How to feed 25 million more people in Niger
Farmer's Weekly|Farmer's Weekly 24 March 2023
Kayenat Kabir, research and teaching associate at Purdue University in Indiana, US, writes that three key interventions are needed to help Niger feed its fast-growing and desperately poor population.
Kayenat Kabir
How to feed 25 million more people in Niger

Niger, a landlocked country in the dry Sahel region of Africa, struggles to feed its 25 million people. It currently ranks 115th out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index, and the number of people not getting enough to eat has increased from about 13% of the population in 2014 to 20% in 2022.

Things could deteriorate even further as Niger confronts a ‘perfect storm’. The country has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, with few signs of slowing down. Its fertility rate, at an average of seven children per woman, is the highest in the world.

Added to this, most of the country is infertile. Two-thirds of its area is located in the Sahara Desert. Most of the its agricultural land lies in a narrow band close to the Nigerian border in the south and is being encroached on by the desert.

Niger’s population also has one of the lowest human capital indexes which, among other things, means that people cannot earn enough to afford to buy food. This challenge is even greater given the recent shift in budgetary priorities away from social development and towards national security due to growing instability in the Sahel region.

To make matters worse, Niger is one of the region’s most vulnerable to climate change. It has high exposure to heat and a low ability to adapt to changes in climate, such as increasingly unpredictable rainfall. This will negatively affect crop yields in a country where less than 1% of the cultivated land is irrigated.

It is projected that an additional two million Nigeriens will be pushed into undernourishment by 2050 due to the effects of climate change on crop yields, and because agricultural workers (around 75% of the total employed population) will struggle to work in the heat.

Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin Farmer's Weekly 24 March 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin Farmer's Weekly 24 March 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

FARMER'S WEEKLY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Review: the Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 DC 4×4 GR-Sport III
Farmer's Weekly

Review: the Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 DC 4×4 GR-Sport III

The third iteration of the Hilux GR-Sport has finally achieved a sense of presence and style befitting its raceinspired branding. But is this the ultimate modern Hilux? Car Magazine takes a closer look.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 20, 2024
Why maize prices soar in Kenya and Malawi but not Tanzania
Farmer's Weekly

Why maize prices soar in Kenya and Malawi but not Tanzania

Namhla Landani, an economist at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg, and Arthur Khomotso Mahuma, economist and researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg, analyse the issue.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 20, 2024
Wet carcass syndrome: a scourge in SA sheep farming
Farmer's Weekly

Wet carcass syndrome: a scourge in SA sheep farming

Wet carcass syndrome continues to take a huge financial toll on South African sheep farmers. Octavia Avesca Spandiel spoke to two experts about the ongoing genetic research aimed at addressing this issue.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 20, 2024
Pollination innovation
Farmer's Weekly

Pollination innovation

Bee-Tech Group is transforming South African agriculture with pollination technologies that boost crop yields and enhance sustainability. Founder Michiel Bruggeman spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel.

time-read
5 dak  |
September 20, 2024
The valuable addition that makes this farm tick
Farmer's Weekly

The valuable addition that makes this farm tick

Owning the value chain provides farmers with far more control over their produce. However, it requires a fine balance between production and ensuring there is a strong and steady market. Lindi Botha visited Rosemary Hill to find out how this essential oil producer leverages hospitality to make the farm viable.

time-read
6 dak  |
September 20, 2024
The benefits of recirculating aquaculture systems
Farmer's Weekly

The benefits of recirculating aquaculture systems

A powerful set of attributes has established recirculating aquaculture systems as a cornerstone of global temperate fish farming, writes Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 20, 2024
Minister has big plans for emerging and commercial farmers
Farmer's Weekly

Minister has big plans for emerging and commercial farmers

DA leader and Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his priorities for his department over the next five years, including an increased focus on biosecurity.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 20, 2024
New study aims to make wheat more disease resistant
Farmer's Weekly

New study aims to make wheat more disease resistant

A recent international study explains how bread wheat has helped to transform the ancient world on its path to becoming the iconic crop that today helps sustain a global population of eight billion.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 20, 2024
Conservation farming and biodiversity boost soil health and sustainability
Farmer's Weekly

Conservation farming and biodiversity boost soil health and sustainability

A recent academic event focused on research into the links between soil biodiversity, soil health and sustainable agriculture

time-read
3 dak  |
September 20, 2024
What has led to the unparalleled rice shortage in Japan?
Farmer's Weekly

What has led to the unparalleled rice shortage in Japan?

Japan is facing a rice shortage amid concerns about a potential 'megaquake', several typhoons and an annual week-long holiday, which has led to an increase in panic buying.

time-read
1 min  |
September 20, 2024