The African Food Fellowship is nurturing leaders working to transform Africa’s food systems through sustainable, climate-smart farming. Among its 2025 graduates is Julia Nyawira of Seed Savers Network Kenya, recognised for developing a digital platform to improve farmers’ access to indigenous seeds, such as cassava and sweet potatoes, which are
In sub-Saharan Africa, 33 million women work as smallholder farmers, often cultivating plots under two hectares with limited access to land, finance, and markets. Despite their deep traditional knowledge of farming and local ecosystems, they earn little due to barriers in accessing supply chains and value-added processing. Agroecology—an environmentally friendly
At the International Conference on Contract Farming in Nairobi, experts, farmers, and stakeholders gathered to explore contract farming as a solution to the challenges African farmers face, particularly those caused by climate change, market uncertainty, and limited access to inputs. Conference Director Peris Wanjiku emphasized that contract farming helps farmers
East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) plans to expand its sorghum contract farming program beyond the current 40,000 smallholder farmers as part of a strategy to reduce reliance on raw material imports and lower production costs. Group CEO Jane Karuku highlighted this initiative during an investor briefing, where she also reported
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Dr. Andrew Karanja emphasized the vital role of contract farming in driving Africa’s economic and social progress, calling it a transformative tool for the agricultural sector. In remarks delivered on his behalf at ICCF 2024 in Nairobi, Dr. Karanja highlighted how contract farming provides
Farmers in Baringo’s Perkerra Irrigation Scheme are experiencing a major transformation through contract farming, shifting from subsistence to commercial agriculture with a focus on seed maize production. This change was made possible by the National Irrigation Authority’s (NIA) rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, which restored reliable water access, enabling farmers to
At the International Conference on Contract Farming (ICCF – 2024) held in Nairobi, FAO reaffirmed its commitment to promoting responsible contract farming and sustainable agribusiness development across Africa. Represented by Economist Lan Li, FAO highlighted the importance of best practices, regulatory frameworks, and innovative models that support equitable partnerships between