smallholder – B4FA http://theb4fa.org Biosciences For Farming in Africa Thu, 12 Dec 2019 12:07:03 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 Can African smallholders farm themselves out of poverty? http://theb4fa.org/can-african-smallholders-farm-themselves-out-of-poverty/ http://theb4fa.org/can-african-smallholders-farm-themselves-out-of-poverty/#respond Thu, 12 Dec 2019 12:07:01 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18347 A great deal of research on agriculture in Africa is organised around the premise that intensification can take smallholder farmers out of poverty. The emphasis in programming often focuses on technologies that increase farm productivity and management practices that go along with them. 

Yet the returns of such technologies are not ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/can-african-smallholders-farm-themselves-out-of-poverty/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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]]> http://theb4fa.org/soil-erosion-lost-livelihoods-lost-incomes-and-lost-food/feed/ 0 Scaling out climate-smart agriculture in southern Africa http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/#respond Thu, 05 Dec 2019 18:13:22 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18310 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change estimates that temperatures in Africa are set to rise significantly in coming years, with devastating results for farmers. Some regions could experience two droughts every five years, and see drastic reductions in maize yields over the next three decades.

Research demonstrates that climate-smart ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/scaling-out-climate-smart-agriculture-in-southern-africa/feed/ 0 Microloans make farming profitable for Kenyan smallholders http://theb4fa.org/microloans-make-farming-profitable-for-kenyan-smallholders/ http://theb4fa.org/microloans-make-farming-profitable-for-kenyan-smallholders/#respond Mon, 02 Dec 2019 10:55:05 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18277 Farmers in Kenya report increased yields after signing up to microloan scheme.Groups such as One Acre Fund and myAgro give smallholders access to finance and farming inputs.More investment is essential to help small-scale farmers reach their potential. Read more ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/microloans-make-farming-profitable-for-kenyan-smallholders/feed/ 0 Technologies for climate-resilient smallholder agriculture: sharing practices from Brazil with Africa http://theb4fa.org/technologies-for-climate-resilient-smallholder-agriculture-sharing-practices-from-brazil-with-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/technologies-for-climate-resilient-smallholder-agriculture-sharing-practices-from-brazil-with-africa/#respond Thu, 07 Nov 2019 10:47:38 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18134 Brazil and Africa share similar environmental, climate and social conditions, and both face similar development challenges. This creates interesting opportunities for South-South collaboration through technology transfer in several areas, including agriculture, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and value chains development.

Drawing on its fundamental goal of promoting rural development, as well ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/technologies-for-climate-resilient-smallholder-agriculture-sharing-practices-from-brazil-with-africa/feed/ 0 Can TELA maize solve the acute food shortages in sub-Saharan Africa? http://theb4fa.org/can-tela-maize-solve-the-acute-food-shortages-in-sub-saharan-africa/ http://theb4fa.org/can-tela-maize-solve-the-acute-food-shortages-in-sub-saharan-africa/#respond Wed, 30 Oct 2019 10:59:40 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18081 Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most food-insecure region in the world, with an estimated 237 million throughout the region suffering from chronic undernutrition.

Frequent droughts are partially to blame for the persistent food shortages and the dry conditions make farming particularly challenging for the region’s smallholders. The TELA Maize Project has been working ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/can-tela-maize-solve-the-acute-food-shortages-in-sub-saharan-africa/feed/ 0 Technology hope for African farmers http://theb4fa.org/technology-hope-for-african-farmers/ http://theb4fa.org/technology-hope-for-african-farmers/#respond Wed, 16 Oct 2019 09:38:38 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18058 Precision farming techniques are being scaled down to be usable and affordable.

In Africa, a start-up scene is taking shape, capable of lifting millions out of poverty by transforming the continent’s largest industry: agriculture. The African continent contains more than a quarter of the world’s arable land, and farming contributes 15 ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/technology-hope-for-african-farmers/feed/ 0 How these women scientists will help Africa adapt to changing climate http://theb4fa.org/how-these-women-scientists-will-help-africa-adapt-to-changing-climate/ http://theb4fa.org/how-these-women-scientists-will-help-africa-adapt-to-changing-climate/#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:18:06 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18049 A group of 25 women from eastern and western Africa have joined the list of young researchers racing to bridge the shortage of women agriculture scientists in Africa.

The women will build the next generation of scientists working with smallholder farmers to battle climate change in Africa’s troubled agriculture sector, according ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/how-these-women-scientists-will-help-africa-adapt-to-changing-climate/feed/ 0 International Day of Rural Women 2019 focuses on “climate resilience” http://theb4fa.org/international-day-of-rural-women-2019-focuses-on-climate-resilience/ http://theb4fa.org/international-day-of-rural-women-2019-focuses-on-climate-resilience/#respond Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:09:07 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18045 The world’s sustainable future cannot be achieved without the involvement of rural women and girls. Read more ...

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]]> http://theb4fa.org/international-day-of-rural-women-2019-focuses-on-climate-resilience/feed/ 0 How farmers can gain better farm knowledge http://theb4fa.org/how-farmers-can-gain-better-farm-knowledge/ http://theb4fa.org/how-farmers-can-gain-better-farm-knowledge/#respond Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:30:15 +0000 http://theb4fa.org/?p=18035 B4FA Fellow Michael Ssali writes:

Good farmers should continuously seek new knowledge about their work. Farming is dynamic and agricultural practices keep changing. New markets for agricultural products often come with new conditions that have to be met. 

Time and again challenges crop up and a farmer will need guidance on how ...

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