Africa: ‘Green Revolution’ Comes Under Fire Again

“Despite assertions to the contrary, there is a real danger that the Green Revolution will turn into a corporate biotech boom and the destruction of rural resiliency – and diversity – in Africa,” says Green Revolution 2.0 for Africa? This time the ‘”silver bullet’ has a gun.”
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Africa: Rising Food Prices Will Kill Children, Says Panel

There will be a “sharp increase” in deaths among young children in Africa unless the international community finds a way of stopping the current rise in food prices, warns a top-level review panel set up to monitor whether the world’s leaders are meeting their commitments to Africa.
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Boosting Food Production in Africa’s “Breadbasket Areas”

New Collaboration among Rome-based UN Agencies and AGRA

An unprecedented partnership among key players in agricultural development aims to significantly boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions,” link local food production to food needs, and work across Africa’s major agricultural growing areas—or agro-ecological zones—to create opportunities for smallholder farmers.
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Africa: Fighting Poverty, Village by Village

Standing in the midst of a freshly planted maize field, Bright Osei Kwaku recalls that last year he more than doubled his output with the help of improved seeds, fertilizer and advice on farming techniques. Altogether, his 2-3 acres yielded about 15 100-kilogramme bags of maize, compared with just six bags the year before, when he had no such support.
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Africa: ‘Build Regional Markets to Prevent Hunger’

Regional trade agreements could not only serve to protect farmers in developing countries but could also be used for the swift distribution of food aid from neighbouring countries in times of famine.
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ADB Approves Subsidised Fertiliser Scheme

The annual meeting of the governors of the African Development Bank (ADB), held in Maputo on Wednesday and Thursday, approved the creation of an African Fertiliser Facility, that will make fertilizer available to African farmers at affordable prices.
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Africa plants more, led world in Billion tree campaigns

Four sub-Saharan Countries are reportedly leading in the billion tree campaigns initiated 18 months ago.

The four are led by Ethiopia Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal which however trails Morocco. Combined the four planted over the targeted one billion trees.In terms of geographic distribution, Africa is the leading region with over half of all tree plantings.
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Strong signs of record rice production

But prices are expected to remain high in 2008 – Myanmar disaster could worsen outlook

Production growth could even be higher if recent appeals and incentives to grow more rice lead to a larger expansion of plantings, according to the Rice Market Monitor. “But the cyclone disaster in Myanmar could well worsen our forecast,” she added.
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Africa: IMF Works With Vulnerable States On Food Price Policies

The IMF is working with vulnerable member countries to assess the fiscal, balance-of-payments, and income effects of higher food prices and of higher commodity prices more generally.
Several countries have asked for extra financial support to cover higher food import costs, and an IMF mission will shortly travel to Haiti to review the country’s need for increased financial assistance.
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Africa: Continent is Angry, Hungry, Violent

Poor food production techniques coupled with the fact that the majority of her people survive on less than $2 a day, make Africa the most vulnerable in this global shortage of food.

World Bank president Robert Zoellick estimates that “33 countries around the world face potential social unrest because of the acute hike in food and energy prices”.
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