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[…]

Mass market signals are becoming more important in a changing climate

Posted on by eMKambo

With frequent reports El Nino weather phenomena across the world, signals from mass markets are becoming major sources of critical knowledge for adaptation to climate change. Increasing climate variability, shifting market dynamics, cross-border trade complexities, and the growing scale of informal markets demand a more advanced, integrated, and responsive early warning system. The rich intelligence Read more about Mass market signals are becoming more important in a changing climate[…]

What mass markets say about the political economy of African food systems

Posted on by eMKambo

By bringing diverse commodities and people together across boundaries, African mass markets create space for issues that are usually left unsaid.  While the formal mainstream media is more interested in what is happening right now, mass markets bring people together to discuss what and who is causing what is happening. For instance, mainstream media can Read more about What mass markets say about the political economy of African food systems[…]

Pitfalls of taking community voices for granted in food systems projects

Posted on by eMKambo

Most conversations about food systems and climate change that happen in global conferences and capital city workshops continue to miss practical community voices. When a few community representatives are invited, the purpose is mostly superficial for legitimizing the event through media coverage. In some circumstances, development organizations get into a community and introduce a goat Read more about Pitfalls of taking community voices for granted in food systems projects[…]

African territorial markets continue to protect food cultures and identities

Posted on by eMKambo

If there were no territorial markets many food ingredients and related recipes would have disappeared. Besides keeping rural and urban areas connected through food, African territorial markets are at the forefront of protecting food cultures. When Africans now living in the city want to remember what they used to eat growing up in rural areas, Read more about African territorial markets continue to protect food cultures and identities[…]

Making sense of African food baskets through territorial markets

Posted on by eMKambo

In addition to being a source of nutrition and income, African territorial markets provide strong evidence bases for building local food baskets. Such knowledge bases can inspire the young generation to embrace local consumption. More importantly, the evidence can strengthen counter-narratives against industrial food systems. Each documented food basket can also function as an investment Read more about Making sense of African food baskets through territorial markets[…]

African territorial markets are masters of conversational commerce

Posted on by eMKambo

What makes African territorial markets different from other markets is that they are not just about financial transactions. They are masters of conversational commerce and reliable interfaces for discovery, comparison, recommendations and informed decisions. The diversity of commodities shapes what consumers can buy while conversations shape how consumers buy what they want. Whereas formal markets Read more about African territorial markets are masters of conversational commerce[…]

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[…]