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AGRA, in partnership with the International Fertiliser Development Center (IFDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, hosted Mali’s first-ever event specifically dedicated to soils, in celebration of World Soil Day

The event themed: ‘Nourish the Earth, Secure the Future’ focused on preserving the health of arid and semi-arid soils, and marked the beginning of a dedicated national focus on soil health in Mali. It highlighted critical issues of soil degradation and the need to implement collaborative and innovative solutions to restore soil health, safeguard agricultural productivity, and combat food insecurity.

Comprising expert panels and roundtable discussions, the event served as a platform to address soil health and its implications for agricultural transformation, in turn producing actionable recommendations. These included establishing a platform for dialogue, creating synergies of action, updating Mali’s soil mapping, developing targeted policies, and investing in action research on soils.

In his address, the Minister of Agriculture emphasised that sustainable soil management is not only an environmental necessity but also a socio-economic and humanitarian imperative. During the forum, AGRA and IFDC also reaffirmed their commitment to fostering innovation, capacity-building, and partnerships that prioritise soil health.

Africa's biggest aquaculture meeting — the World Aquaculture Safari 2025 — will be held from 24-27 June in Kampala, Uganda

Aquaculture has a tremendous potential to contribute to sub-Saharan Africa's food security, while also boosting job opportunities across the continent. Over the years, aquaculture production has seen a 11% growth, with tilapia being the most-farmed fish in sub-Saharan Africa. Recognising its significance, the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) has established annual conferences to celebrate achievements, address challenges, and foster collaboration in the sector.

Sponsored by the EU-funded TRUEFISH Project, the World Aquaculture Safari 2025 is a World Aquaculture Conference, incorporating both the continental event and the showcase global event. Besides addressing key African topics such as tilapia and catfish production, the conference will also cater to a global audience covering a diverse range of presentations, species, meetings, discussions, workshops and more.

The FAO, the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are few among the many developmental partners that are expected to participate.

NaFarm Foods, an innovative agricultural solutions provider based in Kaduna, Nigeria, has been awarded the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Food category

This prestigious award recognises the company’s exceptional efforts in combating post-harvest losses, improving food security, and advancing sustainable farming practices throughout Nigeria.

NaFarm Foods’ flagship innovation, the Hybrid Solar Food Dryer, addresses the critical issue of food spoilage by harnessing both solar heat and electricity generated from solar panels to ensure efficient drying, even in challenging weather conditions such as rain or clouds. With a drying capacity of 500kg per unit, the dryer retains the nutritional quality of food while minimising energy costs. The technology has already benefitted over 80 communities across six Nigerian states, significantly reducing post-harvest losses for more than 65,000 farmers and contributing to food security and rural economic empowerment.

Dr Lamya Fawwaz, director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, praised NaFarm Foods for its impactful solution, commented, “NaFarm Foods’ innovative approach to sustainable food preservation not only improves food security but also empowers rural communities, particularly women and youth, by creating income-generating opportunities. This aligns with the Prize’s mission to drive progress and improve livelihoods.”

Fatima Jimoh, CEO of NaFarm Foods, expressed, “We are deeply honoured to be recognised as a winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize. It signifies global recognition of our efforts to tackle food insecurity and promote equitable and sustainable agriculture in Nigeria and beyond. This opportunity inspires us to continue pushing boundaries, knowing that our work is not only transforming lives locally but also contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world. For us, this is more than an achievement, it’s a call to action to drive greater impact.”

The Hybrid Solar Food Dryer offers a solution to food preservation challenges by reducing spoilage rates, cutting greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing food, and lowering dependence on fossil fuels. With a whole-of-life cost of less than 1 cent per 100 litres, the dryers are affordable and viable for smallholder farmers and food processors. By 2030, NaFarm Foods aims to empower two million farmers and cut carbon emissions by 50,000 metric tonnes annually.

The US$1mn prize will enable NaFarm Foods to scale operations, producing and distributing 100,000 dryers across Nigeria and West Africa. The company also plans to expand training programmes to empower 25,000 women and youth, fostering entrepreneurship and promoting sustainable economic growth. NaFarm Foods intends to establish distribution hubs and implement advanced cluster mapping systems to ensure broader access to its technology and enhance the marketability of agricultural produce.

GenAI presents itself as an invaluable tool in modern farming due to its ability to drive innovation and efficiency

With passing years, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly engrained in our everyday life. This is the case in agriculture too, where the integration of AI technologies is helping to solve real-world challenges through automation. Among the different types of AI technologies available, generative AI, also known as GenAI, presents itself as an invaluable tool in modern farming, due to its ability to drive innovation and efficiency.

Besides automating tasks like crop monitoring and disease detection, GenAI also helps farmers cut costs by optimising resource allocation and reducing waste. It also empowers farmers to make data-driven decisions regarding planting schedules, pest control strategies and harvesting times. GenAI is also capable of predicting climate patterns, allowing farmers to customise their farming practices to suit local conditions. This in turn makes it easy for them to prepare for and adapt to numerous climate change challenges.

Boosting productivity with E.L.Y.

German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Bayer’s crop science division in collaboration with Microsoft, recently launched Expert Learning for You (E.L.Y.) Crop Protection, aimed at simplifying crop management and supporting farmers in their success. The GenAI model helps navigate complex agronomic information, while delivering faster and more accurate results to farmers and customers who are seeking detailed information about Bayer’s agricultural products.

Global business lead for GenAI, Dan Kurdys argued against the common misconception that GenAI could inadvertently contribute to unemployment by displacing jobs. "GenAI is not about replacing people or taking away jobs," Kurdys emphasised. "It's about augmenting our everyday work and providing easy access to information that would otherwise be locked away in the minds of a few agronomists and their laptops. It's about saving institutional knowledge when someone retires or leaves the company, and I strongly believe it's a tool that can be used by Bayer and others to better serve farmers."

E.L.Y. Crop Protection is based on Microsoft’s Phi-3 SLM and is available on the Azure AI model catalog. Its ability to offer an affordable, bespoke and scalable foundation for agricultural entities irrespective of their size, makes it a game-changer for farmers. GenAI has a great potential for future growth in the agriculture sector, with its market size projected to reach US$2.19mn by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 30%.

Despite its numerous benefits however, deploying GenAI in agriculture comes with two main challenges that have a restraining effect on market growth. These include high upfront costs and privacy concerns, both of which can be addressed through efficient collaboration among farmers, technology developers and policymakers.