International Day of Forests 2025: Forests and Foods

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March as the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Each year, countries worldwide organize local, national, and international activities to highlight the role of forests, including tree-planting campaigns, educational initiatives, and policy dialogues. In 2025, the theme for the International Day of Forests is “Forests and Foods”, underscoring the indispensable

Empowering African Rural Women Leaders in Kigali, Rwanda

A group of 20 rural women leaders from 13 African countries and Germany gathered in Kigali for the second session of the “Women Lead: Leadership for Rural Women” program. PAFO organized the initiative in partnership with the Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA) and the German Rural Women’s Association (dlv) to strengthen women’s leadership in agriculture and equip them with the skills needed to drive positive change in their communities. Building Leadership Skills The program provided a

International Women’s Day 2025- For all women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment

On March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD). This year, the celebration is under the theme “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, focusing on unlocking equal rights, power and opportunities for all. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation of youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls as catalysts for lasting change. Progress in Women’s Rights in Agriculture and Rural Development In recent years,

Agricultural Transformation and Resilience: Assessment of the FO4ACP Project in Chad

Launched in October 2019, the FO4ACP project in Central Africa, initiated by PROPAC and its member NPOs, has shown significant progress during its second phase, which began in 2023. The first phase, lasting four years, had revealed financial shortfalls; however, the IFAD supervision mission in October 2023 highlighted crucial improvements. The 2024 PTBA launch workshop in Douala identified strategies for optimizing performance , such as implementing the TOP UP phase , improving technical reports and capitalizing on experiences . The PROPAC Regional Coordination undertook field visits to monitor, support and evaluate the progress of the OPNs in implementing

FAO-PAFO youth mentorship programme: Call for mentors

Empowerment of Young Agricultural Producers in Africa through inclusive mentorship Program (EYPA) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO) invite experienced agriculture, agribusiness, leadership, and rural development professionals to join the FAO-PAFO Youth Mentorship Program. This program will equip young African agricultural producers with skills, knowledge, and connections to thrive in agri-food. Mentors will provide capacity-building workshops, guidance, and networking opportunities to 50 selected young farmers

Farmer-Led Climate Adaptation in Africa: Top Practices

During the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day at COP29, the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA), with the support of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance and the Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO), released a report presenting ten case studies on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) initiatives led by farmers across Africa. The case studies featured in the report were selected from various regions across Africa, representing nine different countries (with two studies selected

Harvesting Hope: Empowering Women Farmers for Higher Healthy Food Production in Northern Ghana

In Ghana, access to key agricultural productive assets, such as seeds, fertilizers, water and land, is critical to agricultural productivity and food security, especially for women and youth. This disparity is particularly pronounced in some parts of Ghana, where traditional norms and cultural practices often restrict women’s access to agricultural inputs and tools, relegating them to secondary roles in agriculture despite their significant contributions to food production and household nutrition.

Listening to change: FAO-supported rural radio initiatives boost climate action

WATCH: Rural radio: Listening to change (WRD 2025) LISTEN: 80 ans de la FAO / Les radios rurales: des ondes qui rapprochent les communauté (in French) As the world marks World Radio Day 2025 on 13 February under the theme Radio and Climate Change, it is worth reflecting on the fundamental role of radio in rural communication. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, disrupting food systems, natural resources, livelihoods

The Digital Agri Hub-Cultivating Tomorrow’s Agriculture : The Ultimate Digital Solutions Reference Hub

The Digital Agri Hub is a good public initiative developed and maintained by Wageningen University and Research (WUR). The Hub tracks the evolution of the digital agriculture (D4Ag) ecosystem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In collaboration with sectoral stakeholders, the Hub regularly publishes new insights and updates on important developments in the domain of digital agriculture. At the core of the Hub rests a database with a queryable dashboard currently featuring more than 1250 digital solutions deployed across LMICs. The site is available in English, French and Spanish. The

Facing down drought in Zimbabwe with irrigation

This year, the rains were late in Zimbabwe. Because of El Niño, many maize farmers were left without the water they needed during the crucial growing season in February. The next rainy season, from October to December, is also likely to be drier than usual. With crop failures anticipated across the country, about 6 million people are expected to be food insecure. This is not the first time El Niño has brought food