A lot has been said concerning the massive pollution and threat that plastic causes to human and marine life, and to the environment as a whole. There is therefore a strong case for alternatives that are biodegradable and healthier for our world. Traditional alternatives include glass and paper, but plastic remains popular for their strength […]
Climate change will impact many spheres of human life. It is estimated that rapid climate change could put millions of traditional farmers out of business. If proactive measures are not taken now, this could exacerbate conflict and competition for limited land, water and other resources. One of such measures is the promotion and adoption of […]
Conventional agriculture is resource and energy intensive. Plants need the right kind of soil, nutrients, water and sunlight to grow and thrive. This implies that places that are too dry or hot are considered barren and unsuitable for agricultural activities. “Farming as usual” can no longer satisfy global food demand. Existing farming practices are largely […]
As essential as they are, over 2 billion people in the world lack access to basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Out of these, up to 892 million still defecate in open places such as in street gutters, behind bushes or into open bodies of water. Poor sanitation is linked to transmission of […]
Although various forms of second-hand goods and markets exist around the world, stereotypes about second-hand shopping are mostly unflattering. Second-hand products are often regarded to as inferior or less preferable to newer alternatives. But our untamed production, consumption and waste patterns are pushing the earth to its brink by pushing vast amounts of greenhouse gases […]
Although it is popularly cited that an estimated 70% of Nigeria′s population is engaged in agricultural production, this has sadly not translated into food security for the nation or improved standard of living for its farmers. The reasons are many: agricultural production is mostly at subsistence level agricultural holdings are mostly small and scattered inadequate […]
Many people in rural Africa lack access to electricity and have little hopes of getting connected to the grid in the near future. With the usually high temperatures in sub-Saharan Africa, it is extremely difficult to preserve fresh vegetables, meat and dairy products in such communities. Brazilian company Youmma is solving the problem with it′s […]
A startup in Ghana is helping to address some of the challenges that farmers face by using drone technology. The company called Acquahmeyer rents out drones that help small-scale farmers check the health of crops and use pesticide only where it is needed, reducing pollution and health risks. Although a large portion of Africa′s population […]
Palm Oil is Gold Palm oil is one of the world′s most precious crops with an industry valued at $62 billion in 2016. Interestingly, palm oil is found in almost half of all supermarket products ranging from soaps, cosmetics, bread, cleaning detergents to margarine, baked goods like cookies, toothpaste and ice-cream. Now you get just […]
Ghana generates about 22,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually but only 2 percent gets recycled. A company in Ghana called Nelplast Eco is changing that. Its founder is Ghanaian engineer Nelson Boateng. He created his own recycling machine using scrap metal and started the company to recycle around 4,400 pounds of plastic junk. The Nelplast website […]