By Steven Cetier Despite its ongoing agricultural problems, most of Africa has been reluctant to embrace the idea of allowing its farmers to grow genetically altered seeds. This hesitancy has delayed the potential benefits that biotechnology can offer through crops engineered to resist common pests, disease and drought. Through 2018, only South Africa (soybeans, corn and cotton) and Sudan (cotton) were growing GMO crops. It’s not an issue that’s going away anytime soon, considering that continent’s population is expected to swell from its current 1.3 billion to 2.5 billion in 2050, when it will account for about one quarter of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
At a special event highlighting the partnership between the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Korea held on the sidelines of the Bank’s Annual Meetings, the role of drone technology to boost food productivity in Africa, was on full display. A pilot project, underway in Tunisia, is designed to reduce food imports. Drone technology is being used to collect and analyse data, and monitor irrigated areas, combat pests. The Bank launched the project, in cooperation with the Busan Metropolitan City in Korea with support from the Korea-Africa Cooperation fund (KOAFEC). The session in Malabo included Korea’s ambassador to Equatorial Guinea H.E…
APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading media relations consultancy and press release distribution service in Africa and the Middle East, presents the inaugural APO Group African Women in Media Award set to recognise, celebrate and empower African women journalists who support female entrepreneurship in Africa.The Award will be bestowed to the winner at the 5th Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum’s (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) Conference, Exhibition and Awards hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), 29-30 October 2019, with the theme ‘Enhancing impact: digitalisation, investment and intra-African trade’.AWIEF’s prestigious annual event is a platform that sees global thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers,…
African and non-regional donors on Tuesday pledged $17 million to replenish the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund, an initiative which aims to provide food security and eliminate rural poverty on the continent.The pledges were made at a high-level donor round table convened by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s (www.AfDB.org) 2019 Annual Meetings currently underway in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.Opening the conference at the Sipopo conference center Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo said the Fund illustrated “a turning point in the fight against food…
The Republic of Niger and the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) on Tuesday signed a $128.8 million financing agreement to support the “Kandadji” project for the regeneration of ecosystems and the development of the Niger Valley (PA-KRESMIN).Nigerien Minister of Planning Aïchatou Kane Boulama, who signed on behalf of Niger’s Government, expressed her gratitude to the Bank and praised the leadership shown by it in the process leading to the “Kandadji” signing.”We would like to acknowledge the Bank’s strong commitment to this very important project for the people of Niger. The signing of this agreement is a step towards its realisation, but…
AGCO (www.AGCOcorp.com), Your Agriculture Company (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, has opened a new office in the north-east of Casablanca, Morocco. The new premises are to serve as the company’s regional sales office for West and North Africa. This follows the launch of the Africa Head Office in South Africa’s robust economic hub, Johannesburg in 2017.Morocco’s suitability as a home for AGCO is both its geographical location on the North-West of the continent as well as its key socio-economic role in the region since its return to the African Union in 2016 and support towards advancing…
By Lominda Afedraru, Kampala The rapid population growth rate in Africa, if not controlled will be one of the major risks for prolonged drought risks in most communities, warns research report by scientists on climate change and adaptation. The study cautions that drought risks at national level across Africa and the impacts of climate change will be severe in future due to the rate of rapid population growth in the continent, which is leading to activities that are causing destruction to the environment The report adds that several population control and family planning strategies, have taken place in the past…
Nigeria has been accorded a seat on the Executive Board of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). This is contained in a document on the composition on the UN body’s board dated Friday, May 31, 2019. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN-Habitat Executive Director (left), congratulates Martha Delgado, newly elected President of the first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly Thirty-six in all globally, Nigeria occupies one of the 10 seats conferred on Africa, which also has Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, Angola and Malawi. While Asia-Pacific has eight seats (occupied by Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea,…
Getty Images (www.GettyImages.com), a world leader in visual communications, and APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), a leading media relations consultancy and press release distribution service, have announced a wide-reaching collaboration to promote integrated text, photo and video solutions to organizations operating across Africa and the Middle East. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/X90H0ZIkqaI Download picture 1: http://bit.ly/Getty-APO Download picture 2: http://bit.ly/Getty-APO-1 Download the B-roll and dope sheet:http://bit.ly/Broll-Getty-APO The two companies put pen to paper today at an official signing ceremony at the Getty Images headquarters in London. Serving nearly One Million customers in almost every country in the world, Getty Images is the most…
Six months ago, founder and chairman of the Bahle Zondo Foundation, philanthropist and entrepreneur Dr. Bahle Zondo walked into the AGCO Africa (www.AGCOcorp.com) office announcing that he would like to set up a successful agribusiness in his community of Msinga. He was quick to add, that he knew nothing about farming. AGCO, Your Agriculture Company (NYSE:AGCO), is positioned to be the driving force in the development of a sustainable and prosperous agricultural industry across the continent. Zondo had just walked into the home of a strategic partner towards the empowerment of emerging farmers and achieving food security in Africa. On…