March 21
Malawi: Malawi Farmers Urged to Diversify From National Staple As Yields Drop
While maize harvests plummeted after Cyclone Freddy and El Niño, and look set to stay low, other crops have shown more resilience. Read more »
March 20
Africa: The AfDB's $61bn Initiative Will Transform Agriculture but for Whom?
The one-size-fits-all Dakar II plan risks sacrificing biodiversity and smallholders for the sake of private interests. There is an alternative. Read more »
March 05
Congo-Kinshasa: Farmers 'Chased' From Virunga Accuse 'Ruthless' Rangers of Abuses
Fertile lands in the biodiverse National Park are a coveted resource for a growing population - but those who farm there risk violent consequences. Read more »
February 22
Somalia: 'We Were Rich, Now We're Poor' - Life After Record Droughts in Somaliland
Without measures to build long-term resilience, fears are growing that once prosperous herders will end up depending on aid. Read more »
January 10
Africa: COP28 Just About Put Food Systems On the Climate Agenda. Now We Build
Though the talks' long overdue focus on food and agriculture ultimately disappointed, it provides a starting point for future action and advocacy. Read more »
October 19, 2023
Africa: New Research Further Debunks Legend of the Green Revolution
As farming becomes more precarious, some are calling for a second Green Revolution, this time in Africa. India's experience provides dire warnings. Read more »
October 11, 2023
South Africa: Informal Retailers - a Missed Opportunity for Tackling Food Insecurity in South Africa's Covid-19 Response
Debating Ideas aims to reflect the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing… Read more »
September 09, 2023
Algeria: A Mine in the Middle of Paradise
The Tebboune government is brutally suppressing any protest against a lead-and-zinc mine being built in a RAMSAR protected area. Read more »
August 29, 2023
Sudan: Sudan's Crisis - Can Cash Transfers Prevent Starvation and State Collapse?
Debating Ideas aims to reflect the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing… Read more »
June 01, 2023
Africa: Africa's Topsy-Turvy Food Paradox
Why embrace a food system proven to be harmful to health, nutrition, dignity, equality, local economies, and the environment? Read more »
May 26, 2023
Africa: 'Economic Bondage' - East Africa Farmers Worry Over What GMOs Might Mean
While proponents of genetic modification say it can increase yields, researchers point out that Africa already grows enough food. Read more »
May 03, 2023
Ethiopia: Five Reasons to Be Concerned About Gene-Edited Teff
A US research centre has created a new variety of teff, raising unanswered questions over its safety, ownership, and climate implications. Read more »
March 10, 2023
Africa: Why's the AfDB Siding With the Agrochemical Industrial Complex?
Against the wishes of hundreds of millions of farmers, the bank is backing a model that can push economic dependence, soil depletion and pollution. Read more »
August 30, 2022
Africa: Large-Scale Agricultural Projects Are Not Working
Big farming investments reduce local food security and erode trust. They need a fundamental rethink. Read more »
June 09, 2022
East Africa: Why Lake Victoria's 'Saviour Fish' Is Now the One That Needs Saving
Despite local measures to combat pollution and overfishing, stocks of the once bountiful Nile perch have fallen by at least three-quarters. Read more »
May 26, 2022
Mauritius: Protests - 'When People Feel Lost, They Resort to Revolt'
Cost of living protests descended in riots last month. Food and fuel prices are set to rise further. Read more »
May 11, 2022
East Africa: Lake Victoria Locals Blame Companies for Mysterious Mass Fish Die-Offs
Governments blame a range of factors for tonnes of dead fish washing up. Local fisherman and environment officers blame polluting industries. Read more »
April 28, 2022
Africa: Want to Get Girls to School in Sub-Saharan Africa? Tackle Poverty
A famous African adage says, "if you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation." The value and benefits of educating a female child… Read more »