Central Africa

Farming by Phone to keep up with the Climate

A project known as MUIIS (Market-led, User-owned ICT4Ag-enabled Information Services), led by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), links farmers to satellite-based services that help them to increase crop yields. Tips and instructions sent to mobile devices get as specific as ‘spread fertilizer between 5 pm and 7 pm’ or ‘winds expected at 3 pm’. Something farmers say have increased crop yields and contributed to food security.

All Eyes on the Sky

Smallholders in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are seeing their horizons broaden, as access to technology brings digital applications to agriculture. In Uganda, a project supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), has forged a partnership with Igara Tea Factory (IGTF) to transform cultivation through digital innovation.

Climate Change and Conflict in Chad - Using P3DM to secure peace

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, with support from CTA, facilitates participatory three-dimensional modelling (P3DM) events to help settle disputes over land and resource ownership between the local and indigenous communities in the district of Baïbokoum, Chad.

Africa must introduce informed investment policies

by Yvonne Otieno

We must promote gender-transformative change

by Susan Kaaria and Libor Stloukal

It takes an entire ecosystem to empower a woman

by Daniel Ohonde

The KJWA puts agriculture centre stage in climate negotiations

by George Wamukoya

Strategies for scaling agricultural innovations

by Vincent Defait

Agricultural innovations must have a more substantial impact to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 – which call for a concerted effort from the public and private sectors, as well as farmers and processors. To meet the SDGs, impacts at all levels of the agricultural value chain will need to be increased, with the involvement of all stakeholders in the sector.

Aligning Africa’s regulations with global markets

by Vincent Defait

Poor food safety regulations hamper Africa’s ability to engage in international food markets. But harmonised regulations, tailored infrastructure and increased public and private sector investment have been identified as interventions that could bolster the continent’s food safety capacity, and ignite its food export market.

New opportunities for agribusiness in e-commerce

As the popularity of online shopping continues to rise, local e-commerce and trade platforms provide increased visibility for smallholder producers in global markets.

Climate resilience across the value chain

by Sam Price

CSA is a now widely implemented approach to agriculture, which focuses on achieving three central goals: sustainably increasing productivity, adapting to adverse climate change, and mitigating the negative impacts of current agricultural practices on the environment.

Empowering Women in Agribusiness

Women play a vitally important role in a whole range of agricultural activities. According to the Pew Research Centre, women make up at least half the productive workforce in some African countries. In addition to their role as food producers, they are responsible for preparing food in the home and ensuring that their families have a nutritious diet. However, it tends to be men, rather than women, who undertake and mostly benefit from profitable activities along agricultural value chains.

Enhancing water management in Kenya’s drylands

by James Karuga

Across sub-Saharan Africa, an integrated development programme is implementing land and water management interventions to enhance productivity and food security.

Climate-smart agri-finance: A more resilient approach

As climate change poses fresh challenges to farmers across ACP countries, donors, development banks and private lenders are developing innovative blended finance and risk-sharing solutions.

Rwandan farmers reduce losses with nutritious grains

A private processing company in Rwanda is working with thousands of farmers to train them in the production of fortified crops for processing into nutritious products. Their partnership is increasing profits for local smallholders as well as helping to combat Rwanda’s high levels of malnutrition.

"Using digital technologies to catalyse development"

by Ousseini Issa

Ibrahima Guimba-Saïdou, CEO of Niger’s National Agency of Information Society, explains why the country is harnessing digital technologies to spur development.

It is essential to work with indigenous people on climate change adaptation

by Vincent Defait

Ahead of COP24, taking place in Poland between 3–14 December, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change, explains why indigenous knowledge must be taken into consideration.

We must improve understanding of the integral role and value of women

by Stephanie Lynch

Dr Jemimah Njuki, senior programme specialist at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), highlights the ongoing challenges that women entrepreneurs face in running a successful agribusiness and offers innovative solutions to better support them.

Creating shared values for companies, society and the environment

Richard McNally highlights the role to be played by private sector investment in the growth of climate-smart value chain

Niche value chains: Profiting from neglected crops

by Sam Price

Private sector investment in the cultivation of fonio, a type of millet grown in the semi-arid zones of West Africa, has opened an export route between Africa’s fonio-producing regions – including Guinea, Mali and Senegal – and the US.

Boosting pineapple cultivation in Cameroon

by Elias Ntungwe Ngalame

Mukete Estates Limited, an agri-food company in Cameroon, produces a range of products from cocoa to rubber, and more recently, with the help of an agricultural support programme, pineapples.

Premium cashew nuts from Benin

by Claude Biao

Launched in northern Benin in 2010, Tolaro Global could become the top West African business exporting entirely African-produced roasted and seasoned cashews.

Supporting entrepreneurship in Africa

by Oluyinka Alawode

With a vision to economically empower Africa’s youth, the Tony Elumelu Enterprise Programme (TEEP) was set up in 2012. Beneficiaries are developing innovative agri-products and services and building more solid business structures with the knowledge acquired through the programme.

Developing sustainable ICT driven solutions and agroecology

by Ezinne Merianchris Emeana

Ezinne Merianchris Emeana a researcher at Coventry University discussed how the SmartAgroecology app is promoting the sharing of agro-ecological knowledge and skills amongst women farmers and extension personnel in Nigeria in order to help them achieve sustainable production and livelihood.

Drumming up support for agriculture

by Helen Castell

A crowdfunding platform and an agriculture-focused non-profit offer their advice on how to navigate the crowdfunding process successfully, and what they would do differently.

Can access to data really transform agriculture for smallholders?

by Yanick Bakker , Jasmien Bronckaers , Fatma Ben Rejeb and Chris Addison

In order to feed 9 billion people by 2050, sustainable agricultural growth in needed, supporting an agricultural sector which produces enough food, which is inclusive and resilient, and which makes optimal use of innovation and digital solutions. Smallholder and family farmers must play a key role in achieving this. A 80% of the world’s food supply is produced by small-scale and family farmers, yet their full production potential is hardly reached.

Aggregating farmers for markets and agricultural support services

by Norbert Tuyishime

Agriculture is back at the top of Africa’s development agenda, enjoying the support of governments and attracting heavy investments from private sectors. Many of smallholder farmers across Africa that are central to the agricultural transformation taking shape on the continent, however, struggle to benefit from these developments due to their dispersed, small-scale and unorganised nature. Aggregation of smallholder farmers’ needs may provide the solution, says Norbert Tuyishime of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF).

Junior Technical Officer - Pacific Islands Food Systems Project

CTA seeks to recruit an highly motivated professional with research, communication and knowledge management skills for the Pacific Islands Food Systems Project.

Finance Assistant

CTA seeks to recruit a Finance Assistant for CTA's Corporate Services department, reporting to the Deputy Accounts & Budget.

ICT4Ag Project Officer within the Policies, Markets & ICT programme

CTA seeks to recruit an ICT4Ag Project Officer for ist Policies, Markets & ICT programme to ensure the successful delivery of activities.

Financial Controller / Internal Audit

CTA seeks to recruit a Financial Controller / Internal Audit to ensure that the expenditures or revenues are consistent with CTA's Financial Regulations & Budget and that the principles of sound financial management are applied.