Africa, The Green Revolution & Scientists’ Tactics

“Africa, The Green Revolution And Scientists’ Tactics”

How can Africa move along with the Green Revolution and feed from scientists’ tactics?

This was the question raised by a recent media workshop held in Kenya.

The Media21 Global Journalism Network, a network of global media and journalists based in Geneva, Switzerland, recently held a workshop for food security and climate issues in Africa from 12th to 16th April. Media21 aims to promote enhanced public awareness via better media coverage. There was also a field trip from April 5-11 in Kenya where 38 journalists participated from across Africa and a few journalists from outside Africa. This programme was supported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Bio-vision a Swiss-based foundation for the promotion of sustainable development and the Kenyan-based African Insect Science for Food and Health (ICIPE, Nairobi).

The field trip made a tremendous impact on participants. At least 28 journalists profited from the field trip and they also acknowledged that there was forgotten and neglected activities on the ground and from the African community, local NGOs and international NGOs in the continent.

The participating journalists visited three districts in Kenya and a few projects of Bio-vision and ICIPE, as well as the fishers at the great lake in Africa, Lake Victoria. The journalists interviewed local people enroute.
Africa faces many challenges which are currently unresolved such as climate change, poverty, droughts and the lack of peace in a few countries. In addition, Africa is still suffering from the side effects of the above dilemmas and needs desperately to move on – but her weak activities attracts the attention of well-wishers globally.

Indeed, the above stated predicaments have caused death, displacement and reduced the food production across Africa. Population growth is also an additional obstacle against the continental development and her hope to join the green revolution.

In general, Africa - as a continent - hopes to join the green revolution, although there are a few countries which are not able to take part in the ongoing efforts and negotiations. There is widespread activity from the African lands and their leaders as well as the developed countries in order to make sure the green revolution takes hold in Africa.

Media is strengthening in Africa towards working for the green revolution – although there is a little bit of misunderstanding among all the above mentioned groups.

Learning about local science strategies

During the Media21 tour Dr. Zeyaur Khan, an ICIPE scientist, accompanied the journalists and explained the current and past problems the farms and farming processes in Africa generally face. The most enlightening system which is new in Africa was ‘push-pull technology’ and this system is useful to the farming and where there is a poor agricultural concert.

The push–pull technology is a strategy for controlling agricultural pests by using repellent “push” plants and trap “pull” plants. For example, cereal crops like maize or sorghum are often infested by stem borers. Grasses planted around the perimeter of the crop attract and trap the pests, whereas other plants, like Desmodium, planted between the rows of maize repel the pests and control the parasitic plant striga.

If other African farmers adopt this push-pull system and their governments start to boost this system it could really guarantee that Africa has hope in the green revolution. Africa needs to develop her farmers and feed the experience of her scientists in order to resolve all the impacts from the above stated problems.

Simultaneously, Africa is waiting for her society and leaders to wake up so as to move the green revolution and increase her food production as well as develop her gricultural system.

By: Daud Abdi Daud
From the National Association of Somali Science and Environmental journalists (NASSEJ).

ENDS

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