Investigating technological risks in development and food security
Food insecurity, caused by increases in the global population and the loss of arable land due to climate change and conflicts, pose a major risk to human lives and well-being, especially in the Global South. While technologies have been introduced to tackle food insecurity, it is understood that unintended risks, such as loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution, have surfaced for local communities as a result. To maintain and improve food security, it is necessary to ensure that agricultural production is effective, efficient and sustainable. This project seeks to investigate how technologies that have been introduced as solutions to food insecurity have contributed to the creation of new technological risks, and how these technologies should be governed.
Strengthening pest and disease management in the SADC region
Transboundary plant pests and diseases threaten food and nutrition security and adversely affect trade and the agricultural sector’s competitiveness. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States, the five key priority pests include Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN), Tomato leaf miner (Tuta (Phthorimaea) absoluta), Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), Fall armyworm (FAW Spodoptera frugiperda), and Banana Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense Tropical race 4 (Foc TR4)). In this project, CABI is supporting the FAO-led Support towards operationalization of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR) project to strengthen national and regional capacities to prevent entry, control spread and manage these priority plant pests and diseases. The project will seek to support Member States in reviewing and developing harmonized national strategies for the key pests while providing training on Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) and implementing applicable Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.