Project: To strengthen sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet value chains in East Africa

 

Photo credit: ICRISAT

Farmers attend a sorghum field day in Kiboko, Kenya, conducted for the Sorghum for Multiple Uses (SMU) value chains in Kenya and
Tanzania project. Photo: ICRISAT, file photo

NEW PROJECT BRINGS HOPE TO FARMERS WAITING TO BUILD ON PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL VALUE CHAIN INITIATIVES

 

To strengthen sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet value chains in East Africa, a new project was launched. The four-year program will target resource-constrained smallholder farmers and agropastoralists in Kenya and Tanzania and will build on the successes of earlier projects. At the launch, farmers, especially women, spoke of their entrepreneurial achievements through the previous projects and their expectations of the new project. (See box)

The project – Strengthening sorghum and millet value chains for food, nutritional and income security in arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya and Tanzania (SOMNI) – will build on the work accomplished by previous projects, particularly Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement (HOPE) 1 and Sorghum for Multiple Uses (SMU). It will upscale the deployment of production technologies and development of value-added products of sorghum, millets and suitable dryland legumes for household and commercial uses.

The project will specifically focus on:

• Improving productivity of sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet and increasing their capacity to adapt to environmental variability in smallholder farming systems in Tanzania and Kenya;
• Increasing access to sorghum and millet food, feed and fodder by the poor, especially rural women and children;
• Increasing consumption of nutritious dryland cereals by the poor, especially among nutritionally vulnerable women; and
• Increasing income from marketing dryland cereal grain, fodder and products by low-income value chain actors, especially smallholder women farmers.

Read the full article: ICRISAT

Supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices

 

Photo credit: FAO

High-input, resource intensive farming systems have substantially increased food production, but at a high cost to the environment.

Increasing food production without damaging the environment

FAO Director-General addresses European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

To achieve sustainable development we must transform current agriculture and food systems, including by supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today addressing European lawmakers.

“Massive agriculture intensification is contributing to increased deforestation, water scarcity, soil depletion and the level of greenhouse gas emission,” Graziano da Silva said. He stressed that while high-input and resource intensive farming systems have substantially increased food production, this has come at a high cost to the environment.

“Today, it is fundamental not only to increase production, but to do it in a way that does not damage the environment. Nourishing people must go hand in hand with nurturing the planet,” he said. This is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, he added.

“We have to move from input intense to knowledge intense production systems,” the FAO Director-General said.

The future of food and agriculture

Speaking to members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Graziano da Silva highlighted the findings of FAO’s report, The future of food and agriculture: trends and challenges.

Among the 15 trends described in the report, are the impacts of climate change, conflicts and migration. The FAO report also foresees 10 challenges for achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture worldwide.

In his address, the FAO Director-General focused on four main issues: climate change; the spread of transboundary pests and diseases; food loss and waste; and the importance of eradicating not only hunger, but all forms of malnutrition in the world.

Addressing climate change

Graziano da Silva underscored that no sector is more sensitive to climate change than agriculture – especially for smallholders and family farmers from developing countries – while at the same time, agriculture and food systems account for around 30 percent of total greenhouse emissions.

Read the full article: FAO

Climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security,

 

IPCC Special report on climate change and land: Call for experts- Outline of the Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.

IPCC Special report on climate change and land: Call for experts

At its 45th Session (Guadalajara, Mexico, 28 – 31 March 2017), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved the outline for “Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems”. For this special report he IPCC has now opened a call for nomination of authors and review editors.

Applications should be submitted via the IPCC national focal point latest by Wednesday, 17 May 2017 (midnight CEST) using the online portal.(list of IPCC focal points) (call for authors and review editors)

The 45th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-45) concluded with the adoption of several decisions that will significantly shape the outcomes of the sixth assessment cycle, including the outlines of two special reports. The meeting’s achievements were somewhat overcast by funding concerns, and the IPCC established and adopted the terms of reference for an Ad Hoc Task Group on Financial Stability of the IPCC.

IPCC-45 convened from 28-31 March 2017, in Guadalajara, Mexico, and brought together approximately 320 participants from over 100 countries. Having adopted the outline of the special report on global warming of 1.5°C at its previous session, IPCC-45 turned its attention to the special reports on climate change and land, and on oceans and cryosphere in a changing climate. Delegates adopted the outlines for both of these reports.

Read the full article: Knowledge. UNCCD

Juncao Technology provides with an agricultural technology to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi

 

Photo credit: XinhuaNet

Liu Jieyi (C, front), China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses a workshop at the UN headquarters, May 26, 2017. A project promoted by China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund was launched on Friday at the UN headquarters in a bid to help developing countries reduce hunger and explore renewable energy. The project named Juncao Technology provides with an agricultural technology to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi by using wild grasses and herbal plants instead of trees or woods. (Xinhua)

Project of China-UN development fund launched at UN headquarters

Source: Xinhua

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-05/27/c_136320328.htm

Demonstration of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation with JUNCAO – http://lwd.juncao.org/Scripts/edit/attached/image/20130611/20130611201516_8722.jpg – http://lwd.juncao.org/Product_En/ProductContent.aspx?ProductID=5

See also: http://lwd.juncao.org/Product_En/ProductContent.aspx?ProductID=5

 

A project promoted by China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund was launched on Friday at the UN headquarters in a bid to help developing countries reduce hunger and explore renewable energy.

The project named Juncao Technology provides with an agricultural technology to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi by using wild grasses and herbal plants instead of trees or woods.

At a workshop held here, China’s Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi said Juncao Technology is a priority project that the China-UN Fund is promoting, because it fits the needs of countries in Asia and Africa to eradicate poverty and it is a solution contributed by China to help them overcome development challenges.

The Juncao technology is developed based on research conducted by Professor Lin Zhanxi from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University who invented the Juncao technology in the 1980s.

According to his research, the Juncao grass can develop its root system in deserts and grow fast and therefore it has been used to control soil erosion, desertification or manage saline-alkali soil.

It is also used to produce clean energy. Lin said the power generated from the burning of Juncao grown on one hectare of land is equivalent to that from more than 50 tons of coal but with much less emissions.

Statistics show that in China’s northwestern region of Ningxia which is dry and desert-like, the project has helped lift 17,500 households out of poverty with farmers’ annual income increasing from 80 U.S. dollars in 1998 to 1,024 dollars in 2007.

Read the full article: XinhuaNet

AND WHAT IF THEY WOULD USE DRIP IRRIGATION IN CONTAINERS ?

Photo credit: Foodtank

https://foodtank.com/news/2017/05/urban-gardening-southwest/

AGRICULTURE

Trials and Tips for Southwest Gardening

The Spruce Park Community Garden adapts to scarce water resources in an arid and urban environment. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the community faces fines of US$20 to US$2,000 for wasting water, enforced by patrolling water cops. Spruce Park serves as an example for local growers by employing specialized landscaping and garden techniques to stretch water resources while boosting productivity.

The garden sprouted from an empty lot near the heart of Albuquerque. Margaret Ménache is the Facilitator and Juliane Bohan is the property owner, and both are Master Gardeners. As Margaret explains, “In starting the garden [the founders] wanted it to help build a sense of community within the neighborhood and to introduce neighborhood kids to food plants and how they grow.”

To conserve water, landscapers employ a style called xeriscaping that requires little to no irrigation or maintenance. Xeriscapers commonly use gravel and local plants, adapted to an arid environment, such as lavender bushes, rosemary, desert willow, and purple smoketrees. New Mexico State University’s Southwest Yard and Garden Plant Advisor includes a database of hundreds of plants ideal for xeriscaping in this region. Spruce Park gardeners grow locally adapted crops like chili peppers and desert herbs.

The original garden soil is sandy loam, common in the region but poor at retaining water. The garden uses drip irrigation hoses to slowly deliver water so roots can soak up more. Water retention is increased by using compost to promote symbiotic fungal growth in plant root systems. Mulch helps reduce evaporation. Unfortunately, the city of Albuquerque currently has no water program to encourage community gardens, but the County does provide a rebate for water barrels.

Compost is important for holding water, lowering fertilizer use, and providing nutrients to the soil, which is often poor quality in the Southwest. Composting needs the right amount of moisture to work effectively. In a desert environment, the Bernalillo County Master Composters recommendperiodic soaks, keeping the material in the shade, and using a container with few air holes to keep the moisture up while conserving water.

Read the full story: Foodtank

 

Food Insecurity and Urban Growth in Africa

 

Photo credit: Foodtank

Food Insecurity a Pressing Issue Amidst Urban Growth in Africa

According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), more people are relocating to African cities from rural areas than ever before. UN-Habitat reports that “the global share of African urban dwellers is projected to rise from 11.3 percent in 2010 to 20.2 percent by 2050.” A new study by Dr. Takemore Chagomaka entitled “Food and Nutrition Insecurity Mapping (FNIRM) in Urban and Periurban Areas in West African Cities” seeks to “understand and map the dynamics of household food and nutrition insecurity in urban, periurban and rural settings.” Chagomaka, lead author of the study, conducted the research in two growing sub-Saharan African cities.

While the study draws some broad conclusions across the two localities, such as finding that households that grow crops and keep livestock tend to be more food secure than those that do not, the study highlights far more distinctions. Future policy to effectively address food insecurity will have to take into account each locality’s unique aspects.

The study examined two sub-Saharan African cities and their surrounding areas: Tamale, Ghana, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. For each locality, the area was transected into four sections and then divided into three zones. Using the city market as the center point, urban zones were defined as those within 10 km of the center; periurban zones were within 10 km to 40 km of the center; and rural zones between 40 km and 70 km from the center. Researchers surveyed a total of 240 households in each area through questionnaire and interviews, with questions focused on production, access, and consumption of crops and livestock, as well as food coping strategies. Additionally, researchers took anthropomorphic metrics of children under five years present in the household.

Read the full article: Food Tank

 

To be compared with the proteins of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)

 

 

Dairy ‘excellent’ source of protein for children, new study deems

Date:

April 26, 2017

Source:

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Summary:

Researchers are using pigs as a model to study the best way of evaluating protein quality in foods eaten by children.

Read the full article: Science Daily

Two decades ago we recommended container gardening as one of the best practices

 

Photo credit: FAO

The 156th session of the FAO Council runs from 24-28 April 2017.

Famine in the spotlight at FAO Council

Graziano da Silva: 20 million people could starve to death in next six months

Urgent action is needed to save the lives of people facing famine in northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, FAO Directory-General José Graziano da Silva said today at the opening of the UN agency’s Council.

“If nothing is done, some 20 million people could starve to death in the next six months,” the Director-General said in his opening address. “Famine does not just kill people, it contributes to social instability and also perpetuates a cycle of poverty and aid dependency that endures for decades.”

Council members will be briefed on the extent of the hunger crises, and the steps required to prevent catastrophe, during the week-long session.

Making funds go further

Council will also consider for approval FAO‘s Programme of Work and Budget 2018-2019. The budget prioritizes areas where FAO can deliver the greatest impact to Member countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable agriculture production, water scarcity management, and building the resilience of poor family farmers.

Food and agriculture are central to the sustainable development agenda, and FAO’s work is projected to contribute to the achievement of 40 targets across 15 of the 17 goals.

Voluntary contributions vital now more than ever

Council will also discuss a new scale of assessed contributions, which are the annual payments made by Member countries to FAO. Under the proposal, most countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will be required to pay less and other countries to pay more. The Director-General urged OECD countries to continue to contribute at the same level by making additional voluntary contributions.

If only they had some support for container gardening

 

Photo credit: FAO

Extreme hunger is hitting north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

UN food agencies warn against ignoring famine alarm

FAO and WFP urge swift action to prevent hunger deaths in four countries hit by conflict

The leaders of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have called on the international community to urgently step up action to prevent further hunger deaths in four countries stalked by famine: north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

“Many people have already died,” FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said at a briefing on the sidelines of FAO’s Council – the executive arm of FAO’s governing body.

“Peace is of course the key to ending these crises. But even in times of conflict, there is much we can do to fight hunger and avoid famine… I visited Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria and saw myself how powerful agricultural support can be in a humanitarian crisis,” he said.

A famine has been formally declared in parts of South Sudan, while north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen are on the brink of famine. Combined, 30 million people are grappling with finding enough food each day.

“We need to reach hungry people to prevent them from dying,” said WFP’s new Executive Director David Beasley.

“We have the strength, logistical capacity and technology to get the job done. What we need is access to the people who are on the brink of famine and resources, now not later. Without this support, we will have to make life-challenging decisions over who will receive food and who will not.”

The heads of FAO and WFP stressed that both agencies’ famine response operations are severely underfunded, and there must be an immediate and substantial increase in resources to save lives and livelihoods.

Conflict is the common thread across the four affected countries. FAO and WFP are working quickly and closely in these emergency zones to prevent famine spreading further.

Read the full article: FAO

Insight into successful “climate smart” agriculture experiences

Photo credit: FAO

Farmers clear weeds from a trench, which retains water and prevents soil erosion during rains, as part of the FAO project to strengthen capacity of farms for climate change in Kiroka, Tanzania.

Countries share lessons on how to tackle the challenges climate change poses to agriculture

As part of efforts  to move towards “climate-smart” agriculture, countries have shared new experiences on how to produce food in ways that help farmers cope with the impacts of climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

The exchange took place at a special 26 April side-event during a session of FAO’s executive Council.

While countries are embarking on the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the actions nations are taking under the Paris Agreement – the event provided an opportunity to learn from countries who have championed climate-smart agriculture  in different regions.

Climate-smart agriculture is an approach aimed at transforming food systems. It involves pursuing sustainable productivity increases while implementing climate adaptation strategies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions where possible, to achieve food security in the face of increasing climate change.

Embracing  climate-smart agriculture at a political and field level in Tanzania to transform people’s lives

In Tanzania, estimated loss in the agriculture sector due to climate change is about $200 million per year. To tackle this problem the government has brought the climate agenda in line with agriculture development and food security policies, and climate change considerations are now mainstreamed into national development planning and budget allocations. The country also intends to invest more in research on climate-smart agriculture to inform decision-making and involve private partners to catalyse additional investment in the sector.

The national policy focus in Tanzania has hence shifted towards building resilience of agricultural and food production systems in the face of climate change and fostering adoption of climate smart agriculture, particularly among vulnerable, smallholder farmers.

Read the full article: FAO

How to end chronic hunger cycle in Africa ?

 

Photo credit: SciDevNet

Copyright: Panos

Africa Analysis: Ending Africa’s chronic hunger cycle

Speed read

• Africa is home to three of four nations that could be hit by famine in 2017
• African governments must invest in sustainable water supply to boost farming
• Governments should learn from other nations such as China, India and Sri Lanka

For Africa to end chronic hunger, governments must invest in sustainable water supplies, writes Esther Ngumbi.

The fields are bare under the scorching sun and temperatures rise with every passing week. Any crops the extreme temperatures haven’t destroyed, the insect pests have, and for many farmers, there is nothing they can do. [1] Now, news about hunger across Africa makes mass media headlines daily. [2]

Globally, hunger levels are at their highest. [3] In fact, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, over 70 million people across 45 countries will require food emergency assistance in 2017, with Africa being home to three of the four countries deemed to face a critical risk of famine: Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen. [4]

“Many African smallholder farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, and because last year’s rains were inadequate, many farmers never harvested any crops.”

Esther Ngumbi, Auburn University in Alabama. United States

African governments, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and humanitarian relief agencies, including the United Nations World Food Programme, continue to launch short-term solutions such as food relief supplies to avert the situation. Kenya, for example, is handing cash transfers and food relief to its affected citizens. The UN World Food Programme is also distributing food to drought-stricken Somalia. [5] And in Zambia, the government is employing every tool including its military to combat insect pest infestation. [6]

But why are we here? What happened? Why is there such a large drought?

Reasons for chronic hunger

Many African smallholder farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, and because last year’s rains were inadequate, many farmers never harvested any crops. Indeed, failed rains across parts of the Horn of Africa have led to the current drought that is affecting Somalia, south-eastern Ethiopia and northern and eastern Kenya. [7]

Read the full article: SciDevNet

Improved sweet potato varieties in West Africa

 

Photo credit: SciDevNet

Copyright: International Potato Center

Sweet potato project improves nutrition and incomes

by Samuel Hinneh

Speed read

• A three-year project has improved sweet potato varieties in West Africa
• The project combats vitamin A deficiency and boosts yields and incomes
• But an expert says a major challenge being addressed is post-harvest losses

[ACCRA] Farmers and entrepreneurs in West Africa are benefiting from a project that offers improved sweet potato varieties and market access.

The US$4 million project that began in April 2014 and ended last month (March 2017) was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria.

“Post-harvest experts and food scientists are working with us to develop [new orange fleshed sweet potato] varieties.”

Ernest Baafi, Crops Research Institute, CSIR, Ghana

The other partners include Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles in Burkina Faso, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)–Crops Research Institute in Ghana, and the National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria.

The project called Jumpstarting Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato in West Africa through Diversified Markets aimed to establish commercial sweet potato seed systems to provide clean planting materials throughout the year, and develop formal and informal markets for the varieties through participation of farmers in the value chain.

The development and commercialisation of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes would help tackle micro nutrients deficiency, according to the International Potato Center (CIP), the lead organisation of the project, during a field visit to project sites in Ghana on 7 February.
Read the full article: SciDevNet