In Nigeria and many developing economies, smallholder farming operates within fragile systems that limit progress regardless of farmers’ effort or experience. Beyond the inherent risks of agriculture, weak infrastructure, inconsistent policies,...
Every year, either in the rainy or dry season or both, there are farmers who cultivate crops or rear livestock on a small scale as a business to cater for their family and sustain their livelihood. Generally, they are known as smallholder farmers as...
In my many years of working with farmers, I had never experienced rainfall on a New Year’s Day in Nigeria, until now. There was no clear forecast, no strong signal that it would happen, yet it did. That moment reminds us that the climate we once...
As this year comes to an end, I write today with a heart full of gratitude and reflection. Gratitude for your resilience through another season of farming and reflection on the lessons the year has quietly taught us. I have walked through farms where...
In this 21st century, there are different planting media that we could grow our crops in, but in all developing countries, soil has been the main planting medium for smallholder farmers in cultivating various crops. Over the years, soil fertility has...
In my over decades working with smallholder farmers, tree felling is an important activity that many farmers engage in. The felled trees serve as wood for various purposes such as fuel for cooking, materials for housing, canoe making amongst other...
A distortion along the agricultural value chain affects the whole chain and when barriers are added to the support functions and enabling environment, the market systems are crippled, inefficient and unreliable to deliver its services, resulting in...
In the last few months, we have seen or read some disturbing news and videos on critical food safety issues happening around us. Some traders use harmful substances to ripen fruits faster and also some vegetable farmers use other substances to reduce...
Developing nations, particularly those in Africa, possess vast potential to scale agricultural production and productivity. Yet, for years, achieving this potential has remained just a dream. The sector's underdevelopment and poor productivity stem...
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing three important social challenges: food insecurity, low average incomes and high unemployment rates. Agriculture can be a key sector to address each of these challenges. And progress can be accelerated by lowering...
Don't forget about buckwheat. Far better for bees than wheat or mais. And healthy! As a grain, f.i. ideal tasty base for kind of couscous...