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The Food Security Cluster hosted a virtual panel discussion to commemorate World Food Day on 16   October 2025. The Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship II (FAR-LeaF II) Food Security Cluster hosted a virtual panel discussion to commemorate World Food Day on 16   October 2025. This panel brought together experts in agriculture, consumer science, environmental geography, plant breeding, and social science to explore how their combined expertise can lead to improved foo

Global Media and Information Literacy Week | 24-31 October 2025 24 October – 31 October 2025 Global Media and Information Literacy Week is an annual celebration highlighting the essential role of media, information, and communication in creating resilient, informed, and empowered societies. In the context of climate change, this serves as a reminder that media literacy has become a crucial skill for understanding and responding to the complex environmental challenges. Communi

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty | 17 October 2025 Across rural West Africa, smallholder farmers cultivate the soil with determination, yet many remain trapped in poverty. Their resilience is constantly tested by degraded soils, erratic rainfall, suffocating weeds, and limited access to innovation and credit. This year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty challenges us to look away from short-term aid and toward systems that enable farmers to ear

World Food Day | 16 October 2025 Across Africa's smallholder farms, the struggle to produce and harvest sufficient food in the face of unpredictable weather, land degradation, and persistent weed pressure has become an existential threat. Yet, within these same farmlands lies a story of resilience, of farmers who, despite limited resources, innovate daily to secure food and livelihoods for their families. Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa's food systems. They gro

World Food Day |16 October 2025 Every year, World Food Day  reminds the global community that food security is both a human right and a shared responsibility. This year's theme, "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future", carries even more profound significance as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. For Nigeria, where food insufficiency continues to threaten millions of households, the message o

Women play a significant role in many aspects of global living: sometimes unrecognised, unreported, or underreported. As a group interested in issues relating to gender in Africa, the Gender Cluster of the FAR-LeaF II programme saw the International Day to celebrate women in the rural areas (International Rural Women's Day on 15 October 2025) as a perfect opportunity to bring to the spotlight the contribution of rural women to local economies and food security. Passionate as

Dr Ferdinand Lubobi Shamala attended the International Plant Breeding Course (IPBC) at Lanzhou University (China), where he received the Excellent Participant Award, recognising research engagement and scientific contribution. China had previously served as his academic home, where he completed his doctoral studies, refined his scientific perspective, and came to understand research as both a disciplined pursuit and a process of discovery. Returning in his capacity as a Futur

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction | 13 October 2025 Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become increasingly urgent in sub-Saharan Africa, where climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of droughts, floods, and erratic rainfall. In Ghana’s drought-prone districts, smallholder farmers face particular vulnerability, as agriculture is their main livelihood. Each season, unpredictable weather patterns, pest outbreaks, and land degradation threaten their

World Sustainability Day | 14 October 2025 The earth is speaking louder than ever, through floods that swallow fields and droughts that silence them. Each season, the rhythms of Nigeria's farmlands grow more uncertain, testing the resilience of those who depend on them. World Sustainability Day reminds us that the fight for sustainability is not about ideals on paper but about preserving the hands that feed us. It is about transforming vulnerability into strength, especially

As South Africa observes National Nutrition Week, the critical link between livestock health and human nutrition comes into sharp focus. In many rural and smallholder farming communities, dairy products are a vital source of essential nutrients, particularly for growing children and pregnant women. However, the stability of this nutritional resource is increasingly threatened by Napier Grass Head Smut Disease. This persistent fungal infection undermines feed quality and avail

World Food Day | 16 October 2025 World Food Day 2025 calls for collective action to build peaceful, sustainable, and food-secure societies. The transformation of agrifood systems requires collaboration across disciplines and sectors — uniting science, technology, community engagement, and social innovation.   The FAR-LeaF Food Security Cluster will host a virtual panel discussion to commemorate World Food Day on 16   October 2025. This panel brings together experts from agric

South Africans are observing National Nutrition Week from 9-15 October 2025 National Nutrition Week serves as a vital platform for reflecting on the progress and challenges in addressing malnutrition in Kenya. In Elgeyo Marakwet County, Vitamin A deficiency remains a pressing public health issue, especially among children under five and women of reproductive age. According to county health reports, more than 30% of children are affected, putting them at risk of stunted growth

Dr Piwai Tshuma was awarded the Best Female Researcher (1st Runner-Up)  recognition by Midlands State University as part of its 25th Anniversary Celebrations, marking 25 years of academic excellence. Dr Piwai Tshuma was awarded the Best Female Researcher (1st Runner-Up) recognition by Midlands State University as part of its 25th Anniversary Celebrations, marking 25 years of academic excellence. The award formed part of the University's Research and Innovation Awards and rec

Energy Efficiency Day | 5 October 2025 The world will observe Energy Efficiency Day on October 5, 2025. A reminder of the critical role efficiency plays in tackling climate change, reducing energy costs, and safeguarding natural resources. Energy efficiency is not about giving up modern comforts; it involves doing more with less, reducing waste, and creating more innovative pathways to power our lives. The African Paradox: Abundant Resources, Scarce Energy Across Ghana and mu

International Day for Universal Access to Information | 28 September 2025 Universal access to information is not just a right; it is a lifeline for communities facing the growing threats of climate change. In Ghana's drought-prone regions, farmers' access to accurate and timely climate information can mean the difference between a successful harvest and a failed one. Unfortunately, many rural farmers still face limited access to institutional extension services. In this conte

ACTS Admin | 17 September, 2025 | Blog | Winnie Wangwe and Ruth Wambui Africa is on the frontline of climate change, facing growing risks that erode livelihoods, particularly for the most vulnerable populations . Although climate resilience strategies have been proposed and implementation efforts initiated, uptake has often been slow, hindered by approaches that are top-down, technical, and detached from the communities they aim to serve. Climate resilience in Africa cannot

26th Association for Food Scientists, Technologists and other Professionals ( SAAFoST) Biennial International Congress and Exhibition Unlocking Potential: Integrating Science and Innovation for a Brighter Food Future Pretoria: 25-27 August 2025 https://www.saafost2025.org.za/ Introduction In 2022, the Government of Botswana introduced a ban on vegetable imports, with the mandate of promoting local agricultural production, enhancing food self-sufficiency, and reducing vegetabl

The Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) , a flagship programme hosted by the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa pan-African platform, has entered its second phase with the induction of 22 postdoctoral fellows from 10 African countries. The new cohort, FAR-LeaF II, gathered for the first time at a week-long symposium held at the Future Africa campus from 4 to 8 August 2025. The fellows from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Botswa

Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Nimoh, Shakila Dada, Wilhemina Hyde-Cooper, Rubaba Mohammed Book chapter submitted to the Springer Nature Book series: Climate Change Management  | Climate Change in the Tropics: Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change to Tropical Regions Abstract: This systematic review synthesises evidence from 31 peer-reviewed studies published between 2018 and 2025 on the role of local media in drought preparedness and mitigation in develo

Book chapter submitted to the Springer Nature Book series: Climate Change Management  | Climate Change in the Tropics: Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change to Tropical Regions Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Nimoh, Shakila Dada, Tafadzwa Clementine Maramura, John-Eudes Andivi Bakang, Fred Ankuyi, Pearl Lefadola Boineelo Abstract: Smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is still under serious threats of climate variability, with the adaptive capacit