Resilience and climate change

Rediscovering Africa's native foods for a sustainable agricultural renaissance
Indigenous Peoples

Africa’s culinary landscape is a rich tapestry of biodiversity and tradition, holding beneath its vibrant surface a treasure trove of forgotten foods. These regionally adapted crops, once central to the continent’s diverse cultures, are critical to revisit as the world tackles pressing challenges like food security, climate change and environmental sustainability. African agriculture holds a vast, untapped potential that can transform the continent’s socio-economic landscape. Rich with diverse climates and

Call for Applications: Knowledge for Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) Innovation Facility
Communication and ICTs

Do you have an idea to scale up or scale out land restoration solutions? Share it with us! Are you working on innovative solutions that promote sustainable food systems and green wall actions? The Knowledge for Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) Innovation Facility is now accepting applications! Across the Sahel and the Great Green Wall region, powerful ideas like Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), grazing management and land restoration have already changed lives. But

A gift for conservation helps reduce conflict between humans and wildlife
Gender and youth

Chipo Munsaka explains that her first name means “a gift” in her language. “A gift for conserving wildlife,” the young Zimbabwean adds radiantly. That neatly sums up her commitment and contribution to addressing the growing problem of conflict between humans and wildlife. Chipo works as a Resource Monitor in northern Zimbabwe with the Mucheni Community Conservancy, which is being established with support from the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme. In

Rice-fish farming in the Land of Milk and Honey: South-South Cooperation is revolutionizing agriculture in Uganda
Gender and youth

Anastasia Mwamula roots weeds from her quarter-of-an-acre paddy field barefoot. It’s a back-breaking exercise. But, at 51 years of age and with eight children to feed, she’s gotten used to hard work. Every morning, Anastasia and her 58-year-old husband, Zakaria Wapali, leave their red-brick home on the edge of a tiny village known as Scheme View to tend to this and other crops on their 15-acre field, a two-kilometre walk

International Day of Forests 2025: Forests and Foods
Communication and ICTs

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

Farmer-Led Climate Adaptation in Africa: Top Practices
Resilience and climate change

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

Facing down drought in Zimbabwe with irrigation
Resilience and climate change

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

Special feature: World Fisheries Day 2024 -The role of small-scale fisheries in building a resilient future
Gender and youth

On 21 November 2024, World Fisheries Day is celebrated worldwide to highlight the vital role of fisheries in providing food, supporting livelihoods, and conserving biodiversity. This day emphasizes the importance of sustainable fishing and the responsible management of aquatic resources to ensure food security and socio-economic growth for future generations. Global fisheries and aquaculture production reached an all-time high of 223.2 million tonnes in 2022, with 185.4 million tonnes coming

Solar-powered solutions transform lives in Northern Ghana
Resilience and climate change

The long dry season—from November to April every year—used to be a hardship for the village of Kunkua in the Bolgatanga-East District of Ghana. But now, a solar-powered water system has transformed their fortunes in a remarkable way. Catastrophic climate change The northern region of Ghana is believed to be one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Longer and more frequent periods of drought have spelt disaster for the

Gender and climate-resilient agriculture: A review of concepts and practical resources in support of gender-transformative change
Gender and youth

To advance the use of gender-transformative approaches in climate-resilient agriculture (CRA), a review of practical resources that could support researchers and practitioners in applying gender and CRA was undertaken. The review consolidates and assesses diverse, practical resources—including research tools, methods and broader guidance—that aim to address gender inequalities/inequities, climate and agriculture, albeit to varying degrees. A conceptual framework was developed to guide the review. This framework helped establish the gender