Juno: Transforming Evidence for Agriculture, Food and Climate
To respond urgently in times of crises we need to be ready. Researchers need the know-how and tools to develop rapid evidence synthesis at short notice, and coordinated networks need to be able to translate, communicate, and share evidence at a moment’s notice so that policymakers can use that evidence.…
Smallest agri-SMEs in Africa owner-managed by women bore the brunt of COVID-19, new CABI study reveals
The smallest agri-SMEs in Africa owner-managed by women bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research led by a team of CABI scientists and published in the journal CABI Agriculture & Bioscience. The researchers studied data from 119 agri-SMEs – ranging in size from sole proprietorships with…
Rapid appraisal of the financing landscape for the coffee sector in Africa
The coffee sector in Africa provides a vital source of income for many smallholder farmers and accounts for a large proportion of export income for many countries. However, access to finance for production, in-country processing and marketing of coffee is one of the main challenges limiting the transformation of the…
USD $106bn finance gap in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia agricultural business
The Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme has published ‘The state of the agri-SME sector – Bridging the finance gap.’ The report estimates demand for financing, from around 220,000 agri-business SMEs in sub Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia at USD $160bn with banks, impact investors and other financial…
Strengthening food security post COVID-19 pandemic and locust attack
Thirty-seven percent of Pakistan's population is already vulnerable to food insecurity. This figure will soon exacerbate given the effect of recent external challenges including the rapid spread of Covid-19 and its subsequent Government restrictions, and Pakistan’s largest locust infestation in 25 years devasting large areas of agricultural land, including cotton,…