Manila, Philippines

As Africa braces for a population boom set to reach 2.5bn by 2050, the continent faces a dual challenge: ensuring food security while preparing a skilled workforce to drive agricultural transformation.

At Agrilevante 2025 in Bari, Italy, this challenge was met head-on with the unveiling of a new international initiative focused on vocational education and technical training for African agricultural and agro-mechanical professionals.

The conference, titled “The New Africa: Education, Training, and Education for Agricultural and Agro-Mechanical Technicians,” marked the start of a collaborative programme driven by FederUnacoma, the Italian Federation of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, and Internationalia Publishing House. The programme aims to assess and address skill gaps across the African agri-sector, starting with Tanzania, Tunisia, and Ghana - three pilot countries prioritised in Italy’s Mattei Plan for African development partnerships.

A key takeaway from the event was the potential of education as a catalyst for agricultural innovation. As highlighted in the conference, Africa holds over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and according to the African Development Bank, the continent’s agri-food market is expected to triple in value over the next five years from US$280bn to US$1tn.

“In a context like Africa’s, where education systems are characterised by numerous problematic elements and a sizeable school dropout rate,” said Gianfranco Belgrano, Director of Africa Affari and Internationalia, “training plays an essential role in meeting the demand for new skills in a constantly evolving market, especially in the agricultural and agro-mechanical sectors.”

The programme aims to go beyond traditional university-level exchanges and address the technical education gap, particularly in agricultural mechanics-a key area often overlooked in previous initiatives. The project will focus on technical and agricultural schools, helping to build a pipeline of trained technicians able to support the modernisation of local farming systems.

“There are great prospects for cooperation between Italian industries and African countries,” added Mariateresa Maschio, President of FederUnacoma. “From the design of technologically advanced agricultural machinery to the creation of high-precision irrigation systems, from supply chain implementation to capacity building, our companies possess excellent know-how that can meet the training needs of African agricultural economies.”

Belgrano reinforced the project’s initial focus: “We decided to launch the project with Tanzania, Tunisia, and Ghana because these are countries with a lot of agricultural area, which have structured school systems and can therefore already begin collaboration programmes with Italian companies.”

As Agrilevante showcases innovation in Mediterranean agri-tech, this new training initiative plants the seeds of long-term partnership, equipping Africa’s future farmers and technicians with the tools they need to succeed.

The global conversation around food security, sustainability, and agriculture just got sharper and it starts with what we’re feeding our animals

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has kicked off its 2025 Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators, placing safe, sustainable feed production at the heart of agricultural transformation.

In a sector worth over US$400bn annually, producing 1 billion tonnes of feed and employing more than 250,000 professionals worldwide, the stakes have never been higher. The message from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu was clear: “This is where the role of feed regulators is crucial and is why FAO has convened this Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators.”

Held at FAO headquarters in Rome as part of Livestock Week, the two-day forum brought together policymakers, scientists, producers, and industry experts to address a critical but often overlooked pillar of food production animal feed. The Director-General called for stronger cooperation to boost feed availability, manage grasslands wisely, and reduce the environmental footprint of livestock systems, which are essential to both rural livelihoods and planetary health.

At the heart of the discussions: safety, traceability, and sustainability. Contaminants like mycotoxins, microplastics, and chemical residues don’t just harm animals - they threaten human health, disrupt international trade, and undermine consumer trust. Poorly managed feed chains contribute to deforestation, emissions, and biodiversity loss. And in many regions, feed legislation still lags behind international standards such as the Codex Alimentarius.

“There’s a need for science-based policies and regulations to manage feed systems wisely – protecting health, supporting trade, boosting productivity, and building resilience,” QU Dongyu stated. He also emphasised the importance of inclusivity, ensuring small and medium-sized farmers gain access to safe, affordable feed and services.

This year’s forum builds on momentum from 2023, offering a platform for real-world solutions. Key themes include increasing feed availability through locally-sourced ingredients, such as pasture, grains, and circular economy inputs, and scaling up innovative feed technologies that enhance productivity while lowering environmental costs.

One of the key outcomes? The identification of FAO Reference Centres for Animal Feed – collaborative hubs linking regulators, laboratories, researchers, and private stakeholders to fast-track innovation and global best practices in feed safety.

With plans to host the forum every two years, FAO is setting a rhythm for global collaboration and accountability in the feed sector. For farmers, feed manufacturers, and regulators alike, this marks a vital step toward a more secure, equitable, and climate-smart agricultural future.

Côte d’Ivoire has reported that it successfully traced 40 percent of its cocoa production during the 2024/25 season, running from October to September, according to the most recent Cocoa Barometer report.

The 200‑page examination of the global chocolate industry touches on critical issues such as poverty, deforestation and human rights, and underscores that weak traceability persists as a central flaw in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa value chain. Much of the nation’s cocoa production is still channelled through fragmented systems. The study highlights that sourcing often passes through multiple intermediaries, rather than linking farmers directly to processors. This opacity hinders efforts to monitor environmental impact or hold parties accountable for deforestation and unsustainable practices.

Indeed, the report estimates that 60 percent of Ivorian cocoa remains untraced  a figure broadly in line with prior research. A 2023 study by Trase and UCLouvain found that 55 percent of cocoa exported in 2019 lacked traceability. Researcher Cécile Rénier points out that weak institutional ties between cooperatives and smallholders aggravate the problem: farmers may sell to multiple buyers or even informal agents, while cooperatives sometimes buy from non‑members to meet volume goals. This weakens accountability and complicates efforts to verify that the cocoa declared actually originates from the claimed plots.

At the policy level, this report emerges amid debates over the European Union’s deforestation regulation set to ban imports linked to forest loss. Though its implementation has been delayed to 2026, traceability is now more urgent than ever, since the EU receives 55 percent of Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa and cocoa product exports. In response, Côte d’Ivoire has introduced a National Coffee‑Cocoa Traceability System, launched in September 2023, to record commercial transactions and enable tracking of individual sacks. Between 2019 and 2020, the Coffee and Cocoa Board (CCC) conducted a detailed census of farmers and their plots, and in 2022 began issuing identity cards to farmers that include plot sizes and ownership details. To date, approximately 855,000 of the 993,000 registered farmers have received these cards, covering more than 3.2 million hectares of cocoa and coffee land.

While achieving 40 percent traceability marks progress, wide gaps remain. Strengthening transparency across the supply chain, deepening integration of trace systems, and forging more dependable connections between farmers and buyers are vital for enhancing sustainability. Only then can Côte d’Ivoire hope to align with export standards and shield its cocoa sector from deforestation, environmental harm and human rights abuses.

Bühler has officially launched the Cenomic Horizon 3, a powerful addition to its wet grinding portfolio, aimed at transforming energy efficiency, product quality, and throughput for industries that rely on fine grinding and dispersion

Designed with the needs of sectors such as paints and coatings, printing inks, and agrochemicals in mind, the new bead mill offers a smarter, more sustainable solution for processing solids into liquids.

Unveiled globally from Bühler’s headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland, Cenomic Horizon 3 is equipped with a 20-litre active chamber and 30-kilowatt drive power. This state-of-the-art machine represents a leap forward in processing technology, offering precise temperature control, reduced wear, and greater application flexibility. As explained by Patrick Schwager, Bühler’s Product Manager for Grinding & Dispersing, the new model is engineered to handle temperature-sensitive materials with improved stability, giving operators more confidence and control in production.

Significant design improvements are at the core of Cenomic Horizon 3’s performance. A newly optimised grinding chamber and an advanced bead separation system ensure efficient product flow and bead distribution. The integration of a silicon carbide inner liner dramatically improves thermal conductivity, enabling efficient cooling during continuous high-power operation. Pilot trials have shown that Cenomic Horizon 3 can reduce outlet temperatures by up to 15°C and increase flow rates by 20%, while also achieving energy savings of up to 30% compared to previous versions.

The mill also incorporates Bühler’s Premium V4 automation platform, offering digital control over recipe management, real-time performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This intelligent interface improves process safety, reduces downtime, and supports operational efficiency.

Cenomic Horizon 3’s versatility is one of its most attractive features. It is compatible with a wide array of formulations from primers and finishes to pigment concentrates and agrochemical suspensions enabling manufacturers to adapt quickly to changing demands without compromising on quality.

For current customers, retrofit kits are available, allowing upgrades to existing Cenomic 3 and Optima 3 systems. These modular enhancements expand process capabilities through a redesigned chamber and updated screen technology, offering a cost-effective path to modernisation.

Bühler is also providing hands-on access to the Cenomic Horizon 3 through its application centres in Switzerland, China, and Japan. These facilities offer full-scale testing environments where customers can run trials using their own formulations, fine-tune grinding parameters, and validate performance before making investment decisions.

With additional sizes set to roll out in the future, Cenomic Horizon 3 marks a bold step forward in Bühler’s mission to deliver innovative, energy-smart grinding solutions to global markets.