By Thobeka Dintwe
Climate-Smart Livestock Farming: Thriving in a Changing Southern Africa
As climate change continues to reshape the agricultural landscape across Southern Africa, smallholder farmers are facing the brunt of the challenges: rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and unpredictable rainfall. In a region where livestock farming has traditionally played a vital role in livelihoods and food security, the effects of these climatic shifts have put added pressure on farmers to adopt more sustainable and resilient practices.
This article delves into climate-smart livestock farming—a strategy designed to help farmers cope with climate change while maintaining productivity and sustainability. We will cover key practices such as rotational grazing, water conservation, and breeding for drought-resistant livestock, …...
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Food Security in Southern Africa: A Growing Challenge Amidst Climate Change
Food security remains one of the most pressing challenges in Southern Africa. With climate change, economic instability, and growing population pressures, millions of people in the region face the risk of hunger and malnutrition. Southern Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate-induced shocks, such as prolonged droughts, floods, and irregular rainfall patterns, which affect agricultural productivity—the backbone of many economies in the region.
According to a 2023 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 45 million people in Southern Africa are experiencing acute food insecurity. Countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia are witnessing rising levels of hunger due to …...
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Raising Livestock in the SADC Region: What Farmers Need to Know in 2024
Farming is more than just a way of life here in the Southern African Development Community (SADC); it’s the backbone of many rural economies. Livestock farming, in particular, is vital for food security, providing meat, milk, and other essential products. It’s also a key source of income for smallholder farmers, and let’s not forget, livestock often serves as a store of wealth and a symbol of status in many communities.
With ever-changing weather patterns, new diseases, and the growing pressure to produce more with less, farmers across the SADC region are looking for smarter, more efficient ways to manage their herds. …...
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Food Security & Policy in ECOWAS: Charting a New Course for West Africa's Future
In the sprawling, sun-soaked landscapes of West Africa, food security has always been an issue that’s about more than just food. It’s about economic power, political stability, and ultimately, the survival of millions of people. With its rapidly growing population, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stands at the crossroads of one of the biggest food security challenges the continent has ever faced.
Today, more than 350 million people call the ECOWAS region home, and with that number set to skyrocket, the question of food security is no longer just an agricultural issue—it’s an existential one. With climate change, …...
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Food Security & Policy in Southern Africa: The Fight for Our Future
In the sprawling landscapes of Southern Africa, where sunburnt savannahs meet fertile valleys, a new battle is unfolding—a battle for food security that could shape the future of our region and the lives of millions of young Africans. For decades, food security has been one of the most pressing challenges in this part of the world, but now, with the onset of climate change, the intensifying threat of economic instability, and a rapidly growing population, the stakes are higher than ever.
For young people—the generation most poised to feel the long-term impacts of today’s decisions—the conversation around food security is not …...
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