Agric & Biotech

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Community Based Resource Management, Niger Delta has disbursed N26. 7 million to Youth in Agriculture Foundation in Akwa Ibom State. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Godwin Afangideh, presented the cheque to the Chairman, Commodity Apex Development Association (CADA) in Uyo on Thursday. Afangideh, who was represented by the Director ...

With ‘Food Safety’ being the theme of this year’s World Health Day on April 7, 37 laureates of the Right Livelihood Award from across the world have endorsed a declaration on the future of nutrition, denouncing Golden Rice and Genetically Modified Bananas as ‘false miracles’ to achieving food security. Golden Rice is a genetically engineered rice variety offered by GM proponents as ...

One of the familiar narratives for the promotion of genetically modified (GM) crops is that they have the potential to alleviate poverty and hunger. But the real impacts of GM crops deserve closer assessment, writes Wanqing Zhou, research associate in the Food and Agriculture Programme at the Worldwatch Institute. The analysis explores trends and consequences of GM crops   The amount of ...

The Kaduna State Government has commenced disbursement of loans to farmers in the state under a partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) with a total sum of N1 billion ready for access by the farmers. The state governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, disclosed this at a flag-off ceremony and distribution of cheques to benefiting farmer cooperative groups and individual farmers in the ...

Growing cotton provides livelihoods for an estimated 100 million households in as many as 85 countries. But adverse global market conditions and reliance on large doses of water, fertilizer, and pesticides impose considerable social and environmental costs, writes Michael Renner, senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute. Although synthetic materials are making inroads, cotton remains by far the most important natural fiber ...

The Rockefeller Foundation, the African Union Commission and the International Fund for Agriculture Development on Sunday in Rome, Italy launched the ‘Leadership for Agriculture (L4Ag): The Network for African Ministers of Finance and Agriculture’ on the sidelines of this year’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Governing Council Meeting. L4Ag is an exclusive network of Africa’s ministers of finance and ...

Oxfam Nigeria, with the Human and Environment Development Agenda (HEDA), has launched the food and climate justice campaign with the aim of changing public attitude towards agriculture and building a movement to increase food sufficiency for local consumption and export. An official of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mrs. Funmi Tsewinor, said the increasing global impact of climate change affects ...

The African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD Agency have launched the AU Implementation Strategy and Roadmap to achieve the 2014 Malabo Declaration, for agricultural growth and shared prosperity. The Strategy was launched Tuesday night at a high-level dinner on the fringes of the 24th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In his statement to 300 senior officials, NEPAD Agency Chief Executive ...

Studies find informal markets provide essential sources of food and income for millions of poor, with milk and meat that is often safer than supermarkets Misguided efforts to control the alarming burden of food-related illnesses in low-income countries risk intensifying malnutrition and poverty – while doing little to improve food safety. Blunt crack-downs on informal milk and meat sellers that ...

Cassava farmers in Nigeria and Zambia who have adopted mechanised production and improved farming practices reap up to four times additional yield and attract higher purchase prices through structured market linkages, according to the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)   Farmers participating in the African Agricultural Technology Foundation’s (AATF) Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project (CAMAP) in Nigeria and Zambia realised ...