Archive

Though Behind on SDGs, they are the Best We’ve Got

One just needs to read the daily news to be worried – conflicts spreading, hunger not in check, climate changing.  Tragically, for millions of people around the world, these are just not headlines but a living reality; a hellish reality to be frank with lives and livelihoods devastated in apocalyptic ways. Against such a backdrop, […]

Insights from the Sustainable Consumption and Production Meeting at UNEA6

It was my pleasure to join the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) meeting hosted by OnePlanet at UNEA6 and discuss the importance of enabling all parts of the food system value chain. The food system consists of businesses small and large – from a fisher, to the food stall in a city, to global multinationals.  Together they comprise the delivery mechanism of our […]

Sowing Resilience: Soil Health’s Crucial Role in Africa’s Triple Planetary Crisis

Agriculture, which relies heavily on soil health, is the backbone of global food systems. Around 95% of our food comes from the soil. It’s not just about quantity; the quality of soil directly influences the nutritional content of crops. In a world striving to eradicate hunger, understanding and preserving soil health are paramount. Soils are […]

2023 Year End Highlights

  January FAO-IAFN Women SME Accelerator Mentorship Programme Women agripreneurs from Africa are being supported by fellow leaders around the world through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) jointly piloted the Women SME Accelerator Mentorship Programme to support women entrepreneurs in addressing key challenges and […]

COP28 Elevates Agri-Food Systems on the Climate Agenda

On a personal note, I am also pleased that the Declaration included a reference to soil health, and important breakthrough in getting soils on the agenda in the climate discussion.  The announcements on regenerative landscapes furthered this commitment to soils and nature-based solutions. Throughout the week there were also major announcements on finance, particularly for […]

The Nairobi Network Soirée 2023

The Emerging Ag network in Nairobi has undergone an incredible transformation over the past seven years. It all began with a modest round table dinner in the Westlands area, a gathering of fewer than 10 individuals. Fast forward, on November 10th, 2023, nearly a hundred partners and friends convened in the middle of a Coffee […]

Call for Side Events – Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH)

The African Union, in collaboration with the Republic of Kenya, is organizing the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (5-7 November, 2023). As a part of the Summit, opportunities are created for 15 side events over two days on topical technical, policy, and finance subjects related to soil health and fertilizer in Africa. A side event […]

2024 Nuffield International Scholarship Applications NOW OPEN!

Nuffield International has officially opened its applications for the prestigious 2024 scholarships. If you are between the ages of 25 and 45 and involved in the agriculture industry, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss! The Nuffield International scholarships have a remarkable reputation for empowering individuals in the agricultural sector to grow their […]

Celebrating the International Year of Millets: Nurturing Sustainable Food Systems

The 2023 International Year of Millets is a global initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aimed to raise awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of incorporating millets into our daily lives. What are Millets? Millets are a group of small-seeded grasses that are highly resilient to drought and require […]

Status of Women in Agrifood Systems

Women empowerment is key to closing the gender gap. “Closing the gender gap could see a one-off global GDP increase of nearly 1 trillion US dollars – which means 1% of global GDP – and the number of food insecure people could be reduced by 45 million.’’ FAO Director General QU Dongyu If we are […]