Smallholder farmers constitute the largest group of economic actors in Malawi and there is increasing recognition that the small scale at which they operate does not offer for most a pathway out of poverty, let alone to prosperity.

The North Central Province (NCP) is situated in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. Average annual rainfall in the province is less than 1,750 mm, of which very little occurs between May and September (dry season). An estimated 12,00016,000 irrigation tanks, mainly situated in villages, have been constructed since 300 BC to store surface runoff to support dry-season rice cultivation, which is practiced in addition to rain-fed rice production.

Five years ago, the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 countries. They set out an ambitious plan to eradicate global poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030 ensuring that "no one is left behind". Work to deliver on that commitment has reaped some rewards, such as improving maternal and child health, expanding access to electricity and increasing women’s representation in government. Yet with just ten years left, we still have a very long way to go, especially in terms of meeting the 'climate and environment' commitments.

Value chain for development (VCD) has increasingly been promoted for poverty reduction; yet, there is inadequate evidence on its effectiveness. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this article offers reasons why evidence on VCD impacts on poverty reduction is uncertain. It also suggests a conceptual framework for the poor-centred value chain for sustainable development to guide a better analysis of VCD participation and poverty impacts. The framework is particularly useful for researchers involved in research for development related projects in the VCD space.

At COP28 countries recognized that unprecedented adverse climate impacts are increasingly threatening the resilience of agriculture and food systems and ability to produce and access food in the prevailing scenario of mounting hunger, malnutrition, and economic stresses.

The colonial legacy of irrigated agriculture in Egypt continues to reinforce food security and poverty. Marginalized tenant farmers along the tail end of Drain 7 in Kafr El Sheikh face challenges of polluted, unreliable irrigation water, low crop productivity, income and food insecurity, and poor health.
Low value agriculture work is increasingly performed by marginalized women, whose work and time is undervalued and taken for granted.

This brief assesses the current state of migration-related policies in Ethiopia, and provides some early recommendations and policy pointers based on work carried out under the AGRUMIG project. In Ethiopia, the scale of migration and its impacts on rural and urban transformations are underestimated and probably increasing. There is a lack of a coherent national migration policy in the country, which is a potential development hindrance.

Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly viewed as an important area for oil palm cultivation and expansion. Palm oil is a commodity that can help developing countries like Cameroon attain their sustainable development goals (SDGs) targets through poverty alleviation (SDG 1) and by providing revenue to smallholder farmers to buy a variety of food thereby reducing hunger. However, due to the many negative environmental and social consequences, the sector needs to be made more sustainable.

Climate shocks to agriculture are threatening food security, especially in developing countries. Poverty and malnutrition are rising rapidly. Therefore, we must urgently transform our agricultural systems to be productive, sustainable, and equitable, and to contribute fully to lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This will require a global “Agricultural Breakthrough”, defined in the Breakthrough Agenda as: “Climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture is the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers everywhere by 2030.” How can we achieve this?

The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) through the Improving Bean Productivity and Markets in Africa (IBPMA) Project funded by the Global Affairs Canada engaged on the project to reduce poverty amongst smallholder bean farmers, especially women, by reducing food insecurity, increasing incomes, and strengthening climate-smart agriculture (CSA). This mid-term evaluation report has brought up some key findings about the progress the project made over the four-year implementation period.