Why African farming communities are fed up with African politics Partisan politics has made it difficult for African countries to unlock value from natural resources such as land, water and favorable climate. Otherwise farming communities would be living fulfilling   lives than urban dwellers. In spite of resources being spent sending children to school, African politics Read more about Why African farming communities are fed up with African politics[…]

Pathways for repurposing resources are long overdue in developing countries Private property laws that many African countries adopted from colonialism have had both positive and negative aspects. One positive is that privatization of property has encouraged investors to make long-term investments in infrastructure and other developments that create reliable employment. On the negative side, once Read more about Pathways for repurposing resources are long overdue in developing countries[…]

The value of connecting seed fairs, community seed banks and mass markets African mass food markets are more famous for providing food to diverse classes of consumers and income to a wide range of farmers. However, what remains under appreciated is the role of these markets in promoting indigenous seed systems on which the majority Read more about The value of connecting seed fairs, community seed banks and mass markets[…]

Reimagining community seed banks for resilience and food sovereignty The fact that food should not be in the hands of corporates is no longer questionable. This is confirmed by the rise in local initiatives like community seed banks and various efforts to raise the profile of grassroots efforts and home-grown solutions. In addition to pushing Read more about Reimagining community seed banks for resilience and food sovereignty[…]

Connecting consumer purchasing decisions with production practices Agriculture and food systems will become more profitable for many farmers once they start getting a correct sense of what consumers really. At the moment, of the main limitations is weak links between production plans and expectations from the market. This is worsened by the competitive ways in Read more about Connecting consumer purchasing decisions with production practices[…]

Who should quantify opportunities and risks for smallholder food producers? The harsh realities associated with rainfed agriculture make it difficult for smallholder farmers in remote parts of African countries to quantify their opportunities and risks. Such a big picture perspective can come from extensive research and real-time information gathering in the market. Even the most Read more about Who should quantify opportunities and risks for smallholder food producers?[…]

Questions that can promote healthy African food through colleges and schools Although foreign food continues to find its way into African cities and rural communities, colleges and schools can be effective avenues for reviving and promoting indigenous African food. As knowledge centers, colleges and schools can be huge sources of ideas on how African countries Read more about Questions that can promote healthy African food through colleges and schools[…]

Correcting the underrated value of studying African mass food markets It is not enough for research conducted in African countries on food systems to end up in academic journals. In most cases there is often no clarity on who benefits from such research and intended uses of the findings. Unless African governments study mass food Read more about Correcting the underrated value of studying African mass food markets[…]

Facing the limitations of industrial agriculture, many governments and global organizations are beginning to embrace agroecology and other alternative ways of producing food. Being the application of ecological concepts and principles in farming, agroecology considers the relationships between all the plant, animal, and human elements in a system. There is some emerging consensus that when Read more about Avenues for cultivating the business face of agroecology in the Global South[…]

Technologies for preserving indigenous African food are long overdue For many decades, African countries have lagged behind in terms of developing technology for preserving indigenous food systems. What has worsened the situation is that the colonial system brought its own food and seed systems into Africa supported by appropriate technology for processing and preserving food. Read more about Technologies for preserving indigenous African food are long overdue[…]