Archive

Food-Energy-Water-Climate

Felix Dodds is one of the team leading the development of a Conference in March 2014 on food, energy, water, and climate. This follows the 2012 conference in Germany on the Nexus topics where I spoke on water and agriculture. They are calling for submissions on: climate-water-energy climate-food-energy climate -water-food Go to the Nexus web […]

Responsible Agricultural Investments

The UN Committee on Food Security is working on new principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment. In our role as secretariat for the Internatiional Agri-Food Network, our team co-ordinates the private sector mechanism input into this process. It will be a long and complicated negotiation. This video produced by the UN explains why the process is […]

High Level Political Forum

HLPF replaces CSD In case there aren’t enough acronyms floating around the UN, the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) has been agreed as a means to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development. Negotiations on a new body to discuss sustainable development have been bogged down and have just concluded, a month behind schedule. Many of […]

Manyinga Project Update

The Manyinga Project is pleased to report that over half of the $39,000 budgeted for this year has been raised, and many of the goals that were set are well under way to being achieved. Other great news to report: Education 100% of the children at both schools who sat for the Grade 7 national […]

International Food Trader

International Food Trader magazine has published an interview with Robynne Anderson on the International Year of Pulses. Journalist Charlie Higgins asked questions about how the year will be organized and the funding required. Read more about the opportunity to galvanize activity and attention on pulses at 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Read the full […]

Could 2016 be the International Year of Pulses?

The International Pulse Trade Federation, CICILS, has declared it is “delighted” to see the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) vote in favour of a proposal to declare 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Prior to the vote on Saturday 22 June, CICILS executives were in Rome urging FAO diplomats not to miss the opportunity […]

Linking Smallholders to Markets

Agriculture for Impact released its report on linking smallholders to markets in Africa. The document focuses on the realities of forming market linkages and notes three key considerations are: the business case, the approach to linking and how to organise links. “Links will only work if there is a return on investment for smallholder farmers […]

A Great Partnership in African Ag

A new centre to facilitate research and training in agribusiness will be created in Ghana with support of Africa Atlantic, MIT and the Harvard Kennedy School. It will facilitate industry training of farmers as entrepreneurs, as well as innovation in sustainable economic, environmental and social impact designs. The Agribusiness Knowledge Center will be built in […]

Wheat on the Edge

After some very bleak years, wheat bounced back as a profitable part of the farm mix. However, there is news in the USDA Outlook that suggests some troubled times for wheat. Excerpts of the USDA report are below. Wheat Supply, Demand, and Price Outlook for 2013/14 Wheat production for 2013 is expected to decrease more […]

Post 2015 vs SDGs

I was asked recently what the relationship is between the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is a complicated question, particularly because the negotiation processes for the two are complex and not well aligned. In my view, the SDGs should not replace the MDGs. The MDGS are yet to be […]