These people say that it is a blessing and a curse; It appears that the explosion pressure and recently in Ethiopia, a large population approaching 100 million. Public services like water and electricity are leading in this population pressure narrative. Ethiopians are the most common, with power rationing, though, last week announced its commitment to Addis Ababa City Administration ration water, Jonah Capital wrote.
At dawn, on Wednesday morning, Amelework, 31 against, was busy collecting water from a small new condominium in one of the compounds in Addis Ababa coast. Ironically, the industry's only source of water in her hoof Amelework Abado is available off the cobblestone road is paved in a new condominium site. This, however, is not actually a coincidence. Divided into two Legetafo to the border town of despair Addis Ababa and Oromia region in the western horizon, the capital city of residence hall is built on the bank of a small river.
That gripped the city water currently does not have any other choice but to bring at least this water, cleaning her with a serious shortage of goals.
Amelework get water from daily life to the struggle for daily survival, and is one of thousands of women in Addis Ababa. For a long time, to cope with water shortages and lack of capital has been a common challenge. In fact, the city administration finally seems to have moved to declare that the rationing of water and given to the city in this challenges.
To establish the truth is, this is a city that has seen the worst water crisis in decades past. There is no area in the past couple of weeks in, not thirst for the city.
For example, Kara location, on the eastern border of the city, it is difficult to distinguish, without being filled with water when the yellow Jerry cans weighting of around 20kg 15 children and women.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Reporter SR, Cara, and only a shortage in Addis Ababa even visited the city Legetafo, who fell out of the water to ensure the rules are. On that day, she wanted to buy communally or individuals scheduled to receive water, where the water around 4:30 before dawn, old, Hassenet, three empty yellow Jerry cans Legetafo took about ten minutes and went to her house on Cara -owned running water, bonos commonly called.
A opposite direction fetching, Firdawok in search of another young, Hassenet was nothing but bad news. Although the two never meet, Firdawok computing is rapidly Hassenet in the same mission. "There is no water, no," her as she strides over to the other side.
When she heard Amelework is also a place to be crushed when he learned that he saw no hope from the water source has dried up. Yifrashowa Tsegaye, a man who lives near the river bank, he's Taffo. According to him, a member of the community is made that the common tap water (bono) manages a committee. Yifrashowa is used bono to a nearby village, but due to shortage of more than 150 families? To serve 95 families in these days, he says, was built three years ago. Still, since the last three or four months, is under pressure to bono. Now, scarcely enough water pipes, says Yifrashowa.
"Despite the rising number of people coming to collect water from a well, not providing service on a daily basis. In some cases, no water," Yifrashowa Reporter six to ten days. In addition, community members and other well-managed by the residents of both villages in the Oromia Regional State in the camp showed that only serves those who like to come.
Tigst Abate, one-year-old mother, says that water lines had waited three years to extend to her. Even years after her hope that the knowledge acquired to supply water shortages in Addis Ababa to find, but it is still hot.
Last year, he was met with "I am a serious shortage of water to reach the child. Still, the problem is not resolved. In fact, he is getting worse," she says. Now, she relies on her husband brings home water supply. The problem is deep and its suburbs, and extended to. According to the city, preparing to ride off in the middle of her work at the newspaper, Hanamariam Alemneh, met with residents in coastal Legetafo. Suddenly, she goes around the back of her Toyota car and threw three yellow Jerry cans in the trunk.
She had her family to meet the water needs to transport water back in the day. "Since there is no way it will be sufficient water supply in the area around may be a problem with me, this car had been. In fact, she says, also helps out with the neighbors water supply.
Similarly, the city and the areas in the west of Addis Ababa, kolifē- Keranyo area around winner sweat in the Far East. Water supply interruption, although a relatively low frequency, seems to be the same as in the heartlands, even if the main internal problem.
The authority has since announced last week how to apply the firm's plan to ration water among different cities and on March 23, 2016, the authority will provide all the water in the same area of the city, the other day a success. He was said to be dangerously low because of severe drought and water reservoirs fall of the effects of the rain.
At a press conference, next week, Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) Head of Public Relations, water, the cost of capital, the source reservoir, through its official rate of one meter Reserve, announced a month was lost near the water could have served as the capital of five million m Cube ,.
"The city residents to use water efficiently and reasonably available to the rest of the water distribution, power is applied to a rationing system;" He said next week.
In this regard, the northern and eastern areas of supplies into the city will be limited to four days a week with immediate effect. Normal operating level of reservoir dam is 38 million cubic meters; But the water levels are reason enough rain to much below normal levels. Similarly, when Smith delayed, water production, distribution and purity of the head, due to the shortage of water in the reservoir, the city already has access to 24-hour water supply in areas where there currently are limited to four days a week.
Causes dry conditions due to El Niño event in international air pattern to the dry climate is experiencing. The cost of container supplies a quarter of the city's water needs. 45 million cubic meters of container is designed with a storage capacity of 45 years ago. But, in the sedimentation tank capacity is now 38 million cubic meters has been low.
Addis Ababa and other major source of drinking water Gefersa dam is built and rehabilitated in 2009. In addition, during the Italian invasion, wells, dams and other systems complete.
Addis Ababa water supply, especially in 1895, the palace was started during the reign of Emperor Menelik II and Patriarch to the parliament; Two pipes through the water distribution service system.
With the water supply in the mud at the foot of Mount Entoto River (earth and gravel packs), a sub-construction of the dam was real.
Repeated water shortage is the worst of the outlying towns and rural areas because all the same, water shortages capital may not be an isolated case. The problem is even more important outside of Addis Ababa. Government narratives of potable water and sanitation coverage makes high growth, such is the lack of basic resources, society remains a challenge to be fatal.
Food security, low economic development, frequent droughts, flooding, poor health conditions, and low energy production, agriculture-based economy, as, in most of Ethiopia's development problems are water-related. According to available documents and research, has many water bodies, Ethiopia, the cause of these problems is the lack of sufficient water resources; But the most important resources in this country much more compact development.
"This is for professionals trained in water resource management is basically the lack of this precious resource and institutional capacity to manage," USAID documents authored by argue.
However, it was outdated and difficult test on the fact that the shortage of water, it seems hard to highlight the growing power of the current water crisis and chaos in the capital city.
Addis Ababa Water shortages in such a big city as a multi-billion dollar be associated with a magnitude of Light Rail praised the latest in a booming for the massive construction and infrastructure from the outside as a volatile, of course, is contrary to transit (LRT).
Thus, this issue is tarnishing the image of the city and takes it very clear that the death toll. This step is both sure continental political and economic organizations suffer following a serious water rationing measures to get an image that was the seat of years. Indeed, it is not the capital of-age as a way to return to the basic rations, a resident opined.
What city and how they came to such a dilemma, it is important above all else, ask any residents. Debate on this line, water and related fields, experts agree that it is associated with the Addis Ababa water crisis rather than poor management of resources, resource limitation.
I hope PhD on Alemseged, water management candidate, is one of conducting research on water and various experts have long experience working in international organizations. "The problem in the Addis Ababa Plan for Water Resources and is not under consideration at the disposal of the city, which is associated with the ongoing implementation of various development activities," he said.
According to expectation, most of the activities, including condominiums, industrial expansion and other projects are not properly planned; They should be managed in an accurate cross-sectoral considerations.
"There is no integrated system. Everything is performed as an emergency, and they always try to extinguish the fire. This plan with regard to time, but they are weak," he added.
He adds water resources and mismanagement of city residents indicates that the cost of other problems. Applying traditional practices leads to the wasting of water, such as a car wash and resell any option without watering plants. Each family has been given to the needs huge sum of money, no running water, Tesfaye said.
"There are gaps in communication between the various sectors. We have been able to manage to get on the water, this knowledge remains unutilized for many years. We are the boundaries of technology and methods of managing resources with our result on the line," I hope more argue.
According to the city administration report last year, with some 70,000 cubic meters of water per day production capacity of 19 deep water wells have been dug Akaka area. In addition, the expansion cost of treatment works and Dire Dam, respectively, 80,000 and 30,000 cubic meters was carried out to improve the daily production volumes.
In addition, about 260,000 cubic meters more than the administration has been able to increase total production to the city after the city's water supply and distribution has been improved in the last year claim.
In addition, part of the Federal Government of Ethiopia Water and Sanitation coverage in the first report on the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-I) during much says that Jews; According to the government's original plan, an overwhelming 98 percent to 68.5 percent (2010) it was planned to expand the coverage.
Ethiopia had recorded significant growth in the last two or three years, which is one of the few countries to "support the government reported Water.org international organizations on request. Similarly, on his part, World Bank senior" water stressed "zone states such as Ethiopia. In addition, the Bank GTP during WASH services focus on expanding the coverage of government recommendations.
Potable accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target DNA obtained information in connection with the furtherance of water, Ethiopia 1990, but achieving a result, reduce the number of people without access to safe water supply from, is governed by some 57 percent to improved sanitation, only 28 percent of the country's stubbornly low lives; However, despite these advances to 3 percent in 1990, drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) will be sufficient to cover most of the reports indicate.
The negative impact of health and nutrition, access to safe drinking adequate water supply and sanitation services and hygiene practices; In turn, diarrhea, a disease that is one of the primary causes of mortality among those under five years of Ethiopia.
Agricultural activity is the greatest consumer of water in Ethiopia. In the country are used for all water withdrawals (surface water and groundwater), an estimated 93 percent to 70 percent of the global average much higher than agricultural use.
Members of the public who feel the daily fires and Amelework Hassanaet are calling on the government to resolve the issue immediately.
Ethiopia has relatively abundant water resources but is considered a guardian because of "the water of rapid population growth E over the past decade." 13.5 billion cubic meters, 28, is estimated to range from one-year renewable annual groundwater which only 2.6 billion cubic meters are currently exploitable.
Ethiopia 122 billion cubic meters of water, ground water potential of approximately 6.5 to 2.6 billion cubic meters, has 12 basins with annual runoff vote. This year, in comparison, a relatively large volume of water associated with a person available to an average of 1,575 cubic meters. However, rainfall and shortage of storage in a temporary difference to the ideals of the water is often not available where and when necessary. Only three percent of the water resources are used in Ethiopia.
In contrast, water supply service professionals in Ethiopia, far below the standard per person is 45 liters per day, the World Health Organization; They argue that they are among the lowest in the urban per capita consumption of only 15 liters on average, with Africa.
Some people do not like to serious water crisis. In fact, Jobbir, which he uses to transport donkeys, the owner of a local man, says that in recent times has been the shortage of water is good for him. Jobbir it's given him a trip donkeys to transport a total of some 16 160 Jerry cans at a time. "This is a day in revenue as high as 1,600 silver," he told The Reporter. This is based on the people in every income business, appears to be higher than those in the car rental business.
Wine evolved as part of life, culture and diet since time immemorial. As an enduring cultural symbol of fine life, the role of wine has evolved over time, changing from an important source of nutrition to a cultural complement to food and conviviality compatible with a healthy lifestyle. The art of wine-making has also evolved. Nevertheless, in this long historical path, one thing remains unchanged and has never been neglected: the association of wine with gastronomy, history, tradition, origin, local quality products and dignified social settings, writes Tibebeselassie Tigabu.
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is a well-known collector of wine with thousands of bottles making up his vast collection.
In 2014, some 5,000 bottles belonging to the 75-year-old Scotsman, including a vast amount of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, were sold off via three charity auctions organized by Christie’s. Highlights included six bottles of DRC 1999 sold with a signed Champions League shirt from 1999, a case of Pétrus 2000 and signed Imperials of Sassicaia 2005 and Ornellaia 2006.
French Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru from Côte de Nuits, France, costs between USD 13,021-58,720 depending on its age.
Wine has for so long been associated with class, luxury, etiquette and special occasions. It has its own culture and is associated with a particular lifestyle.
This lifestyle emerged from the heart of Europe—France. Bordeaux, in southwestern France, is the world's major wine industry capital and is home to the world's main wine fair, Vinexpo. According to Forbes magazine, which quoted the preliminary numbers from the International Organization of Vine and Wine, in 2014 France was the world’s biggest wine producer. That year France was able to produce 47 million hectoliters (4.5 billion liters) of wine.
According to the same source, Italy follows with 45 million hectoliters. These countries predominantly led the production of wine and set the standard of what wine is and should be.
The culture of wine—particularly in Europe—predates the Romans. In ancient Greece, wine was praised by poets, historians and artists, and was frequently referred to in the works of Aesop and Homer. In Greece, however, wine was considered the privilege of the upper classes. Eventually, wine evolved as part of European life, culture and diet. Barrels for storing and shipping emerged, bottles were used for the first time, and even a rudimentary appellation system developed as certain regions gained a reputation for fine wine. As wine production became progressively refined, its popularity increased, and wine taverns became a common feature in cities throughout the continent and, in due course, spread to other parts of the world.
True to form, the world of wine has been evolving for millennia and in the last few decades “new” wine countries emerged and are producing massively.
Now Ethiopia is vying to join the elite winemakers of the word. Well, that may be a bit too ambitious but for Amity Weiss, head of marketing and communication at Awash Winery, one of the company’s export strategies is to introduce Ethiopia as a new winemaker.
Celebrating more than six decades of wine production Awash is on the verge of identifying strategic partners in order to export wine to the US and other Western countries. Weiss says that there are a huge number of Ethiopians in the diaspora who drink Ethiopian wine products but what the people at Awash are looking for is a wider market.
“We want to place Ethiopian wine on the map. We love the fact that diasporas drink our products but that is a niche market so what we want is to be positioned on the shelf next to newcomers like Hungarian wines,” Weiss told The Reporter.
The competition is fierce and the market is dominated by world renowned wine brands. And that is not an easy market for Ethiopian wines to penetrate. For Weiss the opportunity is the variety of taste in customers and the growing trend of preference for sweet wine. “For instance, in the US demand for sweet wine is growing. Palates are changing and we are focusing on those new consumers and those who are keen in tasting what Ethiopian wine is,” Weiss says.
Ethiopia has a long and extensive history of wine making, which, according to some sources, goes back to the time of the Axumite Civilization. “Woin yastefesih libese”, a popular religious quote in Ge’ez language, which is literally translated as wine excites the human heart, is testimony to that. Wine has been strongly associated with Ethiopian royalty and is used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as a sacrament for the Holy Communion. In addition to wine made from grapes, Ethiopia has its own distinctive local wine known as tej (honey wine flavored with gesho leaves).
The wine-making tradition—for more than half a century— has been gaining much traction and is now a gradually expanding industry that is meant to place Ethiopia firmly on the wine making countries list. Currently, there are two wineries in the country—Awash Wine and Castel Winery. And their combined production is almost 12 million bottles of wine per year.
The local market for wine is also growing and nowadays it is becoming part of the urban culture. Wine has now become a major gift item during various holidays, weddings, birthdays and christenings. This trend made wine the alternative drink in many households especially for those who prefer light concentration of alcohol.
Wine is also used in a unique cocktail here in Ethiopia. It is mixed with beer and Sprite or Coca Cola. The mixture, which is locally known as Turbo, is served with ice cubes and garnished lemon wedge. This cocktail is widely consumed in many butcheries in Addis Ababa.
Appreciating the cocktail, Weiss says that this mixture has become a very unique urban culture. “Ethiopia has a wonderful wine and mixing it with other beverages has become a very unique Ethiopian tradition. We have no desire to create a foreign wine culture here,” Weiss says.
Inspired by this unique cocktail, Awash is giving training for around 800 bartenders on service and mixology. They are also in the process of launching a guideline which has a variety of cocktails. Some of them include Classic Tekeshino(Awash Wine, beer, Sprite or sparkling water and ice cubes); Goudergria (Gouder Wine, gin or vodka, Sprite, ice cubes and slices of grapefruit); Keskisegn (Awash Wine, energy drink such as e-max, royal, XXL with ice cubes, and garnished lime wedge).
According to Weiss, they believe that with their products they were able to cater to a wider market at affordable prices. Awash make various products of wines including Awash and Kemila (white) and Gouder and Axumit (red). Apart from the old ones, they have recently launched a new complex type of wine named Gebeta. It comes in red, white, oaked red and oaked white varieties. Countries proudly present their wine brands as a representation of their country and that is what Ethiopian winemakers are trying to do.
The question is what makes it Ethiopian? According to Weiss, the distinction would not come from the grapes since they use imported seeds such as Sangiovese and Shamblin grapevine. However, according to Weiss, what make Ethiopian wine distinctively Ethiopian is the soil and climate. Another unique feature is that it is possible to harvest twice a year. “Ethiopia is the only country I know of that could do two harvests in a year, which gives Ethiopia an advantage. The weather is very conducive,” Weiss says.
Now with the flavors introduced there are more options for Nebiyou Moges who has been drinking wine for the past 15 years.
He started drinking wine with an older relative while feasting on raw meat. Though he has gastric complications the wine went smoothly. Nebiyou likes to taste various types of wine and thanks to his Italian friend, who also loves to drink wine, he has managed to taste wine from different parts of the world. So far, for Nebiyou, French ginger wine is quite good but his favorite is Awash’s Kamila white wine.
In urban Ethiopia wine is becoming a common drink and many restaurants dedicate a wine bar. Kuriftu Wine House, Michael Cork Wine Bar, Backyard Restaurant and Wine Bar and The Wine Circle are such places. Located around CMC area, Michael Cork Wine Bar has a collection of 150 types of wines including renowned French, Italian, and South African brands. There is also a brand from Chile called Sunrise Dry Wine. Decorated with barrels and various types of wine products the place caters to customers who want to discover tastes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.
Firehiwot Bahta, founder and shareholder, says that since it is not affordable for many people they do not serve expensive wine brands. The most expensive one is 4,000 birr per bottle and a bottle of Ethiopian wine is sold for 180 birr. In most supermarkets in Addis Acacia Wine sells for 185 birr, Rift Valley for 210 birr and Gebeta sells for for 210 birr. In liquor stores the price of Acacia and Rift Valley is 175 birr with low-end joints selling it for 140 birr.
Having lived most of her life in England, Firehiwot says that the wine culture in London is vibrant. She says that starting from the ancient times wine has been used as a medicine to treat diseases including cancer.
Founded in 2011, her place is now gaining popularity. She says that there are challenges when customers ask for whiskey, vodka or beer. “People complained on the exclusivity of wine,” she told The Reporter. In order to create the wine culture they started having events such as painting exhibitions and music concerts. In addition to that, promotional works were done by Awash and Castle and that helped the demand to grow.
Most of her customers want sweet wine but she says that wine depends on the diet and situation. For digestion and meat red wine is recommended whereas if people are eating seafood or pasta sipping white wine has a relaxing mood. She also recommends that a glass of cold white wine after lunch is good and has a cooling effect if the weather is hot. Though most people refrain from drinking during daytime, for Firehiwot one glass after lunch is ok. “It does not have any danger; only benefits,” she says.
Looking at the demand she opened a new place named Premier Addis. The place is a wine and pizza joint around summit area.
With the growing local demand and favorable climate the wine industry is attracting investors. Castel Winery, which includes a string of Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois in its portfolio, is the latest entrant. The winery is located in the town of Ziway, some 164km south of Addis Ababa covering some 120 hectares. Castel Vineyards was established in 2007 as a partnership between the Ethiopian government and the Castel Group.
Weiss stresses that the demand is increasing and when they started they sold 6.1 million liters annually and now they are targeting nine million liters.
Awash’s vineyard is located in Merti Jeju of the Oromia Regional State. It is from there that the grapes are brought to their two wineries at Lideta and Mekanissa. After it was privatized the major change, according to Weiss, is investing in technological innovation and hiring expertise.
Henock Belay, a winemaker for the past 15 years, says that wine making is a blend of art and science which strongly needs an individual creativity and innovative technology. Henock says that the wine production starts with the selection of grapes which he stresses should be done cautiously.
According to Henock the wine passes through various processes including crushing and fermentation. Grape clusters are added to crusher/destemmer—a machine that squeezes the berries and breaks the skins, removing the grapes from rachis. Henock says that this process is crucial in deciding red and white wine making. He says that the color of the wine depends on the skins of the berries. Apart from the color this is the situation which determines the dryness or sweetness of the wine which is dependent on the seed. After that it passes a stage of pressing which separates the juice from grapes and grape skins.
Henock says that every stage has its own duration which might take a couple of weeks. The art or what make a good winemaker is in deciding the duration and also in choosing the processes it should pass through. After that the aging process starts. For Awash the maximum aging is one year for Gebeta Premium but the average aging for Awash’s products is eight months. Wine aging in many countries is longer but Henock says it is not economically viable for Ethiopia. “We want the containers to do the second cycle. If we age it more the expense we incur would increase and that will make the wine more expensive,” Henock says.
All over the world grapes are affected by disease and affected by change of weather. “Climate change all over the world is a major issue and that impacts our harvest. That is a challenge,” Weiss says.
Though there are challenges, she says the government is working in early warning system which would resolve the situation. The other challenge is accessing foreign currency.
On Valentine’s Day last month, I came across an article in a top British newspaper: "My love is like a red rose shipped all the way from Africa." It told how fresh cut roses grown in Kenya and Ethiopia are now exported in huge numbers to Europe, a market dominated for over 300 years by flower growers in the Netherlands (also known as Holland).
"Where once most cut flowers, including red roses, came from Holland. . .today they more likely come from Africa. New figures reveal a huge drop in Dutch production, in favour of imports from Kenya -- where roses are called "waridi" in Swahili -- and Ethiopia. Half a million people depend on the floriculture industry in Kenya alone,” according to the Daily Telegraph (14/02/16).
Holland still holds onto about half the cut flower market worldwide, but now Kenya and Ethiopia are the #4 and #5 cut-flower producers in the world! Together they earned more $1.3 billion in export sales in 2014. That’s 13.5% of global market share in a $9.1+ billion global market! Wow!
Proper growing of even one rose bush in your own garden requires knowledge of water, light, soil, pest management, fertilizers, and pruning. The best rose growers chalk up their success to a lifetime of experience and a lot of “TLC” (tender loving care).
How did Kenya and Ethiopia master all these processes to become world-class growers and exporters of cut flowers in this highly-sophisticated global market? They partnered and recruited experts from all over the world. They invested billions in the latest technologies, including climate-controlled transport terminals specially designed to ensure fresh flowers arrive quickly across the world looking as beautiful and smelling as nice as when they were first cut!
They listened to customers who say they really want to buy cut flowers that last a long time! They learned from the transfer of technology skills and best practices. Result: Kenyan and Ethiopian flower exports have expanded exponentially, making billions in forex earnings for their countries, and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Research and development will continue as in any major industry. For example, flowers require a lot of fresh water to grow. That’s a scarce resource. Cultivation requires a huge number of workers. That means ensuring labour management that respects and protects workers and their families. They require a lot of sun (very plentiful in Kenya and Ethiopia on the Equator, so year-round growing is possible). But sometimes weather is unpredictable and supply must not be affected so that means investment in glass houses (also known as green houses).
This is floriculture, but why stop there?
__Who says we can’t go on to challenge traditional global market leaders in other industries over the next few decades? I believe we can!
Someday we’ll read stories like this on a regular basis about Africans rising up to dominate industries like textiles, electronic manufacturing, motor vehicle production, food processing, health care, and many others.
It won’t happen simply because we want to see it. We have to take practical steps to ensure it happens. I remember 20 years ago serving on the board of an investment fund set up by then President Bill Clinton, and chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young.
We identified horticulture as one of many potential industries where Africa could excel. We did extensive research to see what conditions and policies would be required for this to happen.
Although Kenya was behind several other countries at the time (and Ethiopia was nowhere to be seen, but if you ever met the Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi and his colleagues nothing would surprise you today)… We all agreed that Kenya would take off, even though we had no idea how far they would go!
Now if you go to church on Easter Sunday, or a wedding any time of the year, and you see roses, you now know there's a very good chance they were grown in African soil under African skies. Don’t just see them as beauty… celebrate them as another way Africa is rising! Happy Easter.
Soon it will be Africa’s turn to help feed the world...
This week an American journal called Foreign Affairs has released an excellent collection of essays entitled: “African Farmers in the Digital Age: how digital solutions can enable rural development.”
In this new report, 20 African and global experts discuss ways to transform African agriculture, with a focus on food systems and rural smallholder farmers. A quick summary of a few priorities to speed up change:
# Rethink agricultural policies;
# Expand access to digital technology (to help smallholder farmers carry out business transactions like banking, networking and sourcing info on inputs, innovations, pricing, markets, training, etc.); and
# Improve collaboration and information sharing.
__Most important of all is… wider access to valuable information, which is why I’m telling you about this new report right away!
The report is 141 pages long so I'll share just one excerpt written by Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) which first appeared in this special edition (February 2016):
“. . .Right now, hundreds of millions of Africans rely on farming for a living, but they don’t grow as much—and they don’t sell as much of their surplus—as they could. As a result, Africa had to import $40 billion worth of food last year. Something is not functioning properly when half of the continent’s labor produces food, and the continent still buys its food from somewhere else!
So what is going wrong? Why aren’t African smallholders tapping into that $40 billion market? The main problem stems from the fact that agricultural markets, like banks, exist on a formal plane, whereas smallholders exist on an informal one. So farmers and markets cannot communicate effectively. Smallholders don’t know what the market will pay. They can’t grow crops according to the market’s specifications because they don’t know the specifications. They have no way to learn the farm-management practices that would let them double or even triple their yields. Instead, they grow mostly what they can eat or trade locally, the way they’ve always grown it.
As long as this information disconnect exists, there will be a related physical disconnect. The rails and roads that would take crops from the farm gate to the market don’t exist, because the market doesn’t want the crops the farmers are growing in the ways and volumes they’re growing them. So farmers are isolated, stuck with no money and no voice that the marketplace can hear.
But digital technology can act almost like a secret decoder ring that links the formal and informal sectors. Smallholders are already using mobile phones to communicate within their networks, to talk to family and friends. The institutions that make up the formal marketplace communicate in much the same way. So it is now possible to generate a two-way conversation between Africa’s producers and Africa’s consumers—and this is an entirely new conversation. Each party will be able to express its needs to the other for the first time ever.
Imagine a smallholder farmer who can discover, easily, that yams are expected to fetch a high price this year. She can also contact a local cooperative to combine her yams with those of her neighbor, satisfying the buyers’ volume requirements. Because she is assured of sale at harvest, she can afford to take out a loan, using her phone, to buy fertilizer or better storage or whatever else she needs to maximize her yield. In the meantime, instead of waiting for a visit from an extension worker who may or may not know about yams and the soil in this particular region, she can get advice tailored by crop and soil type via digital video or text.
When information can flow easily, when data is democratized, the cost of doing business in agriculture goes way down, just as transaction costs go way down when financial transactions are digital. The excessive time and money farmers, agribusinesses, and cooperatives spend managing the risk of doing business with unknown partners is a drag on efficiency. When these partners can know each other easily—can function as nodes in a single marketplace—agriculture will thrive.
It’s not as easy as the above paragraphs may make it seem. Building a digital agriculture system that actually accomplishes these goals will take innovation and investment. But the point is that before it wasn’t possible, and now it is. The added variable of digital technology has changed the
agricultural development equation. . .”
You can view and download (free of charge) the full Foreign Affairs special edition on agriculture here: http://fam.ag/20JyIQm
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