farmers

The ambitious $31.4 million initiative spearheaded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revitalize Lesotho's poultry industry has been abruptly terminated. This five-year endeavor, launched as part of the American Food for Progress program, aimed to cultivate a staggering 28,000 poultry enterprises across the nation, with projections to increase meat production by 40% and egg production by 30% by the year 2028. Yet, fewer than two years since its inception, the Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises…

In an incident that caught the attention of media outlets and sparked significant debate, U.S. President Donald Trump recently featured a screenshot during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. His display was supposedly meant to support his claim of mass killings targeting white South Africans. “These are all white farmers that are being buried,” Trump asserted, presenting a printout of an article alongside an accompanying image. This meeting transpired in the Oval Office, a setting where pivotal…

Empowering Women Farmers: A New Initiative in Somalia On May 8, 2025, a significant milestone was reached in Mogadishu. Janine Cocker, the Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Canada to Somalia, and Etienne Peterschmitt, the FAO Representative in Somalia, shook hands, symbolizing their commitment to a brighter future for women's empowerment and climate resilience in agriculture. This partnership heralds a new chapter for Somalia’s agricultural landscape, driven by the initiative aptly named “Scaling Up Gender-Inclusive…

Refugee Policy and Faith Leaders' Responses Earlier this year, a significant policy emerged through an executive order that aims to prioritize Afrikaner descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa for refugee status in the United States. This move has stirred various reactions across the globe, as it raises vital questions about the moral fabric of humanitarianism today. According to the U.S. State Department, the intent behind this initiative is to protect “communities at risk of race-based expropriation…

Understanding the Crisis in Eastern Congo: A Human Perspective In recent months, the turmoil in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached alarming proportions. The International Organization for Migration reports that over 1.2 million people have fled their homes in the North and South Kivu provinces since January. This mass exodus coincided with escalated fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels, leaving a profound impact on countless families. As the dust begins to settle, one of the…

Al-Shabaab's Ominous Return: Farmers in Fear in Somalia's Bay Region Mogadishu (AX) — In a troubling development that has stirred anxiety among local communities, heavily armed al-Shabaab militants are asserting their presence once again in rural areas surrounding Baidoa, located in Somalia's Bay region. A growing number of residents reported on Saturday that these militants have taken to the fields, explicitly warning farmers to abandon their livelihoods. “You cannot visit or go to work on your farm,”…

Revitalizing Afgooye: A Tale of Resilience and Renewal Mogadishu (AX) — In the serene town of Afgooye, nestled just a short drive north of Mogadishu, there's an invigorating sound—a constant, life-giving rhythm of water dancing through revitalized channels. For Ali Abshir Ahmed, a resilient 32-year-old farmer, this sound is akin to a heartbeat, signifying life and hope. Under the ambitious Somalia Crisis Recovery Project (SCRP), spearheaded by the federal government and generously supported by…

(ERGO) – Life in North Western State of Somalia's Awdal region has never been easy, and Jama Mohamed Hassan can tell you all about it. His eyes are weary, a reflection of the tribulations his family of 17 is enduring. Their grocery business in Ruqi—a lifeline for years—recently came to a standstill. Customers who once brought vitality to his store now only leave unpaid debts, totaling a staggering $6,000 over the last 10 months. Jama's story is not just his own. Forty other shopkeepers in the region have shuttered their…

The Impact of Conflict on Frankincense Farmers: A Struggle for Survival "The conflict has affected everyone. People used to work on frankincense cultivation to manage their daily lives. Now it’s stopped, and our lives have deteriorated. People have nothing to eat," lamented Fowsi, speaking to Radio Ergo. For a decade, Fowsi's family depended solely on the frankincense trade. Every six months, the fruits of their labor yielded a harvest ample enough to see them through to the next season. This cycle of cultivation was their…

Former President Donald Trump recently made waves on his personal social media platform, Truth Social, with a proclamation that left many across the globe pondering its implications. His declaration, designed to appear altruistic, suggested a lifeline to farmers in distress, particularly those he claimed were victims of South Africa’s contentious land reform policies. But is there more to this offer than meets the eye?…