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    Zoetis secures $15.3 million grant to advance sustainable livestock production and improve livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Zoetis secures $15.3 million grant to advance sustainable livestock production and improve livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    At least 3 kg of food grown in Mozambique’s fields is lost due to inefficient processing, transportation, and storage-World Bank

    A change to hotter conditions is a looming challenge in the agricultural sector in the Southern African region

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    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    AfDB commits $10 billion to fight food insecurity

    AfDB commits $10 billion to fight food insecurity

    Africa’s Vast Arable Land Underutilised for Cash and Food Crops

    Africa’s Vast Arable Land Underutilised for Cash and Food Crops

    Africa’s new agriculture pledge on the cards

    Africa’s new agriculture pledge on the cards

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

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    Norway pledges to build resilience of small aquaculture farmers in East and Southern Africa

    Norway pledges to build resilience of small aquaculture farmers in East and Southern Africa

    Tropical Cyclone Ana: WFP ready to provide food and logistics support for rescue and relief operations

    Tropical Cyclone Ana: WFP ready to provide food and logistics support for rescue and relief operations

    Mozambique authorities seek to combat biodiversity devastation by clamping on illicit fishing

    Mozambique authorities seek to combat biodiversity devastation by clamping on illicit fishing

    World Bank, UN launch programme to help Mozambique improve forestry management

    World Bank, UN launch programme to help Mozambique improve forestry management

    Basis of the Nampula economy calls for a re-orientation of efforts towards the most profitable cash crops, Says Nyusi

    Basis of the Nampula economy calls for a re-orientation of efforts towards the most profitable cash crops, Says Nyusi

    Sporadic rains worry Zambezi farmers

    UN announces US$1.2mln animal health programme for Mozambique

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    Macfrut 2023,Turkey to participate in International Blueberry Days

    Macfrut 2023,Turkey to participate in International Blueberry Days

    First Special Agriculture Industrial Zone launched in Mozambique

    EIMA 2022: Unlocking the growth potential of Africa’s Agribusiness

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

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    Italian industry Growing Turnover despite the Economic Situation

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

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    It is through collective efforts and pursuit of mutual agreements and regional approaches and strategies that SADC can fully address national and intercountry investments on agriculture

    It is through collective efforts and pursuit of mutual agreements and regional approaches and strategies that SADC can fully address national and intercountry investments on agriculture

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    Russia-Ukraine war poses upsides risks on African agriculture: Economist

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    Mozambique Fisheries on high vigilance following outbreak of fish disease in Malawi

    Govt’s initiative to boost cotton and cashew income

    Govt’s initiative to boost cotton and cashew income

    Maize planter calibration to improve your profitability

    Maize planter calibration to improve your profitability

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    IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF BROILER BUSINESS

    IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF BROILER BUSINESS

    AWARD targets to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods

    AWARD targets to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    African women playing a critical role in local economic development

    Lusophone countries benefit from Africa Investment Forum

    President Nyusi excited about the prospects the new vegetable oil factory brings

    President Nyusi excited about the prospects the new vegetable oil factory brings

    Russian company to make a humanitarian fertilisers shipment to Africa

    Russian company to make a humanitarian fertilisers shipment to Africa

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    Лига Ставок Спорт-экспресс

    Мостбет Зеркало Рабочее Сегодня И Сейчас Вход Казань Вкалендаре

    Paratus Data Centers Unequalled in Africa

    Paratus Data Centers Unequalled in Africa

    Zoetis secures $15.3 million grant to advance sustainable livestock production and improve livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Zoetis secures $15.3 million grant to advance sustainable livestock production and improve livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    At least 3 kg of food grown in Mozambique’s fields is lost due to inefficient processing, transportation, and storage-World Bank

    A change to hotter conditions is a looming challenge in the agricultural sector in the Southern African region

  • Africa
    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    Diversified urban agriculture can help cities address the twin challenges of food security and climate change-Researcher

    AfDB commits $10 billion to fight food insecurity

    AfDB commits $10 billion to fight food insecurity

    Africa’s Vast Arable Land Underutilised for Cash and Food Crops

    Africa’s Vast Arable Land Underutilised for Cash and Food Crops

    Africa’s new agriculture pledge on the cards

    Africa’s new agriculture pledge on the cards

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

  • Company
    Norway pledges to build resilience of small aquaculture farmers in East and Southern Africa

    Norway pledges to build resilience of small aquaculture farmers in East and Southern Africa

    Tropical Cyclone Ana: WFP ready to provide food and logistics support for rescue and relief operations

    Tropical Cyclone Ana: WFP ready to provide food and logistics support for rescue and relief operations

    Mozambique authorities seek to combat biodiversity devastation by clamping on illicit fishing

    Mozambique authorities seek to combat biodiversity devastation by clamping on illicit fishing

    World Bank, UN launch programme to help Mozambique improve forestry management

    World Bank, UN launch programme to help Mozambique improve forestry management

    Basis of the Nampula economy calls for a re-orientation of efforts towards the most profitable cash crops, Says Nyusi

    Basis of the Nampula economy calls for a re-orientation of efforts towards the most profitable cash crops, Says Nyusi

    Sporadic rains worry Zambezi farmers

    UN announces US$1.2mln animal health programme for Mozambique

  • International
    Macfrut 2023,Turkey to participate in International Blueberry Days

    Macfrut 2023,Turkey to participate in International Blueberry Days

    First Special Agriculture Industrial Zone launched in Mozambique

    EIMA 2022: Unlocking the growth potential of Africa’s Agribusiness

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Italian industry Growing Turnover despite the Economic Situation

    Italian industry Growing Turnover despite the Economic Situation

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

    EIMA International 2022, a Global Event Returns

    African women playing a critical role in local economic development

    Lusophone countries benefit from Africa Investment Forum

  • Markets
    It is through collective efforts and pursuit of mutual agreements and regional approaches and strategies that SADC can fully address national and intercountry investments on agriculture

    It is through collective efforts and pursuit of mutual agreements and regional approaches and strategies that SADC can fully address national and intercountry investments on agriculture

    Africa’s local ownership drive must balance foreign investment

    President Nyusi reminds investors of the agricultural opportunities available in Mocuba District

    Russia-Ukraine war poses upsides risks on African agriculture: Economist

    Russia-Ukraine war poses upsides risks on African agriculture: Economist

    Mozambique Fisheries on high vigilance following outbreak of fish disease in Malawi

    Mozambique Fisheries on high vigilance following outbreak of fish disease in Malawi

    Govt’s initiative to boost cotton and cashew income

    Govt’s initiative to boost cotton and cashew income

    Maize planter calibration to improve your profitability

    Maize planter calibration to improve your profitability

  • Equipment
    IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF BROILER BUSINESS

    IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF BROILER BUSINESS

    AWARD targets to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods

    AWARD targets to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    Agricultural machinery: High demand on the world market

    African women playing a critical role in local economic development

    Lusophone countries benefit from Africa Investment Forum

    President Nyusi excited about the prospects the new vegetable oil factory brings

    President Nyusi excited about the prospects the new vegetable oil factory brings

    Russian company to make a humanitarian fertilisers shipment to Africa

    Russian company to make a humanitarian fertilisers shipment to Africa

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The pandemic must transform global agriculture

Ian by Ian
July 2, 2020
in Africa, Crops, Fresh Produce, International, News
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The pandemic must transform global agriculture
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The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the risks of unhealthy diets and the extreme fragility of the global food system. But the economic reconstruction that will follow the pandemic represents a perfect opportunity to provide better nutrition and health for all.

The Covid-19 pandemic should spur us to redefine how we feed humanity. The world now has a unique opportunity to adopt long-term measures to promote healthier diets, encourage farmers to produce a wider range of food, and strengthen collaboration among the public-health, food, and agriculture sectors. And agricultural research can play a vital role in transforming food systems and making them more sustainable and resilient.

The need for change is clear. For starters, unhealthy diets are one of the leading risk factors related to Covid-19 fatalities. The SARS-CoV-2 virus disproportionately affects people who are overweight, diabetic, or suffer from cardiovascular disease—all of which are linked to poor diets.

This crisis has also exposed the extreme fragility of the global food system. Social-distancing and lockdown measures to curb the virus’s spread have significantly reduced people’s incomes and thus global food demand. The resulting decline in food prices between January and May 2020 has profoundly affected the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers around the world.

The current food-production model is also driven by an estimated $600 billion in annual subsidies to farmers, mainly in advanced economies.

Moreover, closures of restaurants and schools, logistical disruptions, and shortages of migrant labour to harvest crops have resulted in huge amounts of wasted agricultural output. Many farmers are increasingly uncertain about starting a new crop cycle, although some highly competitive producers have prospered: for example, Brazil’s soybean exports to China reached a record high in the first five months of 2020.

But, given the food system’s fragility, any additional supply contraction or export restrictions could rapidly reverse recent price trends. Food prices could rise significantly, further undermining global food security.

Indeed, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimates that at least 14.4 million people in the 101 net food-importing countries could become undernourished as a result of the economic crisis triggered by Covid-19. In an extreme scenario – a reduction of ten percentage points in global real GDP growth in 2020—that total rises to 80.3 million.

In the short term, therefore, governments must not only provide financial support to individuals and firms affected by the pandemic, but also act to prevent a food crisis. Rather than interrupting trade, policymakers should facilitate it, and improve coordination and information exchange between food producers and buyers, especially at the local level.

Longer-term measures must include promoting healthier eating. In the last 60 years, global diets have become more homogeneous and increasingly dominated by staple foods that are high in energy and low in micronutrients.

Three crops—rice, maize, and wheat—provide more than 50 percent of the calories that humans gain from plants. People in general, but mainly the poorest, do not consume enough nutrient-rich food such as fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. And about 11 million people die each year as a result of unhealthy diets.

Identifying varieties of nutritious crops that can be reintroduced into diets is a top priority. For example, quinoa, fonio (a highly nutritious cereal for which there is growing demand), and African Bambara groundnut contain higher-quality proteins than most major cereals and can grow in harsh environments.

Further research could result in higher yields and lower prices, enabling such products to become more widely available. Governments and donors can help by allocating more funding for local producers of these and many other orphan crops.

Furthermore, researchers can use conventional plant-breeding methods to biofortify the crops that dominate current diets, particularly those of the poorest populations. Biofortification means developing nutrient-rich cultivars through selective crossbreeding of a high-nutrient variety with higher-yielding varieties. This involves tapping the genetic traits of thousands of crop varieties that are preserved in gene banks or still exist in the landscapes at their places of origin.

Supply-side adjustments should not end there, because food production is the main driver of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Agriculture uses large amounts of fresh water, accounts for 30 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and destroys natural habitats to make room for livestock and crops.

And yet agricultural research has long focused on boosting productivity rather than sustainability, with investments geared toward developing better seeds, more disease-resistant animals, and more efficient production techniques for a small number of plant and animal species. Governments have encouraged this trend with financial support, regulatory standards, and trade agreements.

But the race to produce and deliver cheap calories has caused collateral damage, mainly in terms of nutrition and local development. Because the “calories race” relies on value chains that focus on a few basic products from a limited number of countries, many other countries have become net food importers.

The pandemic has highlighted their excessive and fragile dependence on a few producers located thousands of miles away and underscored the need for shorter and more diverse value chains.

The current food-production model is also driven by an estimated $600 billion in annual subsidies to farmers, mainly in advanced economies. Such schemes generate excess supply and lower prices, thus limiting food production in countries that lack the fiscal capacity to support their farmers.

Cutting this Gordian knot requires decisive action on several fronts. We need additional research into food products that could sustain a more diverse and healthier diet; emerging and developing economies could produce many of them. Policymakers must also foster regenerative production systems that promote biodiversity and improve soil and water quality, which would contribute significantly to climate-change adaptation.

Governments, international organisations, and NGOs must take the lead in shaping an institutional environment that enables these far-reaching changes in the agricultural research agenda.

The pandemic has underscored the urgent need to transform agriculture. And the economic reconstruction that will follow it represents a perfect opportunity to provide better nutrition and health for all.

By Mauricio  Cárdenas and Juan Lucas Restrepo

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