Below is a roundup of news from or about Sub-Saharan Africa for the period: 31 December 2009–13 January 2010, as compiled by the Science and Development Network (Scidev).
Tanzanian text message project monitors antimalarial stocks
A mobile phone initiative has been launched to increase the availability of antimalarials in remote areas of Tanzania. SMS for Life — [...]

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By Marshall Bouton*
As the world still struggles to deal with the first truly global recession, little attention has been given to the growing number of hungry people and the possibility of mounting food crises in the years ahead.
According to the World Bank, over a billion people around the world are now chronically hungry.
Stagnant agricultural productivity, [...]

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By Maya Kaneko
Former UN chief Kofi Annan is seeking the support of Japan and other rice-producing countries to help double rice output in Africa by 2018, saying sustainable production of the grain would ease hunger and poverty in the continent.
Annan who is chairman of the board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa [...]

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By Dave Harcourt*
Three different news items highlight the vast differences in viewpoint and the continuing uncertainty around the farming of Jatropha by small scale farmers as a feedstock for Europe’s refineries moving towards meeting the EU’s renewable liquid fuel goals.
Clarity on What Jatropha Can Deliver
At the recent Africa Biofuels Conference in Midrand South Africa, Vincent [...]

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By Robert Fraley*
“The destiny of world civilization depends upon providing a decent standard of living for all mankind.”
– Norman Borlaug, Nobel laureate and father of the green revolution
Borlaug’s words remind the 20,000 people in biotechnology visiting Atlanta this week of the progress made and work remaining. Africa is an example, and I would argue, agriculture [...]

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