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El Niño to Have Long-term Development Impacts, Report Says

Oct 4th, 2016 • by Sara Gustafson

The 2015-2016 El Niño cycle has had devastating effects in many developing regions, including across much of Africa south of the Sahara. According to a new report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, El Niño has affected 60 million people worldwide, and 23 countries have issued response plans costing upwards of US$ 5 billion in national funding and international aid.

Is Africa's Economy Slowing?

Oct 4th, 2016 • by Sara Gustafson

Recent IFPRI research has found that the global economic slowdown will be most felt in the world’s poorest countries, with an additional 38 million people potentially falling into poverty by 2030. According to the latest Africa’s Pulse report from the World Bank, this global slowdown has already had impacts in the region – economic growth in Africa south of the Sahara fell from 4.5 percent in 2014 to 3 percent in 2015 and is expected to fall even further to 1.6 percent in 2016. This would represent the lowest level of growth in over two decades.

Malawi's Women Face Barriers to Climate-Smart Agriculture

Sep 29th, 2016 • by Sara Gustafson

Climate change and weather variability are posing challenges for smallholder farmers worldwide, but women farmers tend to be even harder hit due to a lack of resources. According to the first article in a special issue of Gender, Technology and Development released in July, women farmers in Malawi lack access to basic agricultural tools, as well as to new technologies and practices that can enhance labor productivity and aid in climate change adaptation.

CSA that Work for Farmers

Sep 21st, 2016 • by Sara Gustafson

Southern Africa has been hard hit with drought over the last year, with many areas facing increased food insecurity and several countries declaring national emergencies. According to researchers at the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) , these drought conditions could be southern Africa’s “new normal.” If this is the case, cereal and livestock farmers in the region will need assistance in building their resilience and adapting their production to the new, drier conditions.

Latest GIEWS Country Briefs

Aug 22nd, 2016 • by Sara Gustafson

Several new country briefs for Africa south of the Sahara have recently been released by FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning Systems (GIEWS). The GIEWS country brief series provides an overview of the food security situation in prioritized countries, focusing on the current agricultural season, harvest prospects for staple food crops and livestock, estimates and forecasts of cereal production, and food price and food policy trends.