Integrating climate resilience into Farmer Field Schools
The inclusion of climate resilience into Farmer Field School methodologies is a novel and highly promising approach in East Africa. Here is why. Farmer Field Schools (FFS) were introduced in East Africa in the late nineties as an alternative to top-down extension
The secret recipe for scaling climate-smart agriculture: Youth
Research trends reveal massive gaps in students primed to become Kenya’s next generation of agricultural professionals and agripreneurs. Degree enrolment in agriculture courses decreased from 24,221 students in 2017 to 18,165 in 2018, a 25% drop, as students reported a lack
A Pandemic like COVID-19: Locusts in East Africa
COVID-19 now joins the “Annual One Health Locust Pandemic”. Annual because it’s been happening (nearly) every year for thousands of years. One Health because it involves both humans and animals (in this case insects). The old testament of the Bible talks
Learning to grow vegetables: A novel way to transfer knowledge in Hoima, Uganda
Fresh vegetables are key to better nutrition and health around the world. Teaching farmers the best way to grow vegetables is essential. This article explores how Ugandan farmers develop best practices through experimentation, innovation, and exchange of local knowledge. Growing vegetables
Scaling climate-resilient agribusinesses in East Africa
Climate-resilient agribusinesses need a combination of horizontal and vertical scaling to be effective. The example of East Africa. There are growing private-sector driven efforts to scale up climate-smart agriculture (CSA) interventions in East Africa. These measures are aimed at building climate-resilient
Enhancing capacity for resilient agriculture planning and programming in Kenya
Insights and lessons learned on disseminating Kenya’s climate-smart agriculture strategies, frameworks and investment plans. Kenya has made significant progress in the development of agricultural policies, yet implementation remains elusive, aggravating food insecurity challenges. To address this gap, recent field visits were
Is climate-smart and digital agriculture the silver bullet to attract youth?
The average African farmer’s age is nearly 60. Stakeholders come together to brainstorm pathways to draw young people into a rural way of life and climate-smart and digital agriculture is the best bet. Article in collaboration with: CGIAR Research Program on
Guiding investments in climate-smart livestock systems in East Africa
Climate change threatens livestock production in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet rising demand for livestock products is an opportunity for poor households who depend on livestock for their livelihood. A new project in East Africa aims to support climate-smart livestock systems based
To Adapt to a Changing Climate, Coffee Farmers Need Bold Allies
Adapting to climate change requires stumping. But it's anything but simple for coffee farmers. They face physical, knowledge and economic barriers. This article explores the challenges they need to address. Article in collaboration with: Root Capital invests in the growth of
Nyando Climate-Smart Village launches community seedbank
Western Kenya now houses its very own community seedbank, a collection of the region’s biological diversity. Article in collaboration with: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) seeks to address the increasing challenge of global warming and
Tanzania’s female parliamentarians to mainstream gender in climate adaptation
Tanzania’s Women Parliamentarian Group came together to explore pathways for mainstreaming gender into climate adaptation planning. Article in collaboration with: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) seeks to address the increasing challenge of global warming and
How to achieve resilient livelihoods: Solar irrigation in Southern Ethiopia
To achieve resilient livelihoods and diversified production, the key in Southern Ethiopia was to apply a climate-smart landscape approach that uncovered opportunities for renewable energy-based irrigation systems, including solar irrigation. Article in collaboration with: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and