Browsing: sustainable agricultural practices

Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and Sustainability. Woman using manure as fertilizer. www.theexchange.africa

Organic farming a prototype for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Industry and Trade
  • Organic agriculture is the use of green manure, compost, biological agriculture, and biological fertilizers derived from animal waste.
  • To promote the organic sector in Africa, countries should implement the African Heads of States Decision EX.CL/Dec.621(XVII) on Organic Farming which was made following the report of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture held in Lilongwe, Malawi in 2010.
  • The organic farming market size is expected to grow from $150.63 billion in 2021 to $169.04 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%.

In addition to existing agricultural challenges, pandemics and wars such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war created issues such as the increase in prices of fuel, food commodities, and particularly agrochemical input.

A shortage of chemical fertilizer, is driving up food costs and creating a crisis for countries in Africa and has many farmers desperate and looking for alternatives. According to The Conversation …

Africa climate smart techniques Albert Nangara. Pic1

Ensuring Africa’s food security by adopting climate-smart techniques

Industry and Trade

The economies of African countries’ are dominated by agriculture and the continent’s growth relies heavily on the performance of the sector. However, climate change is a threat to agrarian operations and one of the biggest challenges to food security systems in Africa.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has yielded devastating effects exhibited by acute food and commodity shortages the world over. This has ratcheted pressure on Africa as a continent to rely on its produce by using climate-smart techniques. Africa imported a range of agricultural products worth US$6.9 billion from Russia and Ukraine in 2020.

According to the World Bank, more and more African countries are realizing that the development, promotion, and adoption of climate-smart technologies, implementation of the right enabling policies, and development of relevant skills in Africa's food system workforce are among the game-changers that can truly make a difference.

“Agriculture is a victim of climate change but also…

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