Land-use and land-cover (LULC) change has become one of the most significant drivers of climate change and environmental transformation globally. In East and the Horn of Africa, several factors have accelerated landscape transformation, yet evidence on regional patterns, underlying drivers, and associated impacts remains fragmented. In view of this, we synthesized a total of 56 existing studies aimed at generating evidence on LULC dynamics across East and the Horn of Africa. Specifically, the review identified dominant land-cover transitions, drivers, impacts and emerging research gaps. The review employed a systematic literature review approach guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework. Peer-reviewed studies published between 1980 and 2024 were identified from multiple databases. Studies were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings revealed widespread landscape transformation characterized by forest and woodland decline, wetland degradation, grassland conversion, agricultural expansion, and increasing built-up areas. Agricultural expansion emerged as the dominant proximate driver of LULC change, interacting with multiple underlying factors. The review further identified substantial methodological variation among studies. The review concludes that LULC dynamics in the EHoA are driven by interconnected social economic, institutional and environmental forces. The review recommends need for integrated regional approaches that combine sustainable land management processes that guarantee ecological restoration, livelihood realities and improved land-use governance.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting concentrate mix (CM) with wood ash-treated Prosopis juliflora pod (WPJP) on feed intake, digestibility, weight gain, and carcass yield of Afar goats fed on natural pasture hay. Twenty male goats (16.4 ± 0.04 kg) were assigned in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four dietary treatments in five replications for 90 days. Dietary treatments include: T1: 300 g of CM (control), T2: 200 g of CM + 100 g of WPJP, T3: 100 g of CM + 200 g of WPJP, and T4: 300 g of WPJP. Goats fed on T1 had a higher (p > 0.05) total DM and organic matter (OM) daily intakes compared to T4. However, goats fed on T4 diet had lower crude protein (CP), DM and, OM digestibility. Final body weight, average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, and rib-eye muscle area were lower (p < 0.001) for T4 compared to all other treatment groups. Substitution effect of CM with WPJP on DM basis for goats feed on T2 and T3 had a non-significant effect on feed intake, growth performance, and carcass traits compared T1 fed diet. In conclusion, WPJP can substitute up to 66% CM in diets offering a practical strategy to reduce feed costs while maintaining sustainable productivity in Afar goats fed on natural pasture hay.
There is consensus on the need to raise agricultural productivity growth in African agriculture. Not on how to do so sustainably. Organic soil health amendments are key. However, there is thin evidence on the state of, and opportunities to upgrade organic fertilizer value chains in Africa. We assessed these value chains in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia to identify challenges, and opportunities for upgrading to better contribute to sustained crop productivity growth. Using a multi-method approach, combining literature review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, three key findings emerge. First, the organic fertilizer subsector remains underdeveloped across all three countries, accounting for less than 1% of total annual fertilizer consumption. Second, most are produced on-farm and/or in rudimentary production facilities with limited to no quality standards. Third, organic fertilizers cost more per kg of nutrient because they are less nutrient-dense than inorganic ones. For example, nitrogen in Urea costs about $1.26–2.39 per kg compared to $4.86–32.50 for most organic fertilizers. Including organic fertilizers as part of the national input subsidies provides the most rapid pathway to scale its use. Elsewhere, options include targeted short-term subsidies to stimulate demand, and tax incentives to crowd-in investments on the supply side.
Conventional agricultural practices in Nigeria are increasingly associated with significant environmental degradation and declining youth engagement, posing serious threats to food security and the long-term sustainability of the sector. In response to these challenges, particularly in the context of rapid population growth, there is a growing imperative to adopt innovative approaches such as smart-farming technologies. This study presents a critical review of existing literature on the emergence and application of smart-farming practices in Nigeria, with a specific focus on technologies ranging from hydroponics to precision and greenhouse farming. It evaluates the extent of progress achieved and synthesizes evidence on the associated economic costs and benefits, while also examining implications for youth participation in agriculture. The findings indicate that smart-farming holds considerable potential to transform the agricultural sector, enhance productivity and profitability, and stimulate increased youth involvement. However, the realization of these benefits is contingent upon addressing key constraints that limit the adoption and effective implementation of such technologies. The study further demonstrates that smart-farming represents a viable long-term investment, with the capacity to reduce production costs by approximately 5–46%, improve efficiency, and strengthen overall food security outcomes in Nigeria.
Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa face urgent pressure to feed a rapidly growing population expected to double by 2050, while coping with climate variability. The agriculture sector contributes 15–18% to Zimbabwe’s GDP and over 40% of export earnings. With 70–80% of Zimbabwe relying on rain-fed agriculture, conventional breeding methods are deemed too slow. Genome editing offers a faster and more precise alternative. This paper reviews how gene editing can enhance food security and farmer adaptability, and align with national economic goals. Key editing technologies discussed include CRISPR-Cas9 and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), which allow for targeted genetic changes without introducing foreign DNA. Opportunities for maize crop improvement include heat and drought tolerance, nutrient fortification, and pest and disease resistance. In wheat, rust resistance, abiotic stresses, and grain quality. In sorghum, priorities include striga and fodder quality. In potatoes, edits could address late blight tolerance and tuber quality. Commercialization of these innovations involves several strategies; we recommend utilizing public-private partnerships to share intellectual property and mitigate costs. Zimbabwe prioritizes capacity building and establishes clear regulations to distinguish gene-edited products from GMOs. This approach would empower the country to leverage genome editing for the production of resilient, high-yielding staple crops.
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is widely promoted to improve smallholder livelihoods under increasing climate risks, yet evidence on impacts beyond productivity, particularly multidimensional food security, remains limited. This study examines determinants of adoption of selected CSA practices and their effects on maize productivity, farm income, food expenditure share, and dietary diversity among 510 smallholder households in Kasungu District, central Malawi. Using 2023 cross-sectional survey data, we employ a multinomial endogenous switching regression model to address potential selection bias across eight mutually exclusive adoption options based on three CSA practices. Gender of the household head, extension participation, and cooperative membership are significantly associated with adoption, with female-headed households more likely to adopt multiple-practice combinations. Average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) estimates indicate significant maize-yield and farm-income gains for certain options relative to the estimated non-adoption counterfactual. However, no practice option shows a statistically significant ATT estimate for dietary diversity measured by the Food Consumption Score, indicating a disconnect between estimated farm-income gains and dietary outcomes. The findings suggest that CSA may support productivity and income, but complementary nutrition-sensitive interventions may be needed to achieve multidimensional food security.
Voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) have become key instruments for promoting sustainability and competitiveness among farmers, within global value chains and EU trade agreements. Under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), this study examines sustainability challenges for rice producers in the Mekong Delta (MKD) and how VSSs, rice area, and cooperative membership influence revenues. Using a mixed-methods approach combining 12 stakeholder interviews and a survey of 110 farmers, the study finds that VSS adoption alone is associated with a 28% revenue increase, but this standalone effect is not statistically significant. Certified farmers who are also cooperative members earn 8.7% more than those who are neither certified nor cooperative members, whereas cooperative membership alone is linked to a 62.4% decrease in economic return. Rice area emerges as the strongest predictor of revenue. Despite government efforts to promote environmental programmes, adoption of sustainable and water-saving practices remains limited in the MKD. Broader constraints, such as weak incentives and limited access to extension services, continue to hinder VSS uptake in the rice sector. The findings suggest the need for policies that support climate adaptation, strengthen cooperative governance, and enhance institutional coordination to scale up VSS implementation and ensure more equitable outcomes under the EVFTA.
This study evaluated the effects of breed, feed restriction (FR) intensity, and FR duration on carcass characteristics and meat quality in Sasso and Tanbro dual-purpose chickens under intensive production. A total of 360 birds were allocated in a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial design (breed: Sasso, Tanbro; FR intensity: 0%, 15%, 25% of ad libitum intake; duration: 21, 28 days), applied during the finishing phase (day 43 to slaughter at 77 days). Breed significantly affected carcass and meat quality traits: Tanbro showed higher slaughter weight, carcass weight, breast and thigh yields, lean proportion, crude protein, and redness (a*), and lower shear force (p < 0.05), while Sasso had higher intramuscular fat and a poorer lean-to-fat ratio (p < 0.01). Increasing FR intensity progressively reduced slaughter weight, dressing percentage, and abdominal fat (p < 0.01), while improving lean-to-fat ratio. Shorter restriction (21 days) increased carcass weight and muscle proportion relative to 28 days (p < 0.01). No breed × restriction interactions were detected for any trait, indicating that Sasso and Tanbro, despite differing in baseline growth rate, respond to quantitative FR through a shared physiological pathway. These findings show that moderate FR (up to 25%) applied over 21–28 days during finishing improves carcass leanness without compromising meat quality, while maintaining commercially viable slaughter weights above 2 kg.
The increased global population and climate change have contributed to food shortages in several parts of the world, necessitating innovative approaches to address these challenges. Urban farming, combined with social innovation, has been recognized as a viable solution, particularly in urban settings. However, limited studies have explored the interplay between the two. This study aims to review the academic literature connecting social innovation and urban farming practices: the feasible initiatives to address the aforementioned issues. The Scopus database was selected for data retrieval, followed by document filtering in accordance with the PRISMA-style framework. Thematic and content analyses were used to synthesize the selected documents. The results show that prior literature employs multiple methods in investigating urban farming and social innovation. It is also documented that most studies were conducted in European countries. Four roles of social innovation in urban farming are revealed: 1) systemic transition and circularity, 2) social inclusion and well-being, 3) methodological and practical innovation, and 4) governance, collective action, and policy influence. This study proposes the framework of the roles of social innovation in urban farming as a synthesis of the literature. Eight topics and sixteen research questions are also provided as an agenda for future research, highlighting this study’s theoretical contribution.
Improving diet quality is increasingly central to global food security and public health strategies, yet evidence on whether nutritional knowledge translates into healthier dietary behaviour remains inconclusive, particularly in rapidly urbanising low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the relationship between nutritional knowledge and fruit and vegetable consumption among urban households in Rundu, Namibia, focusing on behavioural and structural influences on dietary outcomes. Household survey data were analysed using binary and ordered probit models to distinguish dietary adequacy from consumption intensity. Nutritional knowledge was positively associated with achieving the recommended minimum fruit and vegetable intake (β = 1.526, p < 0.001) but did not significantly predict higher consumption intensity (p > 0.05). Household size was negatively associated with dietary adequacy (β = −0.137, p = 0.021), while age, education, and income exhibited non-linear effects. These findings reveal a knowledge–behaviour gap, suggesting that nutrition education alone may be insufficient to improve diet quality where structural barriers persist. By distinguishing dietary adequacy from intensity, the study demonstrates that nutritional knowledge may influence different stages of dietary behaviour differently. Nutrition education should therefore be complemented by food-system interventions that improve the affordability, accessibility, and availability of nutritious foods.
Food production in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is limited by adverse climatic conditions, water scarcity, and poor-quality soils. The region depends on food imports. Continued growth in the GCC population requires sustainable natural resource management policies for enhanced food security including food safety and healthcare. Suitable processing methods, technologies and their coupling is needed in producing innovative, nutritious, and stable products. Approximately one-third of food in the GCC countries is wasted. Improved food utilisation through value addition, minimisation of food waste, sustainable consumer habits would go a long way to improve food security and nutritional quality. Accurate and reliable data on increased demand for safe and nutritious food for the growing population in GCC will be helpful in developing sustainable food systems through active collaboration among scientists, policymakers and communities. A conceptual framework is presented for generating data towards developing sound policies and practices for assessing impact of food systems transition on future food security outcomes in GCC countries.
Lead (Pb) stress disrupts growth and nutrient balance, while biochar (BC) effects vary with dose and stress level. The effects of chicken-manure-derived BC on shoot growth, shoot Pb concentration, and macro- and micronutrient concentrations and uptake in purslane across Pb levels were determined. A semi-controlled factorial pot experiment with three replications included added Pb levels of 0, 50, and 100 mg kg−1 and BC doses of 0, 5, and 10 g kg−1. Data were evaluated using two-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis. The Pb × BC interaction was significant for shoot dry weight, shoot height, and Ca concentration. Pb100–BC10 produced the lowest mean shoot dry weight and height. Shoot Pb concentration increased with Pb dose, whereas BC5 produced a lower value than BC0. The interaction was significant for the uptake of all measured nutrients except Mg. The lowest numerical mean uptake values of N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B occurred under Pb100–BC10. Shoot Pb concentration was negatively correlated with all measured nutrient concentrations. Pb dominated plant responses, while BC effects were nonlinear across doses and Pb levels, emphasizing the need to evaluate nutrient concentrations and uptake and to consider the limitations of high BC doses.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) poses significant challenges beyond animal health, undermining household income, food security, and livelihoods. These impacts are critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program 2026–2035, which emphasize poverty reduction, food security, and resilient agricultural systems. This study assesses the resilience of smallholder livestock farmers to FMD and examines the factors associated with resilience in Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Using cross-sectional data from 135 smallholder livestock farmers, the study constructs a Foot-and-Mouth Disease Resilience Index (FMDRI) based on livestock survival and mortality outcomes. It analyses its determinants using a fractional logit and Tobit regression models. The results indicate that resilience to FMD is generally low, with 71% farmers classified as less resilient. Empirical findings show that herd size, participation in vaccination programs, and tertiary education enhance FMD resilience, while access to veterinary and extension services, asset size, and social media groups are negatively associated with FMD resilience. The study underscores the need to strengthen resilience to FMD through a policy shift towards livestock-specific interventions, including improved vaccination coverage, enhanced effectiveness of veterinary and extension services, investments in biosecurity and disease prevention systems, and appropriate social media education on FMD.
Understanding whether agricultural economic growth can be achieved without increasing carbon emissions is essential for China’s low-carbon transition. This study examines the decoupling relationship between agricultural carbon emissions and agricultural economic output across 31 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2023. An integrated framework combining Tapio elasticity, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition, spatial Markov chains, and a Chain-of-Thought-enhanced large language model is used to identify decoupling types, driving factors, spatial transition patterns, and policy implications. Results show that national agricultural carbon emissions peaked around 2015–2016 and then declined steadily. Fertilizer was the dominant emission source, accounting for 54.5% of total emissions. Provincial decoupling improved markedly after 2015, with more than 80% of provinces achieving strong decoupling by 2017. LMDI results indicate that economic scale was the main emission-increasing factor, while improvements in input intensity contributed substantially to emission reduction. Spatial analysis reveals persistent high-emission clusters and spatially conditioned decoupling transitions among neighboring provinces. The CoT-enhanced module translates quantitative results into structured, region-specific policy implications. These findings highlight fertilizer reduction, energy-efficiency improvement, and spatially coordinated mitigation as key priorities for sustaining agricultural carbon decoupling in China.
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is a climate-resilient and nutritionally valuable legume with strong potential to support sustainable agricultural diversification in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these attributes, its production in Malawi remains low and largely subsistence-oriented. This study examines the socio-economic constraints and market dynamics shaping Bambara groundnut production in Kasungu District, Malawi. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from a survey of 56 farmers with qualitative insights from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings reveal a production system dominated by informal seed systems, limited market access, and weak institutional support. Approximately 85.8% of farmers relied on recycled or locally sourced seeds, while 75% lacked access to transport for market participation, reinforcing localized and low-value exchange systems. Regression results indicate that cultural preference is the only statistically significant predictor of production (β = 0.329, p < 0.05), suggesting that production decisions are driven more by socio-cultural factors than economic incentives. Other variables, including access to credit, extension services, and markets, were not statistically significant, reflecting structural constraints and institutional inefficiencies. The study highlights a disconnect between the crop’s agronomic potential and the socio-economic conditions under which it is produced. Enhancing production and commercialization requires addressing market failures, strengthening seed systems, and improving institutional support. Integrating Bambara groundnut into national agricultural and climate resilience strategies could unlock its potential as a sustainable and economically viable crop.
This study explored smallholder farmers’ perceptions of scalability, the industrial symbiotic practices they undertake, and the contribution of industrial symbiosis to farm scalability in Uganda. A multiple case study design was adopted, involving a purposive sample of 35 smallholder farmers from registered farmer groups in Luwero District, with data saturation reached at the 29th interview. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in the local language to ensure depth and clarity. It was then analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify key patterns and themes. The findings indicate that smallholder farmers perceive scalability as a multidimensional, practice-based process characterized by increased production, market expansion, efficient resource utilization, and enhanced operational capacity. Scalability is viewed as a dynamic process embedded in everyday farming activities. Industrial symbiosis is practiced through waste reuse, crop-livestock integration, alternative feed production, resource sharing, and knowledge exchange. These practices improve productivity, efficiency, and income, making industrial symbiosis a practical strategy for achieving farm scalability in resource-constrained settings. The study contributes to knowledge by providing a contextually grounded understanding of smallholder farm scalability, moving beyond linear interpretations. It offers empirical evidence on farm-level industrial symbiosis and demonstrates how these practices enhance productivity, efficiency, and adaptive capacity, providing novel insights into how resource-constrained farmers in Uganda achieve scalability.
Agricultural exports are central to Somalia’s foreign-exchange earnings and rural livelihoods, yet they remain vulnerable to climate variability and structural constraints. This study examines the relationship between climate variability, agricultural employment, trade openness, economic growth, population growth, and agricultural exports using annual data for 1991–2023. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds-testing approach estimates short- and long-run relationships, while Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) provide robustness checks. The ARDL bounds test produced a statistically significant F-statistic of 5.774, exceeding the 1% upper-bound critical value and confirming cointegration. Rainfall was positively but insignificantly associated with agricultural exports in the long run, whereas temperature was positive and significant in both the short and long run. Agricultural employment was positive in the short run but negative and significant in the long run. Trade openness and population growth were positively associated with exports, while GDP showed a negative long-run relationship. The error-correction term indicates that 54.8% of disequilibrium is corrected annually. The study contributes country-specific evidence by integrating climate variability and agricultural employment within a dynamic agricultural-export framework for Somalia and highlights climate resilience, productive employment, and trade facilitation.
Agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) is a central pathway for expanding food production in developing countries without proportional input growth. This study builds a balanced panel of ten Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries over 2000–2025 and applies the Tornqvist index to measure TFP growth, decompose it into technical efficiency change (TEC) and technological change (TC), and identify its determinants, with robustness established under weather-adjusted series and three alternative frontier definitions. Findings reveal that regional TFP grew 0.60% per annum, driven entirely by efficiency convergence (TEC = 0.99%); the measured frontier declined 0.39% annually, a contraction traceable to the cyclical productivity of Angola’s post-conflict reconstruction as opposed to regional technological stagnation, since the frontier advances under robustness-based definitions. Regional TFP and undernourishment moved inversely over 2000–2020 (r = −0.89, p < 0.001), confirming a food security channel, while growth accounting shows most economies remaining input-extensive, with TFP below 40% of output growth in seven of the ten countries. Government investment, income per capita, and agricultural value added were the most consistent correlates of productivity. The implication is that progress is real but insufficient, and sustained investment in agricultural research, development, and technology transfer is the binding requirement for productivity-led food security in southern Africa.
Urban food systems and urban agriculture have received increasing attention due to urbanization, food insecurity, climate change, and sustainability challenges. However, the integration of planning-related concepts within the shared knowledge structure of these fields remains insufficiently clarified. This study analyzes research on these fields published between 2000 and 2025 through a planning-focused bibliometric approach. This approach does not produce an independent planning metric; rather, it evaluates planning-related concepts, including urban planning, land use, peri-urban agriculture, food policy, governance, food access, green infrastructure, and city-region food systems, within the thematic and intellectual structure of the literature. The dataset consists of 2,594 articles retrieved from Web of Science. The screening and eligibility process followed PRISMA guidelines, and analyses were conducted using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Results show that the field expanded rapidly after 2010 and, since 2020, has focused on urban agriculture, community gardens, food security, sustainability, resilience, and governance. Although planning-related concepts are increasingly visible, they remain embedded within broader themes rather than forming an institutionalized research axis. Drawing on global examples, the study presents policy strategies for integrating urban food systems and urban agriculture into planning agendas, focusing on land use, spatial governance, peri-urban agriculture, food access, and city-regional food planning.
The growing demand for sustainable and convenient functional beverages has increased interest in valorizing underutilized plant materials and agro-industrial by-products. Wild olive leaves are commonly discarded despite their phenolic-rich composition, while blue pea flower and sea buckthorn berries provide natural pigments, organic acids, and bioactive compounds. However, the combined use of these three ingredients in an optimized instant tea tablet has not been previously reported. Therefore, this study developed a novel plant-based instant tea tablet by integrating wild olive leaf bio-waste, blue pea flower, and sea buckthorn berries using Response Surface Methodology based on a three-component mixture design. The formulation was optimized using antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and sensory acceptability, followed by freeze-drying and compression into tablet form. The optimized tablet showed high phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity based on DPPH, ABTS, and ferric/ferricyanide reducing power assays, and in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Mineral analysis showed nutritionally relevant minerals, while simulated digestion suggested high mineral bioaccessibility. The tablet also showed rapid temperature-dependent disintegration in hot water. SEM and AFM revealed an irregular porous matrix that may have contributed to rapid reconstitution, while FTIR indicated functional groups associated with phenolics, carbohydrates, and organic acids.
