliant on a few food items. Just 20 plant species now provide 90% of our food, with three – wheat, maize and rice – accounting for 60% of all calories consumed on the continent and globally. This deprives the continent of diverse food sources, at the very time when research has found massive food and […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 12
insert_link Africa BlueInvest Africa 2024: Calling African Entrepreneurs BlueInvest Africa is calling for African entrepreneurs eager to venture into the blue economy. Thirty outstanding projects will be handpicked for presentation to a panel of investors at the second edition of BlueInvest Africa, scheduled to take place in Kenya on 3 and 4 July 2024. The deadline for applications is 26 January 2024. BlueInvest Africa 2024 marks the second edition of this important business event, initiated by the […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 22