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This report elaborates on how increased youth involvement in the agricultural value chain can improve food security and diminish youth unemployment. The study assesses where in the farming systems and the agricultural value chain youth is present and tries to understand the perspectives of youth towards agriculture. The study identifies the conditions that influence the involvement of male and female youth in maize and potato value chains in Ethiopia and Kenya. »

This article in The international journal Rural 21, focusses on the use of  a biodegradable alternative to polyethylene sheeting. Polyethylene sheeting is widely used in vegetable growing to create optimum mulch conditions for seedlings. It helps to control weeds, conserves soil moisture and increases soil temperature which generally has a positive effect on vegetable yield and quality. However, »

This article explores how communities in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya create and use maps to ensure food safety. While informal settlements tend to play a key role in the economies of cities, they are often not depicted on official maps from the government. However, a map on which food kiosks, street vendors and hazards such as rubbish dumps and open sewers are depicted can help to ensure food safety. »

This article scrutinizes the urban consumer demand for nutritious foods in the context of bio-fortified iron beans as a public health intervention in Africa. The increasing urbanization process in developing countries creates current and future challenges for the global food system to deliver high quality nutritious foods and provide equitable access for the urban poor. This paper examines the role of habit, poverty and information for urban consumer demand of nutritious foods. »

This article on weADAPT is based on the report “Towards a comprehensive Strategic Framework to Upscale and Out-scale Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) driven agriculture in Africa”, which was released ahead of the 2nd Africa EbA for Food Security Conference, hosted by the UNEP in Nairobi in July 2015. This strategic framework (PDF) by Ebafos seeks to build on the key theme of enhancing productivity of Africa’s food systems, by proposing a holistic approach that considers productivity of the agriculture value chain as a continuum. »

This article argues that the optimization of the agricultural sector in Africa is essential to achieve the SDGs and to ensure a healthy and prosperous Africa. The authors present different policy recommendations that, in their opinion, will not only ensure food security but also will promote inclusive growth. »