African Agriculture and Food Systems
DAR ES SALAAM — In 1961, a chartered plane circled the Kilombero Valley, unable to land because the “fertile” plains had turned into an impassable swamp. Desperate to pay stranded workers at a sugar estate below, the pilot made a frantic decision: he would bomb the site with cash. Sacks of money were shoved out […]
The Revolution That Charges by the Hop: Why Kenya’s Digital Money is More Expensive Than the Cash It Was Meant to Replace By Anthony Muchoki | January 2026 I watched a mama mboga in Gikomba market last week reject an M-Pesa payment. The customer, a young professional, phone already out—looked genuinely confused. “Cash only,” she […]
A Strategic Pivot Toward Financial Innovation in African Agriculture Nakuru, Kenya – January 26, 2026 – In a decisive moment for African agricultural policy, Professor Andrew E. Temu has been appointed as the new Chair of the Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI), marking the beginning of a transformative era for the continent’s […]
🥔 The Global Potato Revolution: Feeding the World One Event at a Time Published: January 2026 | Category: Global Agriculture | Reading Time: 8 minutes Potatoes Across the World: The Humble Crop Ensuring Global Food Security In an era of unprecedented global challenges, one unassuming vegetable stands as humanity’s quiet guardian of food security. From […]
Kilimokwanza.org Paper No. 1 – January 2026 1. Macro-Economic Context and Sector Performance 1.1 Introduction: The Dual-Economy Transition The agricultural economy of Zanzibar is currently navigating a profound structural metamorphosis, characterized by a strategic pivoting from traditional terrestrial agrarianism toward a comprehensive “Blue Economy” framework. As of the 2024/2025 fiscal period, the sector remains the […]
At the IGNITE 2026 National Youth Agricultural Opportunity Dialogue, one message resonated powerfully: agriculture is no longer a sector of survival—it’s a sector of enterprise, innovation, and scalable wealth creation for young people. Held on Saturday, 17 January 2026, and broadcast by Mchongo Television, the national dialogue brought together students, young professionals, agribusiness leaders, and […]
In a working session held in recent days, heads of Tanzania’s agricultural agencies gathered not to celebrate plans, but to confront them. The Agricultural Master Plan 2050 (AMP 2050)—a sweeping blueprint for transforming the nation into a $100 billion agricultural economy by mid-century—has moved from policy document into operational reality. Now comes the harder part: […]
Tanzania Bureau of Standards Suspends 106 Quality Certificates and Licences Public Warning: Non-Compliant Products Removed from Market Dar es Salaam, 20 January 2026 The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has announced the suspension of 106 quality certificates and licences that permit products to use the TBS quality mark. The suspension, effective from the date indicated […]
In Nkhondola village in Zambia, Royd Michelo and his wife have transformed their farm into a self-sustaining agroecological landscape, exemplifying how ecological farming techniques are gaining recognition at global policy levels including COP30 climate negotiations. By Isaiah Esipisu Chongwe, Zambia: In a quiet village known as Nkhondola, in Chongwe District, Eastern Zambia, Royd Michelo and […]
By James Mwangi In the bustling agricultural markets of East Africa, a quiet but formidable transformation has been taking place across the southern highlands of Tanzania. What began over a decade ago as an ambitious experiment in public-private partnership—the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT)—is now shedding its regional skin to become a national […]