Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 04/19/2018 - 23:05
In late March, heads of state from 44 African countries met in Kigali, Rwanda to sign the framework agreement forming a new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). If the agreement is ratified by all 55 member states of the African Union, the AfCFTA would establish one of the largest free trade areas in the world, covering over 1.2 billion people and $2.5 trillion in GDP.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 23:05
Since June 2016, FEWS Net has followed the market situation in Nigeria; the country faces continuing economic challenges due to a global decline in crude oil prices and a depreciation of the national currency, as well as ongoing conflict in the northeastern regions. In the latest Nigeria Market Monitoring Bulletin, FEWS Net provides several updates of the implications of these challenges for the country and the region.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 10/03/2017 - 14:58
Since the food price crisis of 2007-2008, there has been significant attention paid to the issue of price transmission from global to national markets, particularly in developing regions such as Africa south of the Sahara. A new paper published in the Journal of Agricultural Economics looks at seven key food security crops in Nigeria - maize, millet, sorghum, rice, cassava, yams, and cowpeas - to assess local (both urban and rural), regional, and international price transmission.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 07/26/2017 - 21:42
Researchers and policymakers have become increasingly cognizant of the role that gender plays in food security in developing countries. A new IFPRI Discussion Paper takes an in-depth look at the implications of gender roles in household food security in Malawi and finds that improving joint access – i.e. access for both men and women – to agricultural and nutrition information and training can be an important driver in increasing households’ food security.
Submitted by Sara.Gustafson on Wed, 05/24/2017 - 20:55
Harvests are now ongoing across Mozambique, improving food availability throughout the country, says a new report from FEWS Net. In the southern and central areas of the country, food security outcomes are forecast to improve from Stressed (IPC Phase 2) to Minimal (IPC Phase 1) in June. In addition, second season harvests (expected in July-September) are developing well due to extended rains, with reasonably favorable prospects for maize, beans, and vegetables.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/25/2017 - 15:30
FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) has recently released several new country briefs for the Africa South of the Sahara Food Security Portal’s prioritized countries. The country brief series provides information regarding countries’ current agricultural season and harvest prospects for main staple food crops, as well as estimates and forecasts of cereal production, cereal imports, and food prices and policy developments.
Submitted by Sara.Gustafson on Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:08
Efforts to increase rural incomes and reduce rural poverty in developing countries often focus on policies to lower transport costs and increase market access among poor and remote rural populations. Despite the growing importance of such policies, however, it is not entirely clear to what extent and through which channels increased market access impacts rural individuals’ and households’ nutrition outcomes and overall wellbeing.
Submitted by Sara.Gustafson on Thu, 02/09/2017 - 20:53
Biofortified crops, such as orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, have been shown to reduce malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency, especially in children, and increase farm households’ incomes. Whether or not farmers adopt these new crops, however, depends on individual farmers’ perceptions of biofortification’s benefits.
Submitted by Sara.Gustafson on Wed, 12/28/2016 - 19:38
Widespread drought is driving high food insecurity in several parts of East Africa, including central and southern Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, northern and eastern Kenya, northern and eastern Tanzania, and southeastern Uganda. According to a special report released by FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), these areas received less than one-quarter of their normal rainfall from October to December.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/22/2016 - 16:04
Better linking Africa’s rural smallholder population to national, regional, and international agricultural value chains is a key rural development and poverty reduction priority. Which types of interventions will be successful in improving such linkages is highly context-specific, however, depending on the country, the target population, and the specific product being marketed.
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