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E-NEWS
June 2020
Covid-19’s impact on global food systems cannot be overstated – from travel restrictions disrupting input supplies to market closures limiting the availability of food. Yet through these challenging times, farmers, producers, suppliers, processors, traders, retailers and more are working tirelessly to overcome obstacles and keep providing safe, nutritious food.
 
This month on the Farming First blog, experts from across the agricultural sector have been exploring the importance of involving local people in water resource management, making tools available for farmers to help them adapt to labour shortages, and coordinating support to strengthen Africa’s food systems.
 

 

Empowering Local People to Solve Water Issues
Water challenges caused by climate change, extensive farming and poor resource management threaten the livelihoods of thousands of people across Burkina Faso. But involving local people in river, reservoir and other water resource management can significantly improve the situation, according to Liza Debevec, former Senior Social Scientist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). In this Expert Views article, she explores how participation in water committees has enabled Burkinabe communities to play a key part in decision-making processes and manage water more sustainably.
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How Satellite Tech Can Help Farmers Overcome Pandemic Challenges
Labour shortages, financial uncertainty and worries about the future are just some of the indirect outcomes of Covid-19 that are facing US farmers. Alexander Sakal, Chief Business Development Officer at EOS Crop Monitoring, explores how precision agriculture tools such as satellite monitoring can help farmers to examine crops, identify problem zones, evaluate and optimise their agricultural practices, and improve input efficiency amidst challenging circumstances.
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Strengthening African Food Systems Through Coordinated Support
Covid-19 restrictions have not only impacted Africa’s farmers – processors, aggregators and micro-retailers are also facing significant challenges when it comes to getting food products to families. Kindra Halvorson, Chief Transformation Officer at TechnoServe, discusses the obstacles facing small-and-medium sized businesses and the coordinated support needed to ensure the entire food supply chain can keep moving through the present crisis and beyond. 
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Soil Health Scientist Announced as 2020 World Food Prize Laureate
Dr. Rattan Lal has been announced as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for his pioneering work on promoting soil health and conservation agriculture practices such as no-till and cover crops. Dr. Lal will be officially honoured for his achievements in October this year. In this Expert Views article, he shares his views on the indivisibility of soil, plant, animal, human and environmental health, and why soil health is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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With the UN’s High-Level Political Forum coming up in July, we have handpicked three Farming First videos exploring the essential role of agriculture in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals
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The Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda
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Farmers Discuss Priorities for Action on Sustainable Development Goals
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Photo credits: Manon Koningstein/Sivin Communications, EOS Crop Monitoring, TechnoServe, World Food Prize.

 

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