Close Up
The primary sector contributes a large part of gross income, accounts for the largest part of exports and is the most important source of employment. The sector has enormous potential for growth, but it is necessary to work on the supply chains and on the processing capacity
Close Up
A conference dedicated to the countries of the northern belt of the African continent, which have significant growth potential in the primary sector but need new-generation machinery and systems, was held as part of Agrilevante. Collaboration with the Italian agro-mechanical industry and with bodies dealing with technical assistance and vocational training is very promising
Special
The consequences of global warming are hitting Central and East African countries particularly hard and are aggravating an already difficult economic situation. In order to tackle the emergency, it is essential to secure and upgrade irrigation systems, focusing on technologies adapted to local realities
Scenario
The most authoritative international observers report interesting transformations in the African economy, not least as a result of some new political leaderships. The agricultural and agro-industrial sector is at the center of the positive dynamics highlighted in some countries, even if the increasing presence of investors coming from the eastern countries for European companies is a variable to be dealt with. Climate change is more than ever a risk for the African agricultural economy, and research programs are already in place to develop effective cultivation systems and viable alternatives
Special
The international trade fair exposition dedicated to machinery and technology for agricultural supply chains will host the convention on "Agricultural Economics and Political Stability: a challenge for Agriculture in Africa and in the Mediterranean area". The meeting will focus on policy strategies, financial mechanisms and technologies promoting the development of the agricultural economy in the African area
Trends
The development of applications for electronic devices is a very important support for African farmers and traders. Presentation of goods, their placement on target markets, and the dissemination of information on the most appropriate cultivation techniques are all functions made possible thanks to the "apps", among which Zazu Africa stands out for effectiveness. Thanks to IT media, crowdfunding platforms are also under development. The practical advantages are coupled with the social aspects: information sharing and the creation of community is particularly in tune with the culture of African communities
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During a meeting organized by FAO, the speakers pointed out that the use of mechanical means, applied to the specific local characteristics of the land, and environmentally and economically sustainable, can reduce poverty and ensure food security, encouraging a necessary generational change
Markets
The crisis of raw materials and the low oil prices are producing negative effects on the economies of many African countries. The loss of some traditional sectors of the economy, however, is producing an ever greater interest in agriculture and the economy of rural areas. Filling the technology and mechanization gap has become a priority for the continent's countries
Close Up
An Italian-African bilateral convention was sealed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome for the launch of a Segment Agriculture initiative committing FederUnacoma and the CIHEAM of Bari as principal partners of Sub-Saharan governments. For African countries Italy prefigures as a model of qualitative agriculture on the prototype of family farming but a model equipped with basic mechanical technologies
Close Up
Africa and especially the Sub-Saharan region are looking extraordinarily dynamic and promising on the world economic scene. Agriculture is the driver of African economic development but the sector is in need of infrastructure and technologies. The development process is speeding up thanks to the growth of foreign direct investments which are, however, no longer the prerogative of the traditional European and United States partners but coming in from the emerging Asian and Latin American countries