Artificial Intelligence and the ongoing digital revolution will inevitably transform the world and its agrifood systems, making it all the more urgent that the transformations they drive benefit everyone and contribute to solving global challenges, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, said Friday at the Business Federations of the G7 (B7) meeting in Rome.
Artificial Intelligence is not just a technological shift but is driving a fundamental economic and social transformation at the broadest level, Qu said, noting that FAO recognises its power to bring potential benefits to a wide range of populations and to contribute to improved efficiency and sustainability.
He noted that “Digital agriculture can revolutionise how we produce, distribute and consume food,” he said, highlighting that potential benefits for farmers and stakeholders across agrifood systems include improved pricing data, minimizing food loss and waste, enhancing food safety and stimulating adoption of better seeds, fertilizer and sustainable practices.
The event took place at the Rome headquarters of Italy’s main business association, Confindustria. The B7 comprises the main business and industrial federations of the G7 members and the European Union. Once a year, the B7 presents its recommendations on selected priority topics to the G7 presidency, which this year is held by Italy. The event was also attended by Italy’s deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, and a wide array of chief executive officers from international private companies.
The FAO Director-General spoke at a session focused on charting new courses for cross-border global cooperation, joined by Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
To broaden the positive impact of such enabling innovations, FAO is working closely with all partners, including governments, academia, the private sector, civil society and international organizations, advocating for a robust approach with targeted, coherent and comprehensive strategies and actions implemented in synergy and in compliance with ethical principles.
Another absolutely critical area for collaboration and harmonisation of approaches is in the energy sector. Decarbonisation by 2050 is “simply not possible” without addressing energy consumption across agrifood systems, the Director-General said.
Qu also urged private-sector actors to increase their ambition for climate action and to show more accountability towards their supply chains and the communities in the countries from which they source, buy and sell their products.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) says its weather monitoring station has observed double rainstorms heading for the country on Thursday, May 16.
According to the forecast released on Thursday morning, the Nigerian storm should kick in around 9:30 am.
Areas within the coastal and northern sectors will be hit by heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds and thundery conditions.
“A rainstorm that is moderately producing thunderstorms with rain over northern Benin into Togo is expected to drift further westwards to affect the northern half of Ghana. However, a separate rainstorm observed over Nigeria is also expected to propagate westwards to affect the coastal and middle sectors of the country,” the statement read.
GMet added that the risk of flooding and windstorms is high, thus, residents within potential flooding areas should be alert and take action.
The recent severe rainstorm left in its wake destruction in parts of Accra, as trees fell and damaged several cars.
Some billboards were also destroyed in the process.
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama has revealed plans to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combating illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’.
He said this at the ‘3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small-scale mining’ organised by the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani.
The canker has become an albatross on the neck of the government with many Ghanaians concerned about its debilitating impact.
Addressing the gathering, the former President emphasised the need for technological innovation to enhance the monitoring of the small-scale mining sector and minimise its environmental effect.
“We will introduce and encourage technological innovation to improve capacity for coordinated monitoring of the small-scale mining sector and reduce environmental impact,” he said on Wednesday, May 15.
He proposed the utilisation of AI to identify small-scale mining and galamsey activities, monitor excavators, and establish geo-fences around concessions to prevent mining operations in unauthorised areas, including water bodies.
“This will include using AI to locate all small-scale mining and galamsey operations, track excavators, and geo-fence all concessions to ensure mining operations are not conducted in unapproved areas, including water bodies.”
This initiative, he says, aims to strengthen coordinated efforts in monitoring and regulating mining activities, thereby promoting sustainable mining practices and environmental conservation.
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has warned that Ghana could lose its enviable position as the second leading cocoa producer in the world if stringent measures are not taken to protect cocoa farms from illegal mining activities.
The caution comes after the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, disclosed that the organisation has refunded $250 million it acquired from the African Development Bank for irrigation purposes in cocoa farms due to contamination of water bodies in farming areas.
Ghana is currently the second leading producer of cocoa in the world after Ivory Coast. Ghana also produces the world’s premium cocoa beans, making the commodity from the country the best preferred.
The General Secretary of GAWU, Edward Kareweh said other countries are making strong efforts to overtake Ghana in cocoa production by developing sustainable environmental practices.
He stated that more farmers are abandoning their farms due to the level of water pollution in farm areas.
“It’s no more lucrative to be in cocoa production. There are many factors which are real. Even the cocoa farmers who are patriotic and insist that they will not sell their farms and stay with their farms are forced to sell them out”.
He disclosed that while government looks on unconcern, illegal miners are forcibly ceasing cocoa farms with impunity for mining.
Mr. Kareweh said contaminated water bodies are diverted to cocoa farms, destroying the plants.
“The illegal miners will flood your farms with all the dirty water and will take your farm by force. You cannot even enter the farm again. It is so pathetic and heartbreaking that we can sit down and allow such a monumental criminal act to continue. This crime is against generations to come”.
Sounding distressed, Mr. Kareweh said it is a matter of time for Ghana to lose its production capacity and long good will as the country with the premium cocoa beans.
A report from the World Food Program (WFP) has highlighted that an estimated 1.05 million people in Ghana could face food insecurity between June and August 2024.
While this figure represents a decrease from the 2.2 million projected in November 2023, it remains concerning, especially when compared to the 1.37 million estimated in March 2023.
The report identifies several factors contributing to food insecurity in Ghana, with high food prices exacerbated by natural hazards like flooding being significant drivers.
Despite some relief in inflation, the issue persists, particularly in northern Ghana and rural communities.
In these areas, where agriculture is the primary livelihood for 90 percent of families, challenges such as climate change, low prices, poor infrastructure, and inadequate education compound the problem.
Ghana’s vulnerability to global price spikes, particularly for imported rice, adds to the challenge, impacting the affordability of food across the country.
Additionally, the report highlights the triple burden of malnutrition faced by Ghana, with stunting among children under 5 remaining high, especially in the Northern Region.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, particularly anaemia, disproportionately affect women and children, with higher rates in the north.
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, says Ghana’s primary focus should be restoring the environment, which has been severely impacted by illegal mining, commonly known as Galamsey.
Speaking on his 25th anniversary as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool, the Asantehene stressed the importance of overcoming the issue of galamsey by all possible means.
He underscored that the present generation should not be the one to ruin the legacy left by their ancestors.
The Asantehene called for decisive action in the fight against Galamsey.
“Our top priority must be the reclamation of our environment from the ravages of Galamsey. We cannot be the generation that destroys the most gracious heritage bequeathed to us by our forefathers to satisfy the greed of a few miscreants. For whatever it takes we must defeat this scourge,” he declared.
Furthermore, Asantehene stressed the need for Ghanaians to grow the economy and called for the strengthening of entrepreneurs in the country.
He also urged Ghanaians to avoid anything that has the potential to derail the electoral process as Ghana heads to the polls.
As West Africa’s cocoa production withers due to bad weather, ageing trees and crop disease, enterprising farmers in an arid swath of Brazilian grasslands see an opportunity.
Growers across the western part of Bahia state — a hot, dry region known for its influential farming families who’ve built fortunes exporting cotton and soy — are now cultivating cocoa for the first time. The trees are still young with most at least a year away from producing fruit, but the potential payday is big. That’s enticing independent growers and corporate behemoths alike to get in on the action.
Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. is partnering with a major farming group, Schmidt Agricola, to plant 400 hectares (about 990 acres) of cocoa more than an hour outside the Bahian city of Barreiras. Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut AG and a high-tech partner plan to co-develop about 5,000 hectares of cocoa plantations in the state. Farming families who already grow tropical fruits or commodity crops are this season adding rows of cocoa trees, too, in hopes of capturing a corner of an important global market that has eluded this part of Brazil for decades.
If production in the new region takes off, Brazil could nearly double its output to about 400,000 metric tons by 2030, estimates the country’s cocoa commission. That would bring the nation within striking distance of the No. 3 global spot, today occupied by Ecuador. And some say that forecast is too conservative. Moisés Schmidt, one of the brothers behind Schmidt Agricola, wagers production could reach 1.8 million tons a year in the next 10 years if growers continue to plant in new areas like the land he’s now cultivating, in addition to the more traditional cocoa regions in the country.
“Brazil is already the world’s largest supplier” of a large swath of commodities, from soybeans to orange juice, Schmidt said as a group of more than 1,000 landowners, academics and local authorities toured his land last month to see the seedlings themselves. “Where are we going to stand on cocoa?”
Brazil was once among the world’s top producers of the key chocolate-making ingredient, before many of the country’s cocoa trees fell ill due to an outbreak of witches’ broom starting in the late 1980s. Ivory Coast and Ghana today account for more than half of global output.
That concentration in just two countries makes the world’s supply more vulnerable to risks like poor weather and crop diseases, which are only intensifying as weather swings become more extreme. A recent shortfall in cocoa production in West Africa has driven global prices to more than double this year, pushing up consumer prices for chocolate bars and even forcing some chocolate makers to close.
The first farmers to plant cocoa in western Bahia started before the latest run-up in prices; now, neighbouring farms are also seeing the appeal. Growers in Bahia are generally better financed and larger than their West African counterparts, meaning they can achieve economies of scale. Brazilian farmers can also sell at market prices without interference from the government like in Ivory Coast and Ghana. And since the beans aren’t perishable, sellers can wait for the right time to do a deal.
With year-round sun, widespread irrigation and access to fertilizers, the cocoa harvest here can be accelerated, with some trees bearing fruit in three years instead of the more traditional five. Although one farmer described the climate as somewhere “between hot and hell,” established irrigation systems in the region mean farmers can keep their crops hydrated on even the warmest days.
“Cocoa is like a bug that’s catching on, and everyone who gets into it stays in it,” said Tal Bar-Dor, chief operations officer for a farm in the Brazilian city of Barra. Bar-Dor, who worked as a civil engineer in Israel and Nigeria before getting into farming, last year added cocoa trees to the coconut farm he manages. He’s planning to grow the fields to about 1,000 hectares in the next four years from just 45 hectares today.
Growers in other corners of Latin America are also eyeing growth. In Colombia, the nation’s largest food processor Grupo Nutresa is investing in a new nursery that’s targeting 10 million cocoa trees in the next five years. In Ecuador, already a major producer, farmers are expanding acreage and adding technology to boost output more than 50% in four years to 700,000 tons, according to Ivan Ontaneda, president of the country’s cocoa exporters association, Anecacao.
“Higher prices are definitely motivating farmers to invest in their fields,” he said. “West Africa’s current situation is an opportunity for Latin America.”
Back in western Bahia, farmer Claudia Sá choked up at the sight of Schmidt’s young orchards. Decades ago, she saw many of her family’s cocoa trees in the south of Bahia fall to witches’ broom; she recalls seeing her father search frantically for the few that were left untouched. While the disease was not eradicated, many farms learned how to deal with it, as scientists later found seedlings that were more resistant to the fungus.
“We came very close to not being here, to taking the country off the cocoa map,” she said during a visit to the new cocoa region about 600 miles away from her own farms. Now, “there are no more limits.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has disclosed that the organisation has refunded $250 million it acquired from the African Development Bank for irrigation purposes in cocoa farms.
According to him, the Ghana Irrigation Authority, who were the consultants tasked to execute the project, advised against its feasibility due to the contamination of rivers by illegal mining activities, which posed a threat to cocoa trees.
“When Cocoa Board went to the African Development Bank to secure some US$600 million, then we had to return $250 million. Part of that money was intended for irrigation.
“We commissioned the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority to do a pre-appraisal for our assessment and the report we brought was that almost all the rivers were contaminated.”
He emphasised that until measures are taken to address illegal mining, the cocoa industry remains vulnerable.
Mr Aidoo pointed out that the majority of rivers in cocoa-growing regions are polluted, rendering the water unsuitable for use in cocoa cultivation.
This situation, he said has forced farmers to incur additional expenses by transporting water from their homes to their farms.
“Previously, the farmer gets to the nearest stream around the farm, and then he fetches the water to do the mass spraying and all that. But now, you cannot, because the leaves have process, which we call the stomata.
“And once you spray this muddy water onto it, the mud is going to block, this stomata and within a short time, you find all the leaves coming down. The trees will die. You cannot also use it for irrigation because it means that you have to be changing your filters almost every day,” he said.
The World Bank has announced that it has scaled up its food and nutrition security response.
In May 2022, the World Bank made a commitment of making available $30 billion over a period of 15 months to tackle the crisis. But the Bank said they have surpassed that goal.
It announced that it has scaled up its food and nutrition security response, to now making $45 billion available through a combination of $22 billion in new lending and $23 billion from existing portfolio.
“Our food and nutrition security portfolio now spans across 90 countries. It includes both short term interventions such as expanding social protection, also longer-term resilience such as boosting productivity and climate-smart agriculture.
“The Bank’s intervention is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44% of the number of undernourished people. Around 53% of the beneficiaries are women – they are disproportionately more affected by the crisis,” the World Bank said in its latest update to its responses to rising Food Insecurity, published on April 29.
Domestic food price inflation remains high. Inflation higher than 5% is experienced 57.1% of low-income countries (no change since the last update on April 11, 2024), 63.8% of lower-middle-income countries (no change), 33% of upper-middle-income countries (3.0 percentage points lower), and 12.7% of high-income countries (9.1 percentage points lower). In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 48.8% of 166 countries where data is available.
Compared to two weeks ago, the agriculture and cereal price indices closed 1% higher, respectively, and the export price index closed 3% higher. Among cereals, maize and wheat prices closed 2% higher, respectively, while rice closed 1% lower. On a year-on-year basis, maize prices are 34% lower and wheat prices are 17% lower. Rice prices on the other hand are 24% higher. Compared to January 2020, maize prices are 15% higher, wheat prices are 3% higher, and rice prices are 47% higher.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, global wheat ending stocks for the 2023/24 period are anticipated to hit an eight-year low, dropping 0.6 million metric tons (MMT) to 258.3 million metric tons (MMT). This decline is primarily attributed to India’s diminished wheat stocks, forecasted to decrease by 2.1 MMT to 6.9 MMT due to faster consumption rates than previously estimated. India’s ending stocks will have plummeted by over 20 MMT from their peak in 2020/21, reflecting a substantial reduction. Overall, global stocks have seen a decline of 39 MMT from their peak in 2019/20, with China contributing 18 MMT to this decrease.
According to the latest Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), nearly 282 million people in 59 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute hunger in 2023 – a worldwide increase of 24 million from the previous year. This rise was due to the report’s increased coverage of food crisis contexts as well as a sharp deterioration in food security, especially in the Gaza Strip and the Sudan. For four consecutive years, the proportion of people facing acute food insecurity has remained persistently high at almost 22 percent of those assessed, significantly exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels. The Global Network Against Food Crises urgently calls for a transformative approach that integrates peace, prevention, and development action alongside at-scale emergency efforts to break the cycle of acute hunger which remains at unacceptably high levels.
According to new research published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), international fertilizer prices have fallen by 50% from their peak in April 2022. Factors such as an increase in demand in the post-COVID economic recovery, disruptions to the global supply chain, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused global fertilizer prices to increase significantly from 2021 to 2022. These events raised concerns that fertilizer application would be reduced, which could decrease production and increase food insecurity, but price shocks appear to have had a limited impact on fertilizer use.
As highlighted in a recent IFPRI blog, parts of Southern Africa have been reeling under the grip of a severe drought since late 2023, exacerbated by the ongoing El Niño Southern Oscillation. This has resulted in plummeting harvests; prompted disaster declarations in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; and affected countries across the region. Dwindling maize yields pose a grave threat to food security for millions of households reliant on this staple for a significant portion of their daily calorie intake.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, trade-related policies imposed by countries have surged. The global food crisis has been partially made worse by the growing number of food and fertilizer trade restrictions put in place by countries with a goal of increasing domestic supply and reducing prices. As of April 22, 2024, 16 countries have implemented 22 food export bans, and 8 have implemented 15 export-limiting measures.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, trade-related policies imposed by countries have surged. The global food crisis has been partially made worse by the growing number of food and fertilizer trade restrictions put in place by countries with a goal of increasing domestic supply and reducing prices. As of April 22, 2024, 16 countries have implemented 22 food export bans, and 8 have implemented 15 export-limiting measures.
World Bank Action
In May 2022, the World Bank made a commitment of making available $30 billion over a period of 15 months to tackle the crisis. We have surpassed that goal. The World Bank has scaled up its food and nutrition security response, to now making $45 billion available through a combination of $22 billion in new lending and $23 billion from existing portfolio.
Our food and nutrition security portfolio now spans across 90 countries. It includes both short term interventions such as expanding social protection, also longer-term resilience such as boosting productivity and climate-smart agriculture.
The Bank’s intervention is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44% of the number of undernourished people. Around 53% of the beneficiaries are women – they are disproportionately more affected by the crisis. Some examples include:
In Honduras, the Rural Competitiveness Project series (COMRURAL II and III) aims to generate entrepreneurship and employment opportunities while promoting a climate-conscious, nutrition-smart strategy in agri-food value chains. To date, the program is benefiting around 6,287 rural small-scale producers (of which 33% are women, 15% youth, and 11% indigenous) of coffee, vegetables, dairy, honey, and other commodities through enhanced market connections and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and has created 6,678 new jobs.
In Honduras, the Corredor Seco Food Security Project (PROSASUR) strives to enhance food security for impoverished and vulnerable rural households in the country’s Dry Corridor. This project has supported 12,202 extremely vulnerable families through nutrition-smart agricultural subprojects, food security plans, community nutrition plans, and nutrition and hygiene education. Within the beneficiary population, 70% of children under the age of five and their mothers now have a dietary diversity score of at least 4 (i.e., consume at least four food groups).
A $95 million credit from IDA for the Malawi Agriculture Commercialization Project (AGCOM) to increase commercialization of select agriculture value chain products and to provide immediate and effective response to an eligible crisis or emergency.
A $60 million credit for the Integrated Community Development Project that works with refugees and host communities in four northern provinces of Burundi to improve food and nutrition security, build socio-economic infrastructure, and support micro-enterprise development through a participatory approach.
The $175 million Sahel Irrigation Initiative Regional Support Project is helping build resilience and boost productivity of agricultural and pastoral activities in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. More than 130,000 farmers and members of pastoral communities are benefiting from small and medium-sized irrigation initiatives. The project is building a portfolio of bankable irrigation investment projects of around 68,000 ha, particularly in medium and large-scale irrigation in the Sahel region.
Through the $50 million Emergency Food Security Response project, 329,000 smallholder farmers in Central Africa Republic have received seeds, farming tools and training in agricultural and post-harvest techniques to boost crop production and become more resilient to climate and conflict risks.
The $15 million Guinea Bissau Emergency Food Security Project is helping increase agriculture production and access to food to vulnerable families. Over 72,000 farmers have received drought-resistant and high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, agricultural equipment; and livestock vaccines for the country-wide vaccination program. In addition, 8,000 vulnerable households have received cash transfer to purchase food and tackle food insecurity.
The $60 million Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Research for Africa (AICCRA) project has reached nearly 3 million African farmers (39% women) with critical climate smart agriculture tools and information services in partnership with the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR). These tools and services are helping farmers to increase production and build resilience in the face of climate crisis. In Mali, studies showed that farmers using recommendations from the AICCRA-supported RiceAdvice had on average 0.9 ton per hectare higher yield and US$320 per hectare higher income.
The $766 million West Africa Food Systems Resilience Program is working to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in West Africa. The program is increasing digital advisory services for agriculture and food crisis prevention and management, boosting adaption capacity of agriculture system actors, and investing in regional food market integration and trade to increase food security. An additional $345 million is currently under preparation for Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
A $150 million grant for the second phase of the Yemen Food Security Response and Resilience Project, which will help address food insecurity, strengthen resilience and protect livelihoods.
A $125 million project in Jordan aims to strengthen the development the agriculture sector by enhancing its climate resilience, increasing competitiveness and inclusion, and ensuring medium- to long-term food security.
A $300 million project in Bolivia that will contribute to increasing food security, market access and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.
A $500 million Emergency Food Security and Resilience Support Project to bolster Egypt’s efforts to ensure that poor and vulnerable households have uninterrupted access to bread, help strengthen the country’s resilience to food crises, and support to reforms that will help improve nutritional outcomes.
A $130 million loan for Tunisia, seeking to lessen the impact of the Ukraine war by financing vital soft wheat imports and providing emergency support to cover barley imports for dairy production and seeds for smallholder farmers for the upcoming planting season.
In May 2022, the World Bank Group and the G7 Presidency co-convened the Global Alliance for Food Security, which aims to catalyze an immediate and concerted response to the unfolding global hunger crisis. The Alliance has developed the publicly accessible Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard, which provides timely information for global and local decision-makers to help improve coordination of the policy and financial response to the food crisis.
The heads of the FAO, IMF, World Bank Group, WFP, and WTO released a Third Joint Statement on February 8, 2023. The statement calls to prevent a worsening of the food and nutrition security crisis, further urgent actions are required to (i) rescue hunger hotspots, (ii) facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector, and (iii) reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency. Countries should balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts as they respond to the crisis.
A swift action by members of the Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force at dawn of Tuesday has resulted in the arrest of two persons for attempting to smuggle 130 bags of cocoa beans concealed under quarry stones from Ghana to neighbouring Togo.
The suspects, Dennis Hodo, a driver and his mate, Kwesi Edem, were accosted at the River Crossing point near Adowso in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region by the Task Force at about 04:45hrs with the consignments which were hidden in a fully-loaded tipper-truck with registration number GE 6486-23.
According to the Head of the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, Lawyer Charles Amenyaglo, the contrabands, packed in branded plastic sacks, originated from the Suhum District and were destined for Togo via Adowso, Ekye Amanfrom, Tease, Donkorkrom, Agordeke and Kpando Torkor routes.
The Task Force, acting upon tip-off, intercepted the truck which were transporting the items under the guise of carting quarry stones. Upon further interrogations, the suspects revealed admitted that they were contracted to transport the items to neigbouring Togo.
The two are expected to be arraigned before court by the Mpraeso District Police Command and charged with offences of Purchase of Cocoa without authority contrary to S4 of Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984(PNDCL81), attempting to smuggle cocoa beans contrary to S317 (i) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960(Act29), and attempting to export cocoa beans which have not been inspected, graded and sealed by an Inspector of cocoa, contrary to S 3 of Cocoa Industry Regulations Act, 1968(NLCD278).
The latest arrest is one of many such success stories recorded in the war against cocoa smuggling since the beginning of the 2023/24 cocoa season.
In the past two weeks, the Krobo Odumase Circuit Court has sentenced two persons to a total of 14 years in prison in separate incidents of attempted smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring Togo.
