Youth Marker 2

Agriculture remains the economic backbone of most developing countries in terms of gross domestic product, employment and rural livelihoods. This is especially true of many Sub-Saharan African countries where agriculture accounts for more than 50% of GDP output and employs around 70% of the population.

Access to and the provision of demand-driven financial services is key if agriculture is to grow and is to play a central and decisive role in reducing poverty and hunger and generating much needed jobs in rural areas. At the same time, it is also one of the main constraints holding back the development and professionalization of agriculture and the food sector. Access to financial services remains one of the key challenges for rural areas in general and for agriculture in particular.

Financing agriculture, or more broadly speaking providing access to and offering financial services for agriculture, is complex and requires not only a deep understanding of agriculture, but also of financial institutions.

Contribution à l’adaptation au changement climatique et à la résilience des producteurs au Sahel

A contribution to adaptation and farmers´ resilience towards climate change in the Sahel

Comme les femmes fournissent, en moyenne, plus de 40% de la main-d'œuvre agricole mondiale, cette monographie souligne que les femmes sont la clé du développement rural. Cet échantillon de fiches d'information traite des sujets suivants :

Brochure 1 : Genre et développement rural ;

Brochure 2 : Genre et vulgarisation agricole ;

Brochure 3 : Genre et accès à la terre ;

Brochure 4 : Genre et sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle ;

Brochure 5 : Genre et pêche et aquaculture ;

Brochure 6 : Genre et production animale ;

Brochure 7 : Genre et chaînes de valeur

As women provide, on avergage, more than 40% of the agricultural labor force worldwide, this monography stresses women as key for rural development. This sample of factsheets talks about the following topics:

Brochure 1: Gender and Rural Development;

Brochure 2: Gender and Agricultural Extension;

Brochure 3: Gender and Access to Land;

Brochure 4: Gender and Food & Nutrition Security;

Brochure 5: Gender and Fischeries & Aquaculture;

Brochure 6: Gender and Livestock Production;

Brochure 7: Gender and Value Chains

A cross-sectional survey of agricultural areas, combined with routinely monitored mosquito larval informa- tion, was conducted in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to investigate how agricultural and geographical features may influence the presence of Anopheles larvae. Data were integrated into a geographical information systems framework, and predictors of the presence of Anopheles larvae in farming areas were assessed using multivariate logistic regression with independent random effects. It was found that more than 5% of the study area (total size 16.8 km2) was used for farming in backyard gardens and larger open spaces. The proportion of habitats containing Anopheles larvae was 1.7 times higher in agricultural areas compared to other areas (95% confidence interval = 1.56-1.92). Significant geo- graphic predictors of the presence of Anopheles larvae in gardens included location in lowland areas, proximity to river, and relatively impermeable soils. Agriculture-related predictors comprised specific seedbed types, mid-sized gardens, irrigation by wells, as well as cultivation of sugar cane or leafy vegetables. Negative predictors included small garden size, irrigation by tap water, rainfed production and cultivation of leguminous crops or fruit trees. Although there was an increased chance of finding Anopheles larvae in agricultural sites, it was found that breeding sites originated by urban agriculture account for less than a fifth of all breeding sites of malaria vectors in Dar es Salaam. It is suggested that strategies comprising an integrated malaria control effort in malaria-endemic African cities include participatory involvement of farmers by planting shade trees near larval habitats.

Video of APPSA Project

The greatest need is to deliver targeted and timely information to farmers based on their needs. The empowerment that comes from providing farmers with informed options is transformational, especially for women and youth.

Shamba Shape Up is produced by The Mediae Company, an organisation dedicated to addressing the informational needs of East Africans through sustainable media productions that are entertaining, educative and help improve livelihoods.

Other Mediae shows include the popular soap drama Makutano Junction, the children’s educational series Know Zone, and more recently, Don’t Lose the Plot, which aims to encourage youth into agribusiness.

The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) is a broad alliance of research-for-development stakeholders and partners. The shared purpose is to tap the underutilized potential of root, tuber, and banana crops for improving nutrition and food security, increasing incomes and fostering greater gender equity – especially amongst the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 Research Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners across the globe.