bioscience – B4FA http://theb4fa.org Biosciences For Farming in Africa Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:57:04 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 Focusing on smart agriculture across Africa http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/#respond Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:57:01 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18370 The world is changing and one of the factors driving this change is climate change, which continues to affect the weather and the elements, such as rainfall and storms, among others. These changes affect basically everything that concerns man and his environment.

The impact of these changes is gradually being felt ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/focusing-on-smart-agriculture-across-africa/feed/ 0 Agriculture is part of the climate problem, and the solution http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/ http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/#respond Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:50:38 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18367 Recently, scientists from the Stockholm Resilience Centre and colleagues have suggested that we have already exceeded the boundaries for climate change, biodiversity loss, and the nitrogen cycle. These limits all share a common factor: agriculture.

 In short, agriculture is part of the problem. We have the responsibility to harness our natural ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/agriculture-is-part-of-the-climate-problem-and-the-solution/feed/ 0 A disappointing end to the COP25 climate talks http://theb4fa.org/a-disappointing-end-to-the-cop25-climate-talks/ http://theb4fa.org/a-disappointing-end-to-the-cop25-climate-talks/#respond Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:45:10 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18364 The outcome of the two-week-long COP25 conference in Madrid with delegates from almost 200 nations was a partial agreement that asks countries to come up with more ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Despite some progress, world leaders failed to agree on more ambitious emissions cuts to meet the ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/a-disappointing-end-to-the-cop25-climate-talks/feed/ 0 Podcast: How nitrogen-fixing bacteria can cut fertilizer use 30-50% http://theb4fa.org/podcast-how-nitrogen-fixing-bacteria-can-cut-fertilizer-use-30-50/ http://theb4fa.org/podcast-how-nitrogen-fixing-bacteria-can-cut-fertilizer-use-30-50/#respond Thu, 12 Dec 2019 12:01:57 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18342 In the early 20th century, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch revolutionized agriculture. The two German chemists developed a technique, now known as the Haber-Bosch process, that converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia, which can be used to fertilize the crops we all rely on for sustenance.  The discovery led to ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/podcast-how-nitrogen-fixing-bacteria-can-cut-fertilizer-use-30-50/feed/ 0 Building resilient agriculture through farmers’ education http://theb4fa.org/building-resilient-agriculture-through-farmers-education/ http://theb4fa.org/building-resilient-agriculture-through-farmers-education/#respond Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:12:07 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18336 Agricultural experts and academia drawn from Eastern and Southern African nations called on governments to increase the reach, impact, and institutionalisation of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) through adaptive approaches to ensure that farmers in Africa are fully engaged in sustainable agricultural production and farming as a business.

At FAO’s Subregional Workshop ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/building-resilient-agriculture-through-farmers-education/feed/ 0 Crops Research Institute Releases stress tolerant maize to address food insecurity in Africa http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/#respond Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:08:33 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18333 The Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and its international partners have developed a Stress Tolerant Maize variety for farmers in in parts of Africa where climate change threatens food security.

The Stress Tolerant maize variety was introduced to smallholder maize farmers at Ejura ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/crops-research-institute-releases-stress-tolerant-maize-to-address-food-insecurity-in-africa/feed/ 0 Ghana: post-harvest losses in cereals: US$141m lost in 2018 http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/ http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2019 12:04:48 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18329 Ghana loses more than one tenth of its top four cereals produce to post-harvest losses (PHL) every year due to impediments along the entire value chain.

In 2014, the combined losses in rice, maize, millet and sorghum from the point of harvest to their retail/wholesale points at market centres were estimated ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/ghana-post-harvest-losses-in-cereals-us141m-lost-in-2018/feed/ 0 Why China’s swine fever scourge should worry you http://theb4fa.org/why-chinas-swine-fever-scourge-should-worry-you/ http://theb4fa.org/why-chinas-swine-fever-scourge-should-worry-you/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2019 11:59:32 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18326 The last time we discussed African swine fever (ASF) was 2018. In the article, we highlighted the devastation the disease had done on various farms.

At around the same time, unbeknown to most farmers, their Chinese counterparts had just begun experiencing the same problem. 

It was the first emergence of the disease ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/why-chinas-swine-fever-scourge-should-worry-you/feed/ 0 Innovative solutions and business opportunities for farmer organisations http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/ http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/#respond Fri, 06 Dec 2019 12:05:36 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18317 Technological innovations and advances in digital farming continue to evolve at a rapid pace, increasing efficiencies in farming operations globally. However, the adoption of these new technologies by small-scale farmers is still low due to poor data infrastructure and a lack of business partnerships, limiting farmer organisations from capitalising on ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/innovative-solutions-and-business-opportunities-for-farmer-organisations/feed/ 0 Soil erosion: lost livelihoods, lost incomes and lost food http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/ http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/#respond Fri, 06 Dec 2019 11:28:05 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18314 With more than 90 percent of the world’s food grown from soil, it’s a problem that impacts the health, incomes and livelihoods of billions of people on the planet.

Soil erosion – when the uppermost layer of soil is shifted or worn away – is a growing threat and one that has the potential ...

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