Professor Helmut Asche is an economist and sociologist. From 1985 to 1998 he worked as an economic advisor for GTZ. Until 2016 he taught as an honorary professor at the Department of Anthropology and African studies, University of Mainz.
The refugee crisis shed a completely new light on the issue of jobs in Africa
In most African countries, the majority of people work in agriculture. According to predictions of the future economic structure of sub-Saharan Africa, by far the largest number of new jobs – at least in rural areas – will also be in agriculture. Alongside this, employment opportunities are emerging in modern service sectors, especially the IT industry.
It seemed unrealistic for Africa to imitate the East Asian development model.
Less than 20 years ago, experts confidently described this combination of agriculture and services as typifying the trend of development on the African continent. Especially in the English-speaking world, academic papers that addressed the question of ‘should Africa industrialise?’ regularly concluded that it should not and recommended instead that it should leapfrog the industrial age. This leapfrogging would involve omitting an entire economic sector – that of manufacturing – and moving directly into an agriculture-cum-service age. It seemed unrealistic for Africa to imitate the East Asian development model. This way of thinking completely excluded a specific industrial policy that could have boosted the faltering development of industrial productivity. There was too deep-seated a memory of the grandiose attempts of Latin America and Africa to bring about industrialisation through state-owned companies operating behind high tariff walls – endeavours that with some exceptions resulted mainly in the production of white elephants.
There has been a radical paradigm shift here – and it has occurred not just since the refugee crisis shed a completely new light on the issue of jobs in Africa but in fact some years before that. New studies of structural change and employment trends in Africa have shown that continuation of the present trend – involving job growth in the private and public service sectors and to some extent in agriculture – will not create anywhere near the number of jobs needed to absorb the up-and-coming cohorts of young people looking for work. The demographic window of opportunity will quickly snap shut again. Extrapolated scenarios highlight the need for a radical game change – which will not happen without energetic political support. Alongside manufacturing industry as a driver of job creation, industrial policy thus once again takes centre stage in the development policy debate. Also on the agenda now are the new challenges of economic and environmental sustainability. The belching smokestack phase of catch-up industrialisation is no longer a realistic option, in Africa or elsewhere. A paradigm shift is therefore needed on no fewer than three fronts. The task facing a ministry of trade and industry that is responsible for coordinating this process with the private sector could not be harder.
Planning has become harder rather than easier
However, there is at least some clarity with regard to the practical essentials of modern industrial policy – namely a joint search for industrial opportunities by the public and private sectors, and selective promotion with clear time horizons, feedback loops and public control (see: PEGNet Policy Brief). What is far less clear in theoretical terms is which industrial sectors the economic latecomers among the developing countries should focus on. This is a result of the heuristic disposition of modern industrial policy, which has elevated collective self-discovery in a world of complex inter- and intra-industry division of labour to the status of a principle. Patterns of growth are generally more diverse than they were in earlier industrial periods. The classical sequence of industrialisation – typically from light to heavy industry – is not one that developing countries can readily pursue. Rational planning in the context of modern industrial policy has thus become harder than in the past rather than easier.
Of course even in such a scenario many agriculture-related jobs will still be created, for example in agroindustry or in the processing of agricultural commodities such as textiles and leather. The situation benefits from the fact that the paradigmatic flying geese of labour-intensive industrialisation, which originally took off in Japan, moved westwards from China a long time ago. However, an economy as a whole does not learn much from the establishment of mature labour-intensive industries. In Africa – as elsewhere – job creation is not the same thing as knowledge creation. An economic policy that promotes dynamic industrial networks must aim at both. With deliberate reference to the processors contained in our computers, I have termed this the ‘dual core’ of modern industrialisation strategies. In practice it is South Africa’s partially successful industrial policies that provide the closest example.
Many of these trends cannot be confidently predicted for Africa – and this uncertainty extends to the promise held out by the digital revolution. IT-saturated sectors are one of the principal areas in which leapfrogging is actually taking place; it can be observed in the skipping of the landline telephone stage and the development of innovative banking services. Startups focusing on the development of software and IT-based services are blossoming in Africa. By contrast, there is as yet no clear picture of how developing regions will be affected by the new risks to classical industrial employment that arise from the spread of the Internet of Things and what Germany has termed ‘Industry 4.0’. We do not know precisely what the ultimate effect of the digital revolution in Africa will be.
Let’s stick to the subject of leapfrogging. The second sector that is coming up with innovative technical solutions in Africa is renewable energy: off-grid solar systems are particularly promising and combinations of off-grid and on-grid solutions will no doubt take off soon. As in the field of telecommunications, the systemic failure of large-scale networks in Africa is being creatively bypassed and the outcome is a growing contribution to sustainable economic development as defined by the SDGs. In any case, it has now become clear that – contrary to the theories of old-fashioned development economics – leapfrogging relates not to the skipping of industrialisation in general but to progressive leaps forward geared to sustainable and inclusive solutions within particular industries and services. However, the African energy policy debate is still a long way from coming down on the side of sustainability. Large coal-rich countries such as Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa face a complex public choice, at least for a transitional period in their development: should they rely entirely on renewable energies or go for an energy mix for the time being?
Some researchers say that in view of the global trade in tasks, African companies should focus on individual work processes and not on the establishment of entire industrial sectors.
Equally unclear is the outlook with regard to industrial division of labour. Promoting the participation of African producers in global and regional value chains is one of the new development cooperation mantras. Some researchers say that in view of the global trade in tasks, African companies should focus on individual work processes and not on the establishment of entire industrial sectors. Yet despite recent descriptions of the great unbundling of concentrated industrial production, we are now witnessing a trend towards re-agglomeration of important industrial sectors. Does it make sense after all to have a fully integrated textile chain in Ethiopia, or at least in a regional community? It is hard to advise developing countries on this point. In view of these uncertainties, which can only be reduced by a structured public-private dialogue with practical iteration loops, and also on account of the notorious political and economic risks – corruption, clientelism and so on – modern industrial policy in developing countries is one of the most challenging areas of policy. Many countries will be unable to deal with it, especially as there are a couple of other problem areas that also come into play.
One of the most exciting development policy challenges for some time to come
Helmut Asche: "Africa is full of imaginatives for a sustainable industry."
Promotion of industry is particularly difficult in a group of countries that should be able to fund it themselves: countries that are rich in mineral resources. After decades of discussion of the ‘resource curse’ and the Dutch disease, development economists still have no more than a vague idea of how to deal with the structural disadvantage of agriculture and the manufacturing sector.
And, finally, there is the issue of the connection between industrialisation and regional integration. One aspect of this is the fact that, for reasons of economies of scale, a whole range of industries depend on large connected markets. At the same time, successful regional integration requires the relatively balanced industrialisation of member states, and that is even harder to achieve politically. Promoting regional value chains does not automatically have a balancing effect. In consequence, both industrialised and developing countries often fall for the idea of pursuing an industrial policy that hits out at their own regional association. Whether it is ‘Buy American’ at the expense of NAFTA or ‘Buy Ugandan’ at the expense of the EAC, it is always a problematic policy, to put it mildly. The links between agricultural, industrial and trade policy are in any case uncertain territory. For all these reasons, the list of African countries that have actually pursued a successful industrial policy in particular sectors is very short: Botswana, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda and South Africa. And there is not a single oil producer among them.
One can also have a positive take on this: sustainable industrialisation is going to remain one of the most exciting development policy challenges for some time to come, and Africa is full of imaginative initiatives in this field.
A world without hunger and with sufficient healthy food as well as climate-friendly agriculture can only be achieved if ideas are transformed into innovations and ultimately also applied - a conversation with BMZ Head of Division Sebastian Lesch on the Innovation Challenge programme of the new Agricultural Innovation Fund.
Peasant farmers tend to fail due to bank credit limits. But investment could help them generate a sustainable income. This has given rise to an intense discussion about potential digital solutions.
Does Africa's youth want to live in the city or in the country? Which career path seems particularly attractive? And how optimistic are the young people about the future? Young adults from rural areas answered these questions by SMS.
Shortly before ending his position as Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPR) Dr. Shenggen Fan talks about the reforms and new modes of operation needed to achieve global food security in the coming decade.
Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.
In western Africa a new middle class is emerging. Their consumer behaviour is determining the demand for products – home-produced and imported goods, on the internet or at the village market. The people of Ivory Coast in particular are looking to the future with optimism.
A report by T. S. Jayne, A. Adelaja and R. Mkandawire
Thirty years ago, Africa was synonymous with war, famine and poverty. That narrative is clearly outdated. African living standards are rising remarkably fast. Our authors are convinced that improving education and entrepreneurship will ensure irreversible progress in the region even as it confronts COVID-19.
Startups are booming in African agriculture. What are the current trend and challenges – and can other regions benefit from innovative approaches? A Video-Interview with Claudia Makadristo, Regional Manager of Seedstars
International agricultural research is responding to new challenges: Their advisory group is undergoing a fundamental reform process and unites knowledge, partnerships and physical assets into OneCGIAR.
Artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain are the hottest topics of our time. The digital transformation of the African agricultural sector is ready for take-off. What will it take for the future of technology to hit the ground running?
Lots of apps are entering the market, but what really makes sense? For African agriculture, some of it seems like a gimmick, some like a real step forward. So this is what a smallholder farm in Africa could look like today - with the help of smartphones, internet and electricity.
It is 2080. We are on a farm somewhere in Africa. Everything is digital. The blockchain is an omnipotent point of reference, and the farm is flourishing. But then, everything goes wrong. A dystopian short story, written exclusively for SEWOH.
Jehiel Oliver was a successful consultant. One day, he quit his job in investment banking to become a social entrepreneur. His mission: tractors for Africa. Rental tractors. What gave him that idea? Find out in his interview with Jan Rübel.
A contribution by Sarah D´haen & Alexander Müller, Louisa Nelle, Bruno St. Jaques, Sarah Kirangu-Wissler and Matteo Lattanzi (TMG)
Young farmers’ insights on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa @CovidFoodFuture and video diaries from Nairobi’s informal settlements.
At the moment, the agricultural industries of African countries exist in relative isolation. Imagine peasant farmers digitally connected to the value chains of the global food industry. How could this happen? A guidebook.
There is a clear global task: We need to feed nine billion people by 2050. We, the people of Earth, must produce more food and waste less. That is the top priority of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), too - the description of a challenge.
At the beginning of December 2018, AGRA's board of directors met in Berlin. The "Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa" panel discussed the next steps in their policy of modernizing agriculture. How to go on in the next ten years? One question - many answers from experts.
Joe DeVries is a breeder – and Vice President of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa). What are the chances and risks of a ’green revolution‘ in Africa? A discourse between Jan Rübel and him about productivity, needs, and paternalism.
Stefan Liebing is chairman of the Africa Association of German Business. The manager calls for a better structure of African farms. Jan Rübel asked him about small farmers, the opportunities for German start-ups and a new fund.
The project “Scaling digital agriculture innovations through start-ups” (SAIS) supports Africans going into business in the agricultural and food sector in scaling their digital innovations and thus reaching out to a larger number of users.
Africa has a huge opportunity to make agriculture its economic driver. However, the potential for this is far from being made exhaustive use of, one reason being that women face considerable difficulties in their economic activities. The organisation AWAN Afrika seeks to change this state of affairs.
The COVID 19 pandemic is hitting developing and emerging countries and their poorest populations particularly hard. It is important to take countermeasures at an early stage. Companies in the German agricultural sector want to make their contribution to ensuring the availability of urgently needed operating resources.
Time to dig deeper: We can only benefit from technical progress if we have a solid legal framework for everybody. But so far, none is in sight - in many countries. Instead, international corporations grow ever more powerful.
The region of Sub-Saharan Africa is on the decisive verge of a great development boost in farming: it could skip entire generations of technological development. But how? About possible roles and potentials of digital services.
Stig Tanzmann is a farmer and adviser on agricultural issues at ‘Bread for the World’. Jan Rübel interviewed him about his reservations about AGRA's strategy.
What do electrical engineering, telecommunications and agriculture have in common? They arouse the passion of Strive Masiyiwa: Thirty years ago, he started an electrical installation company with $75, later riding the telecommunications wave as a pioneer. Today he is committed to transforming African agriculture.
Climate change is destroying development progress in many places. The clever interaction of digitalisation and the insurance industry protects affected small farmers.
A new study on the digitalisation of agriculture puts farmers back at the centre of their own sector, identifies market gaps and gives recommendations on how to support relevant actors.
VR glasses are hardly a conventional tool in agriculture: for the past three years, they have been used in rural areas of Burkina Faso and Cameroon as a training tool for sustainable cotton cultivation.
Studies show that women often manage agricultural resources more effectively and sustainably. With equal access to production resources, agricultural yields could increase by up tp 30 per cent. But this is about more than just productivity. How can gender-transformative approaches (GTA) drive meaningful change and why are GTA key to sustainable change?
“In times of global crises and growing budget constraints, strong partnerships are more crucial than ever” – this statement by Federal Minister Alabali-Radovan in the German Bundestag in mid-May is also a guiding principle for the German Agribusiness Alliance. For greater cooperation between politics and the private sector in development cooperation, writes Director Dr. Per Brodersen.
Agrivoltaics is a concept that combines photovoltaic electricity generation and agricultural production, providing the opportunity for a more efficient land use and contributing overall to the integration of food, energy and water systems. This can be particularly interesting for countries in the Global South, where rural electrification rates are often low and food security needs to be improved.
Africa’s drylands seem to be predestined for generating solar and wind power – especially given the current hype over green hydrogen. However, pastoral communities are often put at a disadvantage in this respect. Our author describes the arising conflicts and what successful coexistence of green energy projects and the communities could look like.
Every child in Germany knows Ritter Sport – but most of the children harvesting cocoa on western African plantations have never even eaten chocolate. Can a chocolate manufacturer change the world? Conversation with Alfred Ritter about the power and powerlessness of a businessman.
By leasing a three hundred hectare fruit plantation in Ethiopia, Lutz Hartmann has realised a long-cherished dream: to run his own business in Africa. Now he has a personal interest in the issue of Africa’s development.
Companies in Africa that need financing between $20,000 and $200,000 find relatively few investors, as this sector is too large for microcredit and too small for institutional investors. This creates a "gap in the middle" where companies have limited options. A project of the World Resource Institute provides a remedy with the Landaccelerator 2020.
Innovation is the only way to end hunger worldwide by the deadline we have set ourselves. The secret lies in networking and sharing ideas – and several initiatives are already leading by example.
What are the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture? Where do they help, where do they harm? Lena Luig, expert for the development policy organization INKOTA, and science journalist Ludger Weß discuss this controversial topic of international scope.
A quick and cost-effective method calculates living wages and incomes for many different countries. The GIZ together with Fairtrade International and Richard and Martha Anker have developed a tool that companies can use to easily analyse income and wage gaps.
The Federal Government is fine-tuning a law that would require companies to ensure human rights – a supply chain law. What are the consequences for the agricultural sector? Dr Bettina Rudloff from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) discusses linking policy fields with added value.
‘Fair’ and ‘sustainable’ are key words in Germany’s EU Council Presidency. At the same time, Germany pursues ‘modernization’ of the WTO and ‘rapid progress’ on free trade agreements. Are these goals really compatible? Can we be concerned about fairness and sustainability while continuing with ‘business as usual’?
Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.
A contribution by Michael Windfuhr (German Institute for Human Rights)
Land rights are no longer governed by the law of the strongest. That is what the international community has agreed to. Governments and private companies have a duty to respect human rights and avoid corruption.
Agnes Kalibata, AGRA president since 2014 and former minister of agriculture and wildlife in Rwanda, is convinced that Africa's economy will only grow sustainably if small-scale agriculture is also seen as an opportunity.
From a circular food system in Rwanda to functioning cooled transports in Kenya: The lab of tomorrow addresses development challenges such as preventing food loss and waste
In Zambia, innovative approaches are used to address the problem of post-harvest losses in the groundnut value chain. GIZ's Rapid Loss Appraisal Tool (RLAT) can help to develop more such approaches.
How investing in healthy soils provides incentives for more sustainable agriculture even as it demonstrates the need for far reaching changes in the agrisector.
At the 8th German-African Agribusiness Forum (GAAF) representatives from business and politics discussed successful investment models to improve living conditions in Africa.
The German government is struggling to pass a supply chain law. It is intended to address violations of human rights, social and environmental standards. What would the consequences be for business? A double interview with Veselina Vasileva from GEPA and economics professor Andreas Freytag.
Future generations need more sustainable and stable agri-food systems. But how can this comprehensive transformation succeed and what responsibility does the private sector bear? These questions were the focus of the G7 Sustainable Supply Chains Initiative (G7 SSCI) side event as part of the ‘Champion Youth Action’ day at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).
The Berlin start-up Klim is forging an alliance between farmers and companies. The aim is to use regenerative farming to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it as carbon in the soil. An interview with Nina Mannheimer.
Female founder Ebun Feludu wants to bring the coconut value chain to Nigeria with her start-up Kokari. In this interview, she explains why she envisions every coconut palm tree bearing its own name in the future and how digitalization can contribute to this.
The demand for fair-trade cocoa is growing – but how is the industry responding? In an interview, Claudia Brück, Executive Board Member of Fairtrade Germany, and Dr. Torben Erbrath, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry, discuss progress as well as challenges, and why real change can only be achieved through long-term commitment along the entire supply chain.
A Contribution by Carlos Castellanos & Yvonne Bielfeld
The shoe manufacturer Cueros Vélez as a good example of private sector responsibility: the photo gallery shows how the bark of the rubber tree becomes a reliable yet deforestation free companion on our roads.
For everyone in the supply chain to benefit, it is essential that politics and business work together. The measurable successes of such partnerships are demonstrated by the following six projects: they show how cooperation with the business sector can make supply chains fairer, more resilient, and more sustainable step by step.
In Eastern El Salvador, campesinos are cultivating a self-image to encourage rural youth to remain in rural areas. With help from Caritas, they have adjusted the cultivation methods to their soils and traditions - Marvin Antonio Garcia Otero,the deputy director of Caritas of the Diocese of San Miguel believes this is the best way to prevent rural exodus and criminality.
The United Nations plan a Food Systems Summit - and now the Corona-Virus is dictating the agenda. The Chief Economist of the UN World Food Programme takes stock of the current situation: a conversation with Jan Rübel about pandemics, about the chromosomes of development - and about the conflicts that inhibit them.
How can agriculture modernise Africa? And does the road to the cities really lead out of poverty? Dr. Reiner Klingholz from the Berlin Institute for Population and Development in conversation with Jan Rübel .
This is a benchmark for everybody: More rights for women are a very influencing solution in the struggle against extreme poverty and hunger worldwide, says Stephan Exo-Kreischer, Director of ONE Germany. The organisation specialises in political campaigning as a lever for sustainable change.
Happy youngsters in rural areas, green development and the connection to the digital age – professor Joachim von Braun believes in this future sceneraio for Africa. For three decades the agricultural scienties has been researching how politics can create prosperty on the continent.
Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest growing population. For many young people, agriculture could offer a job perspective. But to improve the living conditions and job prospects of young people in rural areas, political reforms and investments are desperately needed, as these people will be at the centre of agriculture and agricultural development in the future.
A contribution by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Africa’s population is young and ready to take its destiny into its own hands. Agriculture offers amazing opportunities in this regard. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation wants to support the next generation in this way.
Lack of seasonal workers and virus explosion in slaughterhouses, rising vegetable prices, climate crisis – all this demonstrates: Our food system is highly productive and (at least for the rich inhabitants of planet earth) guarantees an unprecedented rich and steady food supply - but it is not resilient.
Interview with Gnininkaboka Dabiré and Innocent Somé
Later on you want to become a farmer yourself, or would you prefer to take up another profession? Two young people from Burkina-Faso talked to representatives of the Dreyer Foundation about their parents' farms, the profession of farmer and their own plans for the future.
A contritbution by Essa Chanie Mussa (University of Gondar)
Rural youth need viable livelihood opportunities to escape out of poverty and realize their aspirations. How could they be helped to fully unleash their potential? This is an aloud call that needs novel strategies among governments, policy makers, and international development partners and donors.
As President of the IABM cooperative in Muhanga, Alphonsine Mukankusi is not simply focused on the figures. She has learned how to deal with people and how to take on responsibility. At the same time, her work helps her to come to terms with the past
A report by Alexander Müller and Jes Weigelt (TMG)
As the climate changes, the population of Africa is growing and fertile land and jobs are becoming scarcer. New ways are currently leading to urbanisation of agriculture and a new mid-sized sector in the countryside
Interview with Paul Newnham, Director of the SDG 2 Advocacy Hub.
The UN Food Systems pre-Summit in Rome dealt with transforming the ways of our nutrition. How do you bring that to a broad public? Questions to Paul Newnham, the Director of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 Advocacy Hub.
Interview with Martina Fleckenstein (WWF), Michael Kühn (WHH) and Christel Weller-Molongua (GIZ)
After the summit means pre-summit: It was the first time that the United Nations held a summit on food systems. Martina Fleckenstein, Michael Kühn and Christel Weller-Molongua reviewed the situation in this joint interview.
Genetically modified bacteria become edible proteins, cows graze on pasture, and no waste is produced in an industrial circular economy. Journalist Jan Grossarth sees a silver lining for the future of world nutrition
The world’s population keeps on growing; with this rise comes an increased need for food as well as productive employment opportunities. Offering young people in rural areas better employment prospects is one of the objectives of the sector project. The young population is the key to a modern and efficient agricultural economy.
At the ICTforAg conference in March 2022, the digital agriculture community exchanged on the challenges and opportunities associated with the next green revolution.
In the run-up to the G7 summit, experts from politics and civil society discussed sustainable and more effective options for action by the G7 states to combat hunger.
Why are short- and long-term responses important to address current and future global crises? Sebastian Lesch, Head of the Agriculture Division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), provides answers to these and other questions in an interview with the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD) and explains how much Germany welcomes all donors pulling together and acting in concert.
A contribution by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge
In the video format "#99SecondsWith" of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Prof. Dr Anna - Katharina Hornidge talks about the new Africa-Strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Small farmers often have a hard time getting financing. An app in Nigeria wants to change that: Founder Blessing Mene about what his app offers - and about the opportunities and limitations of agricultural financing.
A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
At the network meeting "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future", almost 250 participants from over 20 countries came together to exchange experiences and ideas on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. The final product, joint recommendations to transform agricultural and food systems, can now be read online.
It takes the joint efforts of diverse actors to achieve a transformative impact on the global food system. Barbara Rehbinder, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), discusses four people-centred principles to get closer to this goal.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, not all financial institutions (FIs) have access to knowledge about how to implement processes to enhance rural financial inclusion. The pan-African Community of Practice (CoP) plays a pivotal role in supporting these institutions along this transformative journey.
How can agriculture engage more young people in rural areas? Advocacy and education campaigns can play an important role here. Simeon Kambalame, Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation, has launched such a campaign in Malawi.
Roughly 800 million people suffer from hunger worldwide. Change is needed - for people and for the environment. Brot für die Welt reports on the starting points offered by everyone's ecological footprint and handprint.
Shu Wen Ng is a health economist. She knows what is best suited to go on a plate. But how can this be achieved on a mass scale in countries with lower incomes? "The solutions to gett there already exist," she says, "but what is often missing is courageous leadership to implement them."
During the Women Leadership Programme in May 2024, around 20 women from African countries and Germany met again for a one-week workshop in Bavaria, Germany to become fit for leadership in their organisations. One topic that concerns the women across countries is climate change, but also violence against women and their discrimination in agriculture.
At the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH), organized by the African Union (AU) and the Government of Kenya in May, the Nairobi Declaration was adopted. It aims to triple domestic production of organic and inorganic fertilizers by 2034 and to improve access and affordability for smallholder farmers. GIZ reviews the Summit.
A Contribution by Emmanuel Atamba & Larissa Stiem-Bhatia
Drawing on dialogues with experts in Kenya, TMG Research releases its latest policy brief highlighting the critical need to strengthen coordination mechanisms in food systems governance. Emmanuel Atamba and Larissa Stiem-Bhatia from TMG Research summarize the results.
A Conversation with Carmen Torres Ledezma & Oluwaseyi Kehinde-Peters
Female Leadership is vital to the transformation of agriculture and food systems. Therefore, it is so important to advance gender-sensitive approaches to increase the presence of women in leadership positions in agricultural production and to make these systems more equitable, sustainable and resilient.
Soil health is the foundation of agriculture and therefore a crucial prerequisite for feeding humanity. Minhaj Ameen from the Agroecology Fund on how healthy soils can be achieved.
Food systems shape social realities. Whether legal claims can be enforced also depends on access to legal institutions. Camara Castro from the Amka Africa Justice Initiative shows how legal work in Kenya helps reduce the gap between law and lived reality and contributes to making agri-food systems more just.
African countries still face huge gender gaps in terms of access to work and capital. What are the consequences of Corona for women in Africa? Jan Rübel interviewed Léa Rouanet on lockdowns and gender-based violence. The economist works at the Africa Gender Innovation Lab of the World Bank.
Over a period of two years, the Ceres2030 team spent researching answers to the questions of how much it will how much it will cost to realize SDG 2 and where that money should be spent most effectively. IISD Senior Advisor and Ceres2030 Co-director Carin Smaller about small farmers, machine learning and women empowerment.
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 shows that the world is not on track to meet the international goal of “zero hunger by 2030”. If we continue at our current speed, around 37 countries will not even have reached a low hunger level by 2030.
The CGIAR agricultural research organization is systematically repositioning itself. We spoke with Juergen Voegele, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank, about progress to date - and discuss what needs to be done collectively to stop global hunger in ten years.
110 speakers from 120 countries met virtually at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) to discuss the challenges to global food supply. They asked the question: How can food systems support the health of people and the planet?
In August, Germany’s development ministry set up a division concentrating on One Health topics. Parliamentary State Secretary Maria Flachsbarth on knowledge gaps at the human-animal-environmental interface, the link between One Health and food security, and lessons learnt from previous pandemics.
From the lab to the masses: Maria Andrade bred varieties of biofortified sweet potatoes which are now widely used all over the continent. She sets her hope on the transformation of African agriculture.
A contribution by Heike Baumüller, Christine Husmann, Julia Machovsky-Smid, Oliver Kirui, Justice Tambo
Any initiative whose aim is to reduce poverty in Africa should focus first on agriculture. But what kind of investment has the greatest impact? The use of scientific criteria provides some answers.
The lockdown due to COVID-19 hit the economy hard - including agriculture in particular with its supply chains and sales markets. What creative coping strategies have those affected found? The Seminar for Rural Development has begun a research study on th
Freshwater deficits are affecting more and more people throughout the world. In order to counter this, our global food system will have to change, our author maintains. A case for more research on alternative crops and smart water solutions.
Vertically growing plants, magnetic cotton. Hairy leftovers fertilizing fields, tractors running on algae? These six innovations could lead agriculture’s next Green Revolution!
A conversation with aquatic researcher Shakuntala Thilsted on the long-neglected nutrition benefits of aquatic diets and the empowering qualities of a sustainable aqua-food systems transformation.
At the UNCCD COP15, the Töpfer Müller Gaßner Think Tank (TMG) hosted four side events. The agenda of the kick-off event included discussions for the Human Rights and Land Navigator.
A Contribution by Adrian Muller, Catherine Pfeifer and Jürn Sanders (FiBL)
Taking Biodiversity Focus Areas under production or abandoning lower yielding, more extensive production systems is the wrong approach to mastering the looming global food crisis, say the authors of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).
Taking a look at the data (as of February 11th 2022) what the current price hike means for world hunger and what can be done to prevent from another food crisis.
New insights on trade and value addition in the rice sector in West Africa
Low import tariffs, smuggling activities, unpredictable tax exemptions and weak enforcement of food safety standards: The potential of local rice value chains is undermined in West African countries.
The Corona pandemic is hitting economies around the world very hard - but developments in African countries are quite diverse. There are different speeds, resiliences and vulnerabilities. What are the reasons for this? Apl. Prof. Jann Lay of the GIGA Institute provides answers.
Interview with Caroline Milow and Ramon Brentführer
Groundwater resources remain dormant in the soil of African regions. Where does it make sense to use them – and where does overexploitation of nature begin? Caroline Milow (GIZ) and Ramon Brentführer (BGR) talk about potentials in the future and lessons from the past.
Agriculture is coming under pressure worldwide: bacteria, viruses and insects are causing problems for crops. In Palestine, Dr. Rana Samara from the Palestinian Academy of Science and Technology is researching solutions to the problem. And she finds them in nature itself.
A Conversation with Shakuntala Thilsted & Andreas Schaumayer
On the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025), Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and Shakuntala Thilsted, Senior Nutrition Expert at CGIAR, discussed the crucial role of aquatic foods in nutrition, livelihoods, and climate resilience.
The soybean is a natural crop that can be used to make a lot of food. So, Tata Bi started a small processing business first on her own, then with a few other women, which provides the women with an additional source of income year-round besides selling the soybeans.
What contribution does development cooperation make to conflict prevention? What can it do for sustainable peace? Political scientist Karina Mroß talks to Raphael Thelen about post-conflict societies and their chances for peaceful development.
The Cashew Council is the first international organisation for a raw material stemming from Africa. The industry promises to make progress in processing and refining cashew nuts - and answers to climate change
In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.
Fish is important for combating malnutrition and undernourishment. But it is not only notable for its nutritional value, but also secures the livelihoods and employment for 600 million people worldwide.
In October, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) adopted policy recommendations ‘Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems’. Anke Oppermann answers five questions on youth employment in the agricultural sector.
Priscilla Impraim is one of the first women in Ghana to enter the chocolate business. Despite some hurdles, she founded the company Ab Ovo Confectionery Limited in 2006 with currently six permanent employees and 25 seasonal employees.
Saskia Widenhorn, Head of the Cotton Component in Cameroon and the Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative at GIZ, reports on the Bremer Cotton Week, which brought together international industry experts. The agenda included supply chain transparency, sustainability and new forms of cooperation between the private sector and partner countries.
Three female entrepreneurs from Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Uganda tell their stories about starting organic businesses from scratch, now selling Baobab Oil, Gotukola powder and Shea butter in international markets. And they explain why their business is almost 100 percent female.
Kenya is a large importer of vetable oils mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia - amongst them sunflower oil. Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there were supply bottlenecks and food shortages, leading to less affordable vegetable oils in Kenya. As a response to the lack of supply, the Sanga'alo Institute of Science and Technology, took that impulse, teamed up with the GIZ and established regional cultivation and refinement of sunflowers.
There are only about 1 million jobs in the East African country. The majority of the population works in the informal sector, and it can be difficult for them to find customers. Biscate offers a digital solution - without the need for internet, data or smartphones.
Together they are stronger: In many African countries, young men and women are coming together to form youth organisations. These organisations help young people in rural areas to earn a living in the agricultural and food sector, creating prospects for the future in rural areas.
gebana, a Swiss fair trade company, follows the principle of "sharing" with its corporate philosophy: farming families in the Global South participate directly in the sales of their online shop. Caroline Schaar, Marketing at gebana, explains the company's approach.
As a passionate social scientist and entrepreneur from Malawi, Ngabaghila Chatata knows that she can overcome any challenge. Her story stands out in a country faced with high unemployment, particularly in its rural areas. As the managing director of Thanthwe Farms, she has set out to inspire the next generation of young agripreneurs – proving that successful business starts with the right mindset, not only capital.
German and Ugandan women farmers come together in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to exchange experiences – from modern milking systems to the challenges of women's participation in agricultural decision-making. Amid goats, lavender ice cream, and engaging discussions, one thing becomes clear: women can achieve great things together, across borders and generations.
Maura Oerding has a mission: With the specialty coffee Angelique's Finest, she not only wants to enter new markets but also revolutionize the coffee industry. Her recipe for success? Empowering women from Rwanda and Uganda from cultivation to marketing. Oerding’s goal: quality, fairness, and self-determination in every bean.
In a new study, the international humanitarian agency CARE analyses how the economic and social barriers faced by women significantly reduces the global gross domestic product (GDP). At the current rate, it will take 152 years to close the economic gap between women and men – although closing this gap would be extremely profitable from an economic perspective.
The rural population and vulnerable groups should be involved in the implementation of the African Union's Kampala Declaration on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. This is the demand of sociologist Lawani Arouna, Vice President of the Regional umbrella organisation of farmers' associations in West Africa (ROPPA).
Development cooperation doesn't resonate in Germany? The Bavarian rural women have a different story to tell. A visit to a training session with female smallholder farmers from Kenya, Zambia and Uganda in Bavarian Herrsching am Ammersee.
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