We are pleased to share On Africa’s Farms, an eBook that compiles articles published in the Mail & Guardian Africa. They are a result of TrustAfrica’s partnership with the Nairobi-based news organization which seeks to enhance coverage of development issues.
This eBook, the first of several planned on various development topics, is devoted to agriculture. It includes articles on:
- How a national farmers’ association in Malawi is advocating for policies to benefit smallholders;
- A reality “make-over” TV show in Kenya encouraging young people to return to farming;
- How the push to adopt hybrid seeds is affecting smallholders and how better policies can support them; and
- An update on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), including success strategies in Nigeria, Zambia and Ethiopia.
“Our aim is to help smallholder farmers reach their great potential—and to spur economic growth that is widely shared,” writes Tendai Murisa, executive director of TrustAfrica, in the introduction to On Africa’s Farms. He adds: “These stories bear witness to the value of policies that invest in Africa’s farmers. We hope they will inspire others to share their stories as well.”
Charles Onyango-Obbo, the editor of Mail & Guardian Africa, observes that in order to achieve food security, the things that must change are “governments, policy, incentives,
and technology. Not the people.” He adds: “It’s their stories of overcoming odds that Mail & Guardian Africa feels privileged to share.”
Download On Africa’s Farms here.