Category Archives: african foods

Nutritious and Underutilized Species fact sheets

Posted on October 4, 2011 by

The term “NUS” – Neglected and Underutilized Species- refers to a category of non-commodity cultivated and wild plant species, which are part of a large agrobiodiversity portfolio today falling into disuse for a variety of agronomic, genetic, economic, social and … Continue reading →

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Edible rats

Posted on October 1, 2011 by

A colleague sent me this photo of a rat being prepared for dinner, in Northern Uganda. YUM!

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women in dogon pounding millet

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

Building on my post of women working millets in India, the Dogon women know how to do it up.

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The challenge of the drylands in Africa

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

I just got a hold of a video about the northern Kenyan drylands and the Dertu Millennium Village. I used to work on this project and was fortunate enough to travel to this challenging area several times. I wrote about … Continue reading →

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nourishing the planet (and Africa) with a green revolution

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

I just got through reading Worldwatch Institute’s new report “Nourishing the Planet.” An interesting read, but unfortunately unaccessible for most at $19.95 for a PDF or paperback. Not sure how many in the developing world could buy the report at … Continue reading →

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Sudan votes for a split: how will food insecurity be handled?

Posted on January 9, 2011 by

Sudan will vote today to decide whether or not South Sudan should be its own independent nation. Most in the south say this is long overdue because of years of suppression and civil war. Interestingly, the north is very dry, … Continue reading →

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FAO’s Crop Calendar

Posted on January 8, 2011 by

I just came across FAO’s Crop Calendar. It is tre cool. You may be asking what it exactly is. It is an incredible tool that I wish I would have had when I worked in the Millennium Villages to help … Continue reading →

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Huffington Post on Plumpynut

Posted on September 7, 2010 by

Here is the post that Jeff Sachs, Sonia Sachs and I published on the Huffington regarding the recent NYT article on Plumpy Nut.

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controversy of Plumpynut, the nutrient dense paste to treat malnutrition

Posted on September 6, 2010 by

A recent NYT magazine article on “plumpynut” the ready-to-use therapeutic food was published under much controversy over its proper usage, its price tag and its patent (owned by a french company) thus limiting its coverage and accessibility. Our response is … Continue reading →

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Wheat rust continues its spread

Posted on July 7, 2010 by

I find this quite alarming – a fungal infection called “wheat rust” is wreaking havoc in the wheat fields of Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Iran and Yemen. This could potentially decimate a major staple grain if it hits places like … Continue reading →

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