The first hybrid rice varieties developed in sub-Saharan Africa are yielding up to four times more than other improved varieties, say scientists, who are using web-based tools to identify the right climate conditions to maximise harvests. The 15 hybrids, bred in Kenya and Tanzania, are also tolerant to diseases and …
Despite agriculture employing more than 80 per cent of the African population, the continent generates only 10 per cent of global agricultural output. Yet another shocking reality is that Africa still spends $35 billion a year on importing food, despite having a quarter of the world’s arable land, according to …
Napandaela is a 63-year-old woman living in small village in northeastern Tanzania. Speaking of competition over water among villagers, she says: “In the face of water scarcity, upstream users and powerful individuals take as much water as they can and leave little for others.” Napandaela, a former chairperson of the …
According to SEND-Ghana, and NGO, its research on investment in smallholder agriculture revealed the need for AU to revise the minimum threshold to push for additional direct investments to support the sector. See …
African and European researchers are employing high-tech water management research methods to help low-tech South African smallholders improve food security. Additionally, extremely high levels of Microcystin toxicity and uranium contamination in important river systems spark calls for extra research on bioaccumulation through the human food chain. See …
In 1996, farmers planted the first commercial biotech crop. The global uptake of plant biotechnology by farmers since has made it the fastest-adopted technology in the history of agriculture. Farmers who have the choice to use the technology have chosen it on an unprecedented level because of its benefits. See …
When it comes to youth, the development sector seems to have accepted the idea that agriculture isn’t sexy. As part of research being conducted by the Leveraging Economic Opportunities (LEO) Activity around the extent to which USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative is engaging youth in agricultural value chains, researchers spoke …
CRISPR can quickly and efficiently manipulate virtually any gene in any plant or animal. In the four years since CRISPR has been around, researchers have used it to fix genetic diseases in animals, combat viruses, sterilize mosquitoes and prepare pig organs for human transplants. Most experts think that’s just the …
Efforts have been made by the national Zambian legume program to introduce improved, higher yielding varieties which were developed at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Unfortunately, adoption of these varieties is low because the seed types are not generally preferred by Zambian consumers (like my mom). As …
A video did the rounds a couple of years ago, of some self-styled “skeptic” disagreeing – robustly, shall we say – with an anti-vaxxer. The speaker was roundly cheered by everyone sharing the video – he sure put that idiot in their place!
Scientists love to argue. Cutting through bullshit and …
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