SOTU urges Malawi government to ratify RACCNNR

NaijaAgroNet

The Executive Director, State of the Union (SOTU), Edward Chileka Banda has called on government of Malawi to ratify the Revised African Union Convention on Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (RACCNNR), NaijaAgroNet reports.

He made this call at SOTU programme in Malawi in collaboration with community leaders, local government officials, and students over the weekend petitioned President Peter Mutharika and his government to address issues of Climate change.

SOTU’s petition which was on conservation of natural resources; climate change; disaster management and preparedness  was presented to Mutharika through the office of the Chikwawa District Commissioner, Bester Mandele, who promised to deliver the petition to central government.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that prior to the petition, the CSOs held Stakeholders Conference under the theme; "Fight Climate Change, avoid Natural Disasters, Safeguard the Future". Consequently it was observed that environmental degradation is worsened due to poor land management policies, over population and lack of alternative energy sources.

Banda said there is need also for government to create evacuation Centers in floods prone areas to avoid disrupting school classes during disasters. In the petition, NaijaAgroNet learnt they have also asked President Mutharika to depoliticize management and conservation of natural resources such as forest reserves. During the conference, Paramount Chief Lundu commended the youths for the initiative of engaging people directly affected by floods in the Lower Shire.

Lundu said the community participation and empowerment would be key in addressing environmental challenges. Eye for Development (EFD) organised the event under SOTU Platform which are championing the AU charter on nature and natural resources.

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Agriculture, food security, prudent management vital in SADC region

NaijaAgroNet

The Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the Southern African Development Community ( SADC), Ms Margaret Nyirenda, said agriculture, food security and prudent management of natural resources are vital in SADC region, NaijaAgroNet reports.

She said that food production in most parts of the region was hampered by unfavourable climatic conditions, increase in population, poor health and sanitation, adding that SADC is facing a cereal deficit of over six million tonnes emanating from the poor rainfall and floods that befell the region in the 2014/2015 season.

Nyirenda was addressing the 35th Ordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government in Gaborone. She said the 2014/2015 rainfall season was poor in most parts of the region with prolonged dry spells in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, southern Angola and Zimbabwe,  gathered NaijaAgroNet.

She added that Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique experienced both floods and prolonged dry spells and that the poor rainfall led to an unsatisfactory regional food security situation for the 2015/2016 year.

Ms Nyirenda, NaijaAgroNet learnt,  said the deficit of 6.33 million tonnes of cereal include the five most consumed cereals in the region such as maize, wheat, rice, millet and sorghum compared to a surplus of 1.21 million tonnes in the 2014/15 year .

She said the regional cereal availability for the 2015/16 was estimated at 40.23 million tonnes representing a drop of 22 per cent from 45.62 million tonnes last year. Ms Nyirenda added that the requirement for the region this year was estimated at 32.93 million tonnes, reflecting an overall maize deficit of 1.20 million tonnes.

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Pix: Ms Margaret Nyirenda,

Bioenergy investors invade Africa, tackles food security

Head of NEPAD Energy Programme, Professor Mosad Elmissiry

A two-day bioenergy symposium brought together the experts and bio-energy investors to Johannesburg city in South Africa to deliberate on exploration of the continent’s resources by bioenergy industry for better energy and food security.

The bioenergy symposium hosted by the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) discussed ways of tapping into Africa’s resources in a bid to produce clean energy fuels.

The Energy Programme Head, at NEPAD, Prof. Mosad Elmissiry said NEPAD’ objective is to drive bioenergy programmatic activities and see real results that NEPAD is a result-oriented organisation.

The symposium also sees to the review of conditions, criteria and operation model to set-up Incubator Fund.

Also speaking about the outcome of the symposium, the Project Team leader of BizClim, Gavin Maxwell said Africa needs a solution that encourages enterprise and rewards work.

“This needs both public and private investment harnessed and distributed through a trusted channel, and that is the idea role for the Bio-Enterprise Incubator Fund,” Gavin explained.

He added that as BizClim is a European Union Project providing technical assistance for improving the business climate in Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean, it has the interest of Africa at heart to be part of the symposium.

NEPAD boss, Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki told participants to think radically on how to forge strong partnerships which could tackle developmental challenges in the continent as NEPAD’s role is to ensure the implementations of decisions are taken on energy.

Equally commenting, Ms. Nomfundo Mthembu of Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), says “Their approach is commendable as it involves a wide variety of delegates from the Bioenergy community. Unlike other development approaches, this approach is a “bottom-up” approach which is mostly guaranteed to achieve a higher level of success.”

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IITA, ABUAD sign MoU to unlock potentials in Africa

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) in order to unlock Africa's potential in agriculture, natural resources and human.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the MoU is to serve as a linking bridge between the two institutions to boost cooperation so as to complement each other's research efforts.

Commenting on the MoU, Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga expressed the institute's excitement over the MoU that IITA is confident to work with ABUAD to tackle hunger and poverty challenges on the continent.

"The MoU will help in building the critical human capital that will address the present and future challenges of not only agriculture but also development," Dr. Sanginga said, adding that agriculture is faced with several constraints like climate change, pests and diseases.

He said the objective of the MoU is a meaningful avenue to engage the youths and give them the tools to be productive.

Specifically, IITA and ABUAD will collaborate in research and development topics of mutual interest, develop joint research and development project proposals, organize joint research activities, conferences, and workshops, establish linkages between IITA and ABUAD scientists, exchange students, and share research materials and publications of common interest.

Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Sidi Osho said the MoU would also help to boost food production and security. Prof. Osho also revealed that the MoU will confer great benefits on the university in terms of international linkages, exchange programs, strengthening research and offering qualitative strategies for administrative capacity.

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Leaders for Rio+20 urge to strengthen local control of natural resources

IIED, Director General, Camilla Toulmin

Government leaders attending the United Nations conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20) have been urged to strengthen local control over natural resources.

The International Institute for Environment and Development  (IIED) made this call ahead of the Rio+20 scheduled for 20-22, June in Brazil where world leaders would meet to conclude on ways to tackle the environment and development challenges facing humanity.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that over 2,000 participants are expected at the forum tagged 'Innovation and Collaboration for the Future we want'

Director of IIED, Camilla Toulmin, was quoted as saying the application of realistic values to the environment and human wellbeing is in a bid to steer societies onto a more secure path.

She noted that expected attendance at the forum ranges from investors, governments, local authorities, civil society as well as United Nations entities.

The Forum’s main objective, she pointed out, is to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability practices as a showcase for innovation and collaboration.

In a publication also made available to NaijaAgroNet, Toulmin revealed that local control of natural assets is the best way in ensuring strong investment in and sustainable use of forests, water, soils and other resources.

"Rio+20 should not be the place for wise leaders to design a global plan that cascades downwards through regional, national and local implementation. Rather, the summit must begin with the wellbeing of ordinary people and judge the effectiveness of actions taken by governments and corporations by the extent to which they provide tangible answers to the needs of the many, not the few," the publication reads in parts.

Pointing out that the world leaders need to discuss relevant issues at the event, Toulmin said that the environmental, social and financial crises that face us are interconnected, and so are their solutions.

Localizing development, investing in resilience and using metrics that provide a realistic valuation of scarce resources are the three clear policy identified by IIED to be realistic, achievable and effective ways to reshape our future and create a fair, greener and more secure world. 

IIED boss said the policy shift came after about four decades of research on the links between the environment and development.

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