Water & Food: The elements of African development

 First and foremost, I would like to start off by thanking everyone who has kept up with my series of blogs on water and development in Africa! Before this, I had never written a blog and I have found this assignment truly enjoyable. Although at first I thought this topic was way too broad to study, the more research I did, the easier it became as it allowed me delve into a variety of interesting topics. I have learnt that Africa is an immensely diverse continent with a variety of social, cultural, economic and geographical conditions, meaning that each farmer encounters its own set of challenges. Therefore, approaches and solutions to agriculture and water management are not ever ‘one size fits all’. In my blogs, I have highlighted a range of solutions from GMOs to irrigation. Although they are viable solutions, they are not the only existing solutions, neither are they suitable to every farmer in Africa. Thus, it is imperative for these solutions to not be imposed or enforced ...

 In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned the increasing occurrence of drought seasons in many regions of Africa and the massive impact it is having on food security. In this blog post, I aim to discuss a possible solution to counteract these drastic climatic changes with a specific focus on Genetically Modified (GM) crops using drought-tolerant Maize as a key example. What is the threat? Globally, the agricultural industry is the largest consumer of freshwater, taking approximately 70% of it, a proportion which is expected to rise with future demands. Therefore, it is necessary for the agricultural sector to start adopting and prioritising water conservation policies and practices ( Boretti and Rosa, 2019 ). This necessity is being intensified by the growing threat of climate change. Indeed, Africa is expected to be of one of the continents most affected by these changes as droughts and floods are becoming increasingly frequent and widespread, impacting people and agriculture...

 Throughout my research on water and development in Africa, the term “Green Revolution” has appeared across numerous academic papers that I have read. Therefore, in this week’s blog I aim to explore this idea and its significance in ensuring future food security in all African states. Figure 1: Alliance for a green revolution The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) was established in 2006 and formed through a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Both foundations core belief is “investing in agriculture is the surest path to reducing poverty and hunger in Africa” . AGRA is quite unique compared to other organisations as it is independent and led by Africans based in Africa. This is because the foundation believes that African professionals and scholars know the best as only Africans truly hold the experience and knowledge to enlighten Africa’s agriculture. Moreover, ensuring Africans lead this revolution provides peo...