Government Unveils National Plan to Boost Food Security

Government Unveils National Plan to Boost Food Security

The Agriculture ministry, in collaboration with agri-food stakeholders, launched the National Agriculture Investment Plan to address food insecurity. The African Union's CAADP compact was also signed to support agricultural transformation and economic growth. To explain some of the challenges they are facing, here's the President of the National Farmers Union Adolf Muremi:

November 7, 2024 26

Africa

Malawi farming experiment shows how simple changes can boost maize yields and improve soil

By Alan Dixon, University of Worcester Malawi’s increasingly unpredictable rainfall and higher than usual temperatures are causing problems for smallholder farmers. Soil erosion has increased, causing soil fertility and water availability to decline. Crops often fail. Farmers are already struggling financially. Many farm only one crop: maize. They can’t easily afford chemical fertilisers that would boost the soil’s fertility and sustain yields. Agriculture accounts for just […]

June 13, 2024 24

Africa

Farming with a mixture of crops, animals and trees is better for the environment and for people – evidence from Ghana and Malawi

Moving away from intensive farming practices comes with many benefits. Nikada By Laura Vang Rasmussen, University of Copenhagen; Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, University of Denver; Ingo Grass, University of Hohenheim; Marney Isaac, University of Toronto, and Rachel Bezner Kerr, Cornell University Farming just one kind of crop in a field at a time, and using a lot of chemicals, poses a risk to both people and nature. This simplified […]

June 10, 2024 33

Local

Bank of Namibia hosts public lecture on financial inclusion in rural areas

The Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Mr. Johannes !Gawaxab, delivered a public lecture at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Eenhana, Ohangwena region. The lecture, under the theme "Unlocking Opportunities for Rural and Informal Sector Development through Financial Inclusion," highlighted the critical role of financial inclusion in transforming Namibia's rural economy. In his address, the Governor drew lessons from the Bank's 2023 Annual […]

May 31, 2024 15

World

Development finance: how it works, where it goes, why it’s needed

By Abdul Latif Alhassan, University of Cape Town and Bomikazi Zeka, University of Canberra Development finance is the invisible glue that connects public and private financing for projects that have social, economic and environmental outcomes. These include improved infrastructure, better waste management and sanitation, financial inclusion, clean energy and sustainable agriculture. The goal of development finance is to create positive social, economic or environmental outcomes through […]

April 17, 2024 41

Environment

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

Business / Economics

Innovating for Impact: driving positive change through financial solutions

By Mignon du Preez, Group Marketing, Public Affairs and Sustainability Executive, Old Mutual Namibia In Namibia, making a real impact with financial solutions is a shared endeavour that requires collective action, innovative thinking, and a deep understanding of our people's needs. As a united force within the financial services industry, we bear a collective responsibility to lead the way toward a better future for everyone. At the forefront […]

February 1, 2024 2

Local

The Agriculture Bank of Namibia and KfW Development Bank collaborate to support Namibian Farmers and MSMEs in the agriculture sector

On 14 December 2023, the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank) and KfW Development Bank entered into a historic agreement, signing a first concessional loan of just over 400 million NAD. This collaboration aims to empower farmers operating in both communal and commercial, as well as other agricultural or food-processing MSMEs in Namibia. Agribank will on-lend the funds for the target group of small scale farmers as well as the […]

December 15, 2023 19

Africa

African countries at COP28: several big wins and a united voice

By Bamidele Olajide, University of Lagos African countries entered the recent COP28 negotiations on climate change in high spirits. Before this conference, in September, African government leaders, policymakers, activists and other groups from the continent met at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The African position and expectations for COP28 were shaped at this summit by the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration. Africa’s main agenda at COP28, hosted […]

December 14, 2023 11