"I never thought farming would be my venture," says my sister, Faith. But perhaps it was her destiny. Our parents were farmers (and teachers as well) in a small farming community on the coast of Kenya, living in Mabafweni village in Kwale County. Their five children had to get up at 5 a.m. during growing …
A new report issued by the United Nations (UN) takes a controversial stance on synthetic pesticides. The conventional wisdom is that they are essential to feed the world’s growing population, which is expected to hit nine billion by 2050. But the report’s authors call our reliance on synthetic pesticides “a short-term solution that undermines the right to …
This month, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is meeting in New York. The theme of the meeting is women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. And the conversation will center on women like me: Women who work in offices or in wage jobs, juggling work responsibilities, kids and household …
It was nearly five years ago that my daughter made me a father, and through parenting her and my son, I am reminded of three of the key qualities needed not only for parenthood, but also for being a leader in Africa in the 21st century. One of my first lessons of fatherhood was about …
The Netherlands is building its first large-scale commercial vertical indoor farm. It’s expected to serve Europe’s largest supermarket chains with high quality, pesticide-free fresh cut lettuce. Vertical farms use high tech lighting and climate controlled buildings to grow crops like leafy greens or herbs indoors while using less water and soil. Because it’s a closed growing system, with controlled …