Rediscovering the value of indigenous knowledge through COVID-19

Posted on May 18, 2020 by eMKambo

By restricting movement between rural and urban areas, there is no doubt that lockdowns in African countries have weakened domestic trade and social fabrics that sustain most low income economies. Contrary to views from policy makers, African economies are not sustained by international trade but domestic commerce and social capital. COVID19-induced lockdowns have made it Read more about Rediscovering the value of indigenous knowledge through COVID-19[…]

Reflections on costing of agricultural commodities – thanks to COVID19

Posted on May 4, 2020 by eMKambo

In addition to disrupting food supply chains, COVID-19 has presented a pricing headache for smallholder farmers in African countries. If government directs supermarkets to revert back to pre-COVID19 prices they can easily do so because they have a tradition of keeping records on stocks and prices. On the other hand, mass markets will not be Read more about Reflections on costing of agricultural commodities – thanks to COVID19[…]

How COVID19 has exposed limitations of colonial food systems in Africa

Posted on April 27, 2020April 26, 2020 by eMKambo

The majority of developing countries are still to tear themselves away from the colonial set up where major food markets were located in cities or towns in order to provide food for low income people working in formal industries. Under that arrangement food had to travel from rural areas most of which were 100km away Read more about How COVID19 has exposed limitations of colonial food systems in Africa[…]

Tracking or tracing has never been so important – thanks to COVID19

Posted on April 20, 2020 by eMKambo

Before COVID-19, the need for privacy was gaining momentum across the world particularly in the global North. People were beginning to frown at the intrusive nature of technology and digital gadgets are notorious for tracking people’s movements and whatever they are doing. In addition to social distancing, contact tracing is one of the phrases popularized Read more about Tracking or tracing has never been so important – thanks to COVID19[…]

It has taken a crisis for the importance of market infrastructure to be acknowledged

Posted on April 13, 2020 by eMKambo

After years of persuading development agencies not to concentrate on the production side but spread their resources along supply chains all the way to the market, eMKambo has finally been vindicated. COVID-19 has provided the Ahaa! moment for policy makers and development agencies on the importance of building infrastructure at African mass markets. If a Read more about It has taken a crisis for the importance of market infrastructure to be acknowledged[…]

Strategies for cushioning African informal economies against COVID19

Posted on April 6, 2020 by eMKambo

Cushioning informal traders and vendors against the impact of COVID-19 is a very noble idea in developing countries. However the devil is in the implementation details. For instance African informal economies function more like ecosystems than a collection of disconnected traders and vendors. That is why before introducing social cash grants, the most important first Read more about Strategies for cushioning African informal economies against COVID19[…]

COVID19 – an opportunity for decision makers to know how African food markets function

Posted on March 31, 2020 by eMKambo

African countries are called less industrialized economies for genuine reasons. If the majority of people in a country depend on more than 80 agricultural commodities and less than 10 can be turned into processed products, such a country is obviously less industrialized. For instance in Zimbabwe only maize meal, flour, sugar, wheat flour, magarine, tomato Read more about COVID19 – an opportunity for decision makers to know how African food markets function[…]

Ten guiding principles for yoking infrastructure and ICTs in African Agriculture

Posted on March 2, 2020 by eMKambo

There has been a general tendency by developing countries to cherry-pick and deploy some components of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the agriculture sector. Combining infrastructure and ICTs could play a more catalytic role than just using ICTs for promoting extension services. If African countries are going to produce sufficient agricultural commodities, how can Read more about Ten guiding principles for yoking infrastructure and ICTs in African Agriculture[…]

Building pathways for commercializing research findings and knowledge

Posted on February 24, 2020 by eMKambo

Days of doing research for its own sake are numbered in developing countries. The same applies to an enduring tendency by researchers to be satisfied with publishing research findings into journals. Many African researchers are waking up to the fact that academic excellence will not solve teething challenges like mass poverty and unemployment among graduates. Read more about Building pathways for commercializing research findings and knowledge[…]

Why policy makers should know the difference between information and news

Posted on February 17, 2020 by eMKambo

By confusing information with News, most African countries have neglected vital information that is neither News nor statistics but more important. What is ignored is information that continuously informs and guides socio-economic activities in rural communities. A lot of research has been done in many African communities by several institutions like NGOs, the private sector Read more about Why policy makers should know the difference between information and news[…]