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Two new cookbooks integrate traditional African culinary practices into contemporary recipes that feature insects. The cookbooks are part of a project with AgriFoSe2030 and partners to expand markets for cultivated insects in Africa, and to capitalise on growing interest in insects as a “climate smart” protein source worldwide. The cookbooks are part of a wider effort to increase the…

Agricultural systems are one of the biggest contributors to climate change, producing about 20% of total global emissions. At the same time, the single biggest threat of climate change is the collapse of global food systems. As the world population grows, the climate heats up and resources become more scarce, how will we ensure we have enough food to go around? Science is being…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined ten priorities for 2021 during a UNGA plenary meeting on 28-29 January 2021. He explained how the 2030 Agenda points the way to a sustainable and inclusive recovery from COVID-19, how humans can "make peace with nature," and a strategy for increasing women's rights. The Secretary-General also provided indications of the recommendations he…

According to the UN's 2021 WESP report, the only way to offset the socio-economic devastation resulting from the pandemic is to make “smart investments in economic, societal and climate resilience”. The authors predict that SDG target 1.1 (eradicate extreme poverty by 2030) will be missed by a large margin, and collateral damage will affect other SDGs as well. The report includes in…

By Bruno Portier, FAO Forestry Officer The bleaching of coral reefs. The destruction of rainforests. The scourge of plastics in our oceans. These threats are familiar to the many people who care about our planet and the future of humanity. The loss of our wetlands is perhaps less well known, but it poses an equally grave danger to us all. From the Okavango Delta in Africa and the…

The best way to make the desert bloom is to dig a hole. Not a well, but a shallow pit in the sandy soil about as wide as the length of your forearm. Then add some dung, plant your seeds, and wait for the rains. The use of planting pits is an ancient farming technique. It is also an excellent way to harvest moisture – and recently, it’s being revived across the drylands of Africa,…