Dear Readers,
Welcome to the latest issue of Growing Africa where we delve into research directed towards sustainable productivity, livelihood improvement, and resilience for African agricultural systems. This edition offers a mix of research stories, informational forums, and year-end news updates. The last issue of the year offers us an opportunity to celebrate the winners of our annual photo contest, as well as this year’s cohort of 17 Excel Africa Award recipients.
Our lead story, “Harnessing Carbon Finance to Elevate Smallholder Success in Uganda’s Coffee Sector”, explores how climate financing mechanisms are creating win-win opportunities for over 3,000 farmers currently implementing new agroforestry and sustainability practices. In a Q&A with project partner Producers Direct we learn more about how Uganda’s coffee growers are leveraging carbon markets to boost their incomes.
In “Optimizing Split-Fertilizer Applications for Maize in Nigeria’s Mid-Belt”, researchers explore the impact of implementing new fertilizer source x timing combinations. Continued efforts to tailor fertilizer application to local conditions is clearly needed to transform maize yields and improve food security for African communities.
Finally, I’ll highlight an inspiring case study from Morocco: “Adaptation of a Conventional Seeder into a No-tillage Seeder: A case study of Al Moutmir sustainable agriculture mechanization initiative”. This piece showcases the farmer ingenuity behind adapting existing tools to enable conservation agriculture on a larger scale.
We hope this issue inspires you to think deeply about the role of innovation and collaboration in tackling global agricultural challenges. We strive to highlight the resilience and creativity of farmers, scientists and policymakers committed to enhanced plant nutrition and soil health in Africa.
As always, we welcome your feedback and stories from the field. I also encourage you to take a moment to participate in one of the publication’s forums. We welcome submissions, so if you are interested please review our guide for authors at https://growingafrica.pub/about and contact us for more details on how you can contribute.
Happy reading!
Warm regards,
Gavin Sulewski
Senior Editor
Growing Africa