In April 2014, the “Confédération Paysanne”, which is behind the legal harassment of the agricultural agreement in France, brought legal action before the Tarascon commercial court against the company “IDYL” – a company specializing in the marketing of fruit and vegetables from Morocco, including the Southern Provinces.

The action of the “Confédération Paysanne” purported to prohibit this company from distributing these products and condemn it to the courts (penalties and damages for alleged harm suffered).

The decision of the Court disavowed the “Confédération Paysanne” on the whole line, in favor of the Company “IDYL”. This legal blow to the polisario and its relays comes a few weeks after the setback inflicted on them by the High Court in London.

“IDYL” succeeded in exposing during the trial, the fact that the legal action brought in the name of the “Confédération Paysanne”, is in reality only the action of a minority not representative of the Organization, deprived of any capacity to act in justice. Beyond the procedural aspects, the action – aborted by force of law – of this minority is a real blacklisting of certain leaders of the “Confédération Paysanne”, who do not hesitate to circumvent the own regulations of organization, for the sole purpose of carrying out political activism hostile to Morocco.

In a real denial of democracy, they hijacked the legitimate authorities of the “Confédération Paysanne” and violated the will of its members.

“IDYL” claimed that the legal action of the “Confédération Paysanne” was not admissible, because it was subject to the prescription of the regulatory deadlines.

The Court ruled in favor of the company “IDYL”, judging that the limitation period has indeed passed, thereby confirming that the aims of the “Confédération Paysanne” were hostile political activism, and not a legitimate legal action.

On this basis, the Court condemned the “Confédération Paysanne”, thus granting a legal victory to “IDYL”, which stigmatized the manipulations indulged by certain relays of the polisario, in the interest of well-known parties, and for purely political reasons.

This condemnation of the “Confédération Paysanne” by the Court of Tarascon was indeed a new defeat for the circles hostile to Morocco.

The “Confédération paysanne” (to which the activist José Bové belongs) has repeatedly demonstrated its hostility and its dogmatic alignment with the theses of the polisario.

By attacking the agricultural agreement, the “Confédération Paysanne” was not seeking to assert so-called rights, but simply to exploit, out of sheer opportunism, an artificial controversy aroused by the polisario.

The court ruling only confirms the truth and confirms Morocco in its right. This judgment confirms, once again, the legitimacy of the action of the Kingdom in its southern provinces and the compliance of the development of natural resources with international legality.

The Tribunal’s judgment agrees with the position that Morocco has always expressed with regard to the indisputable legality of the Agreements concluded with its international partners and the need to ensure their legal certainty.

The judgment of the Court of Tarascon was therefore satisfactory. It did not recognize the right of the “Confédération Paysanne” and those who pull its strings to have any regard in the economic development of the Kingdom’s southern provinces.

The Tribunal did not allow itself to be drawn into the trap set by the “Confédération Paysanne” and refused to comment on the merits of the case.

By this judgement, the “Confédération Paysanne” is challenged and brought back to its real dimension.

As for economic relations between Morocco and the EU in the agricultural sectors, they are and remain favored by history and geographical proximity, which make their respective markets prime outlets for Moroccan and European products.

Since its entry into force, the agreement has been implemented in a mutually beneficial approach, as confirmed by the various reports drawn up by the European Commission.

In addition to complying with international law and European law, the decision of the Tarascon Court confirms a bottom line and consolidates the case law established only a few weeks ago by the High Court in London. The latter had effectively dismissed the polisario and irrevocably confirmed the legality of the agreements concluded by Morocco and covering its southern provinces.

Source: GNA

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The programme has already started in Kharkivska oblast, and will later expand to Mykolaivska and Khersonska oblasts, focusing on farmers with land plots smaller than 300 hectares as well as rural families growing food for their own consumption.

The programme is designed to safely release land back to productive use, including by clearing it from mines and other explosive remnants of the war, to help restore agricultural livelihoods, contribute to Ukraine’s economic recovery, and phase out the need for humanitarian assistance for thousands of rural families.

The war has damaged Ukraine’s agriculture and food production, disrupted supply chains and exports, increased production costs, and caused widespread mine contamination.

According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, published in February 2023, Ukraine’s production of grain and oilseeds decreased by 37 percent in 2022. Almost 90 percent of small-scale crop producers surveyed by FAO in Ukraine reported a decrease in revenue due to the war, and one in four reported having stopped or significantly reduced their agricultural activity.

“Making the land safe and free of explosive remnants of the war is the first step to rebuilding resilient and prosperous rural communities in Ukraine, who have been on the frontlines of this war, and preventing their long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance,” said Denise Brown, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine.

“Many families and small-scale farmers in front-line regions are not planting this season because they know their fields are dangerous or they are risking their lives to plant on mined lands or contaminated soils,” noted Pierre Vauthier, Head of FAO Ukraine Country Office. “We expect that the soil rehabilitation, remediation and conservation techniques conducted will support people’s return to farming, and restore rural livelihoods while helping to sustain Ukraine’s agricultural production.”

“Without urgent action, agricultural production in Ukraine will continue to collapse, with direct consequences on food security and diet diversity in the country, and potential ripple effects on regional and global markets,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Representative and Country Director in Ukraine.

FAO, WFP and FSD in close coordination with communities, local authorities and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, will first identify and map lands that require demining by using satellite imagery. In the second phase, demining teams will survey and clear lands from mines and other explosive remnants of the war, prioritizing plots that can be quickly released with minimal clearance work. In the third phase, FAO and FSD will test soils to assess contamination by pollutants left behind by exploded weapons. FAO and WFP will simultaneously survey small farmers and rural families on the types of inputs and resources they need to restart agricultural production, and will provide direct in-kind or cash support where possible.

To date, the $100 million project is facing a funding gap of $90 million. FAO and WFP estimate potential annual savings of up to $60 million in direct food assistance to rural communities. The project has been supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, a UN pooled fund, as well as private donors.

Source:FAO

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The WEF’s Tech Pioneers program recognises early to growth-stage companies that are pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and are poised to make a significant impact on their respective industries.

Alloysius Attah, co-founder and CEO said: “We are humbled to be recognised as a Tech Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. This acknowledgment validates the incredible work the team has done alongside 3000 strategic partners across 48 countries; impacting the lives of 1.7 million farmers to date.

We look forward to participating in the WEF’s ecosystem of innovation and contributing to meaningful discussions that will shape the future of technology and society.”

Alloysius will be attending the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin in the People’s Republic of China from June 27th to 29th to connect with other key stakeholders and discuss innovations in the agricultural sector.

The World Economic Forum’s Tech Pioneer community comprises a diverse range of companies that are addressing global challenges through cutting-edge technologies. Previous cohorts include such innovative companies as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, Twitter, and Wikimedia.

Source: GNA

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In a communique issued at the end of a symposium held at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) – University of Ghana in Accra, ISATBCA stressed that continuous discoveries in the biotechnology space are essential to unlock new possibilities in the fight against hunger.

The 10-point communique signed by Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, founding Director of WACCI, and Joseph Opoku Gakpo, the country lead of Alliance for Science Ghana, observed that Africa’s food insecurity situation surpasses that of all other continents and requires new tools to help deal with it.

Prioritise creation of enabling environment

The communique therefore called on African governments to prioritise the creation of an enabling environment for deploying agricultural biotechnologies to address Africa’s food insecurity situation.

“Governments must allocate sufficient resources to academic institutions that train plant breeders and biotechnologists to build human capacity and provide them with the necessary resources so they can create made-in-Africa biotech crops for the benefit of the populace,” the communique said.

The communique, titled ‘Pathways to achieving food security in Africa’, also urged governments to establish seed systems that ensure the delivery of biotech seeds to farmers and translate research findings into practical solutions. Traditional plant breeding, agronomy, digitisation, and other approaches should also be recognised as complementary to improving food systems, it said.

It added that governments should increase investments in agricultural biotechnology projects as a commitment to addressing food insecurity. Currently, most biotech crop projects rely on donor funding and efforts should be made to reverse this dependence, the communique said.

Addressing regulatory loopholes

The communique further urged government regulatory agencies to address loopholes in regulatory frameworks for GMOs and genome-edited crops, streamlining and simplifying the processes while maintaining transparency and robustness. “Harmonisation of biosafety frameworks continent-wide is needed, with the African Union taking the lead in this effort,” it stated.

The symposium, now established as an annual gathering, also urged African governments to demonstrate political support for biotechnology by addressing challenges related to limited human resources and insufficient investments hindering its deployment and adoption.

The symposium brought together over 100 scientists from 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the USA.  With 25 main speakers delivering in-person presentations, the event addressed the need for expanded farmer-access to crops produced using New Breeding Techniques (NBTs). Participants also discussed the deployment and impact of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology in Africa, as well as the untapped potential of genome editing in achieving food self-sufficiency in Africa.

Source: BFT

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The report also found that many hotspots are facing growing hunger crises and highlights the worrying multiplier effect that simultaneous and overlapping shocks are having on acute food insecurity. Conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks continue to drive more and more communities into crisis.

The report – ‘Hunger Hotspots – FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity’ – issued today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) calls for urgent humanitarian action to save lives and livelihoods and prevent starvation and death in hotspots where acute hunger is at a high risk of worsening from June to November 2023.

“Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today’s risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind.” said QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General.

“We need to provide immediate time-sensitive agricultural interventions to pull people from the brink of hunger, help them rebuild their lives, and provide long-term solutions to address the root causes of food insecurity. Investing in disaster risk reduction in the agriculture sector can unlock significant resilience dividends and must be scaled up,” he added.

“Not only are more people in more places around the world going hungry, but the severity of the hunger they face is worse than ever,” said Cindy McCain, WFP’s Executive Director.

“This report makes it clear: we must act now to save lives, help people adapt to a changing climate, and ultimately prevent famine. If we don’t, the results will be catastrophic,” McCain warned.

The report warns of a major risk of El Niño conditions, which meteorologists forecast to emerge by mid-2023 with an 82 percent probability. The expected shift in climate patterns will have significant implications for several hotspots, including below-average rains in the Dry Corridor of Central America, and raises the spectre of consecutive extreme climatic events hitting areas of the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.

The Sudan crisis spill-over

The spill-over from the crisis in the Sudan is driving massive population displacement and hunger among people forced from their homes in search of refuge and those hosting them – the report warns. More than one million people are expected to flee the country while an additional 2.5 million inside the Sudan set to face acute hunger in coming months.

The Sudan was already hosting over one million refugees – and if the conflict persists hundreds of thousands are likely to return to their counties of origin – many of which are already in the grips of underfunded and protracted refugee crises, compounded by social, political and economic stressors.

Supply routes for commercial and relief goods in and out of Port Sudan are being disrupted by insecurity, putting in jeopardy humanitarian assistance flows and regional relief efforts, the report notes. Disruptions to trade, cross-border commercial activities, and supply chains risk also driving up prices and inflation and depleting foreign exchange reserves in several countries – particularly in South Sudan – a country that relies on Port Sudan for both commercial and humanitarian imports, as well as vital oil exports.

The report warns that displacement into neighbouring countries and disruptions to trade risk also driving tensions among displaced people, those hosting them and new arrivals, as many hard-hit countries are already grappling with significant numbers of displaced people competing for limited livelihood and labour opportunities – particularly Chad and South Sudan – where fragile sociopolitical environments are at risk of deteriorating.

Mounting economic risks

Economic shocks and stressors continue to drive acute hunger in almost all hotspots, reflecting global trends that are carrying over from 2022 when economic risks were driving hunger in more countries and for more people than conflict was. These risks are largely linked to the socioeconomic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effect from the war in Ukraine.

2023 is expected to bring a global economic slowdown amid monetary tightening in high-income countries – increasing the cost of credit, weakening local currencies, and further exacerbating the debt crisis in low- and middle-income economies. The International Monetary Fund projects global GDP growth at 2.8 percent in 2023 – the lowest level in ten years besides the COVID-19 induced plunge in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa GDP will also grow 0.3 percent less than in 2022. Low- and middle- income countries are expected to be hit the hardest by the projected slow growth in their main export markets, alongside inflation rate hikes in high-income economies that will rely heavily on exports to advanced economies.

With global food prices likely to remain elevated compared with historical standards in coming months, macroeconomic pressures in low- and middle-income countries are unlikely to ease. This means that the subsequent drop in purchasing power will negatively affect families’ access to food in coming months in many hotspots.

Key findings

According to the report, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest alert level. Haiti, the Sahel (Burkina Faso and Mali) and the Sudan have been elevated to the highest concern levels; this is due to severe movement restrictions to people and goods in Burkina Faso, Haiti and Mali, and the recent outbreak of conflict in the Sudan. All hotspots at the highest level have communities facing or projected to face starvation, or are at risk of sliding towards catastrophic conditions, given they have already emergency levels of food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors. These hotspots require the most urgent attention, the report warns.

The Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan and Syria are hotspots with very high concern, and the alert is also extended to Myanmar in this edition. All these hotspots have a large number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months. Lebanon has been added to the list of hotspots, joining Malawi and Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) that remain hotspots.

Scaling up anticipatory action and humanitarian action to prevent disasters  

To avert a further deterioration of acute hunger and malnutrition, the report provides concrete country-specific recommendations on priorities for immediate emergency response to save lives, prevent famine and protect livelihoods, as well as anticipatory action. Humanitarian action will be critical in preventing starvation and death – particularly in the highest alert hotspots, but the report notes how humanitarian access is constrained by insecurity, bureaucratic barriers, and movement restrictions – posing a major challenge to humanitarian responders around the globe. The report also stresses the importance of strengthening anticipatory action in humanitarian and development assistance – ensuring predictable hazards do not become full-blown humanitarian disasters.

Source:FAO

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Potential for local baby food production in Africa
The local production of baby food in Africa holds untapped potential, according to the International Trade Centre. Africa imports €570 million of food preparations for infants per year, a figure expected to exceed €1.1 billion by 2026. This presents a significant investment opportunity in Africa’s infant food value chain, where imports are 10 times higher than exports.

Entrepreneurs such as Seun Sangoleye, the founder of Baby Grubz in Nigeria, and Pascaline Nenda, the founder of Lemana in Cameroon, are already taking advantage of this opportunity by using locally-sourced ingredients to produce high-quality baby food. However, expansion has been hindered by infrastructural challenges such as difficulty transporting products and power shortages, as well as issues with funding. Despite these hurdles, both entrepreneurs remain optimistic about the future of their companies and the potential for innovation and growth within the local production of baby food in Africa.

Climate change adaptation opportunities worth up to $100 billion
The private sector has a crucial role to play in helping Africa adapt to the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, according to a new study by the International Finance Corporation. The study estimates that there are up to $100 billion in total potential upfront adaptation investment opportunities, or $5 billion a year, in Africa between now and 2040.

Some examples of these adaptation investments include solar-powered crop irrigation systems to prevent harvests from being destroyed by droughts, and crop insurance to guarantee farmers a livable income if yields significantly drop due to a weather-related event. With African governments’ budgets stretched and little fiscal space, public investment will not be sufficient to meet the continent’s climate adaptation needs, making private sector investment essential. (Read more: Climate adaptation in Africa offers investment opportunities for private sector)

West Africa’s pineapple industry
The pineapple industry in West Africa presents significant business opportunities, as there is increasing demand for fresh pineapples and related products in both regional and international markets. Nigeria is the largest producer in the region, followed by Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. In 2019, West Africa earned approximately $66.9 million from fresh pineapple exports to the European Union. While the variety MD2, known for its long shelf life, is the most popular for export, traditional varieties such as the Pain de Sucre (Sugarloaf) have regained popularity in local and regional markets.

One example of a successful business in this industry is Jus Délice in Togo, which produces pure organic pineapple juice and supplies it in bulk to European clients, from where it goes to individual juice brands. (Read more: Exporting pineapple juice from West Africa to Europe)

However, the industry also faces several challenges. These include a shortage of year-round fresh product supply, high production costs and low productivity. There is also a lack of well-organised cooperatives, limited access to loans, and patchy market information. In addition, there is inadequate infrastructure, such as processing and packaging equipment, refrigerated storage, and transportation.

Zambia’s growing market for processed food products
The local production of processed food items that are currently imported presents attractive opportunities in Zambia, according to Tue Nyboe Andersen, managing director of Lusaka-based Kukula Capital. “For processed food products, I think the opportunities really lie in niche products with limited competition. As a landlocked country, Zambia has some built-in import barriers; imported products need to be transported over long distances. For example, there is a company called Meraki that produces cakes and supplies them to big retailers like Shoprite. It has grown rapidly with decent margins because its competition is imported products that are way more expensive. Zambia has limited food processing and a lot of items are imported.”

Andersen explains the addressable market for food products is not only in Zambia but also in the Katanga region in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Zambia largely supplies food to the whole of southern DRC because there are very few commercial farmers in the area. The market is Zambia’s 18 million people as well as the Katanga region, which brings the total closer to 30 million. (Read more: Zambia-based investor highlights promising business opportunities)

Solving transportation and storage challenges
There are numerous gaps in providing transport and logistics solutions to Africa’s agribusiness and food industries. In Rwanda, for example, there is a shortage of commercial refrigerated vehicles, presenting a potential business opportunity for entrepreneurs, according to Mark Sproston, CEO of food distribution company GET IT. In Zimbabwe, Mobility for Africa’s low-cost electric tricycles caters to the transportation needs of small-scale farmers, while Rwandan company OX Delivers operates a fleet of off-road electric vehicles that customers can book space on to transport goods across rural areas.

There is also high demand for cold storage and warehousing solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, where the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates that over 40% of food perishes before it reaches consumers. In response to this, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) recently established Commercial Cold Holdings, which plans to grow into a pan-African cold chain logistics platform with a network of temperature-controlled warehouses in key demand hubs and food production regions.

There are also a number of companies in Africa that provide cold storage solutions for small businesses, farmers and market merchants. For instance, Koolboks, a Nigerian company founded in 2018, offers off-grid solar-powered units that can be used as refrigerators or freezers and can stay cool for up to four days without power or sunlight. Koolboks has integrated pay-as-you-go technology to make the units more affordable. Another Nigerian company, ColdHubs, operates solar-powered cold rooms, providing a pay-as-you-store service for fresh produce to smallholder farmers and market merchants. Each unit can hold three tonnes of food and customers pay 200 Nigerian naira (about $0.50) to store fresh produce in a 20kg crate for one day.

Rethinking the traditional fruit and veg market
Informal markets in Zambia, where the majority of fresh fruit and vegetables are sold, have few food safety measures and lack cold storage facilities, leading to food spoilage and losses for farmers. These farmers also have little visibility into the prices of their produce being sold and have no information on how much goes to waste.

Savenda Capital has identified this inefficient and unfair system as a business opportunity and is establishing a modern, purpose-built fresh produce market in Lusaka called ZAMBIAFresh. The market will feature cold storage and ripening rooms, implement strict food handling and hygiene standards, and use a trading software system to offer fair prices to both buyers and sellers. ZAMBIAFresh will earn a commission on each sale and incentivise farmers to sell through the market with its lower and more transparent commission structure and access to cold storage. The market is expected to commence trading in 2023 and Savenda Capital plans to expand the model to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. (Read more: Rethinking the traditional open-air fruit and veg market)

Digital disruption in Africa’s agricultural sector
Agtech is a promising opportunity in Africa, according to Brian Waswani Odhiambo, a partner at venture capital firm Novastar Ventures. Some examples of agtech solutions include Zowasel, a digital marketplace linking small-scale farmers to buyers in Nigeria; iProcure, a Kenyan platform joining manufacturers of agricultural inputs to local agro-dealers who supply small-scale farmers; and Trotro Tractor, an Uber-like service connecting farmers to tractors in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The platform, which currently has 65,000 farmers and 3,200 tractors, allows farmers to request a tractor within 72 hours or book in advance for a specific date, and tractor owners pay a fee to be on the platform.

Rwanda has competitive advantages for horticultural exports
There is potential to boost exports of Rwanda’s horticultural products such as mushrooms, passion fruit, and chillies. According to a study by Manufacturing Africa, demand for imported mushrooms is strong in the European Union (EU) and the Middle East, with the EU importing approximately 323,000 tonnes per year valued at $699 million and the Middle East importing 18,500 tonnes valued at $100 million. Rwanda is well positioned to produce and export speciality mushrooms, such as shiitake, to these markets due to its ideal agronomic conditions and competitive labour market. Exporting fresh shiitake mushrooms to the EU can earn a gross profit margin of 18% at a wholesale price of $12,000/tonne, while dried shiitake mushrooms can earn a gross profit margin of 18% at a wholesale price of $21,000/tonne.

In addition to mushrooms, Rwanda also has the potential to export passion fruit and chillies to the EU, with demand for passion fruit in the EU, estimated at 375,300 tonnes per year valued at $861 million and demand for chillies in the EU estimated at 1.5 million tonnes per year valued at $2.7 billion. Rwanda’s competitive advantages in horticultural exports include its climatic conditions, horticulture being a strategic sector for the government with incentives available, a competitive labour market, access to daily flights to Europe and the Middle East, and improving infrastructure.

Fonio: An overlooked West African superfood
Fonio is a gluten-free grain that has been cultivated in West Africa for thousands of years. It is drought-resistant, can grow without fertilisers, and improves the fertility of fallow soil. Despite its long history, it is not widely commercialised. However, demand for fonio has been growing in the US and EU due to its nutritional value.

US-based Food Company Yolélé has taken advantage of this need by selling fonio sourced from smallholder farmers in West Africa at over 2,000 outlets in the US, including Whole Foods and Target. In addition, Yolélé has signed an agreement with Mali Shi, an agribusiness company in Mali, to establish a new venture called West African Ancient Grains, which will process thousands of tonnes of fonio in Mali. Ghanaian company AMAATI Group has also recognised the potential of fonio and contracts smallholder farmers to grow it on abandoned farmland in northern Ghana. AMAATI’s branded fonio products, called DIM Fonio, are sold in over 190 outlets in Ghana and are exported to Italy, the Netherlands, France, the US and Canada.

Source: agrictoday.com

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The journalists were awarded story grants through EJN’s Biodiversity Media Initiative, a multi-year project that seeks to build the capacity of journalists covering biodiversity issues, and improve the quality and quantity of stories on threats to biodiversity, and the solutions to curb them. 

The grantees are:  

Aleksandra Pogorzelska, Ukraine – Dagens ETC Komal Gautham, India – The Times of India Luiz Fernando Toledo, Brazil – Revista Piauí Lyse Mauvais, Iraq – Syria Direct  Emilia Paz y Miño, Ecuador – GK Mochammad Asad, Indonesia – Mongabay 

Biologist and author Mike Shanahan, who manages the Biodiversity Media Initiative, will mentor these journalists as they delve into under-reported threats to specific ecosystems in their respective regions.“This year’s story grants will enable journalists to investigate the corruption and criminality that is devastating wildlife, from birds-of-prey in Iraq to sharks in Indonesia and timber trees in Brazil,” says Shanahan. “The journalists will also be covering under-reported topics, from the impacts of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine’s biodiversity, to the threats facing the wildlife of Ecuador’s moorlands. I am looking forward to working with these talented journalists as they develop their stories.” 

Aleksandra Pogorzelska will travel to Ukraine to investigate how Russia’s invasion has impacted local wildlife. National parks have been turned into battlegrounds and many of Ukraine’s unique eco systems are being destroyed. Using citizen reporting and multimedia videos, Pogorzelska will guide readers through the events occurring in Ukraine.  

In India, Komal Gautham will report on wildlife trafficking in Chennai and the growing trend of owning exotic pets. She’ll consider threats including zoonotic diseases which spread as a result of wildlife trafficking, as well as the gaping holes in India’s Wildlife Protection Act. 

In Brazil, Luiz Fernando Toledo will look into illegal exports of endangered pau-brasil or brazilwood timber used to produce high quality violin bows. The tree is one of Brazil’s key sociocultural symbols. Using his experience in data reporting, he’ll investigate the organized crime group behind the trade.  

In Ecuador, Emilia Paz y Miño will investigate how the threats of illegal trafficking and habitat loss have decimated Andean moorland fauna since 2020. They’ll investigate changes in the moorlands in Cotopaxi, Antisana, Quilotoa Moors where human activity is directly affecting this fragile ecosystem. 

In Syria and its neighboring countries, Iraqi journalist Lyse Mauvais will investigate falcon trapping and trafficking, which remains rampant in the Middle East. Birds of prey have traditionally been used by local elites in Gulf countries for hunting (a practice called falconry). Her story will delve into the birds’ subsequent journey as they are smuggled overland through Iraq or Jordan to reach the Gulf, despite anti-trafficking efforts in these two countries. 

Finally, Mochammad Asad in Indonesia will cover the illegal shark trade, which has grown to become a booming business in Java. Asad will use data and infographics to illustrate shark and stingray populations in Indonesia.  

Learn more about EJN’s Biodiversity Media Initiative here and look out for these grantees’ stories on the EJN website in the upcoming months.    

Source: earthjournalism.net

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The expo, organized by Wegvoraus Exhibitions, will be held under the auspices of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture of Ghana and with the support of the Ministry of Trade & Industry of Ghana.

According to Mr. Thomas James, Project Director Agritech West Africa, Wegvoraus, the event is in line with the development goals of the Ghana government’s commitment to value-added agriculture and targeted food security.

“We are thrilled to bring together top-notch companies from different parts of the world to showcase their products and services in the agriculture industry,” said James.

The Agritech West Africa with Food & Beverage and FoodPack Tech Ghana exhibition covers the entire value chain of agriculture, with approximately 100 companies exhibiting from countries such as India, South Africa, Turkey, Nigeria, Ghana, UK, Italy, France, and Spain. These companies will represent multiple product segments, including agrochemicals, agriculture technology, irrigation, biofeeds, food processing and packaging technologies, food innovation, processed and packed food & beverage items.

The expo is expecting a total gathering of nearly 5000 business and professional visitors, including those from the agribusiness sector, commercial and small farmers, food & beverage industries, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retail chains, and supermarkets of foodstuffs and agriculture items.

“This event will be a great platform for exhibiting companies to meet with Ghanaian and West African business partners, including growers, manufacturers, and traders/distributors, to discuss new products and collaborate for business partnerships,” said Mr. James. “Moreover, the expo will provide an opportunity to introduce and adapt new innovations in the practice of agriculture and food processing packaging sector.”

In addition to the exhibitions, the event will also feature seminars and conferences running concurrently for two days, bringing together government agencies, commercial farmers, research institutions, trade associations, and chambers of commerce to discuss and exchange ideas and innovations related to the sector.

The Agritech West Africa exhibition, along with Food & Beverage Ghana and FoodPack Tech Ghana exhibitions, is an event not to be missed for those in the agriculture and food processing industry. With support from organizations such as the West African Chamber of Agriculture, Croplife Ghana, Ghana Union of Traders Association, Food & Beverage Association of Ghana, Farmer Organization Network of Ghana, and Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters, this event promises to bring together the best in the industry.

“We are proud to be a part of this exhibition and look forward to providing valuable insights and knowledge to the attendees,” the Project Director said. “The agriculture industry plays a crucial role in the development of any country and we are eager to see the latest innovations and technologies being displayed at this event.”

The conference center is already buzzing with excitement as the preparations for the exhibition are underway. Exhibitors are preparing to showcase their products and services to a large audience, while attendees are looking forward to learning more about the latest trends and advancements in the agriculture industry.

“The agriculture industry is constantly evolving and we are dedicated to providing a platform for all stakeholders to come together, network and collaborate to drive the industry forward,” said James. “We are expecting a great turnout and a successful event and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the Agritech West Africa exhibition in March 2023.”

Source: BFT

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Rome – Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made publicly available country-by-country indicators on healthy diets that show their cost – including by food group – and the number of individuals unable to afford them. The data serves as a reminder that even if the world has made progress towards providing enough calories to feed the global population, there remains a long road ahead to sustainably nourishing all people, everywhere.

Recently, FAO did an extensive analysis of how many people can in fact afford a healthy diet, one that offers a diversity of nutrient-rich food, aligned with dietary guidance.

The result was sobering: Billions of people in the world cannot afford a healthy diet.

Now the indicators developed by FAO with critical inputs from researchers at Tufts University and the World Bank show, for example, that Latin America and the Caribbean has the highest cost of a healthy diet compared to other regions, at $3.89 per person per day in 2020, followed by Asia ($3.72), Africa ($3.46), Northern America and Europe ($3.19) and Oceania ($3.07).

Between 2019 and 2020, Asia witnessed the highest surge in the cost of a healthy diet (4.0 percent), followed by Oceania (3.6 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (3.4 percent), Northern America and Europe (3.2 percent) and Africa (2.5 percent).

Almost 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020 – an increase of 112 million more people than in 2019, reflecting the higher costs of a healthy diet in 2020. This was mainly driven by Asia, where 78 million more people were unable to afford this diet, followed by Africa (25 million more people), and to a lesser extent by Latin America and the Caribbean and Northern America and Europe (8 and 1 million more people, respectively).

In 12 countries, all of them in Africa, more than 90 percent of the population cannot regularly afford a healthy diet.

The same is true of more than half the population in 53 countries for which data is available. In 26 countries that figure is less than 1 percent.

Available for all

The set of indicators has now been made available for all to view and download on FAO’s easy-to-use data hub. FAOSTAT is the world’s largest data platform for food and agriculture with around 20 000 indicators covering more than 245 countries and territories.

The computing, monitoring and reporting of the global, regional and country level indicators on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet (CoAHD) is now institutionalized and will be regularly updated by FAO. This provides a powerful new benchmark for tracking global progress towards making healthy diets affordable to all.

These indicators rely on an integrated suite of data, computed based on variables including the retail prices of locally available foods and food-based dietary guidelines, country household income distribution patterns and the formulas required to establish purchasing power parities.

“Putting an end to hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms (including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity) is about more than securing enough food to survive: What people eat must also be nutritious,” said David Laborde, Director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics Division. “Yet a key obstacle is the high cost of nutritious foods and the low affordability of healthy diets for vast numbers of people around the world.”

“Tracking the cost and affordability of healthy diets is a step-change towards recognizing the need to nourish and not just feed the world,” said FAO’s Director of Food and Nutrition, Lynnette Neufeld. “This new methodology also provides us with the starting point to generate locally relevant evidence to guide policy and programmes to make healthy diets affordable for all people, at all times.”

This CoAHD initiative by FAO is part of a larger set of activities that will contribute to achieve one of four of FAO’s objectives within its 2022-31 Strategic Framework – Better Nutrition.

“Measuring and systematically monitoring the cost and affordability of healthy diets and making progress towards ensuring the affordability of healthy diets is of upmost importance and urgently needed. FAO has stepped up and taken on this task,” said José Rosero Moncayo, Director FAO Statistics Division.

How it works

FAO computes eight indicators on cost and on affordability.

A healthy diet provides not only adequate calories but also the right types of nutrient-rich foods from a variety of food groups as recommended by food-based dietary guidelines. The reference diet is estimated based on a “representative” adult consuming 2 330 kilocalories per day – an approach commonly used for food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). The lowest cost locally available foods, at recommended portion sizes from six food groups (staple foods, vegetables, fruits, animal source foods, legumes nuts and seeds, and oils and fats) make up the reference healthy diet.

The consumer prices of these foods are obtained from the World Bank International Comparison Programme (ICP) and are updated using national consumer food price indices. For international comparisons, prices are converted into international dollars using purchasing parity (PPP) exchange rates, and national income distributions. The affordability threshold is defined as 52 percent of the average household expenditures.

Future prospects

The availability of these indicators at the global, regional and country level now sets the stage for increased accountability, using timely data on retail prices of nutritious food items in all countries of the world. Future work will accelerate price data updates.

This initiative is part of the broader commitment that FAO has to generate evidence to advise countries on their food and nutrition policies. FAO encourages its Members and all stakeholders to expand the computing and reporting of these indicators to the subnational level, thereby contributing to the pursuit of more tailored policies and programmes to have greater impact on the ground. FAO and the Government of Pakistan are already working on such an approach.

The next report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World will be launched in July 2023.

Source:FAO

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Global investment in agri-tech start-ups totalled $10.6bn in 2022, down 13% from 2021 – a record funding year for global start-ups – but ahead of the 2020 figure of $7bn. This matched a general downwards trend in venture capital activity, as investors became more cautious amid global headwinds and deepening fears of recession.

Emerging markets see increasing share of global agri-tech deals despite investment slumpImproved supply chains enable smallholder farmers to increase market reachArtificial intelligence and digital solutions help farmers optimise resource useFinancial support and digital networks essential to building climate resilience

However, a focus on food security in the face of a growing global population and climate change-driven natural disasters is likely to sustain expansion in the agri-tech space. Significantly, venture capital investment levels in agri-tech and food technology have grown approximately 20-fold in the last ten years.

Similarly, the number of agri-tech deals in emerging markets has increased in recent years. For example, the proportion of such deals in the Middle East rose from 1% in 2021 to 4% as of mid-2022, while Africa saw a rise from less than 1% to around 6% over the same period.

In one standout example, Abu Dhabi-based agri-tech firm Pure Harvest Smart Farms became the second-most-funded start-up in the Middle East and North Africa in 2022, with a total of $272m in funding at the close of the year. Pure Harvest operates three greenhouses in the UAE, with additional projects in development in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as the company eyes further expansion.

In 2022, 23 African agri-tech firms attracted $133m in investment, a figure up 39.7% from 2021. By comparison, the segment saw $50,000 in funding as recently as 2015. Two companies accounted for over 80% of these funds: Kenya’s Apollo Agriculture and Nigeria’s ThriveAgric.

With the scale of climate change-driven natural disasters increasing and the population of many emerging markets set to expand significantly, agri-tech start-ups are working to provide food security for the future by revitalising supply chains, tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and providing resources to farmers to help them respond effectively to disasters such as drought or flooding.

Boosting connectivity

Improving the productivity and resilience of agriculture in emerging markets often means engaging with smallholder farmers.

Agriculture accounts for nearly a quarter of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, while smallholder farmers account for more than 60% of the population. Similarly, more than half of the population in some rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean engage in agricultural production, and South-east Asia is home to some 100m smallholder farmers.

Start-ups have deployed digital networks and data-driven mobile applications to connect with small-scale agricultural producers around the world. On a global scale, the majority of agri-tech start-ups that received funding in 2022 specialise in AI, digitalisation and internet of things.

A number of agri-tech firms are using these digital advances to improve supply chains, connecting farmers to both essential supplies and end consumers.

Brazil’s Seedz operates a digital platform where agri-businesses can purchase raw materials, with rebate and loyalty programmes to improve their financial reach. After acquiring a farm management and planning software company in 2022, the firm secured $16.5m in a Series A round led by Brazilian investment company Alexia Ventures.

Agriculture management company Eratani offers end-to-end support to farmers in Indonesia – where 29% of the workforce is employed in agriculture – providing both supplies and financing, and helping produce reach end users through a three-part platform. Aiming to work with over 50,000 farmers by 2024, in December 2022 the company secured $3.8m in an oversubscribed seed round.

Optimising resources

Emerging technologies – especially AI – have proven essential to farmers looking to optimise the use of precious resources such as water, fertiliser and seeds.

Founded in 2017, Kenya’s Apollo Agriculture is behind the Agrix app, which uses soil and weather data to provide personalised seed and fertiliser recommendations to more than 170,000 farmers – nearly half of whom are women. In February the company received a $9.5m loan from the US International Development Finance Corporation to continue its expansion on the continent.

Organised by the Netherlands-based environmental consultancy firm FutureWater, the ThirdEye project has helped farmers in Kenya and Mozambique deploy drones to monitor their fields. Beyond helping to detect signs of climate stress early on, the flying sensors allow farmers to make informed decisions that optimise resources such as water or fertiliser.

In the last quarter of 2022 a number of Latin American firms leveraging data to improve irrigation practices saw increased early-stage funding.

Argentina’s irrigation management firm Kilimo combines satellite, field and meteorological data in a platform that famers can use to boost crop yields while increasing water efficiency by up to 70%. In a funding round at the end of last year the company received an undisclosed amount from regional investment fund Kamay Ventures. The firm estimates that its platform saved users up to 50bn litres of water last year.

Meanwhile, in December Chile-based irrigation georeferencing firm WiseConn closed a Series B round led by US private equity and venture capital firm Morningside Group, with plans to use the funds to expand into Australia, Brazil and Europe in 2023. The company uses cloud-based technologies to help farmers manage water use in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Central America and the US.

Building resilience

Emerging markets are set to be disproportionally affected by climate change-fuelled disasters such as droughts and flooding. While predictive machine learning technologies are being employed to help farmers address risk – as well as mitigate the damage incurred by disasters – financial support can help farmers recover from disasters without having to sacrifice productivity.

In Africa, digital platforms targeting farmers have benefited from the expansion of mobile payments and other technologies that are boosting financial inclusion.

Mali’s OKO sells micro-insurance to smallholder farmers, serving some 18,500 in the start-up’s home country, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire. Its business model is backed by data from satellites and sensors tracking weather patterns, allowing the company to deploy financial assistance automatically to farmers affected by flooding or drought.

Another African start-up, Nigeria’s ThriveAgric, provides data-driven solutions and credit to its network of 500,000 smallholder farmers, and is responsible for approximately 5% of the grain grown in the country. Last month the company was named the West Africa winner of the annual Agriculture Youth Technology Challenge, securing an additional $1m in funding.

Credit: BFT

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