LDRI launches comprehensive source for agriculture data on Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

The Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) has launched a knowledge and data portal encompassing research, reports, policy briefs and news on agriculture in Africa, known as TransformAgriculture.org, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Executive Assistant and Communications Officer, Wangui Muriu, in a press statement sighted by NaijaAgroNet, quoted the LDRI’s Executive Director, Mr. Muchiri Nyaggah as saying that the portal makes it possible to find, for the first time, data, research and news on Africa’s agriculture from multiple sources in one place.

“The portal is also the online home of a multi-stakeholder collective known as the Network for Agricultural Transformation in Africa (NATA),” he said.

Data and research on Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda, Nyaggah said, currently resides in numerous locations spread out across the Internet. This makes discovery of insights, content and data for decision-making fairly difficult for the continent’s growing number of public, private sector and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) experts.

He explained that TransformAgriculture.org has been designed to solve this problem for members of the network and any expert looking for data, research or news on Africa’s agricultural transformation journey.

Organized along the categories used by the results framework for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), Nyaggah said, the portal will make it possible for those supporting or reporting on the CAADP Biennial Review to find the information they need.

“During the last quarter of 2016, additional functionality to accommodate the Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals have been provided to further improve discoverability of content within those frameworks,” he said.

Nyaggah emphasised that numerous organizations at the multi-lateral or NGO level are producing data and research as part of efforts to end extreme poverty, hunger and reduce inequality in Africa.

“The data and research are vital for implementation of CAADP as well as the SDGs and Agenda 2063; making it easier to find and share is therefore very important in empowering our continent’s experts to get their job done,” he enthused.

Equally speaking, the Co-founder and Director for Technology at LDRI, Mr. Steve Nyumba, said that TransformAgriculture.org will help to reduce the signal-to-noise ratio for those seeking data, research and news related to implementation of Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda.

“It is part of our commitment to support African Union member states in implementing programmes such as CAADP that have transformative impact on the continent’s growing population” Nyumba said.

Reassuring that LDRI and partners will continue to add content to the portal on an almost daily basis and welcome data and content publishers wishing to use it as one of their dissemination tools. Even as LDRI collaborates with the African Media Initiative in data journalism training across Africa.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Oceans, critical to food security -SenzeniZokwana

NaijaAgroNet

Fish has been described as the highest source of the world’s protein consumed by humans, making the oceans vital to food security, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Based on this, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Senzeni Zokwana said South Africa need to produce more Marine, Forestry and Fisheries scientists.

Zokwana,NaijaAgroNet learnt, was among other industry leaders at the commemoration of World Oceans Day, where the Status of Marine Fisheries Resources Report was equally unveiled in Cape Town.

“We know that achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge for the whole world and in particular for the developing nations when you consider the proportion of the population affected,” he said.

Minister Zokwana also said that the development of new fisheries remains a critical part of government, hence the launch of operation Phakisa, as a means to unlock the oceans’ economy, adding that “Our planet comprises 71% of the ocean. It is the most important life-support systems on earth, and almost all humans on earth depend on the sea natural resources”.

He pointed out that half of the world’s population lives with 200 kms of the coastline.

“Oceans produce 50 percent of the oxygen necessary for human survival and therefore, the sustainable use and management of the oceans even its resources, is therefore critical to us today and for the future generation,” he said.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

 
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