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UN to involve millions of rural people in the 2021 Food Systems Summit as part of an ambitious public engagement process.

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Photo: WFP/Tsiory Andriantsoarana.

An unprecedented commitment to ensure that the voices and opinions of millions of the world’s most remote rural people are at the heart of the United Nations Food Systems Summit was announced today by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Agnes Kalibata, and the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Gilbert F. Houngbo.

This will be achieved through the Independent Summit Dialogues, a public platform that gives everyone around the world a chance to contribute towards national strategies for more sustainable food systems.

IFAD works in the world’s poorest rural areas and has pledged to mobilise its network of country offices and partners to reach millions of family farmers, indigenous communities, producers, rural women, and youth to ensure they have the chance to share their experiences and insights.

An estimated 63 percent of the world’s poor people work in agriculture, the overwhelming majority on rural small farms. While they produce much of the world’s food, they remain vulnerable to hunger and often struggle to make a decent living.

“No one is more qualified to contribute to this discussion on how to transform our food systems than the rural people who produce so much of our food. Yet they seldom have a seat at the table,” said Houngbo.

“I urge rural people to seize this opportunity and feed into this important discussion with their own ideas and solutions.”

As a part of its commitment to be a “People’s and Solutions Summit”, a 10-step guide has been unveiled for anyone wanting to host a dialogue, including tips to encourage the broadest possible variety of voices and perspectives, and training sessions for convening a session.

The results will be shared with those leading the five priority areas, or Action Tracks, of the Summit to help inform strategies for food systems that provide for all without exhausting natural resources.

“If you have ever wanted to share your views with heads of state at the UN, this is your chance,” said Kalibata, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit.

“The success of the Summit hinges on the actions of people all over the world, which is why IFAD’s commitment to involving as many rural people as possible is so important. We need all of your stories, ideas, and solutions to transform food systems for the better and feed the world without starving the planet. Now is your chance to take a seat at the table.”

Independent Dialogues, which can take any form from online webinars to town hall meetings, will take place alongside official Dialogues hosted by governments, and others that track international talks and events. In addition to IFAD’s leadership, the Summit is working closely with more than 30 other UN institutions through a UN Task Force, more than 75 networks in all parts of the world through its Champions Network, and several other constituency groups to ensure as many actors engage in independent dialogues as possible.

Anyone interested in hosting a dialogue can register on the Dialogue Gateway, where convenors can commit to the principles of the Summit, announce their dialogue, and submit their feedback.

All reports from Independent Dialogues will be publicly available. In addition, the Food Systems Summit Secretariat has formed a strategic partnership with the Blue Marble Evaluation global network to professionally synthesize and analyse all reports submitted by conveners of the Independent Dialogues.

The synthesis will identify common themes, important insights, proposed actions, and potential solutions that cut across the Dialogues. Synthesis findings will be public and periodically shared to inform deliberations in all aspects of the Summit process, as well as informing locally-owned actions after the Summit is over.

The Food Systems Summit Community, a platform for sharing and discussions, is also open to everyone with an interest in following developments and contributing to the Summit.

The Food Systems Summit was announced by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in 2019 to identify innovative solutions that will transform food systems to be more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.

Story by: Reuben Quainoo

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Donors commit to the highest-ever funding to UN rural development agency IFAD to tackle hunger and poverty for the world’s poorest countries.

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Photo credit: the United Nations

The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will now be able to invest US$3.8 billion in tackling hunger and poverty in the world’s rural poorest countries.

This, thanks to an unprecedented record-high financing target set today by governments from 177 countries at IFAD’s annual Governing Council.

At a time when many nations are facing severe economic challenges, this move demonstrates the importance global leaders place on investing in effective long-term rural development as critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This strong vote of confidence significantly boosts IFAD’s capacity to address the devastating socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and climate change. With this unprecedented funding, IFAD will reach approximately 140 million people in the world’s most fragile and remote areas over three years.

When combined with an expansion of IFAD’s pioneering climate change adaptation programme (ASAP+), a new private-sector financing programme, and co-financing by national and international partners, IFAD aims to deliver a total programme of work of at least $11 billion from 2022-2024.

“Today our Member States made it clear that the fate of the poor and hungry matters. All of us are united in our battle against the impacts of COVID-19 and a rapidly changing climate – but none feel the impacts more profoundly than rural people in the world’s poorest countries,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD.

“It costs less to invest in sustainability and building long-term resilience to shocks than it does to respond to repeated humanitarian emergencies. That is why the Sustainable Development Goals exist, and this increased commitment to IFAD is an important step to delivering on them. The contributions pledged so far show our Member States are determined to eradicate poverty and hunger and are confident in the impact of IFAD’s work,” added Houngbo.

Already, 67 countries have announced new pledges totaling more than $1.1 billion in support of IFAD’s Twelfth Replenishment (IFAD12), a process whereby the Member States define strategic priorities and commit funds to the organization for its work in 2022-2024. More pledges are expected throughout 2021.

In a strong show of support, the governments of Germany and France issued a joint statement that said, “As IFAD12 is both ambitious and necessary to address rural poverty at this critical time, the German government and the French government have both decided to significantly increase their financial support to IFAD to an all-time high. We urge all Member States to join us in making an ambitious contribution.”

IFAD is unique among international financial institutions in the high number of Member States – usually more than 100 – that contribute voluntarily to its core funding. This includes some of the world’s poorest countries, which were among the first to announce significantly increased pledges last year, highlighting the value they place on their partnership with IFAD, and putting pressure on traditional donors to step up.

Many of IFAD’s top donors have announced their intentions to contribute significantly more than their previous funding. The United States, historically IFAD’s largest donor, committed $129 million which represents a 43 percent increase on its previous level of funding. A statement issued by the country emphasized IFAD’s role as “an effective partner to bring donors together in a multilateral setting to deliver rural poverty impact for the poorest.”

Increased pledges were also announced by France ($106 million – an additional 50 percent), Italy ($96 million – an additional 45 percent), Sweden ($87.3 million – equivalent to an additional 60 percent in Swedish krona), and Ireland ($14.3 million – an additional 66 percent), amongst others. Finland and Norway also increased their core pledges by 40 percent in national currency, and Germany, China, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada made significant pledges of $101 million, $85 million, $82.9 million, $57.3 million, and $55.5 million respectively.

Other countries, including Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mauritania, Pakistan, and The Philippines also announced higher contributions, joining those who pledged significant increases last year, including Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Greece, Luxembourg, Mali, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone and Uganda. Contributing for the first time since 2013, Haiti announced a pledge of more than double its last contribution, while Somalia announced its first commitment in three decades.

As part of the IFAD12 process, Member States agreed to fund a reformed Debt Sustainability Framework to ensure that debt-burdened countries can continue to receive grant financing from IFAD.

In addition, they agreed that at least half of the funding received will support rural development projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and more than a quarter will be channeled to countries facing conflict or other fragile situations.

At least 40 percent will be invested in addressing climate challenges, contributing to achieving the Paris Agreement, and ensuring more climate finance reaches small-scale farmers. Investing in youth and rural job creation will also be a key priority.

IFAD’s people-centered approach to rural development fosters “growth from below” with investments at the community-level in small and medium enterprises, small-scale producers, and the rural non-farm economy. These grassroots investments are proven to promote prosperity, food security, and resilience to extreme weather changes, natural disasters, price hikes, and other shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic that can later lead to humanitarian crises.

From 2022, IFAD will implement a strengthened business model which embeds the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that IFAD’s investments help rural people to sustain the progress achieved, and build back stronger and more resilient livelihoods from this and other future shocks.

Story by: Reuben Quainoo

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BASPAG partners with AWIA to build capacity for women-led MSMLES in the agribusiness sector.

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The Business Advisory Service Providers of Ghana (BASPAG) has partnered with African Women in Agribusiness (AWIA) to build capacity for its members with the purpose of advancing the Agribusiness Sector through Business Advisory Services focusing on Women-led Micro, Small, Medium including Large Enterprises (MSMLEs).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed by Lucy Akua Kyerede Quainoo, Vice President of BASPAG, and Mabel Quarshie, President of AWIA cuts across Agri-finance as well as all functional areas of operations of Women-led MSMLEs.

Madam Lucy Akua Kyerede Quainoo, the Vice President of BASPAG explained that as an advisory body, the partnership would build the capacity of the women in the MSMLEs ecosystem particularly those in the agriculture sector.

The MOU seeks to harness the individual strengths of these partners and form synergies in the spirit of cooperation to empower the members of AWIA. The idea is to make collaborative decisions and policies based on shared realities towards the execution of specific projects while maintaining separate individual core operations.

“With the dawn of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General, World Trade Organization, and the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) African women’s dexterity, knowledge, passion, and resilience in entrepreneurship and agribusiness is being featured towards poverty alleviation and wealth creation through international trade and development, therefore is a need for supporting system to build their capacity”, she reiterated.

The purpose of the partnership is to effectively utilize the competitive advantage that emanates from the collaboration for the benefit of their respective association members. AWIA, according to the agreement will organize their members and facilitate their ability to access Business Advisory Services from BASPAG.

Madam Mabel Quarshie, the President of AWIA mentioned that the partnership is a good avenue for the members in AWIA to scale-up their businesses as the partnership seeks to build their capacities.

The president said the partnership would give them leverage where the members would be skilled in record keeping, marketing, and business ethics which would enhance accessing loans from the financial institutions.

“This is the period where AWIA needs to sharpens its skills, this partnership would avail us with interventions and broaden our scope, she added”

BASPAG is a network of professionals providing advisory services to micro, small, medium, and large enterprises in Ghana. The network was born out of USAID’s Financing Ghana Agriculture Project (FinGAP). Among other activities, the project offered technical and financial assistance through Business Advisory Service (BAS) providers that worked with enterprises in preparing and packaging financing proposals for viable agribusiness opportunities.

AWIA is a women-led Agribusiness and Value Chain that play roles in agriculture and agribusiness in Ghana with the mission of working to address the challenges women face in the sector. The group aims to bring all women in Agribusiness under one umbrella with the aim of empowering them for business growth and development. Their vision is thus to capacitate women’s access to the agri-ecosystem, driving socio-economic impact through disruptive virtual and physical communities.

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World Leaders call for greater international cooperation to tackle hunger and poverty.

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Gilbert F. Houngbo, the IFAD President.

The fate of the world’s poorest and wealthiest nations are interconnected, and eradicating poverty and hunger will be impossible without urgent and focused international cooperation efforts directed at long-term development, said world leaders speaking at the opening of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) annual Governing Council meeting.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis should drive home the message to all – rich and poor, weak or powerful – that their destinies are intertwined. We will perish or survive together,” Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, told representatives of IFAD’s 177 Member States. “We need a common plan and strategy for global recovery and the survival and prosperity of all humanity” he added.

Highlighting the long-term and profound economic damage, the pandemic is now having in low-income countries where poverty and hunger are on the rise, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola, compared the challenges ahead to his country’s recovery from civil war.

“International cooperation, both bilateral and with development organizations, was crucial for our struggle for post-war reconstruction and it continues to be necessary so that together we can tackle the effects of the crises we are facing,” he said.

According to both leaders, fighting growing global hunger and poverty needs to be addressed through global partnerships and greater long-term investments in the rural people who grow so much of the world’s food, but often are the poorest and hungriest.

The Governing Council used the occasion to reappoint President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gilbert F. Houngbo for a second four-year term due to his successful efforts to achieve long-term rural development despite the global challenges of coronavirus pandemic and climate change impacts.

The re-appointment took place during the 44th session of the IFAD Governing Council, which comes under the name “Rural development: a prerequisite for global resilience.”

His second term would continue focusing on technological solutions, innovative financing models, and new private-sector partnerships, besides tackling hunger and poverty and address the devastating impacts of climate change, youth unemployment, and most recently COVID-19.

His second-term strategy would also give more attention to the importance of helping the indigenous people to “ensure no one is left behind.”

“IFAD has to grow. We have to transform IFAD to transform rural areas,” said Houngbo in a speech he gave during the first day of the two-day conference.

“With the pandemic still devastating rural areas and the projections for increased poverty and hunger, the need for IFAD to scale up is more urgent than ever. Today it is COVID, yesterday it was a tsunami, and we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. The threat from climate change and extreme weather will not diminish, and we should prepare. No rural woman or man should ever be in a position of having to sell his or her meager assets – or be forced to migrate – in order to survive,” he added.

In terms of eradicating poverty and hunger to millions of people under his leadership, IFAD will double its efforts to ensure 40 million people per year increase their incomes by at least 20 percent by 2030, which is double what IFAD currently achieves.

To achieve this goal, Dr. Houngbo called upon the donors to significantly contribute to IFAD, this will help them carry out a comprehensive program with at least US$11 billion from 2022 to 2024, for better economies that can face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

Addressing the devastating impacts of climate change and reversing the decline of biodiversity, IFAD launched last month the Enhanced Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP+), which could mobilize $500 million and help more than 10 million people adapt to an unpredictable climate, he added.

Despite their disproportionate vulnerability to climate change, small-scale farmers currently receive only 1.7 percent of global climate finance, he continued.

Another of Houngbo’s goals is to address the major challenges rural young people face in finding decent employment, which has an enormous impact on instability and migration.

In Africa, 60 percent of young people live in rural areas and between 10 and 12 million young people enter the job market every year; with increased investments in agripreneurs and rural small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, who was reappointed today as IFAD’s President for a second term, said in his opening statement that international organizations and government partners need to rethink the nature of food systems that often lead to greater inequalities, poverty, and hunger.

“My conviction remains intact. We can achieve a more fair and equitable world, a world without abject poverty, a world without hunger,” he said.

“But the pandemic and the effects of climate change are forcing us to radically rethink the way we produce and eat.”

Announcing a significantly increased financial commitment to IFAD of €84 million for its work over the next three years, Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said “guaranteeing the right to food is a moral imperative.”

“We need adequate and sufficient resources to intervene on the ground, to invest in rural economies, food security, access to food, and sustainable production cycles,” he added.

Reducing food imports and securing a sustainable locally-produced food supply for a country like oil-dependent Angola is critical, said President Lourenço, and this can only be done by revitalising and developing local agricultural production.

The 44th Session of the Governing Council is a two-day meeting with the theme: Rural development – a pre-requisite for global resilience.

Story by: Reuben Quainoo, Ghana

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LIFESTYLE: For smooth and natural labour, women kindly take this fruit.

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Photo credit: brotenica

Dates are basically tropical fruit that is grown on date palm trees. It’s scientifically known as Phoenix Dactylifera and is one of the healthiest fruits around the world. Coming under the dry fruit category, dates are highly nutritious and extremely tasty. Dates also play an important role in the cultural heritage of many Middle East nations.

Pregnant women who eat dates regularly have a higher chance of delivering by natural labour. In our modern times, the frequency of natural labour is going down by a great margin. The complications that arise out of cesarean deliveries are troubling a lot of young mothers in our generation. Eating dates at the later stages of pregnancy can help in making the entire process of delivery much smoother.

There are results from studies that show that using dates as a part of the regular diet of a pregnant woman can help in reducing the pressure that is applied while trying to deliver the baby. The study also showed that when women who had consumed at least 70 -76 grams of dates during the later stages of pregnancy had to spend around 4 lesser hours during labour compared to women who did not eat dates.

These effects appear due to the unique compounds present in dates that have the ability to reduce the need for oxytocin during pregnancy. These compounds successfully mimic the effects of oxytocin by binding to the receptors and bring around a chance to have healthy contractions during labour. Dates also have a high concentration of tannins which also helps in facilitating contractions during labour. The nutritional value of dates will also help during labour as the mother will have enough natural sugars that can provide energy during pregnancy.

Source: medlife.com

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LIFESTYLE: Reasons why you should take vitamin C at this critical time.

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Photo credit: Times of India

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it. Yet, it has many roles and has been linked to impressive health benefits.

It’s water-soluble and found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.

While it’s commonly advised to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs the best way to take supplement Vitamin C is first thing in the morning, 30-45 minutes before a meal.

Boosts immunity
One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity, as vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system.

First, vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection.

Second, vitamin C helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage by potentially harmful molecules, such as free radicals.

Third, vitamin C is an essential part of the skin’s defense system. It’s actively transported to the skin, where it can act as an antioxidant and help strengthen the skin’s barriers.

Studies have also shown that taking vitamin C may shorten wound healing time.

What’s more, low vitamin C levels have been linked to poor health outcomes.
For example, people who have pneumonia tend to have lower vitamin C levels, and vitamin C supplements have been shown to shorten the recovery time.

May reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses.

Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.

When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases.

Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation,

Source: healthline.com

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Rearing for food and jobs to boost the economy of Obuasi.

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The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Elijah Adansi-Bonah of Obuasi has said that the introduction of the government’s flagship programme; Rearing for Food and Jobs will boost the agricultural economy of Obuasi.

Speaking at a ceremony to present 100 pigs to 20 beneficiary farmers as part of the Rearing for Food and Jobs programme, he said Obuasi was on course to harness its economic potential through agriculture.

Hon. Adansi-Bonah said the Municipality was focusing on pig farming due to its enormous benefits and potential to create employment and reduce poverty in the area.

He said despite its international reputation as a mining town, Obuasi had chopped great success in the area of agriculture, by producing two best regional farmers and the best national cocoa farmers in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

Hon. Adansi-Bonah advised the beneficiaries to take good care of the pigs to help sustain the programme for the benefit of others.

Mr. Augustine Antwi, Municipal Director of Agriculture said that the pigs had been quarantined and tested to make sure they were free from diseases like Swine brucellosis; an infectious disease of pigs that causes chronic inflammatory lesions in the reproductive organs, and infertility and low milk production.

He assured the beneficiaries of the directorate’s Continuous Technical Support and Monitoring, to ensure that the programme achieved its intended purpose in order to help sustain the policy.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, launched the Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) campaign on 25th June 2019 in Wa in the Upper West Region.

The campaign, which will run for five years, from 2019 to 2023, according to President Akufo-Addo, “will develop a competitive and more efficient livestock industry that will increase domestic production, reduce importation of livestock products, contribute to employment creation, and improve livelihoods of livestock value chain actors”.

Source: GNA

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LIFESTYLE: Incredible nutritional benefits of Sorghum you should know.

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Photo credit: Farm Flaver

Sorghum is a non-wheat grain that offers a dietary option to people with celiac disease, may help control diabetes, and improve digestive health, among other benefits.

Sorghum Nutrition Facts.
According to the USDA, sorghum is a powerhouse of nutrients. When included in the diet, it can provide nearly half of the daily required protein, a significant amount of dietary fiber, and B-vitamins vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin, as well as high levels of magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Health Benefits of Sorghum are;
The health benefits of sorghum in relation to our digestive process are many. Let’s discuss the benefits in detail below.

May Improve Digestive Health.
Sorghum is one of the best foods out there for dietary fiber. A cup of sorghum grains contains almost 13 grams of dietary fiber, meaning that your digestive tract can keep your food moving along smoothly, preventing cramping, bloating, constipation, stomach aches, excess gas, and diarrhea. Furthermore, meeting or exceeding the recommended daily amounts of fiber intake can help to scrape off dangerous cholesterol (LDL) within the body, which can help to improve heart health and protect the body from conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

Complex Carbohydrates May Help Manage Diabetes.
Excessive sugary, fiber-less, carbohydrates break down into simple sugars and wreak havoc on glucose levels in the body, which may lead to the development of diabetes, or causing chaos for people who already suffer from this disease. However, the complex carbohydrate, tannin-rich bran of sorghum has enzymes that inhibit the absorption of starch by the body, which can help to regulate insulin and glucose levels in the body. Thus, diabetics won’t suffer as many plunges and spikes in their glucose levels. For those who are diabetes-free, consuming moderate portions of whole grains as part of a healthy diet may prevent the disease altogether!

Gluten-Free Grain Option.
Celiac disease is a severe allergy to gluten, primarily found in wheat-based products. Gluten is found in thousands of everyday food items, which can make it very difficult to find appropriate food options for those suffering from this gastrointestinal disease. Fortunately, the journal Clinical Nutrition has covered collaborative research, which highlights that alternative grains and grasses – such as sorghum – can be eaten safely by those suffering from this increasingly common condition. Choosing gluten-free grains can help this population eat a meal without side effects such as painful inflammation, nausea, and gastrointestinal damage.

May Improve Bone Health.
Magnesium is found in high quantities in sorghum. Adequate amounts of magnesium can help calcium levels to be properly maintained, as magnesium increases calcium absorption in the body. These two minerals are also integral to the development of bone tissue and speed up the healing of damaged or aging bones. This can help prevent conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis, keeping you active and healthy into your old age.

May Increase Circulation.
As per the research published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, sorghum contains minerals like copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. The presence of copper can help increase the absorption of iron into the body. This means a decreased likelihood of developing anemia, which is another name for iron deficiency. With adequate amounts of iron and copper in the system, red blood cell development can be increased, thereby may boost blood circulation, stimulating cellular growth and repair, and boosting the energy levels in the body.

Contains Energy Boosting Nutrients.
As per the research carried out by the Department of Nutritional Sciences, the University of California and published in the journal Nutrient Research sorghum contains niacin. Niacin, also known as vitamin B3 is a key component in transforming food into usable energy and fuel for the body by breaking down and metabolizing nutrients into energy. Given its beneficial vitamin content, it can be a boon as part of any well-balanced diet!

Word of Caution: There are no known concerns against adding sorghum to your diet. As it is part of the grass family, there is the possibility of some people being allergic to it, but the cases are very rare. Furthermore, with the high content of certain minerals and vitamins, the only real danger is getting too much of a good thing, so eat sorghum in moderation and enjoy all of the wonderful health benefits!

Source: organicfacts.net

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The agricultural students’ career guidance and mentorship dialogue Bootcamp (AG-STUD) 2021 launched.

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The 4th edition of the Agricultural Students career guidance and mentorship dialogue Bootcamp (AG-STUD), a practical agribusiness beginners’ capacity building for students and agribusiness beginners has been launched at Accra.

The initiative aims at building the capacity of agricultural students, agribusiness beginners, and start-ups by exposing them to the dynamics of the food and agricultural market, through education, competence-based sessions, and leadership programmes, which is essential to the success and growth of agriculture.

In a welcoming address, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa thanked the invited guests, the stakeholders, and the students for honouring the invitation irrespective of the wave of the pandemic.

“The pandemic, as grave as it has been, is positively directing Agrihouse toward its greater missions; to grow and build resilience; introduce new interventions and upscale its projects, to complement and align with the needs of all its beneficiaries and stakeholders, including households, farmers, women, beginner agribusinesses and civil society; development partners, the youth, small and large-scale farmers, Technology and financial firms, governments, public and private agribusinesses”, she said.

She mentioned that (AG-STUD) 2021 would be focused mainly on practical knowledge to equip the students and the agribusiness beginners with best farming practices particularly in the field of fertilizer application and appropriate use of farm inputs.

Fertilizer application is one of the critical issues in the agriculture sector. Most of the farmers are aged, having little or no knowledge about fertilizer application contributing to food poison. As a result of mitigating this issue, the focus of AG-STUD 2021 is a good intervention to trains students and young individuals not only the prospects in agriculture but good agronomical practices.

Giving the success story so far, Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa said the Bootcamp has trained and mentored about 600 students directly and about 20,000 students indirectly. According to her, through the AG-STUD initiative, business clubs have been set up in about 10 institutions where students have come up with agribusiness ideas, grown and nurtured them into real businesses. About 14 individuals have also nurtured their individual ideas and are now operating these businesses on their own.

The Patron of the (AG-STUD Africa), Hon. Dr. Zenator Agyemang Rawlings commended Agrihouse Foundation for building the human capacity of the youth and those who are interested to engage in agriculture.

Hon. Zenator eulogized the beneficiaries for practicalizing their knowledge to contribute to food security in the country. She urged the beneficiaries not to focus only on the yield and the profit that is made from the farm produce but consider the nutritional values of that they produce as well. “As we look at the yields and the profit that we make, let us also look at the nutritional value. If ever there was a time to pay attention to what is in our food, the time is now because of Covid-19”, Hon. added.

According to the Patron, the government should not be the sole engine to run the agricultural sector because the government would not succeed, therefore, the private partners should upfront the activities of the sector whilst the government supplement it as Agrihouse Foundation is doing.

She opined that the beneficiaries should take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area as a means of expanding their market spheres. “If there was ever a time to make use of ACFTA this is it”, she extolled.

Carianne de Boer, the Chief of Party, United States Department of Agriculture, in her keynote address, admonished the students not to let anything hold them back from taking advantage of the strong partnerships established with the private sector through the programme.

She challenges the students to make the best of employment, agricultural and business skills provided by the Agrihouse Foundation through the mentorship opportunity.

The Chief of Party of USAID reinvigorated the students to take adventures for more opportunities to solve problems, “be curious, make the global your learning field and come out with production and market solutions that can build resilience to multiple shocks and stresses, especially in the face of recent global challenges like Covid-19”.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Head of AGRA of West Africa, Dr. Dorothy Effah lauded Agrihouse Foundation for providing tangible opportunities for the youth.

She assured that the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) would partner with Agrihouse Foundation to develop the youth to transform agriculture into a highly productive and sustainable system.

She underscored AGRA’s interventions for the youth which seeks to inspire generations to become agripreneurs.

Selorm Amevor, Ag. Head of Marketing and Communications, Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) added that the programme has developed record-keeping skills that would aid the students in accessing financial support from the financial institutions.

He mentioned that one of the limitations of farmers getting access to financial support is the lack of record-keeping and since the programme seeks to eliminate that challenge it would go a long way to help the students.

He further said the challenge that ADB is facing over the years is that most of the farming communities have issues of proper record keeping and this has made it difficult to even disburse the GH500 million which was set up last year for the poultry industry.

This year’s AG-STUD AFRICA is scheduled to kick start on Monday, April 12 – Friday, April 16, with organizing partners including, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and The National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG).

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LIFESTYLE: The KING of all vegetables and its medicinal benefits that you need to know.

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Kontomire /Cocoyam leaves (Colocasia esculenta) is a starchy edible tuber and bears broad greenish leaves. It is grown in several places around the world. We usually consume the roots tubers or its leaves, locally called kontomire. Both the root and leaves have many health benefits for the body because they are rich in nutrients.

The medicinal benefits of Kontomire are:
Boost immune system
One cup of cocoyam leaves contains about 145mg of Vitamin C, about 86% of our body’s daily requirement. This will help boost your immune system effectively.

Prevention of cancer
Cocoyam leaves are rich in vitamin C which acts as an antioxidant. This fights against free radicals that cause cancer and help to prevent many diseases.

Healthy eyes.
Cocoyam leaves are rich in vitamin A in addition to the vitamin C. The amount of vitamin A can be as high as 123% of our daily requirement. It is very good for the eyes to stay healthy, maintain visual acuity, and prevent the eye diseases such as myopia, cataract, and blindness.

Aid digestion and prevent digestive problems.
The high dietary fibre in cocoyam leaves helps in food digestion and absorption. Cocoyam leaves can prevent digestive problems such as indigestion, constipation, and diarrhoea.

Cholesterol level reduction
Cocoyam leaves have no cholesterol and only 1% of total fat, and so, is the best diet for reducing cholesterol. The dietary fibre and methionine contained in cocoyam leaves can reduce cholesterol effectively. They bind and break down fat and cholesterol especially triglyceride.

Help in weight loss
Cocoyam leaves are low in fat and high in protein. It is, therefore, the best diet to reduce your fat and get your muscle mass.

Reduce inflammation.
Cocoyam leaves contain Omega 3 which plays a role in the inflammation process and can inhibit the release of inflammatory substances. It can help to treat diseases like arthritis, gastritis, or lupus disease.

Protect the nervous system
Are you feeling the symptoms of tingling, numbness, or pain in your limb? You can eat taro leaves to reduce those symptoms. The vitamin B complex including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6 in cocoyam leaves protect the nervous system. They also boost the immune system.

Control the blood pressure
Omega 3, an essential fatty acid, helps produce hormones to control the contraction and relaxation of arteries wall. If this mechanism is going well, the blood pressure can be kept at a normal level.

Healthy bone
Cocoyam leaves also contain calcium which is good for the formation and maintenance of healthy bone. It works with phosphorous to strengthen the bone and teeth.

Fetal brain and nervous system development
Besides its rich nutrients content, the leaves also contain folate which is essential for the development of your fetal brain and nervous system. It is, therefore, good to consume cocoyam leaves when you are pregnant. However, be sure to cook them well before you eat.

Anaemia prevention
Cocoyam leaves diet is recommended for the prevention of anaemia. This is because they contain iron minerals which helps in red blood cell formation. The vitamin C content additionally helps to absorb the iron well.

Fetal bone and teeth development
Additionally, the manganese in cocoyam leaves helps in the fetal cartilage, bone, and teeth formation during pregnancy

Prevention of preeclampsia in pregnancy
The consumption of cocoyam leaves helps to prevent preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, often the kidneys) during pregnancy. The magnesium mineral helps in muscle relaxation and can be used to prevent preeclampsia.

Reduce wrinkle on the skin
Cocoyam leaves also contain the amino acid called threonine. The threonine helps in the formation of elastin and collagen which are good for healthy skin. They prevent the skin from wrinkle and rejuvenate skin.

Quick treatment for diarrhoea
The zinc in cocoyam leaves protects intestinal mucosa. When you get diarrhoea, the intestine wall loses its mucosa. Zinc helps to release the mucosa quickly to immediately stop the diarrhoea.

Very good energy source
Cocoyam leaves present one of the best energy sources for the body through its essential amino acid called isoleucine. This protein regulates blood sugar and increases muscle strength and energy levels. This is the best diet for people who love to work out.

Promote bone and skin healing.
An essential amino acid called leucine is contained in cocoyam leaves. It promotes bone and skin healing by releasing the natural painkiller called enkephalins. It does not only facilitate bone healing but also relieve the pain as well.

Enhance the memory and mood.
Cocoyam leaves release dopamine (a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system) which acts in the brain and nervous system. Synthesized by phenylalanine, it enhances your brain memory and controls your mood.

Help to treat nicotine addiction
Cocoyam leaves contain tyrosine, a crucial amino acid in the human body. It becomes an adaptogen substance that helps to minimize the effect of nicotine, cocaine, and coffee addiction.

Increase sperm production
Cocoyam leaves contain arginine, an amino acid that helps to increase sperm production. This makes it good for men.

A detoxification agent
Histidine, one of the essential amino acids is also contained in cocoyam leaves. It serves as a detoxification agent that helps to remove the heavy metals from the body and protect the body from damage from radiation.

Caution!!!
You shouldn’t consume cocoyam leaves in a raw condition because it has a dangerous toxin. Please soak them first in clean water for about 10-15 minutes. After that, cook them well to remove their toxic substance. It is usually itchy in the throat if not well cooked.

Source: Gbafrica.net

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