Africa
Conservation agriculture: enhancing soil fauna richness and abundance in low-input systems: Examples from Kenya
Over the years, many discussions on the benefits of conservation agriculture vis-à-vis conventional tillage have been held. These have mainly focused on the associated soil physical and chemical benefits. However, on most occasions, little attention has focused on the benefits of practicing conservation agriculture for soil health. Indeed, for the myriad soil benefits and even improvements in crop yield, there is often a direct or indirect association with the activities of soil biological organisms and, generally, soil health.
CIAT Showcases “Mbili Mbili” Technology at the NaneNane Festival in Tanzania
CIAT was at the NaneNane festival held in Thermi Show Ground Arusha Tanzania to showcase their Mbili Mbili technology. NaneNane, a Swahili name meaning “eight”, is an annual farmers’ festival held during the first eight days of August by the national government in collaboration with other actors in the agricultural sector.
Make or Break: Can the Education System Help Spark Agricultural Transformation?
International Youth Day (IYD) an initiative by the United Nations, is commemorated yearly on 12 August to bring to the fore the youth’s pivotal role in accelerating progress towards global goals. In addition, the day is also meant to draw the attention of stakeholders and leaders to the pertinent challenges faced by the world’s youth. As highlighted by UNESCO, one of the issues that deserves due concern is the need for the education system to prepare learners to meet the challenges of the present and to help them maximize the opportunities of the future.
“We are receiving a free subsidy from nature, but it will not continue indefinitely” – Louis Verchot
“Many findings are important for us and for policy makers around the world. The report shows that land is both a source and a sink of greenhouse gases. Currently, land absorbs 22% of our greenhouse gas emissions and such absorption has increased as our emissions have increased. Therefore, we are receiving a free subsidy from nature as the land is reducing the negative climate impacts of our own actions. The report also shows that this subsidy will not go on indefinitely, and the continuous land and soil degradation are major threats to the biosphere and the continued absorption of carbon dioxide.”
Preparing Ghanaian cocoa farmers for changing climate conditions
CIAT collaborates with CocoaLink to help young farmers mitigate the negative effects of climate change through digital maps. Get critical information on cocoa and agricultural tips by downloading CocoaLink mobile application.
Terra-i user manual for monitoring land-cover changes is now available
The Terra-i tool enables stakeholders to use the data at different levels to take action in natural resource management and create synergies between national and local institutions for protecting and conserving natural resources, as well as enhancing related governance processes, at national and subnational scales.
CIAT and Grupo Papalotla signed an agreement for the development of new tropical pasture hybrids
As global population grows so will demand for animal protein (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, 2009 ), making livestock farming intensification a central part to a sustainable food future. Breeding and mainstreaming of tropical forages are essential for improving productivity and lowering the environmental footprint while reducing the number of hectares dedicated to livestock production and the pressure over highly valuable ecosystems. This is a not only a priority in Latin America but in Africa and Asia as well, where the demand of forages with high nutritional quality and with resistance to different stresses is growing.
Is climate-smart agriculture the silver bullet to attract youth to agriculture?
With the average African farmer’s age hitting nearly 60 years, the sector’s stakeholders have been diligently working to come up with measures on how to attract and retain youth in the sector. There have been a myriad of suggestions, but none of them seemed as attractive as engaging youth through climate-smart and digital agriculture.
Mastercard partners with USADF and CIAT to open up new opportunities for smallholder farmers across Africa
Kampala, Uganda July 10, 2019 – Mastercard has today announced the signing of two public-private partnerships that will extend the reach of the Mastercard Farmers Network (MFN) to millions of smallholder farmers in Africa.
Climate change and rising population put pressure on essential crops in low-income regions
Crops such as bananas, potatoes and cassava are essential to food security in the world’s poorest regions. By 2050, their importance will increase, but climate change and population growth will put unprecedented pressure on production
CIAT in Africa
CIAT’s vision of the promise of tropical agriculture is especially relevant to sub-Saharan Africa. Nowhere does the well-being of so many people depend so much on a concerted effort to realize farming’s potential for reducing chronic hunger, opening pathways out of rural poverty, enhancing human nutrition, and improving the management of natural resources. CIAT works especially on the following themes:
- Leveraging markets through improved productivity and competitiveness
- Agriculture for improved nutrition in Africa
- Transforming farms and landscapes for sustainability
- Investment planning for resilient agriculture
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