Captive breeding and wildlife trafficking
According to a UN report, there is evidence that captive breeding is being used in some instances as a guise for the illegal trafficking of wildlife and their body parts.
Managing the risk of wildfires
A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme says wildfires will become an increasing reality for the world due to climate change and other factors. Thus, fire management and...
Climate change: why the world cannot afford a disorderly transition
A new report states that the lack of coordinated action on climate change poses profound dangers to society. Amongst these is an increase in already stark inequalities.
Alternatives to using plastics in agricultural production
While the use of plastics has helped farmers to produce more with less, the material presents an enormous environmental issue. This report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...
The scandal of food wastage: prepare for regulatory pressure
In South Africa, about 30% of local agricultural production is wasted every year, which is equivalent to an estimated R60 billion, or around 2% of GDP. In a country where...
Combating the effects of soil pollution
Soil pollution is a serious challenge worldwide, resulting in environmental damage and potential health hazards to people and animals. This report examines affordable ways in which farmers can limit its...
Why SA dairy farmers are failing to compete with imports
It is often argued that the ability of the local dairy industry to grow or even survive will depend on the extent to which it can compete with imported dairy products....
How civil society can help SA’s fight against food insecurity
A new study on emergency food relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, by researchers Camilla Adelle and Ashley Haywood, shows how civil society groups can help to restore South Africa’s...
The huge risks posed by antimicrobial resistance
Access to effective antimicrobials and their appropriate use have a role in productive and sustainable agriculture. However, the misuse of these products has contributed to rising rates of antimicrobial resistance,...
Inclusivity is crucial to SA’s livestock sector
Mooketsa Ramasodi, director general of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, argues that bringing South Africa’s informal livestock sector fully on board will not only improve the lives and...
Social protection for sustainable food systems
Social protection programmes to help farmers become more resilient aren’t just safety nets, but can help them make investments and meaningfully engage in markets, says the Alliance for a Green...
Southern Africa’s hunger hotspots
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme’s Hunger Hotspots report highlights the countries most at risk of increased food insecurity from August to...
Looking forward to 2022
The past year has brought with it many challenges, including a significant increase in the prices of agricultural inputs. However, farmers have shown that there is much strength in unity,...
Can SA grow its agro-processing sector?
One of the topics featured in the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s latest agricultural outlook report concerns the prospects for growing South Africa’s agro-processing sector. Using vegetable oil as...
Droughts: a global crisis that hits the poorest
According to a new report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, drought constitutes a global crisis that risks becoming a ‘pandemic’, causing widespread starvation if countries do...
Helping farmers in Africa to mechanise
There is sufficient evidence that mechanisation of farming can improve production, reduce losses and help develop rural communities. In this report, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations...
The economic and ecosystem impacts of GM maize in SA
A recent study by Kristiina Ala-Kokko, a researcher at the University of Arkansas in the US, and felllow researchers has shown that, despite the controversy that still surrounds the use...
The possible dangers of eating insects
The farming and processing of edible insects for human and animal consumption appears to be gaining in popularity. However, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,...
How COVID-19 changed agricultural policy
As governments implemented containment measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020, they also introduced ways of limiting the effects of the virus and related lockdowns on agricultural...
How much will it cost to save the planet?
The ongoing loss of natural spaces, including forests, has become a systemic risk for the global economy, warns the report, ‘State of Financing for Nature: Tripling investments in nature-based solutions...
