Free farmland, for free trees

Walk just a little bit outside the community of Gamoa Onyadzie in the Central Region of Ghana, and you’re likely to come across government-owned forestation projects — tracts of land where the government is planting trees to establish forests. The community is host to a large-scale partnership with the Forestry Commission of Ghana that, if successful, could redefine how forestation projects are done in the country. For years, the community

Rural women: Strengthening leadership and influence

The leadership program dedicated to francophone rural women, launched last year, recently held its second edition. From May 27 to 31, 2024, in Munich, Germany, an intensive workshop brought together rural women from the 5 regions members of PAFO and their German counterparts from the German Rural Women’s Association (Dlv). Designed as an interactive training session, the workshop aimed to strengthen women’s decision-making skills within farmers’ organizations. Participants had the

EAFF and e-granary in the rural and digital finance ecosystem

The Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) has undertaken a significant project with the deployment of its integrated digital farmer services platform, e-Granary. This initiative, launched in partnership with AGRA’s Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers in Africa (FISFAP) program, aims to transform agricultural services for smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa. This learning brief captures the key lessons learned from the project, providing valuable insights for practitioners, researchers, and funders involved in

Tanzanian radio station runs competition. The prize? Trees!

When Hamida Ally Hoza learned she had won 20 tree seedlings for her participation in a radio program, she heard the news in the excited voices of her children, neighbours, and relatives. Mrs. Hoza, a 40-year-old farmer, lives in Ngulwi village in the lush landscape of Lushoto District in Tanzania’s Tanga Region. She tends to her half-acre farm, filled with various fruit-bearing trees. She says: “As an environmentalist, I was

Agroecology in fragile contexts in sub-Saharan Africa

Emerging evidence shows how agroecology, as a holistic approach, can improve the resilience of food systems and strengthen communities’ livelihoods towards food security. To what extent can this compelling approach offer responses before, during and after multiple types of crises? This online event is addressed towards humanitarian and development actors aiming to explore opportunities and limitations of inspiring agroecological best practice cases in fragile contexts. Date: 12 JUNE Time: 11:00

Special feature: International Day of Potato 2024 – Harvesting diversity, feeding hope

The International Day of the Potato 2024, May 30, is celebrated under the theme “Harvesting diversity, feeding hope,” bringing together innovation, resilience, and hope across Africa. YenKasa Africa celebrates this day by showcasing various potato stories, highlighting the continent’s diverse efforts to improve agriculture and food security. Potatoes are a key crop across diverse farming systems globally. As the third most consumed food crop globally, they contribute to the food

Planting trees in their own backyard

When Eva Abiba walks out her front door, there’s a tree planted in front of her house. Eva’s house is not unique in Shelanyili, where she lives, but it is unique compared to many communities in Ghana. Typically when afforestation projects are undertaken in Ghana, they involve large, dense plantations of trees next to farms or rural communities. But in Shelanyili, a small village in the Karaga District of the Northern Region,

Special feature: World Bee Day 2024 - Bee engaged with youth

World Bee Day 2024 celebrates the vital role of youth in beekeeping and pollinator conservation under the theme “Bee Engaged with Youth.” This year’s theme underscores the importance of global cooperation to safeguard food security and sovereignty, preserve rural and urban livelihoods, combat biodiversity loss, and foster a sense of unity and shared responsibility in our global community. Uniting young individuals worldwide to protect these essential species is crucial to

ANAP- Algeria:  An effort to professionalize beekeeping

The National Association of Professional Beekeepers (ANAP) has taken the initiative to professionalize the beekeeping sector in Algeria. It focuses on the genetic improvement of local bee populations and their adaptation to climate change. The aim is to increase bees’ resilience to growing environmental challenges, improve the quality of beekeeping products, and ensure that local bees can adapt to ongoing climate change. With the support of the FO4ACP Program, ANAP

Young people hold the key to Africa’s green economy

Globally, over 73 million young people are unemployed, with the issue most pronounced in rural areas of developing countries, particularly Africa. Annually, while 12 million youths enter the labour market, only 3 million jobs are created. As of 2020, one in five young people in Africa were neither working, studying, nor training. Producing nutritious food is increasingly difficult amid challenges like climate change, environmental degradation, and rising populations. The International