The cracked, barren fields in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia are not just scars on the land—they are warnings. Across Africa, millions of people stand on the brink of hunger as relentless droughts dry up farms, deplete water sources…
Western Africa
Enhancing agricultural research with FAO’s AGRIS and AGROVOC programs: A conversation with IITA knowledge management team
Source: ICARDA In a recent series of conversations with CGIAR Knowledge Management teams, Sara Jani and Valentina De Col from ICARDA interviewed members of IITA’s knowledge management team, Olayemi Oluwasoga, Open Data Engagement Manager, and Olawamiwa Adeoluwa, Data Analyst…
Transforming Soil Health in West Africa: A New Fertilizer and Soil Health Hub Takes Root in West Africa
by Simeon Ehui, Director General, IITA and Regional Director, Africa, CGIAR and Bernard Vanlauwe, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA and Lead, Excellence in Agronomy, CGIAR West Africa and the Sahel are grappling with a severe soil health…
Farmers and traders’ insights on enhancing the cowpea value chains for improved health and wealth in Nigeria
Cowpea is an important grain legume crop widely grown for human food, livestock fodder, and feeds. It is widely recognized as a staple dietary protein source, rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc, especially in Africa and Asia,…
In agricultural development, there is a growing acknowledgment of the crucial role played by gender-focused approaches throughout the various phases of project implementation.…
The CGIAR GHUs: Making plants and the world safer through phytosanitary interventions
Pandemic! That word strikes at the heart of global sensitivities right now. But while most people are thinking of the coronavirus disease 2019, a.k.a. COVID-19, this post is focused on something else. In a just-published paper, CGIAR scientists talk…
Nine CGIAR centers come together to deliver agronomic solutions at scale
On 7 September 2020, CGIAR centers, supported by the Big Data Platform, launched the Excellence in Agronomy 2030 (EiA 2030) initiative during the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual summit. In his opening remarks, Dr Martin Kropff, Director General…
Combating the enemy: Towards mitigating postharvest disease losses in sub-Saharan Africa
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, about 45% (roughly 1.3 billion tons) of harvested fruits, vegetables, roots, and tubers are lost annually. These food losses and waste are mainly at the postharvest level of the food supply chain.…