A loan from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank FMO, announced a loan to support growth, exports, and jobs in South Africa's blueberry industry.

African Development Bank President Akinwumi A. Adesina has announced the launch of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to mobilize $25 billion to scale up and accelerate climate change adaptation actions across Africa.

aWhere, the provider of agricultural weather data and analytics, announced a new agreement with the government of Kenya, for the Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization to gain use of aWhere's 6,787 virtual weather stations in Kenya.

Forty governments, leading global institutions and local and international NGOs, including UN Development Programme, Climate Investment Funds, Zurich Investment Group, BRAC and Slum Dwellers International, have committed a new set of principles to ensure climate adaptation is led by local people.

Agtech company XAG has proposed that agricultural drones, through more targeted night spraying application, can strongly support the current ground and aerial control measures.

Through the USAID-funded Feed-the-future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, IITA has trained 300 women in homestead gardening in northeastern Nigeria.

CDC Group, the UK’s impact investor and development finance institution (DFI), announced a commitment to invest over $1 billion again in African businesses in 2021.

Kenya’s ICT sector has seen a 10.8% average annual growth since 2016, making it one of the fastest-growing tech environments on the continent.

A locust fighting force assembled by countries in East Africa to combat an invasion of the crop-devouring pest is at risk of seeing its activities grind to a halt as funding to sustain its operations dries up, FAO warns.

TechnoServe and technology platform Alteia have announced that they have signed a partnership agreement that aims to improve cashew farming practices through the use of aerial drone imagery and artificial intelligence.

A combined total of €7.6 million in funding from the European Union (EU) is helping the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) address the growing food needs in Mozambique driven by climate change.

An international team of scientists, led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), has demonstrated how better nutrient management using digital tools, such as the Nutrient Expert decision support tool, can boost rice and wheat productivity.

IITA has been at the forefront of using information and communication technologies (ICTs) for research management and knowledge sharing, including extension, scaling out, e-learning, collaboration, and agricultural services enhancement.

Globally, the number of outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, fell by two-thirds in recent years.

The Global Digital Agriculture market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.26% over the forecast period to reach a market size of $20.713 billion in 2025 from $11.527 billion in 2019.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and IITA are partnering to open up opportunities to youth in Nigeria.

10,000 women in Nigeria will be selected as direct beneficiaries of a two-year agricultural intervention, as Value Seeds launches their COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Intervention Project in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

FAO and IRENA have underscored their continued commitment to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies in agri-food, fisheries and forestry chains and sustainable bioenergy through the signature of a collaboration agreement.

In 2020, the entire world knew what it was to be hungry. Millions of people went without enough to eat, with the most desperate now facing famine.

The World Bank plans to invest over $5 billion over the next five years to help restore degraded landscapes, improve agriculture productivity, and promote livelihoods across 11 African countries on a swathe of land stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.

A new investment programme is planned to support Sahelian governments through a partnership between the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost climate finance.

More than 100 European and African actors have signed a charter of commitment to the development of the agro-pastoral sectors in Africa, particularly in the Sahel.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in Africa, its impact on trade was already being felt.In an ordinary year, Africa imports more than US$70 billion in food and agricultural products.

Knowing the context of different countries in the region, we can see that the continent is still full of asymmetries, and the same occurs looking at the at the companies operating in the market.

Farmers in Nigeria, the first country where Fall Armyworm (FAW) was detected in Africa in 2016, will soon get access to a biological tool that will prevent an infestation of the invasive pest.

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and Minbos Resources signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Cabinda Phosphate project that seeks to develop the fertilizer market for smallholder farmers in Angola.

FirstWave Group, Africa's largest tilapia fish producer recently signed a partnership agreement with Xelect, specialists in aquaculture genetics and breeding programmes, to develop local high-performance tilapia breeds.

Kuzi is free AI-powered tool that will help farmers and pastoralists across Africa to predict and control locust behaviour

A free tool that will help farmers and pastoralists across Africa to predict and control locust behaviour has been launched. Dubbed, Kuzi, it is an AI-powered tool that generates a real-time heatmap of locusts across Africa, shows all potential migration routes, and gives a real-time locust breeding index.

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) signed $20 million development loan agreement with Malawi to improve the livelihoods of around 1.3 million people living in rural areas.

SunFunder, a recurring partner of InspiraFarms has confirmed a new $500k loan which will provide working capital to deploy our agricultural first-mile cold chain installations in Africa.

Agriculture has been categorized as the largest economic sector in most African countries, offering opportunities for poverty alleviation for youth, yet there is still a low percentage of youth involvement in the sector.

Farmers Choice has adopted sustainable farming practices, including increasing the adoption of cloud solutions to improve food quality and security.

Kenya’s agriculture has beaten the odds of a difficult 2020 to end on a high, having registered one of the best growth trajectories across key segments in a long time.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Officer and Prosper Africa Executive Chairman Adam Boehler announced a series of efforts to expand U.S. investment in Morocco.

Egypt could unleash economic growth and create more and better jobs by addressing constraints to private sector activity, according to a report published by the World Bank Group.

The European Union has announced today €82.5 million for six new projects under the Pan-African Programme to strengthen its cooperation with Africa in multiple sectors, including sustainable resource management, regional integration and trade, air transport and digitization.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has announced the successful development of three CIMMYT-derived fall armyworm-tolerant elite maize hybrids for eastern and southern Africa.

A new generation of Desert Locust swarms is threatening agricultural and pastoral livelihoods and the food security of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen despite intense efforts to control the pest throughout 2020.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has launched the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 (IYFV) with an appeal to improve healthy and sustainable food production.

FMO and Cathay AfricInvest Innovation have invested in Aerobotics, a South African AgriTech startup developing intelligent tools to the feed the world.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the recent decision by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council to approve 13 FAO-led projects in 16 countries, totaling to $78.5 million.

Lima Salama is a hybrid crop insurance product developed by ACRE Africa with support from funding through the FISFAP program under Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) approved $8.8 million in grant funding to the African Water Facility (AWF) to bolster investments in COVID-19 recovery and preparation for investment of water supply.

HexGn, a consulting firm known for fast-tracking entrepreneurship and upcoming technologies globally, has joined hands with the Africa Islamic Economic Foundation (AFRIEF), to launch its flagship startup program, HexGn Startup Explore, in Africa.

An association of farmers in Rwanda, the Ingabo Syndicate, in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and their partners, held Cassava Week 2020.

The World Bank approved a $60 million International Development Association (IDA) grant to help African countries strengthen the resilience of their agricultural sectors to the threat posed by climate change.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is partnering with FAO, WFP, the G5 Sahel and the Green Climate Fund to revitalize economic activities and food systems in the Group of Five Sahel countries, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, and in the Republic of Senegal.

The Government of Mozambique and IFAD officially launched the Inclusive Agri-Food Value Chain Development Programme (PROCAVA) to improve rural livelihoods, food security and resilience.

The first farmer-owned cocoa fermentation centre in Ghana under the Fine/Flavour cocoa production initiative of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been opened at Offinso in the Ashanti Region.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the IKEA Foundation have announced a joint $30 million commitment to Aceli Africa, an innovative program that incentivizes banks to lend to agribusinesses.

IBM has today announced its support for African agricultural startups. The support will be through the Digital4Agriculture Initiative (D4Ag), which aims to foster African startups in the agricultural sector.

In May this year, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to start the Young Africa Works-IITA Project, an innovative approach to agribusiness training and start-up for Nigeria’s young people.

COMESA Council of Ministers has granted Kenya a two year extension of the sugar safeguard beginning March 2021 to February 2023.

The African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA) could accelerate the development of sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural sector and help the continent to become self-sufficient in food production.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the IKEA Foundation announced a joint $30 million commitment to Aceli Africa.

African entrepreneurs in digital agriculture will have new opportunities to secure support and investment as the African Green Revolution Forum takes on the AgriHack Talent project.

The Rural-Urban Nexus, establishing a nutrient loop to improve city-region food system resilience (RUNRES), project team presented the three project-funded innovation plans to Mayor Thadee Tuyizere of Kamonyi District.

The African Development Bank is achieving satisfactory results in Madagascar, according to the mid-term report of the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for the period 2017-2021 and the performance review of the 2019 country portfolio.

The French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) signed an agreement to develop the Zimbabwean agricultural sector’s capacity in biotechnology.

Microsoft recently hosted a virtual roundtable – further reaffirming its commitment to digitally transforming the agricultural sector has emerged as key to long-term growth in Africa.

Dutch impact investor, DOB Equity, is investing in Victory Farms, East Africa’s largest commercial fish farm to allow the firm to scale up its production capacity and expand its reach across the Kenyan market.

Development Partners International announced the partnership between Compagnie Marocaine de Goutte à Goutte et de Pompage’s (CMGP), and Comptoir Agricole de Souss (CAS) to create a new player in the Moroccan and African agricultural industry.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces to foster inclusive and sustainable family farming across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region.

The Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition and the Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, alongside stakeholders, signed the sugar industry master plan for South Africa.

While many farmers still rely on traditional techniques to coax a living from the land, there are opportunities to use cutting-edge technology to drive Africa towards a food-secure future.

From agro-processing initiatives to energy, transportation and water and sanitation services, transformative investments by the African Development Bank (AfDB) are paving the way to unlock Africa’s economic potential, according to the 2020 ADER.

IFC and the Agricultural bank of Egypt (ABE) announced a partnership to help of Egyptian farmers access financing to purchase solar irrigation systems, reducing their reliance on diesel-powered generators and boosting their productivity.

As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) drastically rises threatening to turn into the next pandemic with serious implications for global health, agri-food systems and economies, FAO is calling on actors to prevent the spread of drug-resistant microbes.

The IITA Cassava and Maize Breeding Units in Nigeria have developed multiple cassava and maize genotypes with improved yields, starch content, resistance/tolerance to major pests and diseases.

A new five-year partnership signed between the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization ( INBAR ) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aims to scale up the benefits and opportunities that these fast growing tropical plants provide.

Over the last two decades, Ethiopia has registered fast economic growth which has led to significant national poverty reduction.

A study of plant DNA provides strong evidence that farmers in Ethiopia have widely adopted new, improved rust-resistant bread wheat varieties since 2014.

Cocoa farmers in Cote D'Ivoire are set to earn higher prices for their beans, as Ben & Jerry's ramps up its living income approach for farmers, in partnership with Fairtrade.

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), has approved a Grant Agreement for the Senegalese Groundnut Oil Processing Company, SONACOS, to acquire new laboratory analysis equipment.

More than 800 students and their parents from 22 primary schools across Kenya have benefited from Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) education delivered through digital platforms, by the Nestlé for Healthier Kids Programme.

IFC announced an investment in Carrières et Chaux du Mali, to help the company increase production of agricultural lime and quicklime, essential inputs that will strengthen Mali's important agriculture and mining industries.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched a $20 million regional appeal for support to control the outbreak of the devastating African Migratory Locusts (AML) in the region.

Only 1.7 per cent of climate finance , a fraction of what is needed, goes to small-scale farmers in developing countries despite their disproportionate vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.

French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), signed a €300 million loan to UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to help small-scale farmers in high-risk countries.

Standard Bank and the United Nations Women (UN Women) are currently providing financial literacy training to thousands of women farmers in African key markets including Malawi and South Africa.

Key Technology, Inc.,and Heat and Control Pty Ltd. has announced an extension of their existing partnership, supporting customers in Australia, New Zealand and India, to now include the region of South Africa and Sub-Saharan.

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is providing two loans totaling $45 million to help increase the supply of potable water and boost food security in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) has signed a $20 million public sector loan agreement with Senegal to co-finance a project that will boost food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) formally launched the Food Coalition, arising from the need for concerted action to prevent the COVID-19 international health emergency from triggering a catastrophic world food crisis.

Farm Africa has begun the construction of a vegetable pack house in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya, to make it easier for smallholder farmers to market their fresh horticultural produce and reduce post-harvest losses.

The global farm tractors market is projected to reach $93.7 billion by 2025, driven by the growing world population.

US-based impact investor Gray Matters Capital announced its funding in Kenya's agritech startup Farmers Pride, a one stop e-commerce platform that connects village level farmers to quality inputs, services and information.

Climate Fund Managers and Eos Capital announced a partnership between Climate Investor Two, Kelp Blue and the Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund for the commercial development of world’s first large-scale kelp farm.

The regional seed trade in the COMESA countries currently stands at $2 billion but this is set to rise to $5 billion by 2025 with the implementation of new initiatives.

Rovensa has agreed to acquire Oro Agri, provider of environmentally friendly biocontrol solutions with international reach, from the Omnia Group, South Africa.

Chingola Leather Cluster in Zambia has been awarded a Standards certificate by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).

German Development Minister Gerd Müller has announced the launch of ALF, a new initiative of the ministry with Incofin IM and German bank KfW.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the African Union launched a new report that puts the spotlight on women's role in agrifood systems.

Twiga and IFC’s Global SME Finance Facility are set to be part of an investment of up to $30 million through unfunded risk sharing facilities with Kenya Commercial Bank.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the financing institution of the European Union signed two finance contracts totalling €38 million with Tunisia and the National Water Distribution Utility (SONEDE) to secure the drinking water supply.

As African swine fever marches swiftly across countries affecting food security and livelihoods of some of the world's most vulnerable populations, FAO and the OIE are calling on all nations and partners to join forces to keep this deadly pig disease at bay.

GIZ GmbH has been working in Ethiopia on behalf of the Partnerships for Forest programme and together with smallholders organized in cooperatives, it is working on establishing forest coffee on the international market.

ICCO Cooperation and the Mastercard Foundation have joined forces to support smallholder farmers in Senegal who were left reeling from the impact of COVID-19.

About 2/3 of the African companies (62%) say they are struggling but will survive. Almost a third of companies (29%) say they are doing well and the near future is looking good