Browsing: Maputo Declaration

• In an escalation of geopolitical tension, Russia has pulled a power move, ending the Black Sea Gran Initiative. To what extent does this decision threaten food security in Africa? 
• Collapse of the deal will drive inflationary pressure on grain prices, especially in countries heavily reliant on imports, experts warn.
• Currently, Africa is facing biting food shortage as inflation fueled by high food and fuel prices grips economies.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural produce especially grains through the Black Sea, has collapsed following the withdrawal of Moscow from the agreement. For those unaware, the Black Sea Gran Initiative, was negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022.

The deal, up to Monday July 24th, was allowing ships to carry fertilizer and agricultural products from three Ukrainian ports. It let ships to sail through strictly mapped routes, to avoid mines and …

To combat climate change and to mitigate its effects, Africa must adopt modern agriculture technologies, machine innovations and engineering for resilient crop varieties. Modern agriculture technologies help to manage farmers’ risks and even improve product quality which in turn brings about better prices.

Also, when it comes to modern agriculture technologies, there is renewed attention towards value addition, agro-processing and post-harvest management. These factors add to the need for increased investment in agriculture because they all translate to increased income and creation of employment opportunities.

This brings us to the question of funding. Where are countries supposed to get the money to invest in agriculture? To answer this question, African countries, almost all 55 of them, signed the 2003 Maputo Declaration, pledging to dedicate 10% of their annual budget to agriculture, but to date, few have done so.…

Until early 2019, Omar al-Bashir was the President of Sudan after holding the position from June 30, 1989, to April 11, 2019.

For the three decades he was president, the country had not witnessed an uprising over food in the scale as huge, and widespread until 2018 when the country erupted in violence over the price of bread.

So dire was the need for bread which was unavailable that people could go for days without bread. Not because they could not afford it but because it was simply not there.

Read: Will digital agriculture bring economic development to Africa?

This scenario sounds like a scene from a movie but it is the reality facing many African countries.

The lack of food is getting worse every passing year due to several factors including poor seeds and the ravaging effects of climate change and soil degradation. With the continent whose agriculture is …

In the recent budget estimates, the East African nation hailed as the economic hub of the region saw a paltry Kshs 98 billion allocated to the fledgeling sector.…

There are fears that Kenya will soon be facing challenges of food insecurity yet again despite the lack of a coherent plan on addressing this annual occurrence.

Coming at a time when food imports from neighbouring countries are continually increasing, the shilling is weakening making it even worse for millions facing starvation.

This food deficit is not unique to Kenya but it also characterises many African countries stuck in a cycle of inadequate food.

Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture

Ironically, many countries in Africa have vast arable land and a favourable weather. This means that it is easy to sustain agricultural activities. But, there is no political will to make this a reality.

Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but also the world but investments towards agriculture have been limited. Governments have failed to meet the Maputo Declaration on financing agriculture.

In the 2003 declaration, African governments …