RDJ Briefing - October 2022

ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY

Rural Development

FROM THE EDITOR

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DearReader,

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

A LOOK AT FOOD SECURITY

This month we have the pleasure of celebrating the International Day of Rural Women and therefore focusing this edition with meaningful pieces on Rural Development This day is celebratedonOctober15thandthethemeofthe dayis:“RuralWomenCultivatingGoodFoodfor All” Itseekstohighlighttheinvaluablerolethat rural women and girls play in the global food systems

In light of our focus, International Day of Rural Women, we had the pleasure of presenting a special feature guided by the former United NationsFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO) CountryRepresentativeforNamibia Ms.Farayi Zimudzi, in the Women in Industry Section In the interview, she unpacks the role of women and girls in agriculture and as enablers of food securityinAfrica.Furthermore,theEnvironment Section provided some tips on how agricultural productivitycanbeincreasedinruralsettings

UnderthebroaderthemeofRuralDevelopment, we also looked at key sectors from a rural perspectiveinareassuchasSmall ScaleMining, Water Harvesting and the Challenges and OpportunitiesofICTinRuralcommunities.

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us on the topic of Rural Development and reshareanyarticlesyoureallyenjoyedorlearned from.TheBriefingremainsfocusedonproviding you with factual and indepth analysis on all thingsEnergyandSustainability

Tofindoutmore,pleaseenjoyyourreading.

Do stay safe and feel free to comment, compliment andsubscribetothefollowingemailifyouareanew reader: briefing@rdjpublishing.africa or reach me directly editor@rdjpublishing africa

(DavidA.Jarrett) Editor Authors RDJInterns*

E C O N O M Y A T L A R G E

Rural Economic Development Through Employment Promotion The ILO Way

AUTHOR: Chilombo (Olga) Priscila * Adapted Article (ILO) Economist@ RDJ Consulting

Economic growth and structural transformation alone do not necessarily translate into more and better jobs, especially for the poor, vulnerable

and those at risk of being left behind. Yet, these processes are a prerequisite for increasing productive employment.

The rural economy holds significant potential for creating decent and productive jobs and contributing to sustainable development and economic growth It accounts for a significant share of employment and output in many developing countries but is widely characterized by severe decent work deficits and poverty, hosting nearly 80 per cent of the world’s poor.

The promotion of decent work in the rural economy is key

to eradicating poverty and ensuring that the nutritional needs of a growing global population are met This is recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is set to increase attention towards rural development and agriculture and food security in particular

the transition to green economies and the creation of decent jobs for peace and resilience are integral parts of the integrated approach

To ensure that structural transformation becomes an engine for decent job creation, the International Labour Organization (ILO) uses an integrated approach

Courtesy: www craftcouncil org

It works to improve the competitiveness of enterprises

the vital role they play in job creation, sustainable development and wealth formation.

the same time, the ILO advocates and promotes a new generation of integrated employment policy frameworks that are gender sensitive and partnerships that promote quality job creation through economic diversification, employment friendly macro and trade policies and sustainable investment strategies

also focuses attention on skills development for present and future labour market needs, as well as labour market activation and intermediation that integrate the most vulnerable groups

given to ensure that

to

employment and income

creation of

Readings:

transition to

jobs for

parts of the integrated

adapted from the International Labour Organization ILO)

The Biogas Business Case For Rural Communities

AUTHOR: David Jarrett *AdaptedArticle ManagingConsultant@ RDJ Consulting

As previous blogs in The FLOW have made clear, anaerobic digestion (AD) offers great potential as a solution to several problems common across the African continent, including challenges with waste disposal and inconsistent energy supply Within the GCRF funded RECIRCULATE project, AD is almost the ‘glue’ that unites different aspects of the project Optimised AD systems take a range of organic wastes, including faecal waste, converts them efficiently in to biogas and by destroying disease causing microbes, produces a high quality fertilizer for use in sustainable food production.

AD remains a relatively new process with a great deal of research ongoing to improve its efficiency, reliability, and affordability However, scientific breakthroughs alone will not allow AD to be a sustainable success It is crucial that AD operations have a self sustaining business model in order to cover maintenance costs and offer incentive for investors. To help identify the factors that lead to a successful AD business model, we have analysed ten key examples from across Africa, each offering unique lessons

Our analysis included four case studies from Kenya, four from South Africa and one each from Botswana and Ghana. They were diverse in terms of budget, proportion of donor funding, business sector, scale and technologies used Not all have been successful, but each example offers clear insights that can be applied to future AD implementation The majority were agricultural, horticultural or food companies using crop production or processing wastes as feedstocks. However, we also looked at a shopping mall in South Africa using non consumable food waste as a feedstock and a hotel in Botswana using kitchen waste In most cases, the biogas produced was used to generate electricity and heat for use on site Only a few sites exported electricity to the national grid or other users Typically, digestate was also used on site as a replacement for synthetic fertilizers

Our investigation has identified some key learnings emerging from existing AD business models across Africa.

Effective planning is essential. Prior feasibility studies and research can help predict and avoid potential pitfalls and expensive mistakes For example, the inputs and

Grace Bridgewater from the Lancaster Environment Centre and Cathy Olphin from Lancaster University Management School summarise the key outcomes of their analysis of anaerobic digestion case studies from across Africa

outputs need to be thought through carefully for a plant to run consistently into the long term future Having a diverse range of feedstocks helps to build resilience and to allow consistency over seasons Another essential aspect of placement is community engagement within the research stage to reduce issues such as lack of interest in outputs, for example potential end users not wanting to use digestate produced from human waste as fertilizer.

The placement of the AD facility is highly significant in determining its success Understanding local culture, infrastructure, policy and resources (amongst many others) is crucial in AD site selection. Successful models are often demand led, designing the AD business model around filling a need. This promotes long term sufficiency and greater incentive for investment. Taking full account of logistical challenges such as minimising transport of feedstock materials and biogas is essential Keeping feedstock sources and output users as local as possible can provide a buffer against these risks Self consumption (on site) models reduce costs (feedstock costs, waste disposal costs, transportation etc.) and control over inputs and outputs can help with maintaining consistency.

Privately funded initiatives usually function better due to their initial access to capital and ability to create demand led business models based on their needs Further research into this has the potential to uncover how to further democratise the replicability and accessibility of anaerobic digesters, as well has research into lowering the initial costs of digesters and implementation of more production companies in Africa It wasn’t possible to calculate the payback time for many successful studies due to a lack of information available on the finer financial details However, where this information was available, the average payback time for AD systems was 5 years. This appears to be similar to or shorter than payback times reported in previous analyses of on farm AD systems in the USA, or agro industrial AD systems in Italy

Local policies can be a strong stimulant for AD technologies through influencing waste disposal costs and implementing sustainability targets/regulations.

Policies stimulating investment in AD include increasing the costs of waste disposal and other approaches to implement waste reduction targets, as well as actions that facilitating the sale of excess electricity to the national grid. For example, the Western Cape has declared that it will divert all organics from landfill by 2026, increasing the need for innovative measures of organic waste disposal or repurposing as seen with one of ourADcase studiesinCapetown.Ontheotherhand,local policies can hamper AD innovation through delaying planning approval, restricting access to the national grid or offering lower rates for AD generated power, as was evident in one of our case studies from Kenya. Easing these policy restrictions could prove to be a major step in encouraging further AD development across the continent

In summary, our analysis has revealed three overall headlines informing successful business models for AD systems across Africa Firstly, the placement of AD sites and its associated policies, resources, infrastructure and cultural considerations are crucial in determining the success of an AD business model Secondly, resilient business models need to be flexible; a diverse range of feedstock and output users can help to spread risk and prolong consistent supply Crucially, a key message to emerge from our analysis is that the design of an AD model must be demand led, filling a clear need for a businessorend user

RECIRCULATE and ACTUATE are showing that communities are positive about installing and running AD systems that meet their needs for waste disposal and biogas production We hope that our work presents a varied set of case studies which can allow for future cases to be successful in this up and coming area, which provides a real opportunity for a diverse range of businessesacrossthecontinent.

Readings:

http://wp lancs ac uk/recirculate/2022/02/ad business models africa/ recirculate@lancaster ac uk https://www africabiogas org/blog/illuminating the biogas business case/

GraceBridgewater

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S Y N T H E T I C F U E L S

Green Hydrogen and Rural Development?

AUTHOR: Hannah Brendell

Courtesy : Unsplash

Rural communities by their very nature always seem to be the last places to benefit from technological advances. Especially when we look at the discus sions surrounding the Green Hydrogen industry, the industry always seems complex and somewhat far removed from rural communities, but it is far more relevant to rural communities than one might think. For that to be evident

however there needs to be a demystification of Green Hydrogen itself

Green Hydrogen is defined generally as hydrogen produced from renewables based electricity through the electrolysis of water, thus splitting water molecules into its hydrogen and oxygen derivatives. This is then

Courtesy:JenniferCoffin GreyonUnsplash

Intern@ RDJ Consulting

classified as carbon (fossil fuel) freely produced hydrogen The Green Hydrogen industry seeks to meet energy demand and the needs for decarbonization by providing an alternative to meet the current and future energy demands

The high global demand for energy (electricity, heating/cooling and transport) has made the energy industry the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions at 73 percent according to the United Nations (UN) The impact on the climate matters especially to those living within rural communities as they are more directly dependent on the environment and therefore more likely to be negatively affected by climate change sooner than most urban areas.

Green hydrogen is especially relevant to addressing energy access in rural communities, given that about 600 million people in Africa currently do not have access to electricity for example, according to the World Economic

Forum. When we assess rural communities across the continent, often they rely on charcoal fires or paraffin lamps or off grid options such as diesel generators and solar homes systems and to meet their energy needs

The applications for Green Hydrogen on a small scale (household) level are still relatively new so focusing on communal projects to meet healthcare and education needs of rural communities might be a practical and meaningful way forward as we wait on the technology to catch up for household applications. Hydrogen could take the place of diesel powered engines, with batteries storing excess energy created by renewables during their peak cycles It would ensure a continuous supply of power while also reducing the environmental and financial costs associated with diesel According to ESI Africa, “ , [Hydrogen] fuel cells can be deployed rapidly and scaled up easily as the need arises, and their maintenance costs

arerelativelylow.”

This has already been demonstrated with the electrificationofruralschoolsasseeninVentersdorp, South Africa in 2018 or more recently the powering of a hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, powered by hydrogen fuelcellstoaidpatientshospitalizedduetoCovid 19.

The benefits of Green Hydrogen for communal use in rural areas have already been recognized by implementers of projects such as the hospital built in Pretoria. Advocates, suchastheDirector GeneraloftheDepartmentofScience and Innovation (DSI), Dr Phil Mjwara envision the technology expanding through the creation of other off gridhospitalprojectsacrossSouthAfrica.

As demonstrated by these two application examples, the potential for Green Hydrogen in rural communities are immense, particularly for Africa Green Hydrogen has various applications not only in the electricity sector but alsoforthesectorssuchasagricultureandmobility More on this to be explored in upcoming articles and as you know, the conversation continues briefing@rdjpublishing.africa.

Readings:

https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/energy utilities resources/future energy/green hydrogen cost html https://www un org/africarenewal/magazine/july 2022/green hydrogen viable option transforming africas energy sector https://www un org/africarenewal/magazine/july 2022/green hydrogen viable option transforming africas energy sector https://www weforum org/agenda/2022/07/africa hydrogen iea/ https://www2 deloitte com/uk/en/focus/climate change/zero in on hydrogen html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzqSWBhDPARIsAK38LY9 UxnJ6HND8Ze8zE glW83VCIGOkr3d0C58aspSliIbZlQHqttSasaAsFIEALw wcB https://www dst gov za/index php/media room/latest news/2507 hydrogen fuel cell technology brings power to rural school 2 https://www womeninscience africa/dsi deploys hydrogen fuel cell systems to power covid 19 field hospital/ https://centreforglobalequality org/hydrogen fuel/ https://www esi africa com/industry sectors/future energy/hydrogen fuel cell systems to power field hospital and rural areas/

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M I N I N G

Small scale Mining

AUTHOR: David Junias

The nature of small scale mining involves everything from the extraction of metals such as gold and cobalt and tin to gemstones such as chrysoberyl, corundum, and diamonds. Small scale mining does not draw the attention it deserves in the mining industry as compared to the more profitable large scale mining

Defined by the European Commission Science Hub, the small scale mining industry refers to those mining activities by individuals, groups, families, or cooperatives with minimal or no mechanization, which often takes place in the informal sector of the market

There are approximately 40 5 million people directly involved in the small scale mining industry world wide, with an added 150 million people who are dependent on the sector for their livelihood, as per estimates made in the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development in 2017. The sheer magnitude of the industry and the potential that the sector has for business purposes, make the small scale mining sector worth exploring for investment opportunities, and making this industry as competitive, as it deserves it

Asia has some of the highest numbers of small scale

CourtesyBrettHondow

miners globally which translates to approximately 15 million people coming primarily from India which has the largest concentration of small scale miners worldwide followed by China with nine million small scale miners according to the World Bank funded Delve database

In Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has the largest concentration of small scale miners, counting approximately 2 million in the 2017 statistics compiled by the World Bank. The DRC also has half of the world’s known cobalt resources, and thus over 70% of the world’s cobalt mining occurs there Cobalt is an essential raw material used by large tech companies for rechargeable lithium ion batteries, electronic devices, and electric cars

Cobalt demand from the technology-driven industry would increase by 60% in 2025 if the DRC adopts and enforce stricter regulations to protect small scale

Challenges

Because of its diversified sector in terms of scale, legality, demographics, and seasonality, the small scale mining sector is prone to shortcomings ranging from the mere fact that the sector is informal and unregulated, making its operations under threat of health, safety, and environmental legislation or standards

Claims by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars indicate that the cobalt small scale mining sector in the DRC faces challenges ranging from using children (minors) as miners to extract minerals, safety risks, environmental abuses, and corruption Cobalt demand from the technology driven industry would increase by 60% in 2025 if the DRC adopts and enforce stricter regulations to protect small scale miners

Views expressed in the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development

report indicate that small scale mining affects women with enhanced economic challenges because of the lack of access to the use of, and control over resourceful land and other productive resources, licenses, finance, and geological data In Tanzania, for instance, numerous traditional beliefs towards women, such as preventing women from utilizing these economic factors deny them anycontroloverearnings

Opportunitiesandthewayforward

Difficulties facing cobalt small scale miners in the DRC, have been eased while several global big tech companies, including BMW Group, BASF, and Samsung Electronics, launched Cobalt for Development in 2019, which is an initiative that supports improving small scale cobalt miner’s conditions in the DRC The Cobalt for Development has benefited over 1,800 community members in the DRC, through increasing access to education and holding workshops on topics ranging from bread making to women’s rights, positive parenting, and conflictresolution.

Are there small scale mining activities taking place in your area? Let us discuss as the conversation continues at briefing@rdjpublishing.africa

Readings:

https://rmis jrc ec europa eu/?page=artisanal and small scale mining a6f8a3#:~:text=Artisanal%20and%20small%2Dscale%20mining%2 0(ASM)%20refers%20to%20mining,and%20requires%20low%20in vestment%20levels. https://www iisd org/system/files/publications/igf women asm challenges opportunities participation pdf https://www.statista.com/chart/26741/countries with the highest estimated number of people working in artisanal and small scale mining/#: :text=Resource%20extraction&text=India%20is%20ho me%20to%20the,with%20nine%20million%20ASM%20miners https://www wilsoncenter org/blog post/drc mining industry child labor and formalization small scale mining#:~:text=Small%2Dscale%20mining%20in%20the,as%20yo ung%20as%20six%20years

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E L E C T R I C I T Y

The Benefits and Costs of Rural Electrification

AUTHOR: David Jarrett * Adapted Article ManagingConsultant@RDJConsulting

The International Energy Agency states that access to electricity is an essential condition for sustainable human development, however, it is estimated that approximately 22% of the world population (about 1.6 billion people) does not have access to electricity. A significant part of these people live in rural areas of developing countries in Sub Saharan Africa, despite the fact that Africa has enormous potential in renewable and non renewable energy sources

Electrification and increased access to electricity in rural areas create conditions for sustainable, balanced human development, in harmony with the environment, generates employment and business opportunities,

absorbs and maintains the workforce and avoids rural exodus In many countries such as on the continent of Africa, the regions of countries that remain to be electrified are usually very remote and providing electric connections to the mostly poor people living in these areas is cost prohibitive.

In any context, land occupation and population distribution is influenced by physical and human factors such as soil fertility, geographic location, existence of essential resources, climate conditions and its variations, temperature, rainfall, cultural heritage, terrain conditions In the current context (of the modern era), sustainable human development cannot be addressed

, y, , g , the road and transport network and other social equipment of public utility, however supplying these resources requires large investments in specific infrastructures that are expected to be technically, economically and financially viable, therefore land use planning is a fundamental condition

households to the grid with the costs of

Understanding the benefits of electrification and access to electrification in rural communities is a complex process, the high rates of illiteracy and poverty in communities deeply influenced by cultural habits and traditional practices, are just a few examples of uncertainties to take into account. Thus the role of government authorities and private partners is so extensive that it should not be restricted to the availability of investment funds only, educating, training, dialoguing and influencing should be the commitment after the investment, so that rural communities can quickly understand the economic value of electricity

thanks the original authors

substantial research into the matter

At the same time, decisions about whether and how to expand electricity access. which can trigger significant changes in the micro and macro economy, are being made in the absence of rigorous empirical evidence of the potential economic benefits If policymakers are to make informed decisions on which communities should be targeted for grid connections and the level of financing and other incentives needed to be provided to facilitate access, there is a need to accurately estimate both benefits and costs in the same setting. Until now, no such studies have compared the realized benefits of

Adaptedfromworksof:

benefits

org/archives/lighting up the last mile

costs of rural electrification/

promise of continued drudgery and the absence of modern comforts have helped drive from the farm to the city those who were most needed in the farmthe young people]."

Offgridenergychallenges.

Courtesy:RDJConsulting

W A T E R

Example

storages.

Potable water is critical for improved health and for the pursuit of various socio economic activities

Despite its immense usefulness, rural communities in developing countries, especially those in semi arid and arid areas without other sources of fresh water (e.g., rivers, lakes, or aquifers) lack sufficient supply, and therefore have adopted water harvesting practices

Water harvesting is a method of collecting and storing water for human, animal, or crop use The water thus collected can either be utilized immediately for irrigation, or be stored in ponds or in subsurface reservoirs, such as cisterns or shallow aquifers, for subsequent utilization. Water harvesting is as well documented ancient practice and remains a fundamental and sustainable rural water supply tool that cannot be underestimated

Rural communities of developing countries that lack adequate access to potable water, as well as areas situated near hillsides where cultivation is difficult due to large portion of bare soil would benefit greatly from water harvesting

Water Harvesting Techniques

Water can be collected from roofs, and therefore channelled to constructed dams or tanks for storage and used in time of need. The most used methods of harvesting water are Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Road Water Harvesting techniques

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater is collected on the roof and transported with gutters to a storage reservoir The stored water can be used for different purposes, including domestic consumption like laundry, bathing, drinking, building and irrigating gardens. Apart from this, the water can also be used to recharge wells or even aquifers.

Road Water Harvesting

Harvesting runoff from roads is a way of using water that previously would cause flood damage, by intercepting the water and guiding it through channels or culverts to recharge areas, surface storage structures or distributing it over farmlands. To achieve this, farmers use a wide variety of available techniques depending on the geography, climatic conditions, and local needs of each examined area This can be done using earth dams, tanks, underground cisterns, subsurface dams, water ponds, runoff farming, etc

Uses and Benefits of Water Harvesting

Despite being a simple method of water supply, water harvesting has numerous uses and advantages, namely:

Low cost technique

Minimal expertise required

Independent ownership

Availability of water in times of scarcity

Good water quality for crop irrigation systems

Rainwater harvesting can bring about a solution to flood-prone roads.

Credit: pixabay.com

Reduces soil erosion

Prevents flooding

Human consumption and drinking

Long storage period

Potential for aquifer and groundwater recharge

Applicability in African rural communities

From January 2011 to June 2015, a consortium of African and European institutions conducted case studies to assess Water Harvesting Techniques (WHT) in four African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, South Africa and Tanzania). The outcome of the study showed that WHT developments were substantial, and a renewed respect for rainwater harvesting had emerged in Africa. However, it was discovered that there was a need to address the financial constraints faced by farmers interested in adopting WHTs

Further findings showed that WHTs have the potential to improve food security for example in Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, while in Tanzania, WHTs supported the growth of cash crops. In South Africa, water harvesting, and storage tanks provided a supplementary water supply solution for livestock, watering nearby vegetable farms and gardens

What now?

Water harvesting improves productivity and food security, while minimising soil erosion and enhancing soil moisture conditions In arid and semi arid areas in sub Saharan

Africa, water harvesting is a particularly important way to help rain fed agriculture and rural development in general,contributingtopovertyandhungeralleviation.

Furthermore, water harvested through these different methods are not always the best quality due to external contaminants such as air pollution, animal droppings and organic matter. Therefore, regular maintenance of storage facilities (cleaning, repairs, etc.) as well as a treatment before consumption (e.g. filtration or/and disinfection)areveryimportant

Considering environmental, economic and demographic changes, how can water harvesting systems evolve with the times? Get in touch with us at briefing@rdjpublishing.africa

Readings:

https://www jstor org/stable/23324853 https://www sciencedirect com/topics/agricultural and biological sciences/water harvesting https://www agriculturewale com/water harvesting/ https://sswm info/sswm solutions bop markets/affordable wash services and products/affordable water supply/rainwater harvesting %28rural%29#: :text=For%20drinking%20water%20purposes%20in ,agricultural%20use%20see%20also%20bunds%2C https://www waterproductivity org/product/water harvesting using roads road water harvesting/ https://cordis europa eu/article/id/90773 subsaharan agriculture reaps benefits of water harvesting https://library wur nl/WebQuery/leap4fnssa projects/74 chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ https://cordis europa eu/docs/results/266/266360/final1 whater final report

www.rdjpublishing.africa

Courtesy:Unsplash

AUTHOR: Chilombo(Olga)Priscila Economist@RDJConsulting

T H E E N V I R O N M E N T

Boosting Africa’s Rural Farmers

Rural development allows for the improvement of rural communities’ through improved quality of life and prevents depopulation of such regions

(“the rural exodus”) Economic stability achieved through actions within the rural areas and driven by agriculture is fundamental for the growth of a nation, however particularly in Africa, poor agricultural practices and farming infrastructure tend to slow farmers productivity and keeps many trapped in poverty.

This situation can be averted however by re thinking farming methods in Africa and adopting modern technologies to increase productivity Thoughts around this can be by facilitating investment into needed energy, irrigation, roads and storage, according to a case study done by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Agriculture and Food in Uganda.

The population of sub Saharan Africa is expected to double to 2 5 billion by 2050 Therefore, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (including the ending of poverty and hunger) will depend on many aspects and small scale farmers being able to improve their productivity and earn income from markets is definitely one of them.

This article discusses six ways in which Sub Saharan Africa farmers can improve their productivity, and thereafter, reduce hunger, poverty, and the destruction of biodiversity for a more developed and sustainable rural economies in their respective areas

1.Improve Road Infrastructure

The Africa Infrastructure Knowledge Program (AIKP) reports that only 34 percent of rural Africans live within two kilometers of an ‘all season road’, compared to some 65 percent in other developing regions The lack of rural road connectivity seriously constrains agricultural production through hindrance in receiving the necessary resources such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, etc.

before planting, and also not transporting enough of the produce to supply demand in distant localities after production

For instance, the AIKP reports further that in the absence of rural feeder roads, the cost of moving produce can be as high as $2.00 per ton kilometer in rural areas of Africa.

As a result, some 85 percent of crop production takes place within six hours’ travel time from the largest cities Alternatively, many farmers rely on bicycles or carrying small quantities of goods on their heads to get to buyers However, moving small loads like this to the nearest buyer is inefficient and expensive per unit of crop, and puts farmers in a weak position when selling to passing traders.

2. Creating a Competitive Market

Most Sub Saharan Africa farmers are both producers and consumers Poverty means that there are not only barriers in food supply, but also in the demand for agricultural products. Farmers need access to local markets where others can afford to buy from them. If that market does not exist, or farmers lack road infrastructure to get there as has been the case in many African countries there is less of an incentive for productivity to improve

3. Educating and Upskilling Rural Farmers

The graph below for example, shows that in 2019, the amount of ‘value added’ (or productivity) per worker in Sub Saharan Africa was less than half the global average, and more than 50 times lower than in the countries in which farmers are most productive This means that there is a significantly larger number of workers in the farming sector in Africa producing very little due to the lack of farming skills. Generally, these farmers mainly use traditional faming methods and technology, which contributes to their low outcomes. Upskilling these farmers can bring about the needed change.

4.Sustainable Energy Supply

According to the Malabo Montpellier Panel a group of international agriculture experts who guide policy choices that accelerate progress towards food security and improved nutrition in Africa, around 65% of farm power in sub Saharan Africa currently relies on human effort Therefore, with reliable access to energy, more farmers could prepare and maintain land more efficiently, and process crops to add value. Extending the grid may be unrealistic for many rural areas due to the high cost associated with their locations, but investment in small scale solar energy holds promise

5.Water supply and Irrigation

Water is obviously key to farming, but not all parts of the continent are graced with good and consistent rainfall patterns. Arid areas such as Namibia need to adopt and upgrade their rainwater harvesting methods to ensure that water is available for irrigation even during hot and dry seasons of the year, as well as employ modern water saving irrigation technologies for sustainability This way, it is much easier to ensure productivity and enable multiple harvests throughout all seasons of the year

6.Sustainable Storage

Farmers suffer substantial crop losses as a result of poor storage (or none at all). Anything from sealable bags to

metal silos or shared warehouses can keep crops from spoiling and even out supply so that farmers aren’t forced to sell at low prices The challenge is not to drive innovation in storage technology itself, but to increase uptake This will depend on better farmer organisation, financingandmarketaccess

It thus stands to reason that adopting the proposed methods will potentially ensure agricultural productivity across Sub Saharan Africa, which thereafter leads to a reduction of hunger, poverty, and the destruction of biodiversity

Based on the rural areas you know, what practical recommendations can you give to improve productivity? The conversation continues briefing@rdjpublishing.africa

Readings:

https://ourworldindata org/africa yields problem https://www mamopanel org/news/blog/2017/jun/15/4 things would increase incomes africas rural farm/ chrome

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www ilo o rg/wcmsp5/groups/public/ ed norm/ relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms 813696 pdf https://infrastructureafrica opendataforafrica org/okjwesf/better access to roads in rural areas is critical to raising agricultural productivity

AUTHOR: David Junias Researcher@RDJConsulting

R O A D S A N D T R A N S P O R T

Movement and the people: A Rural View

Imagine a world, where there’s fluidity in transportation and movement of people regardless of which remote area you live in The advantages that it

would bring are endless, such as commerce and information exchanges. This could in principle improve the movement of people in rural areas, which is currently obstructed by the limited availability of transport services and infrastructures upgrades such as bitumen (tar roads) or gravel roads Defined by the National Geographic, rural areas have an open swath of land, with few homes or other buildings, and are defined by a low population One would infer that rural areas’ features and characteristics contribute to their lack of services (transport) and the lack obstructs the movement of people.

Rural areas in Africa have varying transport needs and movement features from those in the developed coun

tries, resulting in unique challenges when it comes to the movement of people For instance, generally fewer people own mechanized vehicles in Africa, and some people use the only available means of transport such as animal drawn carts

However, in developed countries, it’s different. The United States of America (U.S) has a higher percentage proportion of people in rural areas owning vehicles, which is more than the people in urban areas owning cars A study on urban rural differences in mobility and mode choice, by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, indicated that 97% of rural households in the (U S) own at least one car while 92% of households in urban areas at least one car.

Courtesy: AlbrechtFietzfromPixabay

Published in the World Bank Blogs, Peter O’Neil, the Chief of Transport Policy and Development, at the United Nations (UN) dissects the problem of rural transport to be caused by the features and characteristics of rural areas Features such as the low economic activities in rural areas make it unattractive for transport investment and development. Hence, O’Neil termed his finding, “the problem with rural transport is that it is rural.”

It's difficult for rural areas to access transport investment because they have complicated transport logistics such as the local contracting capability being limited, and younger engineers being unkeen to leave the urban environment for rural areas Approximately 90% of the road network in the world remains unpaved, designated as mostly gravel, and the problem is not just in the logistics of building good roads but in maintaining them too Sometimes, even though rural areas have gravel roads, the movement of people is still obstructed when driving on poorly maintained gravel roads

Predominately, agriculturally based rural areas are prioritized for transport investment and are mostly developed with highway roads to move agricultural harvests to urban markets. Another transport investment

priority is rural areas where tourist attractions can be found Investment in road networks in rural areas boosts the tourism industry by allowing for faster movement of tourists, as well as generating income opportunities for thelocalpopulation

The solution to making rural areas appealing for transport investment and development lies in making rural areas more attractive to investors and to the people that live there. This in turn allows for those who get involved in rural areas either through employment or education to take up long term residence and maintain andimprovethetransportservicesforyearstocome.

Let us discuss more as the conversation continues at briefing@rdjpublishing.africa

Readings:

https://blogs worldbank org/transport/the problem with rural transport is that it is rural the solution is in branding https://www oecd org/cfe/regionaldevelopment/Investment Priorities for Rural Development pdf https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/rural area https://vtc rutgers edu/wp content/uploads/2014/04/Articles Urban Rural differences pdf

I C T & T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

RuralICT-ChallengesfilledwithOpportunities

AUTHOR: Hannah Brendell PolicySpecialist Intern@RDJConsulting

It stands to reason that Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can release the hidden potential of rural communities Most of all the

help to bridge distances and update isolated communities. Thinking back to the recent 2022 (September) ICT article on Banking in Africa, there are a number of parallels that can be drawn from the broader ICT sector in Africa, and particularly the benefits of access to the internet The World Bank sees the internet as “a potentially revolutionary means of empowering the poor”

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines the internet as the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide For others, it is simply defined as an electronic communications network that [inter]connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world (Merriam Webster dictionary).

According to World Bank data for 2021, approximately 58% of Sub Saharan Africa lives in rural communities.

Fostering greater internet accessibility across the African continent means finding ways to bring in these rural communities into the fold Therefore, with over half of the African population being based in rural communities, it is easy to understand why the push to increase accessibility to rural communities is both relevant and important However, before accessibility can be realized in rural and remote areas, the various challenges need to be properly understood and for them to be effectively tackled

Challenges:

Language much of the internet services are limited in their language options, primarily based on the English language thus making navigating the world wide web especially challenging for non English language speakers.

Electricity much of rural Africa has communities that are plagued by no or limited access to electricity which makes internet access just as challenging to provide

School children walk long distances to and from school rural Kwa Zulu Natal South Africa Photo: Trevor Samson / World Bank Photo ID: TS48 34 World Bank

Funding rural communities tend to have less disposable income which is further exacerbated by the educated population who are usually high earners relocating to urban areas limiting the “anchor” customers

Economies of Scale with many rural residents unwilling to spend money on internet services which they might not view as sporadic and a luxury, Telecommunication companies are less likely to provide services due to lower demand coupled with lower per customer spend in comparison to urban residents

Opportunities:

Youth transition According to “Being Young in Rural Africa”, rural communities in Africa tend to have a larger number of young people (12%) in comparison to (8%) within urban settings which can potentially allow for a faster and more dynamic adjustment to the services provided through internet access Diversifying economic activities The economic opportunities in rural areas tend to be limited to one or two activities with agriculture typically being the main one. Stable internet connectivity however, has the ability to open up other economic activities through marketing, information sharing and locating available services in and outside of the rural areas Reduction of rural to urban migration with greater access to services and the inflow of financing in response, it becomes less likely or necessary for the educated and the young to leave rural communities. This in turn results in growth and long term development.

Rural hubs Once partnerships within rural communities are established, there is an ability to band communities together to create economies of scale in the form of rural hubs to foster connectivity forvariousruralcommunities

So,whatnext?

There is and must be an ongoing push to increase development in rural areas and although much of it is necessary, there is also a need to focus on greater accessibility to broadband and internet services for a faster ramp up Like with any developmental efforts they have to be driven by local rural communities to better ensure uptake and longevity of projects centered around development.

Follow the RDJ Briefing for more deep dives on topics like this and share your thoughts with us via our social media accountsorreachusvia briefing@rdjpublishing.africa .

Readings:

https://data worldbank org/indicator/SP RUR TOTL ZS? locations=ZG https://www mckinsey com/industries/public and social sector/our insights/rural rising economic development strategies for americas heartland https://www mckinsey com/industries/public and social sector/our insights/rural rising economic development strategies for americas heartland https://www cairn int info/article E AFCO 259 0009 being young in rural africa htm

Solar

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

Rural Development-Girls and Women

Interview with Ms. Farayi Zimudzi

Interviewed by Ms Kina Indongo (Communications Specialist RDJ Consulting)

According to the UN Environment Programme World

Conservation Monitoring Centre in developing countries, women make up 45% of the agricultural labor and contribute significantly to sustaining agriculture, food security, nutrition and health. “Small farmers mainly women produce 80% of the food in Africa on just 15% of the agricultural land, and control 80% of the seeds produced and exchanged on small farms If women in rural areas had the same access to agricultural assets, education and markets as men, it could result in an increase in agricultural production and a reduction of the number of hungry people by 150 million ” In this interview with Ms Farayi Zimudzi, the former Country Representative of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Namibia, we explore the development potential of rural women and girls.

Personal Journey

Ms Farayi Zimudzi is a Zimbabwean national and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Zimbabwe and Master’s of Science in Aquaculture at the University of Stirling in Scotland She began her career as Principal Fisheries Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1988 and joined FAO in 2000 as Assistant FAO Representative in the Zimbabwe country office. In 2005, she became the Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator in the FAO Representation in Lesotho, where she also covered the function of FAO Representative and interim from September 2009 to May 2010. From

2011 to 2012, she worked in the Emergency and Rehabilitation Division at FAO headquarters in Rome as Programme Advisor in the Global Food Security Cluster. She went on to serve as Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator in the FAO Representation in Zambia from 2012 to 2013 In April 2013, she moved on to work as Programme and Operations Officer in the Regional Office for Africa (RAF) in Accra, Ghana, until her current appointment as FAO Representative in Namibia in December 2017

Within her 34 year career Ms Zimudzi says one of her career milestones has been her work on the ground with the farmers “I was fortunate during my first years of my career to be working in extension and that gave me a front row seat to what actually happens in the sector. ” She went on to say that it also taught her a lot of humility, “When you work closely with farmers you realize just how much experience they have and how much we as the technical people stand to learn from them much more than we give them credit for. ”

Another milestone for Ms Zimudzi was her career shift from being a national professional in her own country to working for an international organization. “When I left Zimbabwe in 2005 to become a

truly international professional, it was very exciting because it gave me a different perspective from what I was used to back home in Zimbabwe, seeing the same sector in another country, seeing the differences but also seeing the similarities in the various countries that I have worked in.” Said Ms. Zimudzi.

Additionally, she hails the opportunity to go to the FAO headquarters which was another eye opener for her, since up until that point all her work had been in the field. This period prolonged until her eventual arrival to the headquarters, where she learned about the conceptual framework that informed the policies that directed the work in the field It also put her in contact with the individuals who were change makers and could aid her work more successfully in the field.

Ms. Zimudzi says a personal milestone of hers is her ongoing experience as a mother to two daughters, and trying to contribute to their personal development in different ways as a mother Finally she prides herself on her appointment as Country representative in Namibia “It was extremely humbling to realize that I am in charge and that the buck stops with me in many respects Therefore that reflection in terms of whatever I do has an impact on the team that I

lead and therefore, I have to behave in certain ways, both in being a positive influence on the team but also being “the representative of the organization within the country.” said Ms. Zimudzi

Personal Challenges

In terms of challenges Ms Zimudzi says she has never experienced gender discrimination “Since I started my career as a fresh graduate in 1988 to date I have always worked in the agricultural sector which has always been a male dominated field, but to be entirely honest with you I cannot recall personally experiencing anything that has made me feel like a woman in a male dominated field ” She adds that it has made her realize that she has perhaps been fortunate in that respect to be accepted for her differences.

Development of Girls and Women in Rural Areas

In your opinion, why is women’s economic empowerment so important, particularly for rural women?

It lies in the fact that there exists an imbalance, if we look at the data there is clear evidence that poverty has a female face, and it tends to be rural

Courtesy: FAO

compared to urban spaces. So you find that malnutrition directly correlates to one gender and chances are that gender is female Also looking at access to resources and income, earning capacity is lower for women The less educated a woman is the more likely it is that her children will suffer from malnutrition. Data indicates that there is a clear imbalance. Vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition is related to whether the head of the household is male or female and therefore in my view there is a need to focus on supporting women However not just women alone because women are not operating in isolation from the community in which they find themselves, so I think as we program, implement projects and interventions there needs to be a realization that we ,

have these pointers that are worrying and that there is a female face to poverty.

What are some of the challenges that rural women and girls face, in terms of Climate change particularly drought prone countries like Namibia?

As mentioned earlier rural women are a lot poorer and only have access to limited resources. When drought occurs, those problems become even more acute They are no longer able to harvest or to benefit fully from their agricultural activities because of the drought and therefore it is very important to place into the hands of women the knowledge and tools that they need to be able to adopt practices that enable them to cope with adverse

climatic events Luckily, there are techniques, technologies and there are tools, one of which is climate smart agriculture where we enable farmers both male and female to farm, by applying techniques that optimize whatever moisture there may be, teaching good agricultural practices, access to quality inputs and the type of preparation methods and preservation methods that maximize the output of their harvest. We need to focus a lot more on climate smart practices while also educating women on appropriate post harvest techniques and how to prepare the food for the most nutritional outcome. It's not only about the agricultural sector alone it's also about Education. Girls and women need to be educated as I mentioned early the nutritional

outcomes of the household rely on the education of women.

What are some of your achievements in mainstreaming gender equality in agriculture in Namibia?

From our point as the FAO the work that we do is directly supporting the ministries so that they have been capacitated to carry out their mandates in an improved way. Therefore we focus on training ministry staff whether it is the staff from the ministry of agriculture or ministry of fisheries so that they are able to do their job better One of the things that we do is ensuring that within the training a certain number of the trainees are women. We do this both when we are supporting staff of ministries and even when we are offering training to farmers we insist on mainstreaming gender So a certain percentage of farmers who benefit from these training need to be female. We are also looking at inclusivity in terms of disabilities.

Are there any projects currently running that are geared towards upskilling rural girls and women?

We have a project running in Okavango West, a women's gardening group, which provides a very particular approach towards strengthening resilience to climate

changes Within the framework of this project there are broader social issues, such as issues around nutrition, gender based violence and financial literacy So that beyond agriculture what does one do when they earn an income from their harvest Recently in response to drought we also supported farmers in 8 regions and we ensured the communities, as well as the women were able to produce fodder for the survival of the remaining core breeding stock, so that when circumstances improved they had livestock that survived There is a deliberate focus on including women when these types of projects are introduced.

In your expert opinion what would accelerate the development and equal participation of rural women in economic activities?

My personal conviction is that women's empowerment requires the whole of society; it is not something to be left to just women. We find ourselves in this situation because of the way society is, therefore a lot of efforts have to be made towards information sharing and awareness raising and deliberate efforts towards making the community realize we have a problem. In my view one of the key things is providing the evidence, by collecting the data and showing the status of women in our societies and

then saying: This is the picture How can we change it?

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ms Zimudzi’s final words of advice to women hoping to make a positive impact in their community are to perform to the best of their abilities whether it is in school or in their careers. “I come from a culture that places a lot of value in hard work I think as a woman it's very important that we invest the necessary effort to ensure that we rise to the top, because if we don't, no one is going to do it for us. ” She urges women to “Participate fully, do not expect that things will happen, but we have to invest the best effort that we can, to make sure that when we sit at the table with our counterparts it ultimately will not matter that I am a woman If I have been given the seat they need to turn around and recognise that I am there not because I am a woman but because of the quality of my contribution to whatever the discourse is ”

Finally, she adds “For those of us who have made it in the workspace to create more room for young women, so that they can have the opportunity to showcase what they can do." Said Ms. Zimudzi

T E N D E R S C A R E E R S

FNB Namibia

Description: FNB Namibia invites tenders from appropriately qualified companies for the supply and delivery of various office stationery for a period of three (03) years. The service will be required for FNB Namibia's Head Office in Windhoek and all branches and offices located across the country

Bid Closing Date: 28 October 2022

NamWater

Description: NamWater is inviting registered and reputable firms to submit bids for the following: Shortlisting of consultants for consultancy service for the upgrade of the Omatjenne Otjiwarongo Water Supply Scheme

Bid Closing date: 25 October 2022

Description: NamWater is inviting registered and reputable firms to submit bids for the following: Consultancy services for the development of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) business and implementation plans.

Bid Closing date: 25 October 2022

NamPort

Description: The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport), hereby invites Expression of Interests (EOI) from eligible entities to conceptualize, design, build and operate a modern Waterfront Development within the legal jurisdiction of the Port of Walvis Bay and on land owned by Namport, located at the same (but enlarges) precincts as the current informal Waterfront in Walvis Bay Bid Closing date: 16 January 2023

Namdeb

Description: Namdeb hereby invites reputable and qualified service providers and/or Joint Ventures to submit tenders to conduct a Socio Economic Baseline Study as well as the scoping for a health impact assessment. Please confirm the closing time as it was not published

Bid Closing date: 14 November 2022

Sanlam Namibia

Position: Vesting

Specialist: Affluent Market (Oshakati)

Closing Date: 24 October 2022

Position: Sales Advisor:

Entry Level Market

Closing Date: : 30 November2022

Distell

Position: Field Sales Consultant (Katima Mulilo, Namibia)

Closing Date: 30 October 2022

Globe 24 7

Position: Engineering Manager

Closing Date: 1 November 2022

United Nations Development Program

Position: Inclusive Growths Intern

Closing Date: 25 October 2022

N/a’an ku sê Foundation

Position: Head Guide

Closing Date: 20 October 2022

Butchers Block

Position: Restaurant Manager

Closing Date: 28 October 2022

MyZone

Position: Intern

Closing Date: 21 October 2022

Namdia

Position:Brand Manager (Diamond Value Chain)

Closing Date: 27 October 2022 at 17h00 local time

Position: Manager : Human Resource Services and Development Optimisation

Closing Date: 27 October 2022 at 17h00 local time

Position: Manager : Legal and Company Secretary

Closing Date: :27

October 2022 at 17h00 local time

Position: : Manager : Finance , Business and project Optimisation

Closing Date: :27

October 2022 at 17h00 local time

Position: Manager : Safety & Security Systems and Services

Closing Date: 27 October 2022 at 17h00 local time

Position: Manager : IT and Digital Proliferation

Closing Date: 26 October 2022 at 17h00 local time

C O N T R I B U T I N G A U T H O R S