New study sheds light on unlocking the potential of young people in Nigeria’s Agribusiness
The findings from the study reveal results based on age, education, gender; citing these as baseline reasons for lack of uptake of the training provided by the N-Power Agro Program. However, more than half of the study participants received employment or business opportunities which suggests that the N-Power Agro Program has succeeded in influencing youth’s willingness towards agribusiness.
Digital innovation to protect Colombian coffee farms and farmers
The coffee berry borer (CBB) is the most serious coffee pest worldwide, causing crop damage in excess of $US500 million, annually. In Colombia, 75% of coffee crops are affected by this pest. It directly damages coffee beans, destroying their taste and making them unsaleable. To exacerbate the problem, climate change enables the wider spread of CBB, especially at higher altitudes. To overcome losses, the trend amongst farmers is to intensify their activities and expand growing areas. CABI and partners are producing an alert system that uses climatic data and remote sensing technology to give farmers advance warnings of CBB surges, allowing them time to access and apply controls effectively. The project will also focus on overcoming gender disparities in coffee farming due to reduced participation by women.
African Crop Epidemiology System (ACES)
The increasing frequency and severity of pest (insects, pathogens and weeds) outbreaks are causing huge crop losses in Sub Saharan Africa. Reducing such losses requires the application of robust plant protection measures at farmers’ levels. Pest-mediated crop losses exceed 50% in both West and East Africa, but losses in northwest Europe stand at only approximately 18%. The development and implementation of an efficient, resilient and integrated plant protection system, that is guided by effective surveillance and forecasting of outbreaks, will help provide a timely and effective response and is expected to narrow the yield gap in many countries.
Promoting domestic coffee consumption in Africa
Coffee is a primary source of income for more than 12 million households in Africa, and, in particular for rural-based populations. Over 38% of the total population of Burundi, 23% Tanzania, 22% Uganda, 17% Côte d’Ivoire and 14% Ethiopia, for example, depend on coffee farming. Production of the crop has, for over two decades, been on a downward spiral in the continent, Ethiopia and Uganda excluded, driven by low and volatile international coffee prices. Increasing domestic coffee consumption is, therefore, seen as a viable avenue for cushioning coffee smallholders in Africa against price decline and volatility. CABI is undertaking this study to identify the factors underpinning domestic coffee consumption, the potential market size and possible paths for facilitating its growth. The study will provide statistical evidence on the existing market landscape and the concomitant investment opportunities.