Swedish International Agriculture Network Initiative

05/09/2026

On 5 September, the United Nations observes the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls for the first time!

In the drylands of Narok County, , life has always been shaped by harsh realities. For , these challenges have been compounded by limited economic opportunities, gender-based violence, and the responsibility of keeping their families fed. In 2005, a group of women decided to change this reality. Led by Nayan Kiplagat, they came together to form the Paran Women Group — an Indigenous women’s organization bringing together members of the Maasai and Ogiek communities. Through their projects, members of Paran Women Group are earning an income, sending children to school, and ensuring families have enough to eat. The group’s initiatives are also restoring degraded land, contributing to climate resilience in Narok.

But their impact goes beyond their own households. Women like Kingasunye Naiguta, Board Member and Disability Representative, and Noolarami Gimorko, Board Member in charge of Resource Centers, are helping to spread knowledge to others in the community. By sharing skills in , saving, and climate-smart , Paran is inspiring more families to join the movement.

The International Day will generate global visibility for the leadership, contributions, and challenges faced by Indigenous women and girls. Such visibility contributes to public awareness, strengthens advocacy, and mobilizes long-term political attention and resources.


Read more: https://buff.ly/ino4fec

04/09/2026

From bees to trees. SIANI highlights two powerful stories at this year's Bokmässan Göteborg ! Learn how pollination is boosting and livelihoods across South and Southeast Asia, and how is helping communities in East Africa's drylands adapt to climate change.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/gdt08Vr

The Gothenburg Book Fair is the largest cultural event in the Nordic region and one of Europe’s most significant book fairs, drawing more than 80,000 visitors, over 800 exhibitors, and 300 seminars. It serves as a hub for literature and thought-provoking cultural debate, promoting education, liter...

03/09/2026

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has launched its Uptake Stocktaking Exercise to gather examples of how its policy products are being implemented at global, regional, national, and local levels.

The initiative will inform the development of a Digital Repository, showcasing how governments, UN agencies, civil society, farmers' organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders are advancing , , and the .

If your organization has used CFS policy products, this is your opportunity to share your experience and contribute to strengthening future food systems policies.

Take part of the "Uptake Stocktaking Exercise" to evaluate the use of CFS policy products made at global, regional, national and local levels. The information obtained will provide a consolidated overview of CFS uptake activities.

02/09/2026

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The World Food Programme & Adaptation Fund have launched the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator to identify, support and scale innovative solutions from across the Latin America and the Caribbean region, or those with strong potential for implementation there, that strengthen resilience, improve and help vulnerable communities adapt.

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Extreme weather events are placing growing pressure on food systems around the world. Droughts, floods, storms and rising temperatures are disrupting food production, threatening livelihoods and increasing food insecurity for vulnerable communities. Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the worl...

02/09/2026

Previous rains and grain stocks could reduce the impact of the expected drought.

01/09/2026

PUBLICATION ⎮

Kenya’s farmers could make greater use of natural alternatives to chemical fertilisers and pesticides, but businesses producing them face high costs, complicated rules, limited finance and low awareness among farmers.

This roadmap, initiated as part of the SIANI Agrobiologicals in East Africa expert group and developed by a cluster of Kenyan agrobiological businesses, sets out what is needed to grow the sector.

Stronger agrobiologicals sector could lead to:
➡️ 2 000 jobs
➡️ 40% women/youth employment
➡️ 20% annual revenue growth for small and medium enterprises
➡️ 500 000 farmers adopting natural farming products
➡️ Healthier soils
➡️ 15-25% bigger yields
➡️ Reduced fertilizer inputs

Read the roadmap to learn how to get there: https://buff.ly/2BechAj

01/09/2026

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AFSA africa invites applications from qualified African researchers to support the 1st phase of the African Food Baskets initiative.

The initiative forms part of the TAFS Project, funded by Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete , and contributes to AFSA’s My Food Is African campaign. It aims to preserve and promote African food knowledge while building a continental resource for advocacy, research, education, communication and policy engagement.

Deadline 6 September 2026

Read more:

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) invites applications from qualified African researchers to support the first phase of the African Food Baskets initiative. Ten Country Researchers will be selected—one from each participating country—to document the foods, dishes, beverages, rec...

31/08/2026

Over the past decade, greater attention has been given to small-scale fisheries as a source of food and livelihoods, knowledge, culture and rights.
Recent reflections published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) point toward an important shift: fisheries governance is increasingly moving beyond resource management toward broader questions of participation, equity and social justice.

Too Big To Ignore

A new book and a webinar from a SIANI expert group highlight the critical role of social justice for small-scale fisheries.

28/08/2026

NEWS STORY ⎮

Gatački kajmak iz mješine (kajmak "aged in a skin bag") is a unique local product, traditionally crafted by predominantly female producers. It has been made in the area for generations, yet has rarely reached markets beyond it.

That, however, is starting to change. The Udruženje proizvođača gatačkog kajmaka has worked to make Gacko kajmak known both locally and regionally through standardisation and branding, as part of a regional programme called ReLOaD2, funded by the EU and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP In addition, with support from the Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete -financed BiH SuTra project, (implemented by SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute Environment Institute) these women are gaining new tools: hygiene and quality standards, better record-keeping, and a shared identity.
By producing a more consistent, higher quality kajmak and introducing standardised packaging and improved product presentation, the Association has boosted consumer confidence and interest in the product.
One of its main tasks is working toward status for Gacko kajmak, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the EU.

Initiatives like ReLOaD2 and BiH SuTra are excellent starting points, but scaling this model beyond Gacko and other pilot municipalities will require further efforts like investment in export support for small producers, accessible financing, and formal recognition of women's role in agricultural production.

Gacko kajmak may soon carry an EU label. Whether that recognition translates into lasting income for the women who produce it, generation after generation, will be the real test of whether traditional food can serve as a driver of sustainable rural transition.

Read the full story: https://buff.ly/02t1uIX

28/08/2026

West Africa cocoa sector struggles to meet EU anti-deforestation rules, raising supply concerns

Europe wants deforestation-free chocolate. But can West Africa’s cocoa farmers afford the transition? 🍫🌍

The stakes are huge: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon produce around 75% of the world’s cocoa, yet in Nigeria, experts estimate that less than half of production may currently meet the EU requirements when they take effect at the end of December.

Can Europe protect forests without leaving small farmers to carry the cost?

Read the full story on EUobserver: https://euobserver.com/232618/slumping-cocoa-price-leaves-west-africas-farmers-struggling-to-comply-with-eus-anti-deforestation-law/

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