Audio Exchange

Applying local know-how

Farmers are natural innovators – they are always looking for ways to achieve bigger and better yields. ‘Innovation’ means taking an idea from one place and adapting it to better suit your own circumstances. It’s a new way of looking at the world: of changing the old, to meet the new.

Access to resources – it’s my right!

A major source of conflict in the modern world is access to resources. Whether it’s land or water, every community needs access to basic natural resources in order to survive. But there are some people who are unable to gain rights to basic resources.

When the world is changing fast

When the world is changing fast, how do we change to keep up? How do we adapt to changing environments around us?

Money talks – big business

A big problem for farmers in many parts of Africa is getting their produce to the market. Even good quality produce can rot in a short period of time. If the roads are bad, or if storage is not secure, food can arrive at the market in a poor condition and customers will not buy damaged goods – whether they are individuals in the market or quality inspectors in a business.

Can Africa improve its marketing?

Smallscale farmers are not always able to sell their produce, or even reach a market. But there are ways they can improve their products, so that they are more competitive when they do reach the marketplace. The market is a rapidly changing environment. Expectations from buyers change and prices change fast. How are farmers adapting to the changes – are they becoming creative, or are they losing their way?

A helping hand

Even though farmers are naturally innovative, they often need help. In this interview, we hear from one organisation which has supported farmers in recycling waste, to get some money and to protect the environment.

Hard science – and a harder job?

Scientists and researchers are often accused of being remote from rural communities. But are they really? In this report, Busani Bafana visited Professor Ntumbizake Mpofu, a livestock specialist in genetics. He asked her whether she is in touch with the realities of rural life and farming. She shares her ideas about what she believes is a hopeful new relationship emerging between scientists and farmers. Are they really worlds apart, and can they find new ways of working together?

Drugs and Africa

Interview with UN Drugs Expert

Nigeria - Human Trafficking

Interview with Nigerian Anti-Trafficking Expert

Healing pastoral conflict 1

The world is not getting any bigger, but every day there are more people to fill it. Populations are getting larger, while spaces are getting smaller. For pastoralists and nomadic communities, this is becoming more of a problem. Nomadic people must move around to find essential natural resources, such as water and green pastures. But with less space to move in, they are not as free to graze their livestock. And to make the problem worse, at certain times of the year, there are longer dry seasons and less rain.

Healing pastoral conflict 2

The world is not getting any bigger, but every day there are more people to fill it. Populations are getting larger, while spaces are getting smaller. For pastoralists and nomadic communities, this is becoming more of a problem. Nomadic people must move around to find essential natural resources, such as water and green pastures. But with less space to move in, they are not as free to graze their livestock. And to make the problem worse, at certain times of the year, there are longer dry seasons and less rain.

Listening to big ideas

‘Innovation’ means adapting. It means changing something in your everyday habits to better suit your own needs. Farmers are natural innovators. They are used to changing their farming habits to keep up with changing environmental patterns or pest infestation.

Trapping plant food in the soil

The soil beneath our feet is vital. It is where plants and vegetables get their food from. Decomposing organic matter such as manure provides structure for the soil and releases nutrients which are beneficial in food production. One of them is carbon, and higher carbon is associated with increased soil fertility. But carbon can escape from the soil into the atmosphere, and contribute to global warming in the form of carbon dioxide.

Agriculture in schools

Education, education, education: a good education is one of the most important opportunities a child can be offered in life. From Mathematics to science, every subject has its place in the modern world. But what about subjects like agriculture and farming? Are they really subjects worth studying?

Race against rice blast

For rice farmers, the disease called ‘rice blast’ is one of the biggest threats. The disease is caused by a fungus, which is carried in the seed of the plant. The disease attacks the plant leaves, which become spotted. Soon the plant is so badly affected that it can no longer make energy and it dies. In a serious case, a whole crop can be lost and the farmer is left with what looks like a field of burned plants.

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