African Agriculture and Food Systems
“Malawi is hurting. The signs are everywhere—empty granaries, mothers skipping meals so their children can eat, and markets where the price of maize, our staple food, has soared beyond the reach of ordinary families,” said Pamela Kuwali, Country Director of CARE Malawi and Food Systems Leader, in a stark warning issued Thursday. Speaking ahead of […]
This KILIMOKWANZA.ORG report provides a comprehensive analysis of the “spinach” value chain in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. It begins by deconstructing the term “spinach,” revealing a complex agricultural niche occupied by an introduced species—Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla), the dominant commercial “spinach” 1—and several African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs), principally Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), known as […]
The HoBIS 2025 Declaration: A ‘Tanzania Inc.’ Strategy is Unveiled The Horticulture Business and Investment Summit (HoBIS 2025), convened from November 12–13, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, was not a standard trade conference. It was a meticulously orchestrated declaration of national economic strategy. Convened by the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) in partnership with the Government […]
Section 1: The Foundations of Competitiveness: Frameworks and Metrics 1.1. Defining the Competitiveness Paradox: From Macro-Trade to Micro-Value Chains The analysis of African agricultural competitiveness is defined by a central paradox: a continent endowed with immense potential, including 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, has simultaneously experienced a decline in its share of global […]
Kigali, Rwanda, November 3, 2025 — The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has reiterated its commitment to working alongside African governments and regional institutions to accelerate agricultural transformation as the continent enters a decisive phase in food systems reforms. Speaking during the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP) meeting held […]
When Empire Met Reality in the Tanganyikan Bush A Feature Story on Colonial Hubris and Agricultural Catastrophe by Anthony Muchoki In the scorching heat of January 1947, Major-General Desmond Harrison stood atop a Land Rover, surveying the vast Tanganyikan bushland stretching endlessly before him. Armed with little more than British optimism and a government checkbook, […]
Partnership targets 21,000 farmers, aims to quadruple yields and position Tanzania as a regional soybean hub By Elizabeth Shumbusho, Kilimokwanza Reporter Dar es Salaam, October 23, 2025 — In what stakeholders are calling a watershed moment for Tanzanian agriculture, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and PASS Trust formally signed a three-year partnership agreement that could revolutionise […]
DODOMA – The Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Gerald Mweli, has ordered the immediate reinstatement of 216 employees of the Wakulima Tea Company (WATCO), which operates tea factories in Katumba and Mwakaleli in Rungwe District, Mbeya Region. The directive came during a meeting in Dodoma on October 21, 2025, with company owners, […]
A single acre can yield 145,000 shillings in profit—or wipe out your entire investment. Agricultural experts reveal why potato farming in Kenya is a gambler’s crop. Nakuru: In the rolling hills of Meru, John* counted his losses last harvest season. The 200,000 Kenyan shillings he had invested in potato farming—his hope for a better year—had […]
Section 1: Executive Summary The landscape of Value Chain Finance (VCF) in Kenya represents one of the most dynamic and pivotal arenas for economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. With an estimated market size for supply chain finance reaching approximately KES 2.8 trillion ($24.8 billion), the sector is not merely a niche financial offering but a […]