Farmers across South Africa are warning the government they might not survive the current drought gripping South Africa. 

It is significant to mention, as the presence of the two Gs – God and Government – were a constant during the day’s well-attended proceedings – which were translated into three languages: Xhosa, Afrikaans and English.

Theo de Jager, President of World Farmers Organisation, brings the perspective of farmers to the climate change debate. This guest-post is part of Farming First’s ‘Farmers Taking Action on Climate Change’ campaign for the COP25.

Food security in Sub Saharan Africa is under threat with the continent losing an average US$4 billion in post-harvest losses annually, hence the need for farmers on the continent to invest in modern storage methods to avert acute hunger,  the United Nations food agency has advised.

The government has today confirmed nearly £3 billion of funding for 2020 to support farmers once the UK leaves the EU.

Something over 82 million more people are alive this Christmas than have ever been alive before, as our world population moves inexorably towards the eight billion mark, due in now just over three years.

Providing food for others has always required heroic efforts.

The total number of farms/farming units involved in the commercial agriculture industry in 2017 was 40 122.

The 21-day lockdown period may lead to a newfound respect for our food producers.

It’s a hot topic everywhere, and the 2020 Global Farmer Network Roundtable class has been discussing the impacts local to them – with each other – on social media. Stories vary around the world.

The Australian state of Victoria will help farmers establish network connectivity on their farms. The first step is a trial that will allow thousands of sensors to be connected to the internet. Farmers will get access to real-time data to improve their productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

The South African agriculture sector forms the backbone of South Africa’s economy, but this fact has been largely ignored by government.

Since 2016, prices have dropped 30% below the average for the past decade, according to the International Coffee Organization, a body representing 49 member countries which export and import coffee.

A farmer works so the world can eat. His hard work serves food on our plates.

Maize theft in the Free State has increased tremendously in the last few weeks, despite the lockdown, and estimated losses amount to millions.

If agriculture is to continue to feed the world, it needs to become more like manufacturing, says Geoffrey Carr. Fortunately, that is already beginning to happen.

7 Things You Should Know about Farming and Agriculture,

South African farmers are increasingly turning to commercial lenders to top up their working capital as the Land and Agricultural Development Bank battles a liquidity crisis.

For obvious reasons, the most physically demanding jobs — roofers, pile drivers, fishermen, lumberjacks, take your pick of many others — are primarily filled by people no older than 40. But farming, a mixture of hard work and long hours, even as technology automates some tasks, is a dramatic outlier.

When this crisis is over, we will have a chance to reshape national production through the development of rural agriculture and agro-processing.