Africa: Africa's Top Climate Change Challenges - a Fairer Deal On Phasing Out Fossil Fuels and Mobilising Funds

Nearly 600 million people across the African continent still lack access to electricity. Close to one billion rely on traditional biofuels for cooking. Africa is also very… Read more »

Africa: 33 Million Women Grow Food On Plots in Sub-Saharan Africa. Greener Farming Can Boost Their Earnings - Study

There are 33 million smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, making up 80% of the total farmer population. These farmers cultivate small plots of land of less than two hectares… Read more »

Africa: Nature's Underground Engineers - How Plant Roots Could Save Harvests From Drought

Ever wondered how a delicate plant root can push its way through hard ground? It's a feat of engineering happening beneath our feet. Read more »

South Africa: 8 Policies That Would Help Fight Poverty in South Africa's Economic Hub Gauteng

Poverty goes beyond income. It often arises when health, education and opportunities fall short of meeting people's needs. Read more »

Africa: Africa's Smallholder Farmers Are Using Bright Ideas to Adapt to Climate Change - G20 Countries Should Fund Their Efforts

Across most of Africa, rural communities grow their own food, relying on smallholder agriculture. But climate change is threatening this way of life. Read more »

South Africa: 3d Printed Food - Yuck or Yes? Researchers Ask South African Consumers

Would you eat food that was printed by a machine? 3D printed food is built up by equipment (a 3D food printer), layer after layer, using edible pastes, dough and food slurries in… Read more »

Africa: Hold Up, Humans. Ants Figured Out Medicine, Farming and Engineering Long Before We Did

Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours. Read more »

Tanzania: Livestock and Lions Make Uneasy Neighbours - How a Fence Upgrade Helped Protect Domestic and Wild Animals in Tanzania

Protecting livestock in areas where large carnivores (like lions) live is increasingly important as human land use expands, wildlife habitat shrinks, and climatic changes reshape… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan's War Is an Economic Disaster - Here's How Bad It Could Get

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. What began as a struggle for power has turned into a… Read more »

Africa: Many Fish Are Social, but Pesticides Are Pushing Them Apart

Scientists have detected pesticides in rivers, lakes and oceans worldwide. So what are these pesticides doing to the fish? Read more »

Africa: Autonomous AI Systems Can Help Tackle Global Food Insecurity

There is a growing and urgent need to address global food insecurity. This urgency is underscored by reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which… Read more »

Mauritius: Mauritius Is Facing a Water Crisis - Harvesting Water From Its Rivers With 10 Reservoirs Can Help - Research

Mauritius's water supplies are running very low. As a small island, it is affected by tropical cyclones, rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and a warming ocean. Rainfall… Read more »

South Africa: What Students Eat - I Conducted a Survey At a South African University's Cafes - the Results Are Scary

University students have limited spending money and their schedules are packed. Many are adapting to new lifestyles on campus. Eating a healthy diet is crucial: a poor diet leads… Read more »

Africa: Africa Has the Highest Rate of Forest Loss in the World - What the G20 Can Do About It

Africa needs its forests for sustainable development, poverty reduction, food security, and to make the continent more resilient to climate change. They take up 23% of the… Read more »

Africa: Fruit Peels Could Help Power Your Smartphone's Camera Flash - Here's How

Imagine turning fruit waste into technology that stores electricity. This would reduce food waste and promote clean energy storage. Postdoctoral researcher Vianney Ngoyi Kitenge… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigerian and Kenyan Farmers Can Be First Step to Making Rural Mini Grids More Profitable and Affordable

In Nigeria and Kenya, many small to medium farms and rural grain-milling businesses are not connected to the national electricity grid. They still use petrol or diesel generators… Read more »

South Africa: Most South African Farmers Are Black - Why Trump Got It So Wrong

When world leaders engage, the assumption is always that they engage on issues based on verified facts, which their administrative staff are supposed to prepare. Under this… Read more »

Africa: From Furry Friends to Fish, Turning Up the Heat Helps Animals Fight Germs - How Mother Nature's Cure Offers Humans a Lesson On Fever

Why do people get fevers when we get sick? Read more »

Kenya: Is This Bad for My Health? Kenyan Study Tests Three Types of Warning Labels On Food

Diet-related health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, are on the rise in Kenya, putting immense strain on already over-stretched public health systems. These… Read more »

Africa: Terrorists Use Food As a Weapon - How Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab Exploit Hunger

Over the last decade, there has been growing international focus on the role of food in conflict, particularly in Africa. The continent has seen an increase in jihadist terrorism… Read more »

Southern Africa: Southern Africa's Rangelands Do Many Jobs, From Feeding Cattle to Storing Carbon - a Review of 60 Years of Research

South Africa's rangelands have always had great value for the country. These areas offer more than just grazing for livestock. They provide services like purifying water, storing… Read more »

South Africa: Marketing Unhealthy Food As Good for Kids Is Fuelling Obesity in South Africa - How to Curb It

Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country's children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to… Read more »

Southern Africa: Heat Extremes in Southern Africa Might Continue Even If Net-Zero Emissions Are Achieved

Human emissions of greenhouse gases have caused rapid global warming. This has made high-impact, heat extreme events around the globe more and more intense over the past 70 years.… Read more »

Africa: Investing in Agriculture Reduces Poverty and Inequality - Economic Model Finds the Best Funding Mix for 10 African Countries

Africa faces challenges in reducing extreme poverty and inequality. In 2024, 8.5% of the global population was living in extreme poverty (that is, on less than US$2.15 a day).… Read more »

South Africa: A Basic Income Support Grant Can Address Extreme Poverty and Inequality in South Africa - Economic Model Shows How

South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. The country's per-capita expenditure Gini coefficient, a measure of how spending from income is distributed,… Read more »