Abstract: Climate change continues to affect maize production, food security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in most of the developing countries. Climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices can enhance agricultural production by alleviating adverse climate effects on maize productivity through improved soil moisture storage, water use efficiency, increased soil carbon (C) and nutrient supply with long-term resilience to climate change.
ABSTRACT The current global financial meltdown that began to take effect in late 2008, the worsening environmental crisis, the global food crisis, and the threat of global terrorism have raised serious questions about the stability and security of a world based on capitalism, without pointing to a clear alternative. Policy makers seem to believe that once national economies begin to grow, prosperity and happiness will return.
Mass human starvation is currently likely if global agricultural production is dramatically reduced for several years following a global catastrophe: e.g. super volcanic eruption, asteroid or comet impact, nuclear winter, abrupt climate change, super weed, extirpating crop pathogen, super bacterium, or super crop pest. This study summarizes the severity and probabilities of such scenarios, and provides an order of magnitude technical analysis comparing caloric requirements of all humans for f...
Inflation instantly brings to mind images of rising prices, shrinking paychecks and unhappy consumers, but is inflation all bad? Inflation is defined as a "sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services." Many consumers fear inflation because it reduces the purchasing power of their money”.The influence that inflation has on consumers in Nigeria and other developing nations in Africa can be seen in increase in food prize, fuel price etc. Food price inflation...
ABSTRACT With the growing concerns about the likely implications of climate change, the long term sustainability of conventional agricultural approaches and biodiversity loss have contributed to a growing interest in the potential of the so-called underutilised crops to address food, nutritional, and income security challenges. In support of their wider use, advocates of underutilised crops associate a number of benefits with them. These include agronomic and nutritional benefits such as drou...
Abstract: Background: African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious transboundary animal disease which causes high mortality, approaching 100% in domestic pigs and it is currently considered as the most serious constraint to domestic pig industry and food security globally. Despite regular ASF outbreaks within Malawi, few studies have genetically characterized the causative ASF virus (ASFV). This study aimed at genetic characterization of ASFV responsible for the 2019 outbreak in northern Malaw...
Abstract: Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) plagues threaten agricultural production, food security and the environment across Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Control methods targeting adult desert locusts present significant challenges and financial costs. Recognizing this, we developed a ground-breaking fuzzy set Mamdani type inference model that provides an innovative solution for early warning alerts. The model aids in predicting the juvenile stages of locust development...
Abstract Background Climate is a key input of rain-fed agriculture. Climate variability and change has been the most important determinant of crop yields in Kenya and other parts of the world. However, there has been not much research on local understanding of the effect of climate variability on maize yields in Arid and Semi arid Lands (ASALs) of lower eastern Kenya counties. The effect of three climatic parameters on maize yields on different temporal and spatial scales was evaluated in or...
In recent times, separatist movements in South-East geopolitical zone have stepped-up struggles for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra through protest and other forms of social mobilization. The protests have triggered tension with security agencies applying excessive force to quell agitations and protests. This paper examines the politics of imbalance played by the Nigerian State towards (Igbo extraction) through non-development of the region and that has triggered the resurg...
Abstract: Disgust and neophobia elicited by whole insect products, has necessitated the need to mask insect-based food products. The physico-chemical parameters, sensory acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for wheat biscuits supplemented with cricket powder was evaluated. The biscuits’ color intensity correlated with the cricket inclusion levels. Spread ration of cricket-enriched-biscuits increased (1.0–1.2-folds), while the hardness and fracturability decreased (1.0–1.3-folds and...
Abstract: One health’ (OH) is a cross-sectoral approach that addresses human, plant, animal, and environmental health problems. The initiative stems from recognition of the convoluted linkages among global health risks and the need for coherent multipronged countermeasures. For agriculture, environmental degradation and biodiversity depletion wrought by heavy reliance on inorganic inputs to meet the needs of the ever-growing human population, are a matter of societal concern. Agroecologica...
Abstract: Recent literature highlights the potential of animal pollinator-dependent (PD) crops in enhancing food and nutrition security, although there is a lack of detailed household-level estimates. In this study, we investigate the nutrient composition, productivity, and contribution of PD and pollinator-independent (PI) crops to household nutrition in four sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We also evaluate the impact of reallocating resources from PI crops to PD crops on nutrient defc...
Introduction It is noteworthy that countless of needless deaths have occurred due to the incessant clashes involving Fulani herdsmen and local Nigerian farmers. The security situation in the country is bad enough without this menace, which involves the simple, innocent and hardworking grassroot people. Nevertheless, the authorities appear clueless as to the appropriate angle, from which to tackle the issue. The wealth of scholarly discussions on the subject matter have also overlooked the con...
Abstract: Global population growth, an increasing demand for animalproducts and scarcity of conventional feed ingredients drivethe search for alternative protein sources for animal feed.Extensive research indicates that insects provide goodopportunities as a sustainable, high quality and low-costcomponent of animal feed. Here, we discuss how insectfarming can promote inclusive business for smallholder farmersin the agribusiness value chain. Inclusive business modelsinvolving insects as ingre...
Abstract Domestic economic policies in Nigeria have been attributed to the recent skyrockets in food prices in the country. This paper examines the effects of food price changes on household’s consumption in Ungogo Local Government Area, Kano State. The study uses primary data sourced from administering questionnaires to one hundred households in the study area using simple random sampling technique. The data was analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings of ...