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Africa: Turning to Regenerative Practices and Soil Microbes to Fight Effects of Climate Change

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1 month ago

December 5, 2024

62 Views

Urbana, Illinois, U.S. — Recently, at the UN climate conference COP29, countries agreed to do everything necessary to invest in climate solutions to protect lives and livelihoods from worsening climate change impacts and to build a prosperous world. This is necessary. Indeed, every effort must be made by our leaders to protect lives and livelihoods.
One of the best investments possible is in agricultural climate solutions. In particular, investments in solutions that seek to protect soils and agricultural crops that we depend upon to meet food security.
Otherwise, these soils and crops are vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the form of droughts, flooding, pest outbreaks, and elevated temperatures.
Although it is a daunting task, protecting livelihoods and agricultural crops from the detrimental impacts of climate change is achievable.
Adopting regenerative practices has been documented to bring multiple benefits including building soil health and quality, improving biodiversity, all while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change
Preventing crop failures and cascading impacts including food insecurity, hunger, and famines can be achieved by rolling out and adopting multiple climate solution strategies ranging from the use of microbial solutions and beneficial soil microbes and the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices and integrated pest management strategies.
Microbial solutions, including soil microbial inoculants, leverage beneficial soil microbes and natural soil microbiome capabilities to create fertile and resilient environments for agricultural plants, including processes like suppression of soil pathogens, fixing soil nitrogen and making other important plant nutrients such as phosphorus available.
Accumulating evidence has revealed that beneficial soil microbes can deliver many benefits including improving the growth and yields of agricultural crops like maize, tomatoes and wheat that are important for meeting food security needs.
Additionally, these microbes have been shown to shield agricultural crop plants from drought and enhance crops’ ability to tolerate elevated temperatures, salinity, insects and many other stressors associated with climate change. Beneficial soil microbes are critical in mitigating the effects of climate-change associated stressors.
Regenerative agricultural practices are a set of rejuvenating farming and agricultural sustainable practices that seek to boost soil health, water resources, soil organic carbon sequestration and soils biological diversity.
These sustainable practices include cover cropping, crop rotation, planting diverse crops, minimizing soil disturbance, using less fertilizers, agricultural inputs and chemical pesticides and incorporating livestock.
Adopting regenerative practices has been documented to bring multiple benefits including building soil health and quality, improving biodiversity, all while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. For example, research has revealed that cover crops can improve soil health and increase the abundance of beneficial insect communities.
Integrated pest management is an approach that doesn’t rule out the use of pesticides, but uses them as little as possible and only for strong reasons.
It promotes the use of safer alternatives, like biocontrol, which uses natural enemies to control pests, and cultural control practices which modify the growing environment to reduce unwanted pests.
Integrated pest management approaches include the use of resistant plant varieties that have been bred to resist insect damage, and crop rotation which changes the crops planted every season or year, to break the life-cycle of insect pests and discourage pests from staying on the farm.
Ultimately, strategies being released to help deal with the climate crisis must fundamentally pay attention to improving soil and its health. Soil is the basis of healthy and nutritious food, income and economy.
Initiatives rolled out to build soil health must be rooted in science and adhere to the several science-based soil health building principles and practices including mulching, conservation agriculture, reduced tillage and cover cropping.
Smart investments in the soil must be based on a scientific assessment of the state of the soil, making soil testing initiatives a good place to start. Knowing what soils need allows for precise interventions and is a win for climate resillience and environmental protection.
Building soil health will build back life-giving soil nutrients, diverse soil microbial communities and soil organic matter. Soil organic matter is associated with other benefits, such as improvements to plant health and yields; increased soil water retention, which increases the ability of crops to tolerate drought; and expansion of biological diversity within the soil.
Diverse biological organisms in soils turn play critical roles in soil ecosystems, including decomposition, breaking down pollutants, and cycling essential plant nutrients., life-giving nutrients, and diverse soil microbial communities, and in turn boost climate resillience.
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Importantly, as we roll out these initiatives, we must remember that the ability of communities and citizens of different countries to adapt and employ these strategies will vary enormously, depending on financial capabilities.
Financial investments to support rolling out of these agricultural climate solutions and practices can be channeled through governments departments and ministry of agriculture.
Protecting lives, livelihoods, and agricultural crops from the catastrophic impacts of climate change is an urgent task that will require the rolling out of multiple initiatives-from regenerative farming practices to using microbial inoculants and adopting integrated pest management strategies. We must continue to encourage countries to invest in these initiatives. It is a win- win.
Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Follow @EstherNgumbi
Read the original article on IPS.
AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
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Africa: Senegal Coach Diallo – 'We Are Not Overwhelmed By the Pressure of Champions'

Published

21 minutes ago

January 13, 2025

An24 Africa

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Successor to Pape Thiaw, the man who led Senegal to the title of African champion at the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 in Algeria, Souleymane Diallo now bears the responsibility of defending the continental crown.
A few weeks before the kick-off of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be played in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from 1-28 February, he shares his state of mind, his team’s preparations and the challenges of this new edition.
With a wealth of experience on the continental stage, Diallo is aware of the expectations placed on him and his squad, which is largely made up of new faces.
In this exclusive interview, he talks about the pressure of being the title holder and the strategic importance of the CHAN for domestic football. The challenge is immense, but Diallo approaches this competition with serenity and a plan, ready to write a new chapter in the history of Senegalese football.
CAFOnline: What is your state of mind a few weeks before the start of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship?
Souleymane Diallo: I have a very good state of mind overall. I think the boys are aware of what is at stake in this competition, but we must not put ourselves under pressure. For me, the most important thing is the first game. We will have to approach it with a very good state of mind, a very good mentality, but above all an African mentality which consists of being serene first and identifying the obstacles we need to tackle.
How are your preparations going?
Overall, very good. The program plan that we have drawn up is proceeding normally. Now, we are in our 14th week, more precisely, including the preparation phases for the qualifiers. From Monday (13 January), we will take the boys in closed groups. We will stay there until the start of the competition. We will have a training camp in a country bordering the three host countries (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania).
Senegal is the title holder. Does this add extra pressure?
No, no pressure! I am used to saying that. Pressure is important in all things. Most importantly, the source of the pressure must first be identified. If you identify the source of the pressure and you identify the nature of the pressure, for me, right now, there’s no more pressure, but there’s situational awareness. It’s true that Senegal is African champion, but don’t forget that the African champion squad is not the same squad as we have at the moment. We only have two survivors (Serigné Koita and Aboudoulaye Dieng). So, we will have to analyse strongly. Does Senegal come with its African champions or does Senegal come with the title of African champion? We have to point out the nuanced difference between these two. But what is most important, we will come to approach this competition in the best possible way, while not hiding our coat as African champions. On the contrary, this awareness of our African champion mantle pushes us to have a much more cautious approach, a much more serene approach.
Why is the CHAN an important competition in your eyes?
The CHAN is a very important competition. I usually tell journalists that. Already, the CHAN reflects the level of competition of the nation itself. Today, the characteristic of the CHAN is that it takes into account players playing in their local championship. Today, I tell my colleagues that we represent the championship itself, the Senegalese championship, because the CHAN will reflect the level of the Senegalese league. That’s why, for me, it’s a special competition, a very important competition.
You were the coach of the Senegalese team at the African Games. How has this pan-African, continental experience been useful to you and will it serve you well for the CHAN?
I think that today, I have a little African experience. This pan-African experience will serve as a support for us to be able to approach this competition. I have had the opportunity to do several African and world competitions. Three Junior World Cups, three Junior African Cups, two African Games. I think we will base ourselves on these experiences, on these African competitions, to be able to approach this competition in the most serene way possible.
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Apart from Senegal, which teams can lift the trophy?
Today, it will be very, very difficult to say about the teams. You will of course agree with me that in Africa, all the teams are improving. The teams are very, very, very rigorous, both in terms of the training approach, but also in terms of management, because sporting performance is made up of two essential parameters. There are external factors and internal factors. In Africa, people are starting to work, to take these two factors into account. Previously, we were limited to the internal factors of performance. Today, most African teams work on their environment. So it will be very difficult, bordering on suicidal, to want to predict the potential winners.
The TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 (CHAN) Plane is almost ready to take off. ✈️👀 pic.twitter.com/w7DwqMelUA— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 31, 2024
Read the original article on CAF.
Will Kenyans Be Allowed Free Entry At CHAN?
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
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Govt Refutes Claims of Zambia’s Blacklisting from UN Human Rights Council

Published

1 hour ago

January 13, 2025

an24afri

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By Mary Kachepa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed media reports suggesting that Zambia has been blacklisted from the United Nations Human Rights Council for alleged failure to uphold human rights standards. The Ministry clarified that the UN General Assembly has not considered nor adopted any resolution for the suspension or removal of Zambia from the Council because the country is currently not holding a seat at the Council.

Permanent Secretary in charge of International Relations and Cooperation, Etambuyu Gundersen, stated that Zambia intends to contest for a seat on the Council at the UN General Assembly elections in 2026 under the African States Region quota for SADC.

Ms. Gundersen told journalists at a media briefing hosted by the Ministry of Information and Media in Lusaka that the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression is expected in the country on January 19 at the invitation of the government.

She noted that Zambia was among the inaugural members to serve on the Human Rights Council when it was established from 2006 to 2008.

Ms. Gundersen explained that the Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body under the United Nations that comprises 47 member states elected by a majority vote of the UN General Assembly to serve for three years on a rotational basis. She further explained that countries are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.

Ms. Gundersen described as false an article published by the Daily Nation Newspaper that the United Nations has sanctioned Zambia for rights violations. She advised that while freedom of expression is a constitutional right, it must be exercised within the limits and confines of the law.

The post Govt Refutes Claims of Zambia’s Blacklisting from UN Human Rights Council appeared first on ZNBC-Just for you.

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Africa: CAF Confederation Cup – Enyimba's Quarterfinal Hopes Under Threat After Al Masry Draw

Published

3 hours ago

January 13, 2025

An24 Africa

2 Views

The result leaves the two-time African champions in a precarious position, needing a win against group leaders Zamalek in their final match to have any chance of progressing to the quarterfinals
Nigeria Premier League side Enyimba are teetering on the brink of elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup.
This follows their 1-1 draw against Egyptian club Al Masry in their penultimate Group D fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Sunday.
The result leaves the two-time African champions in a precarious position, needing a win against group leaders Zamalek in their final match to progress to the quarterfinals.
Even a victory might not suffice, as their fate also hinges on bottom-placed Black Bulls denying Al Masry a win in their last group-stage encounter.
Match summary
The visitors, Al Masry, took an early lead in the 7th minute through Mohamed Hashem, capitalising on a defensive lapse by the People’s Elephant. Despite Enyimba’s spirited efforts to find a response, they went into halftime trailing 1-0.
The second half started with renewed intensity from Enyimba, and their persistence paid off just two minutes after the restart. Ifeanyi Ihemekwele headed home a sublime equaliser, much to the home crowd’s delight.
Goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena emerged as the night’s hero, pulling off a series of crucial saves, including a penalty stop in the 68th minute, to keep Enyimba in the contest.
However, despite dominating possession and creating chances, the Nigerian side failed to find the winner that could have bolstered their quarterfinal aspirations.
Group D standings
After five rounds of matches, Zamalek have already secured their place in the quarterfinals, sitting comfortably atop the group with 11 points.
Al Masry, with six points, occupy second place and only need a victory against the Black Bulls to advance.
NPFL: Ideye strikes again as Enyimba edge past Nasarawa United
Enyimba, currently third with five points, face a daunting trip to Egypt for their final group game, where they must not only beat Zamalek but also rely on a favourable result in the other group fixture.
What’s next?
Enyimba face a do-or-die clash against Zamalek in Egypt, needing both a win and a stroke of luck in the other Group D match to keep their Confederation Cup dreams alive. Meanwhile, Al Masry will aim to seal their qualification with a win over the Black Bulls.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the People’s Elephant as they prepare for their most critical game of the tournament.
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Team Lineups
Enyimba
Ani Ozoemena; Innocent Gabriel, Joseph Atule, Elijah Akanni, Nweke Kalu (Fatai Abdullahi 81′); Uwana Asuquo, Somiari Alalibo (Paschal Eze 80′), Chikamso Okechukwu; Divine Ukadike, Ekene Awazie (Brown Ideye 59′), Ifeanyi Ihemekwele (Bernard Ovoke 87′).
Al Masry:
Mahmoud Gad; Ahmed Eid, Mohamed Hashem, Khaled Sobhi, Hassan Ali; Samadou (Mohamed Makhlouf 32′), Mahmoud Hamada (Youssef El Gohary 78′), Khaled El-Ghandour (Karim Bambou 78′); Mohamed El-Shami, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef (Abdelrrehim Daghmoum 61′), Salah Mohsen.
Read the original article on Premium Times.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa – aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 110 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.
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