Discussion

Thank you to all who joined our Webinar on 6th May. If you couldn't join, you can watch the recording below and find slides attached. All questions asked on the webinar are also included further down this page.

Based in South Africa, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) is a research organisation that facilitates policy development and dialogue across three focus areas: trade and industrial policy, inequality and economic inclusion, and sustainable growth. Read their latest work on Agriculture here. My Smart Farm Read how South African farmer, Wolfgang von Loeper, sought to achieve sustainable yet productive agriculture by using data collection and monitoring of farm ecosystems. Is this the rise of "Farming 4.0"? AB Farms: Using hydroponics to enhance food security Read how Mogale Maleka and Tumelo Pule combined their engineering experience to design and test new hydroponic approaches that allow farming without soil. Small Business Development in the Climate Change Adaptation Space in South Africa A longer report discussing the opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get one step ahead in climate smart farming approaches. You can here Economist Shakespear Mudombi speak on our Agriculture webinar (6th May) or visit the TIPS website at: https://www.tips.org.za

" Revitalization of a traditional agricultural practice known as farmer managed natural regeneration is bringing new life to millions of acres of degraded land while boosting food, fuel, habitat and carbon storage." This article from February 2020 discusses the opportunities and benefits of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) techniques in Africa. For example, it is estimated that farmers are growing an additional 500,000 metric tons (550,000 tons) of grain a year through FMNR in Niger, supplying grain to 2.5 million people and increasing gross income by US$900 million per year. “Restoration has to do with two things: biodiversity and equity — equity in the sense that regreening should benefit smallholder farmers,” says Reij. “The big push should be mobilizing millions of smallholder farmers to invest in trees themselves. If we cannot accomplish that, we cannot win the battle against land degradation.” Do you think FMNR has a place in Africa's Green Economy? What other agricultural practices could protect and enhance natural and social capital? Read more here: https://bit.ly/35G6VWI