As the climate changes, the population of Africa is growing and fertile land and jobs are becoming scarcer. New ways are currently leading to urbanisation of agriculture and a new mid-sized sector in the countryside
Alexander Müller, a graduate sociologist, is the head of a global study of the UN Environment Program on "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food" and CEO of "TMG - Töpfer, Müller, Gaßner GmbH, ThinkTankforSustainabilty".
Jes Weigelt is Head of Programmes at TMG Research gGmbH, the research wing of TMG. Töpfer, Müller, Gassner. ThinkTank for Sustainability. He tweets at @jes_tmg.
Since 1961, average annual temperatures in Africa have been rising as a result of the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This increase is mainly due to the past and ongoing emissions of the industrialised countries. The consequences of this anthropogenic climate can already be observed on a regional and local level, for example in the variability of precipitation, and the forecasts are bleak. In its 5th assessment report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that corn yields in many sub-Saharan countries will fall by more than 20 percent - and maize is the central food source there. Forecasts by the Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) predict that the productivity of African lakes will be reduced by 20 to 30 percent by the year 2100, which means that animal and plant biodiversity will decline sharply. It is only vaguely clear to what extent the resulting loss of ecosystem services will affect agriculture and rural development opportunities. What is undisputed, however, is that climate change will exacerbate existing challenges to food security and rural development and must be considered as an amplifier to the major challenges that already exist.
These tasks will become all the more challenging if the internationally agreed goal of limiting average global warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius is reduced. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) presented so far will still lead to a temperature increase of around 3 degrees Celsius. There is consensus among scientists that temperatures in Africa are rising faster than the global average. Christoph Müller from the German Development Institute in Bonn provides the factor 1.5. That would mean a temperature increase of 4.5 degrees Celsius in Africa.
Adapting to climate change in Africa and resilience strategies (i.e. the ability to cope with crises) will be key tasks in the coming years. Climate change increases the vulnerability of people, especially the poor. This requires appropriate measures for shaping rural structural change and coping with massive urbanisation. This can only be accomplished by approaching rural development and urbanisation in new ways. Innovative forms of cooperation will be needed to secure food provision and maximise employment without overburdening natural resources.
We find it very important not to analyse these challenges individually, but rather in their complex interaction and, more importantly, with joint solution strategies in mind.
Development Trends
Climate change coincides with long-term trends, which must be understood as a framework for action over the next decades.
Population Growth and Urbanisation
Based on the so-called median population forecast, the population of Africa will increase from 1.5 billion today to more than 4 billion by 2100. This means that by 2050 an additional 1 billion people will need to be fed.
With an urbanisation rate of 40 percent, the population of Africa lives predominantly in rural areas. At the same time, the urban population is growing at a faster rate by global comparison. For that reason, the United Nations expects an urbanisation rate of 56 percent by 2050.
Need for Jobs
As the population grows, so will the demand for jobs. According to the African Development Bank, the number of young Africans aged 15-35 will double to more than 830 million by 2050. Of the 415 million young people in Africa today, one third are already without formal employment, one third in so-called precarious employment relationships and only one sixth have regular employment. And while 10 to 12 million young people enter the labour market every year, just under 3.1 million new jobs are created. The challenge also affects the entire education system. How many schools and universities need to be built and run, how many apprenticeships should there be outside the universities, how can equal opportunities be created for girls and boys in education to prepare for sustainable jobs? And what economic dynamism is needed to provide employment, income and a future for the graduates?
Malnutrition and Undernourishment
According to "The State of Food Security and Nutrition 2017", the number of starving people worldwide has been rising again since 2014. While there were around 900 million people starving in 2000, the number had fallen to 775 million in 2013, and has since risen to 815 million. The percentage of starving people in the total population also fell from 14.7 per cent in 2000 to 10.6 per cent in 2015, but has since risen again slightly. In sub-Saharan Africa, the absolute number of starving people has increased from 178 million in 2000 to 224 million in 2016.
At the same time, overweight and morbid obesity are on the rise worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that new cases of diabetes in Africa have increased from 3.1 per cent in 1980 to 7.1 per cent in 2014. The absolute number of people with diabetes has increased from 4 million to 25 million.
Scarcity and Loss of Fertile Land
According to estimates by the Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), approximately 500,000 square kilometres of land in Africa are already degraded by over-exploitation, erosion, salinization and pollution. According to the "Economics of Land Degradation" initiative, Africa could produce around 280 million metric tonnes more grain if it were able to stop the effects of man-made soil erosion. Overall, the initiative estimates that simply continuing to do things the same way and thus neglecting to take measures against the loss of fertile soil would reduce Africa's gross national product by 12 percent.
Complex Problems Require Systemic Answers
Sustainable food security strategies are needed in sub-Saharan Africa, covering both rural and urban areas. Focusing on either rural areas or cities alone will not sufficiently counteract the dynamic urbanisation and population growth rates. At the same time, strategies need to be differentiated to meet the individual needs and opportunities of vulnerable groups. As tempting as it is to solelyfocus on budgets, which are already positionedto become part of agri-economic growth strategies with market-based approaches, such an approach will not contribute to overcoming structural barriers to rural development.
To avoid misunderstandings: These considerations are not aimed at stopping rural structural change. But even households without secure food resources must be successively bettered instead of pushing them further to the brink of poverty.
Taking the identified trends into consideration, three investment areas will be discussed here, which exemplify networked response strategies and which will play an important role in dealing with the challenges.
Urban Agriculture in Controlled Environments:
The high urbanisation rate and undernourishment among the urban middle class and poor populations highlights the importance of fresh food production in the cities. The image of the "prosumer", i.e. a person that is both producer and consumer of fresh agricultural products, is becoming increasingly important in cities as well. Creating jobs and improving nutrition go hand in hand. Food production in cities will take place in controlled environments, ranging from urban gardening to high-tech solutions that will allow production without pesticides. In combination with the increasing competitiveness of renewable energies, new forms of food production will become possible and necessary in the face of climate change and climate variability. This type of production is also an adaptation to climate change.
Creating a Framework for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
Agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa will have to face increasing climate variability in the future. Heavy rain and prolonged periods of drought are just examples of climate extremes that will be the new normal due to climate change. Pilot projects have shown that successful ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change is possible through adaptation measures that are based on the proper use and protection of ecosystem services. These projects stand in contrast to pure infrastructure measures such as the construction of dams. Following the successful implementation of pilot projects, it is now necessary to create the framework for up-scaling, i.e. applying them on a larger scale. Thus, an ecosystem-based adaptation approach will become more "political" as issues of land use and land rights will become more prominent. Another challenge lies in how to design adapted financing systems for the preservation of ecosystems that allow both initial and long-term investments.
Designing Structural Change to be Active: SME Policies and "Responsive Service Systems"
In the foreseeable future, insufficient jobs will be created in the service industry or in industrial production. The creation of new jobs in rural areas will therefore have to mainly focus on agriculture and the corresponding upstream and downstream sectors. For example, market-oriented companies can increasingly focus on specialised products, opening up new market opportunities for households with unsteady income and nutrition. A central component of food security strategies are responsive service systems that explicitly support such families. Agricultural production under the conditions of climate change will require even more intensive expertise. In many cases, households in sub-Saharan Africa with unsecured food availability often do not have access to agricultural advisory services and the necessary inputs. This means that the focus of demand-driven guidance systems must be on mixed counselling systems with content that is adapted and made available to vulnerable groups in an appropriate way.
Breaking New Ground!
The question is how solution strategies can be developed, tested and scaled up when faced with the size of the tasks, the time constraints and the complexity.
The 2030 Agenda and the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement open up the possibility for nations to agree on development priorities. And they open up the opportunity for citizens to hold their governments accountable. This means that the follow-up and review processes established in these agreements are very important. They must be structured and implemented both globally and nationally.
The search for solution strategies involves research that uses the need for action by political leaders and civil societies as a point of reference and challenges them critically. Care must also be taken to ensure that these solution strategies do not involve the externalisation of problems and thus make it even more difficult to tackle the other challenges. An example of how to analyse such externalities in the food supply system is the TEEBAgriFood initiative, which proposes a systematic framework for analysis.
Such solution strategies must be rights-based. In its report "Governance and the Law", the World Bank has set out that elites influence the process of policy formulation. Measures for the implementation of economic, social and cultural human rights are a central element to counteract this influence. This includes increasing the accountability of political leaders.
The solutions outlined above require alliances for change to be implemented. Development policy concepts and strategies must therefore highlight commonalities instead of getting lost in limitation issues.
But this overview also shows Germany's global responsibility. Initially, this concerns the contributions to the achievement of the German and European climate targets. Failure to achieve these targets does not only have political implications, but also a direct impact on our neighbours and their stability. This overview also shows that development policy and its partners should focus significantly on giving marginal populations a voice in the transformation processes.
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How to maintain functioning food markets in global food supply chains in the face of vulnerability and disruption? Markets that support local and territorial food systems are part of the solution. Thomas Forster presents proposals for these markets to cope with future shocks.
The Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS), jointly launched by the German G7 Presidency and the World Bank, released the Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard during COP27: A Rapid Response Tool for Coordinating Global Action for Food Security.
How can the challenges related to water, rural development and climate resilient agriculture be addressed? What innovations need to be promoted? The Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) initiative presents strategies and innovations for sustainable, integrated water management in German and international cooperation.
A Year of Multiple Crises: Russian war against Ukraine, extreme weather events, high prices for energy and fertilizer, food crisis had severe implications for food security and agriculture globally and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Transformation of the food systems is needed.
Since early February 2022, two of the biggest grain and oilseed exporters have been at war. An overview, which countries are affected most severely by the destabilized grain markets, and what comes next.
Rising food and gas prices, physical destruction and supply chain disruptions: Why the Black Sea region matters and how the war in Ukraine affects global food security.
New insights on trade and value addition in the rice sector in West Africa
Low import tariffs, smuggling activities, unpredictable tax exemptions and weak enforcement of food safety standards: The potential of local rice value chains is undermined in West African countries.
The Corona pandemic is hitting economies around the world very hard - but developments in African countries are quite diverse. There are different speeds, resiliences and vulnerabilities. What are the reasons for this? Apl. Prof. Jann Lay of the GIGA Institute provides answers.
A contribution by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge
In the video format "#99SecondsWith" of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Prof. Dr Anna - Katharina Hornidge talks about the new Africa-Strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Mareike Haase and Stig Tanzmann from Brot für die Welt explain why the right to food, inclusivity, agroecology and food sovereignty are the central levers for a successful transformation.
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dr Julia Köhn, Chair of the German AgriFood Society, points out in the interview: Only if innovation and transformation are profitable in the medium term can they close the food gap in the long term.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has released a video on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. In the video, Federal Minister Svenja Schulze also speaks about the urgent need to combat global hunger and contribute to resilient agricultural and food systems.
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dirk Meyer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, thinks: less individual solutions are needed, but more systemic approaches. Because in addition to the goals for food security, the issues of climate and biodiversity must also be taken into account.
A Contribution by Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem
High agricultural prices affect developed and developing countries alike, but the problem is aggravated for the latter through the lack of or inadequate resilience measures. Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem, AKADEMIYA2063, and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem, University of Hohenheim, explain what can be done to mitigate the negative effects on food security.
The consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have enabled many countries to open up new export markets for their agricultural goods. However, smallholder farms have been largely left out. Drawing on his experience in India, our author gives a brief overview of how this can be changed.
A contribution by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
Two years following the UN Food Systems Summit, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development and the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate hosted an official side event at the UNFSS+2. The event explored how public donors can increase the impact of their investments.
The world is currently experiencing a historic food crisis. High fertiliser prices are part of the problem. In addition to the necessary short-term aid measures, the crisis ought to be made use of to develop and implement longer-term fertiliser strategies for sustainable, in particular smallholder increases in production in the Global South.
In a world facing crises – from pandemics, armed conflicts, and climate change – how do we ensure everyone has enough food within planetary boundaries? A new podcast by Food4Transformation discover solutions talking to government officials, scientists, NGOs and farmers around the world.
The Gaza Strip depends heavily on humanitarian aid, more than ever with the current war. Gaza population is very young: Half of them are children. What is their situation on the ground? Questions for Lucia Elmi, Unicef Special Representative to the State of Palestine.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, not all financial institutions (FIs) have access to knowledge about how to implement processes to enhance rural financial inclusion. The pan-African Community of Practice (CoP) plays a pivotal role in supporting these institutions along this transformative journey.
How can agriculture engage more young people in rural areas? Advocacy and education campaigns can play an important role here. Simeon Kambalame, Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation, has launched such a campaign in Malawi.
Women and girls in poorer countries are affected in particular ways by the multiple crises the world is currently facing. Uncovering the linkages between gender, resilience and food security, experts from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) look at ways to support women and girls’ capacity to respond to crises.
The armed conflict between Israeli forces and the Hamas is escalating. What does this mean for a Gaza, region that was already heavily dependent on external aid? Questions for Dr. Muriel Asseburg, Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.
Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Podcast of the Federal Government
At the start of World Food Week around World Food Day on 16 October, Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that the fight against global hunger will only be successful with international responsibility and solidarity (german only).
From measures to promote biodiversity in Germany to more sustainable cocoa cultivation methods in Ecuador: WWF works at many different levels. At the Green Week, it will be demonstrated just how multifaceted nature conservation work is and what role each individual's decision plays.
The Agriculture and Food Security Cluster of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Zambia shows how synergies among different projects and partner organisations can help people to eat healthier, diversified food. A delegation of the Bonn based Division of Agriculture and Rural Development learned this in a field visit in the Eastern Province of the Southern African country.
Felix Phiri has been Head of the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS at the Ministry of Health in Malawi for almost 20 years. A conversation about constants and change.
The guiding orientation framework developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) summarizes the requirements for the transformation of agriculture and food systems – and identifies principles and approaches for transformative change.
Diversifying our protein supply to include plant-based foods and cultivated meat can be a game-changer for climate mitigation and climate adaptation, especially in the countries of the Global South. However, a great deal of research is still required to capitalise on this potential. And political support, as Ivo Rzegotta, Good Food Institute, demonstrates.
In Himachal Pradesh, India, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and climatic conditions are changing – with negative consequences for apple production and farmers' livelihoods. Holistic and multidimensional innovation bundles are required for the entire value chain in order to make the food system more resilient in the future.
Africa’s largest youth generation has the potential to transform agriculture sustainably. Young entrepreneurs like Febelsa in Mozambique are building agricultural businesses that fuel local growth.
A Contribution by Emmanuel Atamba & Larissa Stiem-Bhatia
Drawing on dialogues with experts in Kenya, TMG Research releases its latest policy brief highlighting the critical need to strengthen coordination mechanisms in food systems governance. Emmanuel Atamba and Larissa Stiem-Bhatia from TMG Research summarize the results.
Africa's cotton production plays a key role in the fight against poverty. The "Cotton Made in Africa" initiative promotes sustainable cultivation - one element of which is the use of organic pesticides. Entomologist Ben Sekamatte and cotton company manager Boaz Ogola talked with Jan Rübel about soil and yields.
Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.
For years, place-based approaches to development have been considered important features in development cooperation, at the BMZ and in FAO. Both organisations are aiming at advancing these approaches: an interview with Adriano Campolina from the FAO on territorial and landscape perspectives.
Companies in Africa that need financing between $20,000 and $200,000 find relatively few investors, as this sector is too large for microcredit and too small for institutional investors. This creates a "gap in the middle" where companies have limited options. A project of the World Resource Institute provides a remedy with the Landaccelerator 2020.
With the help of sustainable farming methods, soils can be preserved and made fertile again. The investment required is also worthwhile from a financial perspective.
What are the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture? Where do they help, where do they harm? Lena Luig, expert for the development policy organization INKOTA, and science journalist Ludger Weß discuss this controversial topic of international scope.
A contribution by Dr. May Hokan and Dr. Arnulf Köhncke (WWF)
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the connection between human and animal health has gained new attention. Politicians and scientists are joining forces to propagate the solution: One Health. But what is behind the concept? And can it also guarantee food security for all people worldwide?
Stig Tanzmann is a farmer and adviser on agricultural issues at ‘Bread for the World’. Jan Rübel interviewed him about his reservations about AGRA's strategy.
The Cashew Council is the first international organisation for a raw material stemming from Africa. The industry promises to make progress in processing and refining cashew nuts - and answers to climate change
A contribution by Michael Windfuhr (German Institute for Human Rights)
Land rights are no longer governed by the law of the strongest. That is what the international community has agreed to. Governments and private companies have a duty to respect human rights and avoid corruption.
A contribution by Roselyn Korleh and M. Sahr Nouwah (WHH)
The Liberian town of Kinjor is a picture-book example for what happens, if land rights aren’t protected, and it illustrates how to move forward from there. The keyword: Multi-Actor Partnership
In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.
In this article, the author describes what we know about interlinkages, what role agriculture has to play in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, and what the necessary changes in agricultural systems might look like, both on small and large-scale farms.
Regarding deforestation free supply chains, there are challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers as well as for international forest governance. Also, responsibilities for companies and potential incentives for manufacturers to use materials from fair trade and sustainable sources need to be explored. But what does “deforestation-free” actually mean?
The oceans are important for our food supply, but they are overfished. To halt this trend the global community is now taking action against illegal fishing. Journalist Jan Rübel spoke with Francesco Marí, a specialist for world food, agricultural trade and maritime policy at "Brot für die Welt," and others.
Interview with Caroline Milow and Ramon Brentführer
Groundwater resources remain dormant in the soil of African regions. Where does it make sense to use them – and where does overexploitation of nature begin? Caroline Milow (GIZ) and Ramon Brentführer (BGR) talk about potentials in the future and lessons from the past.
Recycling organic waste into soil amendments and animal feed through a transdisciplinary approach – this is what the RUNRES project, launched in four sub-Saharan African countries four years ago, seeks to achieve. Three of the project's scientists report.
The textile industry contributes significantly to environmental pollution as it produces over 100 billion garments every year, resulting in huge CO2 emissions and water consumption. Fashion designer Paul Kadjo uses banana silk as an environmentally friendly alternative to make textile production more environmentally conscious and socially just.
The Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation is committed to the preservation of forests in Kenya: The establishment of so-called buffer zones counteracts deforestation by planting trees and tea. In addition to the production of environmentally friendly tea, the project benefits the resources of the forests and the livelihoods of the communities living near the forests, says project manager Wallace Gichunge.
How can agriculture modernise Africa? And does the road to the cities really lead out of poverty? Dr. Reiner Klingholz from the Berlin Institute for Population and Development in conversation with Jan Rübel .
Cities play an important role in the transformation of food systems. But what exactly are the potentials and challenges? A three-way discussion between Ruth Okowa (Gain), Delphine Larrousse (World Vegetable Center) and Conrad Graf von Hoyos (GIZ).
Does Africa's youth want to live in the city or in the country? Which career path seems particularly attractive? And how optimistic are the young people about the future? Young adults from rural areas answered these questions by SMS.
In western Africa a new middle class is emerging. Their consumer behaviour is determining the demand for products – home-produced and imported goods, on the internet or at the village market. The people of Ivory Coast in particular are looking to the future with optimism.
This is a benchmark for everybody: More rights for women are a very influencing solution in the struggle against extreme poverty and hunger worldwide, says Stephan Exo-Kreischer, Director of ONE Germany. The organisation specialises in political campaigning as a lever for sustainable change.
Happy youngsters in rural areas, green development and the connection to the digital age – professor Joachim von Braun believes in this future sceneraio for Africa. For three decades the agricultural scienties has been researching how politics can create prosperty on the continent.
Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest growing population. For many young people, agriculture could offer a job perspective. But to improve the living conditions and job prospects of young people in rural areas, political reforms and investments are desperately needed, as these people will be at the centre of agriculture and agricultural development in the future.
It is 2080. We are on a farm somewhere in Africa. Everything is digital. The blockchain is an omnipotent point of reference, and the farm is flourishing. But then, everything goes wrong. A dystopian short story, written exclusively for SEWOH.
A contribution by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Africa’s population is young and ready to take its destiny into its own hands. Agriculture offers amazing opportunities in this regard. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to support the next generation in this way.
At the moment, the agricultural industries of African countries exist in relative isolation. Imagine peasant farmers digitally connected to the value chains of the global food industry. How could this happen? A guidebook.
Interview with Gnininkaboka Dabiré and Innocent Somé
Later on you want to become a farmer yourself, or would you prefer to take up another profession? Two young people from Burkina-Faso talked to representatives of the Dreyer Foundation about their parents' farms, the profession of farmer and their own plans for the future.
As President of the IABM cooperative in Muhanga, Alphonsine Mukankusi is not simply focused on the figures. She has learned how to deal with people and how to take on responsibility. At the same time, her work helps her to come to terms with the past
Agnes Kalibata, AGRA president since 2014 and former minister of agriculture and wildlife in Rwanda, is convinced that Africa's economy will only grow sustainably if small-scale agriculture is also seen as an opportunity.
The world’s population keeps on growing; with this rise comes an increased need for food as well as productive employment opportunities. Offering young people in rural areas better employment prospects is one of the objectives of the sector project. The young population is the key to a modern and efficient agricultural economy.
At the ICTforAg conference in March 2022, the digital agriculture community exchanged on the challenges and opportunities associated with the next green revolution.
Small farmers often have a hard time getting financing. An app in Nigeria wants to change that: Founder Blessing Mene about what his app offers - and about the opportunities and limitations of agricultural financing.
A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
At the network meeting "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future", almost 250 participants from over 20 countries came together to exchange experiences and ideas on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. The final product, joint recommendations to transform agricultural and food systems, can now be read online.
It takes the joint efforts of diverse actors to achieve a transformative impact on the global food system. Barbara Rehbinder, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), discusses four people-centred principles to get closer to this goal.
Shu Wen Ng is a health economist. She knows what is best suited to go on a plate. But how can this be achieved on a mass scale in countries with lower incomes? "The solutions to gett there already exist," she says, "but what is often missing is courageous leadership to implement them."
During the Women Leadership Programme in May 2024, around 20 women from African countries and Germany met again for a one-week workshop in Bavaria, Germany to become fit for leadership in their organisations. One topic that concerns the women across countries is climate change, but also violence against women and their discrimination in agriculture.
At the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH), organized by the African Union (AU) and the Government of Kenya in May, the Nairobi Declaration was adopted. It aims to triple domestic production of organic and inorganic fertilizers by 2034 and to improve access and affordability for smallholder farmers. GIZ reviews the Summit.
Besides the well known impacts of Covid19 lockdowns for the adult population, the associated school closures led to 90 percent of the world’s children with no access to schools. However, school meals are in often the only daily meal for children. Without access to this safety net, issues like hunger, poverty and malnutrition are exacerbated for hundreds of millions of children.
While Africa is the least affected region by Covid-19 so far, the number of confirmed cases and deaths on the continent is quickly rising. Despite the challenges many African countries continue to face, the African response to the coronavirus pandemic displays innovation and ingenuity.
Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.
From a circular food system in Rwanda to functioning cooled transports in Kenya: The lab of tomorrow addresses development challenges such as preventing food loss and waste
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