Flooding from heavy rainfall persists in several African countries; abnormally dry conditions worsen in parts of Southern Africa
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‘Symbol of polarisation’: EU scraps plans to halve use of pesticides
Move is bloc’s latest environmental concession to farmers as protests continue across Europe
The European Commission is shelving plans to cut pesticide use in agriculture as farmers around Europe continue protests demanding higher prices for their products and an easing of EU environment rules.
The original proposal to halve chemical pesticide use in the EU by the end of the decade – part of the EU’s green transition – “has become a symbol of polarisation,” the commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Tuesday, as she said she would ask it “to withdraw this proposal”.
Continue reading...We must act on Ethiopia food crisis, says UK minister
Andrew Mitchell warns of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ triggered by El Niño-driven drought and conflict
The risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in northern Ethiopia is growing, Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s Africa minister, said on his return from a two-day trip to the region.
“We have an opportunity to stop a looming humanitarian catastrophe in its tracks. But we must act and act now,” Mitchell said on Monday.
The country is suffering from the impacts of long-term El Niño-driven drought and brutal conflict, including the two-year war in the northern region of Tigray that ended in November 2022.
Continue reading...The pharmacist who sells onions: Palestinians go hydroponic in Jordan’s ‘Gaza camp’
In crowded Jerash refugee camp, hydroponic horticulture allows residents to grow their own crops efficiently in an arid country – and provides a stateless people with an income
Idris Abu Saleh has got used to being known as the chemist who grows the best onions. Unable to find any work after graduation, now, aged 23, he is supporting his family of eight from his homemade hydroponic greenhouse in a refugee camp in northern Jordan.
“People keep commenting on me being the pharmacist who sells onions,” said Abu Saleh. “But I try not to let that bother me – it’s a job.”
Continue reading...Dry conditions worsen in parts of Southern Africa; flooding in areas of Central and East Africa persist
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Fibre-rich, with fewer farts: how the underrated mung bean could improve food security (and post-bean bloat)
The World Vegetable Centre in Taiwan is breeding varieties that will grow better and faster and could become a major crop in Australia
They are one of the easier legumes to digest and fetch a higher crop price than Australian wheat, yet mung beans are not mainstream in the western world. But, while the vigna radiata has been nourishing populations across India and Asia for millennia, in recent decades enterprising scientists have started investigating the legume’s potential to improve food security and farmers’ incomes.
Since its inception 50 years ago, the World Vegetable Centre (also known as WorldVeg) in Taiwan has collected more than 8,000 “accessions”, or varieties, of mung bean seeds, genebank manager, Dr Maarten van Zonneveld, says. Much like other species, such as humans and dogs, plants – including mung beans – need genetic diversity to create robust offspring. Diversity also enables selective crossing of different varieties to create new lines with desirable traits.
Continue reading...January 2024 Global Price Watch
- In West Africa, staple food prices in December displayed mixed trends. While coarse grain prices stabilized or slightly decreased in some markets with recent harvests, others remained above average due to localized below-average production and ongoing trade restrictions. In Nigeria, inflation continues its upward trajectory, exacerbated by macroeconomic pressures and currency depreciation. From January onward, these trends are expected to persist, influenced by fluctuating market dynamics and geopolitical factors, potentially exacerbating food insecurity in vulnerable regions.
- In East Africa, Staple food price trends were mixed. Prices increased atypically in Sudan due to conflict-related production, harvest, transport disruptions, and flood-related harvest delays in Somalia. Prices declined in monitored markets in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Ethiopia due to increased supply from the October to December harvest. Livestock prices remained stable due to good rangeland conditions.
- In Southern Africa, maize prices in December increased seasonally, reflecting decreased stock-to-use ratios and regional supply variances. With stable supplies, South Africa saw moderate price increases due to international demand, maintaining lower year-over-year prices. Conversely, countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi faced escalated prices driven by supply shortages, currency devaluation, and energy costs. The outlook for January anticipates further price increases during the lean season, influenced by delayed planting, harvest constraints, and regional demand dynamics amid ongoing economic and climatic challenges.
- In Central America, an improved staple grain supply after the main harvests (primera and postrera) pushed wholesale white maize and red bean prices downward, while black beans remained stable. In Haiti, heightened insecurity constrained market operations and transportation, but food prices remained stable, supported by the recent staple grains harvest. In Venezuela, food prices were stable in VED and eased in USD, tracking exchange rate trends.
- In Central Asia, the export price of low-quality wheat from Kazakhstan declined significantly, while the price of high-quality wheat increased in December 2023. Both high -and low-quality rice and wheat flour prices remained stable in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prices were also stable in Yemen.
- International markets were sufficiently supplied. Global rice, maize, and wheat prices increased attributed to robust demand, export restrictions, and concerns about the potential impact of El Niño on production in MY2023/24. In contrast, crude oil prices declined due to sluggish demand growth and increasing supply. Despite recent rises in input costs, fertilizer prices remained relatively firm, supported by rebounding demand and tight supplies. Overall, prices were below 2022 levels but above the five-year average.
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Dryness improves in parts of Southern Africa; flooding continues in parts of Eastern Africa
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Heavy rainfall brings relief to dry areas in parts of Southern Africa; causes flooding in Central and East Africa
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Middle East thrust into ‘apocalyptic’ humanitarian crisis by war and turmoil
Aid agencies warn multiple conflicts putting unprecedented pressure on lives of people in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza
For a region that is no stranger to geopolitical turmoil, UN agencies believe the Middle East is experiencing an “apocalyptic” collective humanitarian crisis. Even before Hamas’s October attack on Israel convulsed the region, neighbouring Lebanon and Syria were experiencing profound challenges, while Yemen has been vying for the unenviable title of home to the world’s worst humanitarian calamity.
On Friday, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) admitted that the situation in the Middle East had probably “never been worse” since it began collating records in 1991.
Continue reading...US-UK airstrikes force aid agencies to suspend operations in Yemen
Charities warns of ‘dire’ outcome for the impoverished country, where two-thirds of the population already relies on aid to survive
Aid agencies have begun suspending vital operations in Yemen after the recent US and UK strikes on Houthi targets, amid warnings that further military intervention risks deepening one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
A coalition of 23 aid organisations operating within the Gulf state issued a joint statement on Tuesday, warning that military escalation will further compromise their ability to deliver critical services while worsening living conditions for millions of people in Yemen.
Continue reading...Polluting tax breaks on diesel for British fishing fleet worth up to £1.8bn a decade
Conservationists call for end to subsidies that make up 15% to 18% of industry’s income and threaten to ‘empty the ocean of fish’
The government needs to urgently end polluting tax breaks for the UK fishing fleet that threaten to “empty the ocean of fish”, say conservationists, after a first-of-its kind study reveals diesel subsidies to be worth up to £1.8bn a decade.
Without the tax subsidies, largely provided to the most fuel-intensive section of the fleet, many sectors would be unprofitable, according to the analysis by government environmental advisers.
Continue reading...Dry conditions improve in parts of Southern Africa; flooding continues in parts of central and east Africa
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Food Assistance Outlook Brief, January 2024
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