Author: J. Muthie

Eswatini Government and AATF convene forum to discuss impact of climate change on smallholder vegetable farmers

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with the Government of Eswatini and key partners convened a national conference to validate the findings of a research conducted to estimate the impact of climate change in the vegetable sector. The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Gugu Shabangu, said vegetable production was an […]

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New scientific bean variety defies naysayers in Nigeria, Ghana

By Alex Abutu Humans are by nature the most complex of all creatures. Their ability to think and reason explains why it is difficult to convince them to embrace new things. They are comfortable with what they have lived with over a long period. Most change managers fail because they lack the patience and skills […]

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Lesson for Africa on risks and rewards of regulating gene editing

Prudent regulation of research and innovation can strengthen the adoption and growth of Science Technology and Innovation (STI). Prof Martin Lema, a policy and regulation expert from Argentina, says a country’s regulatory environment can promote or stifle STI development. In the case of Argentina, regulations have pushed the country to a regional leader in the field […]

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To grow or not to grow: Africa’s lingering dilemma on GM crops

By Dr Francis Nang’ayo The potential revolution in farming made possible by Genetically Modified (GM) crops has been met with controversy, resulting in a great deal of ambivalence regarding policies for regulating this new technology. Whereas some farmers, mostly smallholders in developing countries, have adopted GM crops and are now growing them commercially, others have […]

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TELA Maize to boost yields and cut production costs, says agency

TELA Maize, a new high-yielding, drought and pest resistant variety undergoing trial in Nigeria, will boost yields and reduce cost of production, the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) has said. Prof Mohammad Ishiyaku, the Executive Director of IAR, said farmers will save billions in costs and harvest more with the new variety, plugging the perennial […]

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Hybrid rice technology is key to boosting production and agri-business in Africa

Rice is fast becoming a staple food in Africa, and the continent should adopt hybrid technology to boost production, improve incomes and create jobs for the youth and women. This was the clarion call during the Fifth African Conference of Science Journalists organised by the Media for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture (MESHA) in May […]

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Malawi becomes tenth African country to open OFAB Chapter

The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) is now in Malawi. This follows the launch of the local chapter at a function presided over by the Minister of Education Hon. Agnes NyaLonje. The Chapter will be hosted by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), which advises government and other stakeholders on science, technology […]

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Gender mainstreaming in AATF institutional and project activities

African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has developed a Gender Strategy (2018 – 2022) in pursuit of gender equity through gender mainstreaming. This involves a process of incremental change in policies, strategies, and activities. The long-term objective is that attention to gender equity will pervade all policies, strategies, and activities, so that women and men influence, […]

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Investment in Science, Technology, and Innovation critical for Africa’s agricultural development

African governments and regional economic blocs have been urged to increase funding for Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) and create an enabling environment for technology adoption. This would transform livelihoods and enable the continent to benefit from modern agricultural innovations such as biotechnology including gene-editing and other emerging technologies for sustainable economic growth. This call […]

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