‘With the good projected rains this year, do you think I should grow maize?’ This is among questions a lot of farmers that have read both my book and my articles have been asking me. I understand their viewpoint that when the rain season is
Agriculture is viewed as the key cornerstone that drives Africa’s economies. It is a major contributor to total gross domestic product (GDP) for many countries, according to the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2018. Over half of the African population is employed in the sector and
Africa boasts significant untapped agricultural potential. While the continent accounts for 60% of the world’s arable land, it only contributes 4% of total output. Cognisant of this, global research and consultancy firm, Oxford Business Group (OBG), is publishing a study, Agriculture in Africa 2019, analysing
Agriculture is the oldest work field on earth, with evidence dating back as early as 9,500 BC. But despite its history, the sector is far from becoming irrelevant. In fact, the opposite is true: Even today, it is the cornerstone of all human life throughout
Persistent unemployment has become synonymous with the youth experience across South Africa. Youth unemployment rates are almost four times higher than the regional average – 62% of South Africans between 15 and 35 years are unemployed and of this 60% have never been employed. Add to this the fact that even those
Professor Vladimir Shubin, the Deputy Director of the Institute for African Studies, told me in an interview that “African leaders also have to pay high attention to and take significant steps in promoting their achievements and highlighting their main developmental needs.” In an acknowledgement, he
West Africa is turning into the world’s piracy hotspot according to One Earth Future, which produces an annual State of Maritime Piracy report. The newly released 2018 statistics show a decline in the number of incidents of hijacking, kidnapping and robberies in East Africa. West Africa, on the other
The Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA), a statewide trade association representing every facet of the Texas oil and natural gas industry including small independents and major producers, has for 100 years lived up to its mission of promoting a robust oil and natural gas
On July 3, the High-Level Panel of Experts of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its much-anticipated report on agroecology in Rome. The report signals the continuing shift in emphasis in the UN agency’s approach to agricultural development. As outgoing FAO Director General
This year marks the fourth year of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and environmental degradation, and to ensure that no one is left behind. It also marks the mid-point of the