Why the elite should stop imposing their expectations on smallholder farmers

Posted on by eMKambo

Bankers expect smallholder farmers to repay loans at a particular interest. For economists, African smallholder farmers are supposed to master return on investment. Nutritionists expect smallholder farmers to be food scientists just as agronomists and livestock specialists expect smallholder farmers to think and act like scientists. NGOs promoting farmer field schools see farmers as learners Read more about Why the elite should stop imposing their expectations on smallholder farmers[…]

How to move from ordinary to best agricultural practices

Posted on by eMKambo

‘Best practice’ is not even a mouthful but what it means in practice remains unclear to many people who use the phrase. In African agriculture, it takes a lot for a farmer or trader to become a best practitioner.  Most value chain actors face challenges in identifying sufficient quality evidence that can be translated into Read more about How to move from ordinary to best agricultural practices[…]

How weak institutional support creates room for opportunists in African food systems

Posted on by eMKambo

Absence of institutional support and fluid data has persistently seen most African agricultural value chains invaded by opportunists who end up taking the bigger cake from the total value of agriculture. These opportunists also take away proceeds from agriculture to other sectors like real estate, mining and the fuel industry. Some opportunists use their financial Read more about How weak institutional support creates room for opportunists in African food systems[…]

African mass markets as platforms for addressing hunger and malnutrition

Posted on by eMKambo

What makes African territorial markets impossible to underestimate is not just their power to aggregate diverse commodities from every corner. They also give value to commodities whose nutritional and monetary contribution may remain invisible. It would be difficult to attach prices to indigenous fruits and other commodities if these commodities were not brought to one Read more about African mass markets as platforms for addressing hunger and malnutrition[…]

Promoting low input, climate conscious food systems through territorial markets

Posted on by eMKambo

If agroecology is about rebuilding soil health, enhancing biodiversity and reducing dependence on costly external inputs, then African territorial markets are definitely part of agroecology. Territorial markets also show how agroecology is part of indigenous food systems that have sustained communities for generations. By prioritizing food diversity as opposed to narrow supply chains associated with Read more about Promoting low input, climate conscious food systems through territorial markets[…]

Africa can feed itself and also be a source of food aid for the whole world

Posted on by eMKambo

The World Food Program’s 2026 Global Outlook projects 318 million people will face crisis levels of hunger this year and the most affected countries are Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Meanwhile, African territorial markets in big cities like Kampala (Nakasero & Nakawa market), Arusha (Kilombero market), Nairobi Read more about Africa can feed itself and also be a source of food aid for the whole world[…]

When interpretation is more important than statistics

Posted on by eMKambo

While collecting statistics through crop and livestock assessments is necessary, the most important missing link is interpreting and analyzing what is happening to different value chains. Such interpretations and analyses are the domain of crop and livestock specialists not statisticians.  Also important is capturing and analyzing market trends in order to show the return on Read more about When interpretation is more important than statistics[…]

Webs of interdependencies keep African informal economies more resilient

Posted on by eMKambo

When you see traders in African territorial markets like Mbare in Harare selling Kapenta fish (Matemba), soya chunks, plastic packaging, potatoes and eggs, chances are that those traders don’t own those commodities but have been supplied by a bigger trader on credit. The commodities are co-owned by the trader and the supplier, based on long-term Read more about Webs of interdependencies keep African informal economies more resilient[…]

Headaches and pathways of translating infrastructure into better lives

Posted on by eMKambo

While infrastructure like road highways and irrigation systems continue to receive much attention, funding and media coverage, it has taken long for most intended beneficiaries to benefit directly from such investments. After investing infrastructure, most development organizations do not think about the sustainability model. The utilization of resources is more critical than just investing in Read more about Headaches and pathways of translating infrastructure into better lives[…]

How African territorial markets are quietly rewriting socio-economic rules

Posted on by eMKambo

Being self-organized for decades has enabled most African territorial markets to write their own socio-economic rules in ways that are contrary to formal systems that African governments borrowed from colonialism without questioning. For instance, whereas formal business often at 8am and close at 5pm, most African territorial markets operate 24/7 with restocking happening throughout the Read more about How African territorial markets are quietly rewriting socio-economic rules[…]

Making market infrastructure fit for purpose through consultative processes

Posted on by eMKambo

One of the major reasons why African countries are littered with abandoned market sheds intended for the poor is because these structures are set up without sufficient consultation. Those with a lot of money think they know what poor people need and quickly build what they call ‘world-class’ markets when what is needed are simple Read more about Making market infrastructure fit for purpose through consultative processes[…]

The underestimated role of traditional medicine in shaping local wellbeing

Posted on by eMKambo

In most African communities, traditional medicine and indigenous herbs are in integral component of local well-being. Any conversation about local food systems which does not mention the role of traditional medicine and indigenous herbs is incomplete. However, there has been limited research on the trade and consumption of traditional medicine and indigenous herbs including how Read more about The underestimated role of traditional medicine in shaping local wellbeing[…]