What we’ve been reading this week

This week’s summary of the news stories, reports, and blogs that have grabbed our attention. We welcome your thoughts and comments on these articles.

Rwanda

This highlight on stories from Rwanda is in honour of the launch of our new report, Off The Ground: Investing in Rwanda’s agriculture value chains

Special report – Rwanda: A new model for growth, This Is Africa

Switzerland of Africa: Little Rwanda has risen, Times Live

Rwanda’s Maternal and Child Health Week delivers preventative measures to ensure good health, growth and survival, Scaling Up Nutrition

Spotlight on Rwanda as WEF opens in Kigali, The New Times

In race to catch up, Rwanda risks property bubbles, Reuters

East Africa: Made in Rwanda Becomes Top Policy, AllAfrica

Rwanda: Landslides caused by heavy rains kill dozens, BBC News

New technologies 

Global Data, Global Agriculture, and the Universal Age of Information, The Chicago Council

Meet the site that is like Uber — but for tractors, Washington Post

Uganda: Cassava for Beer – an Opportunity for Farmers, AllFAfrica

70% of Africans make a living through agriculture, and technology could transform their world, World Economic Forum

African farmers need the tools and technology to adapt to a changing climate, Los Angeles Times

Anti-GMO sentiment softening? Genetic Literacy Project

Helping Africa’s Youth Find Opportunity in a Changing Climate, The Chicago Council

Helping Smallholder Farmers Build Stronger Businesses with Information and Communication Technology, FoodTank

Biodiversity

State of the World’s Plants, Kew

Vacant Lots to Vibrant Plots: A Review of the Benefits and Limitations of Urban Agriculture, Johns Hopkins

An agroforestry view on crop modelling, Thrive Blog

Solar panels can boost farm biodiversity, study shows, Yorkshire Post

Kew report makes new tally for number of world’s plants, BBC News

Biodiversity hotspot vegetation in decline, PhysOrg

Food and Water Security

Nigeria: Lagos Targets 25 Percent Increase in Food Supply By 2019, AllAfrica

Launch of the first-ever investment framework to reach the global nutrition targets, Scaling Up Nutrition

Opinion: The hunger metrics mirage: There’s been less progress on hunger reduction than it appears, PNAS

Global water shortages to deliver ‘severe hit’ to economies, World Bank warns, The Guardian

How Smallholder Farmer Can Ensure Food Security in Africa, elkurebedotcom