When it comes to reducing the number of people who can’t afford food, the world has come a long way. In 2012-14, an estimated 795 million people were chronically undernourished, down more than 100 million over the last decade, and 209 million fewer than in 1990-92. Read …
B4FA Fellow Samuel Hinneh reports: Soil is the foundation for food and nutrition security, sustainable development and climate change adaptation and mitigation, says Mr. Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa. Read …
Helping farmers combat post-harvest losses is a win-win proposition. It helps raise incomes for some of the most vulnerable households in West Africa, lowers food prices for consumers, alleviates hunger and reduces stress on the environment. Read …
B4FA provides a snapshot of some of the main plant improvement initiatives taking place in important crops in Africa, and a link to the groups doing this work. Just added, MAIZE and SORGHUM.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global maize production in 2013 …
B4FA Fellow Lominda Afedraru reports: African traditional vegetables were a big part of people’s diet and culture until modern vegetables like cabbage and carrots were introduced. In the past few years, however, traditional vegetables have slowly been regaining popularity. Read …
Say the words “green revolution,” and people take sides. For opponents, the phrase conjures visions of monocrop fields fertilized with chemicals and sprayed with more chemicals. For proponents, it evokes the tremendous efficiencies that have helped us feed our burgeoning population. For Joe DeVries, a plant scientist, “it’s a …
Farmers and breeders have for centuries used cross-breeding to improve the genetic characteristics of crops and animals. Because this process involves gene transfers within the same species, environmental advocates label it “natural” — even though cross-breeding is clearly man-made. Modern genetic splicing makes it possible to combine genes from …
Collecting and saving seeds is nothing new — it is as old as farming societies themselves. But now this mission is the motivating force for a growing contingent of scientists across the globe, engaged in what some frame as a veritable race against time to conserve the world’s crop …
The African Development Bank, AfDB, said it has invested N14.78 billion (N2.91 trillion) in the agriculture sector of its Regional Member Countries (RMC) in 46 years to grow their economy. About 1.5 million people had access to improved technology and some 600 production and marketing facilities were constructed. Read …
Boosting international trade may not be the best way to improve food security, as it makes many countries vulnerable to food shortages caused by market fluctuations, according to new research. Read …
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