African farmers say they can feed the world...

Food exhibitions in the Mediterranean region tend to attract a familiar cast of characters. There are the Gulf Arab agribusinesses, looking to expand their reach, and the large-scale European farming and logistics companies, who are turning out in ever-greater numbers as they seek out new markets for goods that had previously gone to Russia.

But tucked among the usual raft of suspects at this year’s Food Africa expo in Cairo in April were a few participants with far less consistent attendance records.

Continue Reading: http://qz.com/736626/african-farmers-say-they-can-feed-the-world-and-we-might-soon-need-them-to/

World Wetlands Day 2014

2nd February each year is World Wetlands Day.The theme for the 2014 World Wetlands Day is 'Wetlands and Agriculture' as 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming. The slogan for the Day is 'Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth,' placing a focus on the need for the wetland, water and agricultural sectors to work together for the best shared outcomes.  

read more: http://africasd.iisd.org/events/world-wetlands-day-2014/

Food price volatility and financial speculation

Global price of many foods shot to historic highs in 2008. Following a sharp fall thereafter, prices began to rise in 2009, spiking again in 2010. After another decline, prices have again risen sharply in 2012. Price volatility has been unusually high. Many have pointed to major changes in supply and demand conditions as the primary cause. Others identify financial speculators as the culprits. Establishing cause and effect has proven to be impossible. Opinion has become polarised and oppositional.

What is not in dispute is the huge increase in financial investments of various forms in futures markets, including food. Some point to the correlation between these flows and price movements, arguing that some financial speculators (i.e. index funds) increase net demand and therefore prices, while others (i.e. hedge funds) increase volatility. While the correlations are not disputed, the direction of causality is: opponents counter that rising prices have attracted investors, and that food markets have always been characterised by price volatility, and that hedge funds are attracted to volatile markets

This article is available at: http://www.future-agricultures.org/publications/research-and-analysis/working-papers/doc_download/16...

Climate Change, Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture

Climate change is a major challenge for agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods for billions of people around the world. In this paper, the author seeks to identify climate change related threats and vulnerabilities associated with agriculture as a sector and agriculture as people’s livelihoods (exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity). The paper analyzes the connections between the nature of human action as drivers of threats as well as opportunities for sustainable agriculture and better human development outcomes. Broadly, it examines the impact of climate change on rural livelihoods, agriculture, food security. It discusses the options for adaptation and mitigation and requirements for implementation at local, national and international level of these measures. The full link is available here.

The Decline of Agriculture?

Farmers who depend on reliable seasonal patterns face uncertainty due to climate change. Farmers and climate researchers are troubled by gradual or volatile climate disruption and are increasingly questioning agriculture’s ability to feed fast-growing populations. Early sprouting, dry spells, torrential rains, virulent pests and need for replanting are no longer rare occurrences. Extreme weather, water shortages and the long-term effects of chemical fertilizers wear away and destroy soil’s natural nutrients.This article is available at:http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/07/201173114451998370.html

The Last Golden Land? Chinese Private Companies Go to Africa

The main driver of Chinese private investment in Africa is market-seeking. There is widely-held perception that Chinese investment in Africa is large state-owned enterprises in search of natural resources. This paper looks at the reality underlying such assumptions, and what this might mean for the potential of Chinese investment to contribute to development in Africa.Available at:

http://www.ids.ac.uk/go/idspublication/the-last-golden-land-chinese-private-companies-go-to-africa?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IDS_only_publications+%28IDS+Only+Publications+Feed%29

The state of food and agriculture 2010-2011 Women in Agriculture

According to FAO's 2010-11 edition of The State of Food and Agriculture report, if women in rural areas had the same access to land, technology, financial services, education and markets as men, agricultural production could be increased and the number of hungry people reduced by 100-150 million. The report documents gender gaps in the access to a wide range of agricultural resources, including land, livestock, farm labour, education, extension services, credit, fertilizers and mechanical equipment. Full report available on the FAO website.

Plant genetic engineering in Africa

Currently, genetically modified crops are currently cultivated in three African countries on a commercial basis but in research and development, plant biotechnology is already used more and more. Scientists work above all on crops that are better adapted to local growing conditions. For more details on this story visit:
http://www.gmo-safety.eu/news/1242.disease-resistant-bananas-drought-tolerant-maize.html

Climate change, agriculture and poverty

This paper analyses the potential consequences of climate change for the poor. It focuses on agriculture as a primary means by which the impacts of climate change are transmitted to the poor, and considers climate change adaptation strategies which bear on agriculture and natural resources, examining their potential impacts on rural household wealth and economic growth. Drawing on prior research examining the impacts of historical climate events – including droughts, floods, etc. – on poverty, it offers some important insights into the kinds of policies which might limit the adverse impacts of climate change and climate shocks on the poor, such as risk coping mechanisms, acquisition of accurate weather prediction information, improvement of insurance against climate risks, as well as traditional methods of risk sharing mechanisms like local credit, asset markets, transfers from local households and networks. Full report available: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2010/11/02/000158349_20101102135244/Rendered/PDF/WPS5468.pdf

SADC Regional Water Infrastructure Programme

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has recently published a new brochure describing its programme to encourage investment in water infrastructure in the southern African region.The SADC Water Infrastructure Programme covers water supply and sanitation, community livelihoods and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) demonstration work as well as the Regional Strategic Water Infrastructure Development Programme's work in project preparation, resource mobilisation and capacity building. Key targets of the programme include developing, by 2015, the water infrastructure needed to double land under irrigation, and to halve the number of people without access to drinking water and good sanitation. Useful annexes provide lists of water related organizations and strategic water infrastructure projects in the region.

You can find the full text of the brochure on the SADC Water Sector International Cooperating Partners Collaboration Portal.

WASHCost Working Paper : Assessing Sanitation Service Levels

The first section of this paper outlines the scope and purpose of this Working Paper. Section two reviews sanitation levels in current use and proposes indicators of a sustainable sanitation service as a basis for the WASHCost sanitation levels. Section three presents sanitation service level norms and criteria in WASHCost countries. Section four sets out the proposed WASHCost sanitation service levels. Section five summarises the steps towards the general sanitation levels and outlines the the next steps for testing and refining country based sanitation ladders. Section six discusses the importance of hygiene services and makes suggestions for the development of a hygiene service assessment ladder. Full report available on http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-89WGD6/$file/IRCWatSan_Sep2010.pdf?openelement

Biodiversity and Wildlife

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), had a high level meeting on 22 September 2010, as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity. Furthermore, thematic panels were held on the way forward in achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the internationally agreed biodiversity goals and targets. Participants highlighted, among others: the need for political momentum and flexibility in the discussions on a draft protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS); the opportunity to adopt an ambitious post-2010 strategic plan; and the importance of creating an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services.It was again noted that conserving the planet’s species and habitats was central to sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.View the full document at: (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/ga10992.doc.htm; http://www.un.org/en/ga/65/meetings/biodiversity.shtml).

The Wealth of Waste: The Economics of Wastewater Use in Agriculture

This water report presents an economic framework for the assessment of the use of reclaimed water in agriculture, as part of a comprehensive planning process in water resource allocation strategies to provide for a more economically efficient and sustainable water utilization. According to the report, the use of reclaimed wastewater in agriculture has been reported in around 50 countries on what amounts to 10% of the world’s irrigated land, recycling urban wastewater and using it to grow food crops can help mitigate water scarcity problems and reduce water pollution. However, the report underlines that the practice is not being as widely implemented as it should. For more on the report, visit the FAO website.

Mapping Food and Bioenergy in Africa

This report focuses on assessing Africa’s ability to fulfill the following objectives namely, to generate regional evidence on the frequency of the conversion of cash food crops to biofuels, to determine perceived issues and concerns of this conversion by sector (regional, national, household), to establish early indication of the impact (trends, patterns) to anticipate future scenarios and to undertake policy and institutional mapping as well as analysis to better understand the policy and institutional dimensions of the food and bioenergy interphase. The report is available on the FARA website.

Regional Science Service Centre (RSSC): National Technical stakeholders workshop

Yesterday HOORC opened the first day of the three day workshop of the RSSC National stakeholders workshop at Maun Lodge. Participants were drawn from various institutes and universities in Germany, various government departments, HOORC and the public. The objectives of the workshop were namely: to improve the common understanding of RSSC, to guide and consolidate Botswana's position on RSSC research in climate change and land use and to come up with suggestions on the institutional structure framework. Presentations done were by Prof. Norbert Jurgens, who talked about RSSC activities in Namibia, Angola and Zambia , water resource issues in Botswana by Professor Masamba, land use management and governance from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and agriculture development from the Ministry of Agriculture.

1st International ICST Conference on e-services for Agriculture,Food, EnviRonment and LIfe ScienCes in Africa September 9-10, 2010 - Johannesburg

E-Agriculture has a crucial role in the empowerment of farmers in rural areas all over the world though information and communication processes, supporting them so they can improve the quality of life for themselves and for their families. The technological interventions can raise the living standards in marginalized communities by leveraging agricultural output and improvement of through technological interventions. ICT technologies give access to timely information such as weather forecasts, better pricing and allow the facilitating on-line trading which can improve the productivity of rural agricultural activities.Furthermore, the deployment of ICT can provide a framework for monitoring of the use and efficient allocation/exploitation of natural resources as well as the support for remote diagnosis and treatment of diseases, providing a valuable tool for the improvement of the quality of Life. For more on the conference visit:http://www.eafricaconference.org/

Ethical considerations in agro-biodiversity research, collecting, & use

This research article starts off by acknowledging the crucial role played by staff in the evolutionary dynamics of agricultural biodiversity and the strong relationship between these resources and human cultures. Although these agricultural resources have long been treated as a global public good as they constitute the livelihoods of millions of predominantly poor people, they are under serious threat in many parts of the world despite extensive conservation efforts. Ethical considerations regarding the collecting, research, and use of agricultural biodiversity are currently topics of great concern, e.g. easy access to genetic resources for breeding purposes is important, but international agreements and legal frameworks are necessary to ensure adequate recognition of the contributions of local communities and traditional farmers in creating and nurturing these resources. Ethical principles in the context of existing codes of conduct that are relevant for agro-biodiversity researchers are assessed. Key ethical principles considered here include the importance of obtaining prior informed consent, equity, and the inalienability of rights of local communities and farmers. The article is available in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics in SpringerLink.

Climate Change Implications for Food Security and Natural Resources Management in Africa

In the paper, “Climate Change Implications for Food Security and Natural Resources Management in Africa,” the message is clear: business as usual is no longer an option African governments must “prioritize and implement measures to develop agriculture and sustainable natural resource management”. A third of the African population lives in drought-prone areas. Six of the ten largest cities in Africa are located on the coast. These are both areas susceptible to climate change. Climate change will affect poorer African countries disproportionately. The poorest people in those countries will suffer the greatest consequences. The African subsistence farmer is among the most vulnerable. Those least able to cope will be hit the hardest. For more visit the FAO Website.

Capacity Strengthening Strategy in Agriculture and Natural Resources for Africa

The Forum for Agricultura Research in Africa (FARA) is seeking to engage consultants for the following two areas. Firstly, to undertake targeted Key Informant Interviews and coordinate the development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa.Secondly, to undertake E-consultation for the development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa.
For more information see the FARA website.

Feeding and Fuelling the World Sustainably, Fairly and Humanely

The ever increasing demands of a growing and increasingly affluent world population are confronting the natural world with mounting pressures. Increased land use is already degrading the ability of many ecosystems to deliver vital services to humanity. While modern agricultural technologies have resulted in rapid increases in yields and efficiencies, they have also caused significant and widespread negative environmental effects resulting in the degradation of soil and ecosystems. Biodiversity is lost at a pace that exceeds natural rates of species loss by several orders of magnitude. Agriculture is both affected by, and can exacerbate, climate change. Providing sufficient food and fuel for the world sustainably, fairly and humanely in the coming decades is therefore one of the grand challenges humanity currently faces.This study analyzes several important objectives for global food and fuel production and use, as well as interrelations and possible trade-offs between these. Full report available on Friends of the Earth website