Pretoria, Gauteng – South Africa is bracing for a high-stakes showdown with the United States over swingeing tariffs slapped on its agricultural exports by the current occupant of the White House. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen minced no words this week, revealing a frantic two-pronged strategy to either dramatically slash the punitive 30% levy – ideally […]
Johannesburg: As the global population hurtles towards a staggering 10 billion by 2050, the pressure on our already strained food systems is reaching critical levels. Experts predict a necessary 60% surge in food production within the next few decades, a monumental challenge for a world where smallholder farmers, the backbone of food production, often struggle […]
Nairobi, Kenya: A ground-breaking initiative to transform livestock breeding across Africa has been launched, promising to unlock the vast genetic potential of the continent’s animal resources. The African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet), a collaborative platform for animal breeding professionals, was unveiled with considerable fanfare during the recent inaugural CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi. The launch […]
Abuja, Nigeria: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged African nations to embrace groundbreaking strategies to confront the continent’s escalating irrigation and water management crisis. His call to action came in a message delivered to the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage, currently underway in Abuja, where experts, policymakers, and stakeholders have convened under […]
Four years into the grand experiment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the chorus of voices celebrating its transformative potential for the continent’s economic fortunes and developmental goals remains strong. Yet, in that same period, the world has been battered by a relentless succession of crises, leaving no region untouched – least of […]
Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal: A hundred smallholder farmers in the remote Jozini region of KwaZulu-Natal are sowing the seeds of a brighter future thanks to a collaborative initiative that will enable them to become suppliers of herbs and spices to global consumer goods giant Unilever. The Jozini Smallholder Farmer Programme, a partnership among the national Department of […]
Nairobi, Kenya: A significant boost for livestock health across Africa is on the horizon with the establishment of a groundbreaking Animal Health Innovation Hub at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) campus in Nairobi. This strategic partnership between ILRI and global animal health giant Ceva Santé Animale (Ceva) promises to inject vital innovation, research, and […]
The global challenge of feeding a burgeoning population with finite land and dwindling water resources demands innovative solutions. In Southern Africa, a decade-long project, “Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa,” has shone a light on the capacity constraints plaguing irrigation schemes in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. This groundwork has paved the way for a new, more […]
Kaduna, Nigeria: Defying a scorching sun and the first rains in over six months – a symbolic downpour, perhaps – Nigeria this week embarked on an ambitious journey to transform its long-neglected food and agriculture sector. The groundbreaking ceremony for the first of eight Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Kaduna State marked the tangible […]
Johannesburg: As the only African nation holding a coveted seat at the G20 table, South Africa finds itself in a unique position of power and responsibility. With the presidency of the influential global grouping resting in its hands until the close of 2025, the nation has a golden opportunity to champion the urgent cause of […]
