Pathways for stimulating economic development in local communities While it makes sense for African policy makers to move decision making closer to communities who are often impacted by shocks like climate change and economic collapse, most countries still struggle to embed socio-economic literacy and national policies into grassroots communities.  One of the main challenges is Read more about Pathways for stimulating economic development in local communities[…]

Why invest in production when there is no market for surplus commodities? Post-harvest losses remain very high in most African countries due to lack of solid plans on handling surplus commodities. This enduring problem is not only at farmer or community level but extends to national policy level where the quality of grain in national Read more about Why invest in production when there is no market for surplus commodities?[…]

Why African politics should stop undermining socio-economic development It is now widely known that politics sets the tone and context within which countries can convert natural resources such as land and minerals into better lives for citizens. However, the brand of politics in most African countries has continued to undermine socio-economic development in several ways. Read more about Why African politics should stop undermining socio-economic development[…]

Narrow extension models are no longer suitable for holistic food systems Besides being instruction-oriented, conventional extension models were designed to promote a narrow range of hybrid crops and livestock. This has rendered extension services in many African countries unfit for purpose given that African food systems are too broad and includes wild life that co-exist Read more about Narrow extension models are no longer suitable for holistic food systems[…]

The curse of imported knowledge and extractive investment models Local communities in the Global South are waking up to the limitations of imported knowledge and extractive investment strategies that leave them worse off. Meanwhile, African countries continue to use land, minerals, oil, gas, timber and many other natural resources to compete for investors. Policy makers Read more about The curse of imported knowledge and extractive investment models[…]

How can communities protect their food systems from external influence? Answering the above question is at the centre of a campaign being implemented by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) in more than 13 African countries including Zimbabwe. Dubbed My Food is Africa, the campaign started in 2022 with baseline surveys to understand Read more about How can communities protect their food systems from external influence?[…]

Local home-grown economy versus foreign currency – driven economy Besides loss of autonomy and exposure to external shocks, countries that are obsessed with foreign currency tend to marginalize the majority of citizens from participating in socio-economic development. Ideally, development should be seen in the well-being of local people. It is through investment in data collection Read more about Local home-grown economy versus foreign currency – driven economy[…]

Communities are not always waiting for external knowledge Contrary to most top-down extension approaches promoted in most African countries, communities are not always waiting for external knowledge but are often innovating and developing home-grown coping mechanisms. That is why it is important to first assess knowledge gaps first before introducing an idea or innovation. Assessing Read more about Communities are not always waiting for external knowledge[…]