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Are your radio programmes gender inclusive?

Often, broadcasts are designed on the premise that listenership is uniform. However, the audience is diverse, and programmes, therefore, should be responsive to the different expectations of listeners. Gender inequalities can arise  in the professional practices with radio stations, whether during production process, programming, management, or in the choice of content and people interviewed. Media should put in place mechanisms to ensure that the opinions of women and men, regardless

A manifesto to ensure a voice for farmers in Uganda

This good practice fact sheet describes an initiative to canvas the views and demands of Uganda’s smallholder farmers on measures required to boost the country’s agricultural performance as a driver of both the national economy and for raising incomes among agricultural value chain players. The creation of a Farmers’ Manifesto, and its presentation to political parties in the run-up to a general election, may be an experience relevant to other

How to create a radio campaign

A campaign is an organized, time-bound effort to convince institutions or individuals to take specific types of actions, or change their attitudes toward a specific topic in a specific way. Campaigns have specific objectives and usually focus on one major change or action. They can be in the form of radio jingles and interviews, door to door or community gatherings to discuss issues, a series of ads in printed form

An innovative agricultural competition inspired by football

In the village of Mudjoga, in North Kivu, DRC, farmers have devised an innovative agricultural competition inspired by football. The competition is called “agricultural match” and it consists of farmers demonstrating the application of certain cultivation practices. The exercise itself is inspired by football, or “soccer”. It pits farmers against each other in a friendly competition where each demonstrates an agricultural technique. They are supervised by a jury of judges

Listening to rural people 2022: A Farm Radio International and IFAD initiative

Over the course of October 2022, Farm Radio International worked with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and 7 African radio stations to facilitate three “On Air Dialogues” with rural people in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso about climate change adaptation. The response was remarkable, with over 14,000 people giving over 122,000 answers to questions and leaving over 9,000 voice messages about climate change adaptation experiences and needs. These dialogues

In vivo experience of the benefits for farmers' organizations, IFAD, Governments & projects to come together

From 15 to 18 November, in Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, was held the second edition of the Regional Farmers’ Forum in conjunction with the 12th Regional Implementation Workshop for IFAD-supported projects in West and Central Africa (WCA). Hosted in Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, this regional event welcomed about 200 participants from 23 countries of the region. The Regional Farmers’ Forum was  sponsored by Kobenan Adjoumani Kouassi, Minister of State, Minister of

On Air Dialogues: Amplifying rural voices

The 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit aimed to identify solutions that improve livelihoods and food security. Small-scale farmers and rural people should play an essential role in this process. They are the backbone of the global food system, experts in their fields, and experienced in finding creative solutions. That’s why, over the course of three weeks in June 2021, and in partnership with six radio stations in Burkina Faso, Ghana,

Food Security in East Africa – Beyond the Headlines

In early 2022, 12 million East Africans faced acute food insecurity, meaning that they did not even manage to eat one meal a day. By November 2022, that number has increased to 21 million people. It’s important to go beyond the headlines and statistics and remember that these are individual women, men and children who are suffering from hunger every day. That’s what Farm Radio International strove to do in our

Strengthening sustainable agricultural mechanization for climate smart agriculture in southern Africa

One of the major constraints to the expansion and modernization of agriculture is the low level and limited use of mechanization especially by smallholder farmers. In southern Africa, agriculture has been characterized by the application of basic agricultural tools resulting in tedious and laborious practices, drudgery and low productivity. Smallholder farmers in the region can earn a decent living from agriculture only if they adopt mechanization. The Food and Agriculture

Here’s how broadcasters participated in the Farm Radio International COVID-19 vaccine confidence campaign

Vaccines are critical in preventing severe illness from COVID-19 and keeping communities healthy. Yet many people still have questions or are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccines. Between May and September 2022, approximately 250 Farm Radio broadcasting partners in 16 countries participated in the Farm Radio International COVID-19 vaccine confidence campaign. The campaign promoted COVID-19 vaccines, answered listeners’ questions, and provided good information on the effectiveness of the vaccines available in