Bets on the Future of Africa

Bill and Melinda Gates, in their annual letter, stated that Africa will be able to feed itself in 15 years time and this is considered to be one of the big bets on the future. This can be achieved through breakthroughs in health, mobile technologies, and education. In African agriculture, this bet may only reflect that African farmers, both men and women, have gained access to technical expertise for proper crop production and management systems.

The use of new drought tolerant crop varieties of maize has been recognized in the report, which offers great promises for farmers. However, the use of these crops must be accompanied by proper cultural management practices. Other tools such as geospatial mapping, predictive modelling and remote-sensing and other mobile technologies can also be useful for agronomists, extension workers and farmers. These tools provide a way where genetic advances and management can be linked to the social and economic aspects of agriculture. In addition, soil and sustainability are also necessary to achieve the said bet as well as the developments in the underutilized crops cultivated mostly by African women.

Details of the article can be accessed at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201501231748.html or http://theconversation.com/yes-africa-will-feed-itself-within-the-next-15-years-36564.