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.

Project increases Ugandan smallholder yields and incomes by 70%

Kampala, Uganda February 13. Leveraging big data, a CTA-led project has significantly increased crop yields and incomes for thousands of Ugandan smallholder farmers.

20,000 Ethiopian Smallholders Targeted with Climate Smart Technology

CTA together with Farm Africa has launched a new project to promote the resilience of smallholder farmers against climate change in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). The launch is the third and final of a CTA initiative that supports the scaling of proven climate smart agriculture technologies in Jamaica, Mali and now Ethiopia.

New index to tackle food safety scourge and threat to African health and trade

Dakar, Senegal, October 2. The African Food Safety Index (AFSI) launched today will help to tackle the burden of foodborne diseases that a recent global assessment found to be comparable to that of malaria, HIV/AIDs or tuberculosis.

New report highlights promising signs of export diversification in African agricultural trade

KIGALI, 6 September 2018 – A new report highlights the role agricultural trade plays in Africa and draws out important policy measures that African governments will need to take to benefit fully from intra-African trade as well as global trade in agricultural products.

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.

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).

On-the-spot, easy and affordable soil testing for Kenyan smallholder farmers

by Christy van Beek , Susanne Coolen , Berten de Leede and Angelique van Helvoort

Africa is facing an escalating soil fertility crisis and without immediate interventions, the continent continues to lose over €3,5 billion per year worth of nutrients. To increase productivity whilst decreasing soil fertility decline, balanced fertilisation is essential. Farmer cooperatives using soil scanners to provide real-time fertiliser recommendations to farmers may be part of the solution. AgroCares and Agriterra present their findings from a soil sensor services pilot for farmer cooperatives in Kenya. 

Foreign investment’s critical role in African agriculture’s transformation

by Silas Rugaba

Africa must introduce informed investment policies

by Yvonne Otieno

Putting farmers’ experiences into practice

“Every intervention I undertake is gender responsive”

by Pius Sawa Murefu

Faith Milkah Muniale discusses her involvement in the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Fellowship, and her work with indigenous Kenyan communities.

Food safety: a critical part of the food system in Africa

by Lebo Mofolo and Isolina Boto

Food safety is linked, directly or indirectly, to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those pertaining to ending hunger and poverty, and promoting good health and well-being. Food and nutritional security is realised only when essential elements of a healthy diet are safe to eat. The information in this document was compiled as background reading material for the 52nd Brussels Briefing on Food safety: a critical part of the food system in Africa.

Growing food in the cities: Successes and new opportunities

by Lebo Mofolo and Isolina Boto

Towns and cities in the world’s developing countries are growing on an unprecedented scale. In 1960, the global urban population was 34% of the total; by 2014 54% of the total and growing. By 2050, the proportion living in urban areas is expected to reach 66% (UNDESA). Sub-Saharan Africa’s annual urban growth rate is 3.6%, almost double the world average. The information in this document was compiled as background reading material for the 50th Brussels Development Briefing on Growing food in the cities: Successes and new opportunities.

Building the evidence base on the agricultural nutrition nexus: Democratic Republic of Congo

by Gustave Mushagalusa Nachigera , Katcho Karume , Bintu Ndusha , Ayagirwe Basengere , Achiza Bayisha , Alpha Bisuri Byachentwali , Bigirimwami Chimanuka and Gédéon Banswe

The provinces of North-Kivu and South-Kivu are located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and both have been marred by conflict over the past two decades. This led to population displacement and instability, which in turn resulted in the abandonment of agriculture, food insecurity and severe malnutrition (UNICEF, 2012).

Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation in Africa

by Lebo Mofolo and Isolina Boto

Globalization and urbanisation have transformed economies and social systems in countries around the world in the past decades. The information in this document was compiled as background reading material for the 48th Brussels Development Briefing on Strengthening rural livelihoods in the face of rapid urbanisation in Africa co-organised by CTA, BMZ/GIZ, ACP Secretariat, European Commission (DG DEVCO) and Concord.