For the first time in its history, the International Greenhouse Gas & Animal Agriculture Conference (GGAA) has arrived on African soil—an historic moment placing the continent at the centre of the global dialogue on climate change, livestock, and sustainable agriculture

Now underway in Nairobi, Kenya, the 9th edition of the GGAA is co-hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO).

With over 500 scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society representatives attending, the event seeks to shape practical, science-driven solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock while enhancing food security, supporting rural economies, and building climate resilience. The conference makes it clear: Africa is not just a stakeholder in this global challenge—it’s a critical player.

Choosing Nairobi was a deliberate shift in narrative. Africa is home to one-third of the world’s livestock, and in several countries, the livestock sector contributes up to 80% of GDP. Yet smallholder farmers who form the backbone of this sector have historically been underrepresented in international policy-making. Hosting GGAA in Kenya offers these communities not only visibility but a platform to influence future strategies and innovations.

A core message emerging from GGAA 2025 is that “one size doesn’t fit all.” Solutions developed for high-output systems in Europe or North America such as methane-reducing feed additives are often impractical in African contexts, where productivity levels differ significantly. Instead, the focus is on improving animal health, feed quality, and breeding the most effective tools for reducing emissions per unit of product in smallholder systems.

Throughout the conference, cutting-edge climate-smart innovations are being showcased. These include breeding cattle for lower methane emissions using genomic selection, real-time methane monitoring via exhalomics, circular manure systems that convert waste into energy and fertiliser, and digital farm tools to streamline carbon tracking and management. Some models suggest that improving disease control alone could cut emission intensity by 12%.

Technical sessions are diving deep into topics such as methane measurement, rumen microbiome genomics, policy integration, and sustainable manure management. But alongside the science, a strong call echoes throughout the conference: solutions must be practical, inclusive, and accessible for farmers on the ground.

As ILRI’s Director General, Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, said, “The goal is to cut emissions while raising yields—that’s the win-win of climate-smart livestock.”

GGAA 2025 is more than a conference; it’s a turning point. It signals the rise of Africa as a driver of equitable, locally informed, and globally impactful climate action within the livestock sector.

A new partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) has been launched to improve access to safe, affordable, and nutritious aquatic foods for vulnerable communities across Africa and Latin America

The initiative, titled New Aquatic Food Value Chains for Sustainable Healthy Diets in Fragile Contexts (NAVAC), aims to enhance food security, support local economies, and drive innovation within aquatic food systems.

Backed by a €20mn contribution from the EU and an additional US$500,000 from FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme, NAVAC will run from 2025 to 2030 in Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, South Sudan, and Colombia.

“The main aim of NAVAC is to expand the supply of sustainable, affordable, safe and nutritious aquatic foods and ensure that it reaches nutritionally vulnerable populations while at the same time providing economic benefits to local communities through Blue Transformation innovations in aquatic food value chains,” said Godfrey Magwenzi, Deputy Director-General of FAO.

Aquatic foods play a vital role in providing high-quality protein and essential nutrients needed to combat malnutrition, particularly among children, pregnant women, and other at-risk groups. Despite their benefits, these resources often remain underutilised in national food and nutrition strategies.

NAVAC is closely aligned with FAO’s Four Betters – Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life – ensuring that no one is left behind. It also contributes to FAO’s Blue Transformation agenda, which seeks to build more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient aquatic food systems.

“NAVAC promotes innovative and integrated approaches to value chain development, from ‘net to plate’, ensuring that interventions advance food security and nutrition outcomes, strengthen livelihoods and enhance environmental sustainability,” said Annette Schneegans, Deputy Permanent Representative of the European Union to FAO. “It reflects the European Union’s commitment to the Global Gateway strategy,” she added.

FAO will lead the project in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark. Initial efforts will focus on assessing aquatic food value chains in each target country to identify opportunities and challenges. Based on these insights, the project will design tailored strategies to improve production, processing, and distribution, ensuring that nutritious aquatic foods reach those who need them most.

Drawing on lessons from the FISH4ACP initiative, NAVAC aims to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture sectors, helping rural communities achieve better nutrition, income stability, and sustainable livelihoods.

Agrofi Egg, situated in the Western Cape of South Africa, is fast emerging as a leading name in sustainable agriculture.

The company combines poultry farming with a range of diversified agricultural ventures, aiming to strengthen food security, create jobs, and empower local communities.

At present, Agrofi manages approximately 2,300 layer hens, producing around 2,000 fresh eggs each day. By March 2026, the agribusiness plans to double its egg output while expanding into vegetable and herb production. The company also intends to explore new avenues such as snail farming, rabbit breeding, and livestock rearing including goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle.

Agrofi stands out for its integration of modern agricultural technologies. These include data monitoring systems, sustainable feed formulations, and renewable energy solutions that reduce environmental impact. Desmond Irabor, Founder and CEO highlights the importance of blending innovation with traditional farming wisdom: “tradition provides the foundation, while modern tech and efficiency allow scalability.” This balanced approach helps Agrofi improve productivity while maintaining the authenticity of local farming practices.

The company supplies eggs and farm produce to hotels, restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, and direct consumers, focusing on freshness, consistency, and animal health. Hygiene and responsible handling are central to Agrofi’s operations, ensuring that quality is never compromised from farm to table.

Beyond its business operations, Agrofi is deeply rooted in community development. The company actively involves local youth and women, working closely with schools, universities, the Ubuntu Foundation, the provincial agriculture department, and Wesgro. Irabor reinforces the vision that “agriculture should be a shared responsibility that strengthens communities and raises food-security.”

Looking ahead, Agrofi aims to acquire a 100-hectare farm to boost its production capacity and further diversify its farming portfolio. While recruitment is not immediate, the company plans to expand its workforce in 2026, focusing on individuals passionate about sustainable agriculture. Agrofi is also strengthening its national presence and has partnered with the International Commodity Summit 2025 to enhance visibility and build strategic partnerships.

By combining poultry, crop cultivation, and livestock with renewable energy and community inclusion, Agrofi is redefining agribusiness in South Africa proving that modern, sustainable farming can nurture both people and the planet.

Yorkshire-based manufacturer Grange Machinery is preparing to launch a new and improved version of its well-known 6m Close Coupled Toolbar (CCT) at Agritechnica 2025

The latest design has been developed to meet growing demand from farmers who require greater flexibility when drilling maize and other row crops.

The upgraded CCT now offers tine spacings of both 75cm and 50cm, along with extra brackets that allow users to adjust the spacing of the low disturbance legs. This versatility means farmers can easily switch between a standard 50cm soil loosener setup during harvest and wider 75cm rows for maize and similar crops.

Designed in close collaboration with working farmers, the new CCT is ideal for those looking to improve efficiency in the field. When paired with a mounted or trailed drill, it allows users to eliminate soil compaction and drill maize precisely in one pass, saving both time and fuel.

Rhun Jones, Managing Director of Grange Machinery, said," Sowing maize in 75cm rows is becoming more common. People were looking at the 6m CCT and saying, ‘I like it, I want one’, but then the conversation about maize would come up. Often, when they found out it couldn’t do that, they’d leave it. But with a lot of customers asking about it, we decided we had to get it sorted. So, we worked closely with one of our customers who wanted the 50cm spacings during harvest but also grows a large acreage of maize." He added, " With his input, we have designed a machine that does both and we’re very excited about it. It functions as an all-loosening system during harvest, but a maize and strip tillage system in that season, so it’s very versatile.”

Built for strength and reliability, the 6m CCT can operate with mounted or trailed equipment and comes PTO-ready. It excels at track eradication, shallow subsoiling, and correcting compaction both before drilling and after harvest. When fitted with a packer roller, it delivers a fine seedbed in a single pass.

Rhun added," Agritechnica is the biggest farm machinery show in Europe, possibly even the world. To be exhibiting is a privilege, but to be launching a new machine there is a dream come true. We cannot wait to sample the atmosphere and showcase the Grange brand on such a grand scale.”