Opinion corner

Per capita growth had slowed down in Africa years before the Covid crisis and the war in Ukraine. Also, the number of people going hungry has been on the rise again for some years. These and other factors have to be…

Climate change

In just a few days, the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) starts in Dubai. A reason for hope? Our author doubts it.

For many years, Brazil’s National Council for Food and Nutrition Security (CONSEA) has been campaigning for alleviating hunger and poverty as well as for the right to food – with success. Its President Elisabetta Recine…

Food systems

Looking back on developments since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, our author maintains that relevant major organisations at international level are unsuited to address food systems transformation. Rather, Dhanush…

Food security

The impacts of the Ukraine crisis on food prices world-wide have highlighted just how globalised the commodity flows have also become in the agrifood sector. This is of no benefit to most farmers, our author maintains,…

Plant protection

The global pesticide market is constantly growing and just a handful of corporations share it out between them. Now manufacturers are making ever stronger inroads into countries of the Global South, where pesticides are…

Knowledge sharing

There can be good reasons why organisations and individuals feel uncomfortable about sharing data. But the pros outweigh the cons, says Chipo Msengezi. She explains CABI’s approach.

Energy

The German provider of solar systems SUNfarming has set up agri-PV systems in various countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America in public-private partnerships. For Edith Brasche, director of international projects, the…

Energy

Africa’s drylands seem to be predestined for generating solar and wind power – especially given the current hype over green hydrogen. However, pastoral communities are often put at a disadvantage in this respect. Our…

Finance

While the topic of agrofinance is essential to the context of mechanisation, it is all too often neglected, or at least insufficiently addressed. Our author gives an account of his experiences as an independent…