Uloma Mezie-Osuocha

Local Wisdom, Real Impact: 7 Practical Climate Solutions from Rural Africa
Gender and youth

Climate change may seem overwhelming, but African communities are already drawing on centuries of wisdom and combining it with innovation to build resilient, sustainable futures. Here are practical, locally informed strategies that can inspire farmers, community leaders, and development actors across the continent, as featured by Farm Radio International: 1. Plant a tree (or ten) Climate change is taking a toll in Uganda’s Teso region, one of the country’s least

Out of its cocoon: FAO-China-Uganda South-South project creates new farming opportunities in sericulture
Family Farming

Nestled in the lush hills above the northern shores of Lake Victoria, a new industry is emerging from its cocoon. Waiswa Aggrey Mubeerwa, its young manager, is waiting for it to mature so that he can start sending its products to distant markets. The Seres Textile Company Limited hired Waiswa to oversee its silk farming facility in Mukono, a district in Uganda about an hour’s drive east of the capital,

Radio programme: How Tanzanian garlic farmers are preserving quality and boosting income one bulb at a time
Rural Communication Services

In Tanzania’s Manyara Region, garlic farmers are proving that simple, well-timed post-harvest practices can make all the difference between profit and loss, with support from the MVIWAMA (Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima na Wafugaji wa Mkoa wa Manyara) and broadcast in Swahili on Habari Njema Radio 87.5 FM, this radio programme is part of the YenKasa Africa Radio Initiative, dedicated to amplifying rural voices and sharing practical farming solutions. This

Behavioural science promotes sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in Zambia
Gender and youth

Villagers have planted maize on two plots of land next to each other. The difference between them is that one is cultivated using the method called ripping, or deep tillage, which uses pointed prongs to break up the soil, allowing it to retain maximum moisture. On the other plot, the regular practice of more extensive, shallower tilling is used. Amid a searing drought in eastern Zambia’s Nyimba region, which left

GHAFFAP CLIMATE RESILIENCE TRAINING WORKSHOP
Gender and youth

The effects of climate change on farming communities cannot be overemphasized. The ravaging impact of unexpected drought spells, low rainfall patterns, heat waves, floods, and high temperatures has drastically reduced local food production. This has led to extreme consequences such as low income levels, poor health, poverty, poor yields, food insecurity, and overall negative impacts on socioeconomic development. To address these challenges, ISRUDEV, with funding support from the FAO’s Forest

Rural communication services and inclusive innovation approaches for family farming
Publications

The United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) recognizes communication as a crucial driver in transforming agrifood systems, empowering family farmers through inclusive Rural Communication Services (RCS). Over the past five years, FAO-supported regional initiatives – ComDev Asia, YenKasa Africa, and Onda Rural – have worked to mainstream RCS into family farming policies, fostering participatory knowledge sharing and innovation. This report presents key insights from the 2024 technical seminar held

PROPAC: Study Tour to Senegal for the Promotion of Bread‑making with Local Flours
Gender and youth

From 27 January to 1 February 2025, the Regional Platform of Farmers’ Organisations of Central Africa (PROPAC) took part in a study tour in Senegal. Organized by ASPRODEB, the visit brought together leaders of farmers’ organisations, processors, and bakers to explore Senegal’s successful experiences in incorporating local cereal and tuber flours into bread and pastry production. A Project under the FO4FS Initiative PROPAC is a beneficiary of the FO4FS (Farmers’

Rural women ring in change in West Africa
Gender and youth

Across West Africa, rural women are showing that small-scale agriculture isn’t just the foundation of sustainable global food systems – it’s an avenue for economic, social and political empowerment. Meet three women who are leading their communities towards a more prosperous and equal future. Breaking ground When Anta was growing up, it was customary for young women to leave their homes in Ngoudiane to find domestic work in Dakar, the Senegalese capital. Anta

Global Call for Stories: Family farmers at the heart of climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood systems
Resilience and climate change

Sharing and learning from the experiences of individuals and organizations driving positive change is critical to advancing the agricultural sector towards greater sustainability. All over the world, there are thousands of stories of distinctive work carried out anonymously by family farmers, including women and youth, on successful transitions to more inclusive, sustainable and fair food systems. Those stories are based on co-creation and sharing of traditional knowledge and innovations that

Radio Programme: Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Madagascar's Diana Region
Rural Communication Services

In Madagascar’s Diana Region, the OPFA Union Matanjaka is spearheading a vital reforestation programme aimed at restoring forest landscapes and strengthening local livelihoods. Produced by the Réseau SOA and OPFA Union Matanjaka, and broadcast in Malagasy across four key radio stations—Radio Varatraza, Radio Anivorano, Radio RLA Ambilobe, and Radio MAZAVA Ambanja—this radio feature is part of the YenKasa Africa Radio Initiative. It highlights how rural communities are regenerating the environment