Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Activists from the international environmental organisation, Greenpeace, on Friday protested against European overfishing in Mauritanian waters. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, David Nabarro, has stressed the need for governments to prioritize food security strategies and invest in their agricultural sectors to reduce poverty, saying supporting small farmers is particularly important to prevent food crises. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – There is no doubt that Africa is on the move and that the continent is rightly being viewed as a place of opportunity after decades of stagnation, East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Richard Sezibera has told an international business gathering in Milan, Italy. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Tuesday said a new initiative aimed at improving food security in Sudan would provide the country’s smallholder farmers with improved seeds and soil to fight the threat of drought. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), that has significantly measured women’s empowerment in developing countries, was launched Tuesday in Washington D.C., the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) said in a statement made available to PANA here. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva, on Thursday held discussions at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, the UN agency said in a statement obtained by PANA here Friday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze, on Wednesday stressed the need to pull 90 million people out of poverty by 2015 and help small farmers and all those in rural areas to realize their potential in eliminating hunger and promoting development. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Two top UN officials visiting Niger, one of the countries hit hardest by the current food crisis across Africa's Sahel region, have called on governments and donors to respond to the crisis ''in ways that will build resilience among local communities for the future''. Full text...

Rome, Italy (PANA) - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is helping people in the conflict-affected South Sudanese state of Jonglei feed themselves and rebuild their lives through a series of emergency and long-term actions. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - African leaders have been told to take urgent steps in solving the high rate of unemployment and increase food production to take care of their growing population, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Ryuichi Shoji, made the call during a visit to the Ibadan-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in south West Nigeria. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - African leaders have been told to take urgent steps in solving the high rate of unemployment and increase food production to take care of their growing population, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Ryuichi Shoji, made the call during a visit to the Ibadan-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in south West Nigeria. Full text...

Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The high-level committee on food security in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on Wednesday held its first meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, to work out a strategy to tackle the food crisis in the region. Full text...

Rome, Italy (PANA) - Leaders of UN agencies, representatives of affected governments and major donors on Wednesday called for the scaling up of humanitarian, rehabilitation and development assistance to address rising levels of hunger and malnutrition caused by the combined effect of drought, high food prices, displacement and conflict affecting the Sahel region of West Africa. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN Security Council has expressed alarm at the rising levels of malnutrition and food shortages in parts of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan, saying the situation could deteriorate further if international humanitarian personnel are not given access to carry out assessments and deliver aid. Full text...

Niamey, Niger (PANA) – The government of Niger re-evaluated upwards its cereal deficit from 520,000 tonnes to 692,000 tonnes, according to a survey conducted by the Coordinating Unit of the Early Alert System (CC/SAP) in collaboration with the National Statistics Institute (INS) and the technical and financial partners. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Millions of people in South Sudan will face hunger this year if urgent action is not taken, according to a joint report issued Wednesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The World Future Council (WFC), which brings the interests of future generations on environment to the fore, announced Tuesday that it would present its "Future Policy Award 2012" to the world’s most inspiring, innovative and influential policies on the protection of oceans and coasts. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Thousands of people along the border between Niger and Burkina Faso are being forced to leave their homes in search of food as a result of the deepening food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa, international charity Christian Aid reported Friday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday launched a Full text...

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New York, US (PANA) -The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday launched an information system to improve and expand the exchange of weather, climate and water data, which can be used for disaster risk reduction, water management, food security and health purposes. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Tea production in Burundi rose from 8,025 tonnes in 2010 to 8,816 tonnes in 2011, an increase of about 10%, according to a statement from the Tea Board of Burundi (OTB) . Full text...

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Algeria has donated 3,100 tons of rice, worth 1.3 billion CFA francs, to Mali, following an agreement signed Monday in Bamako by officials of the two countries. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - UK parliamentarians and civil servants will this week join African farmers, international donors and scientists in a policy dialogue that aims to reshape agricultural research to serve development goals and the public good. Full text...

Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – Nearly US$ 50 million was raised by the African Union (AU) to assist the countries in the Horn of Africa, threatened by famine, the AU Commissioner for the rural economy and agriculture, Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, announced Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday honoured Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and South African activist, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, for his efforts in the battle against hunger and his advocacy on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - With seven million people across five West African countries facing the spectre of famine within months, Christian Aid announced Tuesday it was stepping up its early response plans to assist those living in the stricken Sahel region. Full text...

Lagos. Nigeria (PANA) - A healthy seed yam producing technique developed by scientists at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), that promises better harvests in the season ahead, is exciting farmers in Nigeria, according to a statement from the Nigeria-based research institute. Full text...

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (PANA) – The Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, on Friday established a commission regulating the stabilization and development of the cocoa/coffee sector. Full text...

Washington, US (PANA) - A group of international agriculture experts has urged scientists to lay the groundwork for more decisive action on global food security in environmental negotiations in 2012. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on African countries to reduce their food imports burden, which runs into billions of dollars annually, through the consumption of locally-produced food. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – The Senegalese Senior Minister for Maritime Economy, Khoureichy Thiam, arrived in Nouakchott late on Tuesday for a three-day visit to Mauritania that will focus on cooperation in the fisheries sector between the two countries. Full text...

Rome, Italy (PANA) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Commission Monday announced a new 5.3 million-euro project aimed at helping Malawi, Vietnam and Zambia transition to a "climate-smart" approach to agriculture. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi has raised its allocation to agriculture and livestock from 8% of the national budget in 2011 to 12% in 2012, according to Gervais Rufyikiri, second vice-President of Burundi in charge of social and economic issues. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is providing a US$24.9 million loan to Liberia to improve the country’s cocoa and coffee production, the UN agency said in a statement obtained by PANA here Tuesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - As part of measures to diversify the country’s economy, the Nigerian government has removed import duty on agricultural equipment. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Freerice.com, the online game that allows players to improve Full text...

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - Cotton production in Benin has increased from 130,000 tons last year to 300,000 tons this planting season, PANA learned from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Thursday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The World Bank assisted Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) is to be expanded to five other states in Nigeria to cover the six geopolitical zones and further increase the number of beneficiaries, a World Bank statement made available to PANA here Thursday said. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Wednesday said it is introducing a new initiative in Mozambique aimed at increasing the quality of seeds to help the African country ``capitalize on its arable land and unlock its potential''. Full text...

Oakland, US (PANA) - The US-based Oakland Institute, an independent policy think tank whose mission is to increase public participation and promote fair debate on critical social, economic and environmental issues, has taken to task the US Ambassador in Tanzania over US firm Agrisol's activities in Tanzania. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi has been hit by shortage of sugar although the sole local sugar-producing company (SOSUMO) has seen a slight increase in production this year. Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) – The Congolese government has banned 69 Chinese fishing boats which have been found to be involved in illegal fashing practices in Congolese maritime waters, sources close to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministry told PANA on Monday in Brazzaville. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, on Thursday called on the global community to take action to prevent one million children in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa from becoming severely malnourished. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The Mauritanian Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Sidi Ould Tah, and the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritania, Hiroshi Azuma, on Wednesday signed a financial agreement, worth US$ 5.5 million, earmarked for support to food security in the African country, PANA reported here Thursday, qhoting official sources. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is providing US$10 million to help small farmers in Lesotho boost agricultural production. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A team of researchers, led by the Ibadan, south west Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), have developed three new varieties of vitamin A cassava that could improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Africa, according to a statement from the institute made avaible to PANA here Saturday. Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Some 32 South African farmers have arrived in Niari, 500km South-west of Brazzaville under a pact aimed at boosting agriculture in Congo, the Congolese Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announced Friday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The World Food Progarmme (WFP) Director in South Sudan, Chris Nikoi, on Thursday said that damaged crops, combined with conflict and insecurity are threatening to leave some 2.5 million people in South Sudan in critical conditions, unless food assistance is provided immediately. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is deeply concerned by an unseasonal rise in grain prices in Niger and is planning an urgent scale-up of food assistance operations there. Full text...