2024

Informing, empowering, educating: Celebrate World Radio Day and broadcasting excellence

What: Virtual event — World Radio Day Celebration 2024 When: Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 at 4 p.m. GMT, 5 p.m. WAT, 7 p.m. EAT Register now: Webinar Registration – Zoom Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 to celebrate World Radio Day as we announce and honour the 2024 winners of the Farm Radio awards! In this year’s bilingual event, meet the winners of the George Atkins Communication Award and the Liz

Ugandan broadcaster wins award for radio documentaries on Nature-based Solutions

In 2023, Uganda news anchor Martin Amaiyko Kigongo took on a new challenge—creating 20-minute radio documentaries for Farm Radio International’s “On-Air for Gender-Inclusive Nature-based Solutions” project. Used to delivering news bites, Mr. Kigongo struggled with the unfamiliar format and the difficulties of trying something new. Mr. Kigongo’s persistence paid off in November when he won a national Population Media Award for the best radio program on population and development. Judges

The future of family farming

Discussion Why is family farming persisting? Hybrid event 23 January 2024 2 pm to 5 pm (Rome time) FAO HQ and Zoom In the complex scenario of agrifood systems increasingly threatened by interconnected and mutually reinforcing challenges, the often-predicted disappearance of family farmers appears both unrealistic and undesirable, given the productive, social, cultural, and environmental functions that this production model provides. Small-scale family farmers indeed continue to exist and develop innovative,

How radio stations can prepare a funding proposal to submit to a donor

Funding is a major issue for many radio stations, and thus for rural communication services as a whole. Farm Radio International has developed many Broadcaster how-to guides to give radio broadcasters tips on different skills that will improve the quality of their broadcasting. Our most recent Broadcaster how-to guide addresses how station management can prepare a funding proposal for a donor – because good finance leads to sustainability, which is

Burkina Faso: Farmers plant trees to protect watercourses from silting up

In the village of Bendougou, about 20 kilometres west of Dédougou in Burkina Faso, 100 fruit trees stretch 500 metres along the banks of the Mouhoun River. Somwaoga François Zida is the owner of the orchard. This morning, he cut branches that had broken during strong winds the day before during the first rainfall. His bright face reflects his joy. He planted the trees to prevent the  soil from washing

The agricultural awakening of Africa: The Berlin meeting paves the way for a sustainable future

Africa, a land of agricultural opportunities, today faces unprecedented challenges. To address these challenges, a major initiative is currently underway in Berlin: the meeting of the 5 Regional Farmer Organizations (RFOs) members of the Panafrican Farmer Organisation (PAFO). This meeting has a key objective: to establish a process for the organizational development (OD) of these farmer organizations, a decisive step towards the consolidation and efficiency of their actions for the

From Bourra to the World: How the onion is redefining cross-border trade

In the heart of the Sahelian region, where climatic and economic challenges shape daily life, a beacon of hope shines in Bourra, Mali. It’s the story of a radical transformation initiated by determined agro-pastoralists aiming to change their destiny. This epic, rooted in the fertile lands of Bourra, is a model of cooperation and innovation, revolutionizing the commercialization of onions in a Mali-Niger cross-border dynamic. The protagonists are members of

Reinventing agropastoralism: Breeder-fattening livestock farming, a light in the climatic darkness of Liptako-Gourma

In a context of climate change and increasing economic challenges, the cross-border area of Liptako-Gourma, shared between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, finds itself at a crossroads. Facing these challenges, the Breeder-Fattening Livestock Farming (French: Élevage Naisseur Couplé à l’Embouche – ENCEM) emerges as an innovative solution, offering households in this region a sustainable path to improve their climate resilience. The ENCEM initiative, driven by the Federation of Unions of

Socioeconomic revolution in Komondjari: Habbanaye, a beacon of hope

As we begin 2024, ROPPA shares the 33rd issue of “Gems of Family Farms,” highlighting a quiet but powerful revolution in Komondjari. Thanks to Habbanaye, an initiative by the Diéma Association of Gayeri (ADG/K), a beacon of hope has been lit, reducing the socioeconomic vulnerability of many, particularly women and youth, in this insecurity-ravaged region. Since 2015, Habbanaye has charted a remarkable path towards empowering rural communities, focusing on solidarity