Flooding is quickly emerging as a threat that is compromising and undermining food security, health, infrastructure, and economies both in the short- and long-term. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Feb 6 2026 (IPS)

South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe are currently experiencing severe flooding. According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 million people have been affected. In addition, hundreds of people have died , infrastructure has been destroyed, access to health services has been disrupted, and the risks of water- and mosquito-borne diseases are rising.

Alarmingly, the devastating impacts of flooding on  crop production, an important source of livelihoods in Africa, and on agricultural crops relevant to meeting food security needs rarely receive coverage or make headlines. If they do, the coverage does not comprehensively capture the extent of the damage or the immediate and long-term consequences of flooding.

Time and again, research has shown that flooding affects  global crop production and has immediate and long-lasting consequences for agricultural production, food systems, national economies, and food security

Also disturbing is the lack of coverage of the devastating impacts of flooding on soils, soil quality, soil health, and the billions of beneficial soil microorganisms that support the production of healthy and nutritious crops.

This needs to change. Time and again, research has shown that flooding affects  global crop production and has immediate and long-lasting consequences for agricultural production, food systems, national economies, and food security.

For example, a 2022 study reported that flooding threatened food security for more than 5.6 million people across several African countries. The study also found that an estimated 12 percent of food-insecure households in several African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, and Malawi, experienced food insecurity due to flooding, which compromised their ability to produce, access, and utilize food.

Notably, this comprehensive study revealed that flooding impacts emerge at different spatial and temporal scales. Damage to crops and displacement of families occur immediately following flooding, but secondary impacts persist, leaving soils unhealthy and unable to support the production of healthy crops in subsequent seasons. In addition, infrastructure destroyed by flooding and livelihoods disrupted take time to rebuild.

Current and future climate forecasts indicate that  flooding and other weather and climate extreme events will continue  flooding and other weather and climate extremes will continue, underscoring the need for countries across Africa and around the world to prioritize efforts to understand and mitigate flooding.

So, what can be done?

First, to develop sustainable and sufficient solutions, it is important to comprehensively map flooding and  the many dimensions through which flooding and other climate change-associated stressors can lead to food insecurity.

Certainly, flooding can lead to and affect food insecurity through several driving mechanisms , including crop losses that reduce agricultural production, infrastructure damage that disrupts supply chains while hindering people’s ability to access markets. For example, the recent flooding events in South Africa and Mozambique have reportedly resulted in losses of economically important crops such as avocados and citrus, disrupted food transportation corridors, slowed cross-border logistics networks, and isolated communities, disrupting food distribution networks. Additionally, studies in Burkina Faso , Malawi, and South-Eastern Nigeria demonstrated that flooding can lead to crop failures and affect food security.

Second, there is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive understanding and assessment of who is most affected by flooding, at what scale, and how the multidimensional impacts of flooding on food security evolve over time.

Developing this kind of understanding requires systems thinking and cross-disciplinary coordinated collaboration, bridging disciplines such as climate science, agronomy, plant science, entomology, economics, nutrition, hydrology, epidemiology, public health, social science, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and infrastructure.

For example, agronomists can quantify crop losses from flooding, soil changes, and recovery timelines. Economists, on the other hand, can model the impacts of flooding on livelihoods, markets, and national economies.

Data scientists can track floods and map flood risk zones, and infrastructure specialists can assess the vulnerability of current infrastructure to flooding. When these disciplines converge, they can help governments and humanitarian agencies develop data-driven action plans to prepare for, prevent, and implement timely flood response solutions.

Third, there is a need to proactively invest in both short- and long-term solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of flooding on food security and enhance livelihoods resillience and food security . Some proactive measures include restoring wetlands, which naturally act as flood buffers to absorb excess rainfall; building climate-resilient infrastructure; sharing early warning information with communities about upcoming flooding events; making affordable insurance policies available to farmers to protect their farming enterprises; and strengthening agrifood systems.

Strengthening agrifood systems can take multiple forms, including ensuring that farmers have access to flood-resilient crop varieties and that they plant diversified crops and adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, all of which can help buffer farmers, communities, and citizens of countries from flooding-related impacts.

Flooding is quickly emerging as a threat that is compromising and undermining food security, health, infrastructure, and economies both in the short- and long-term.

We must normalize accounting for the multidimensional impacts of flooding events on agriculture, soil health and quality, and the infrastructure that supports agricultural food systems and ecosystems. In doing so, the worst outcomes of flooding could be prevented in agriculture and food security.

Science, research, and scientific discoveries provide solutions to the pressing challenges our society faces and can improve people’s lives. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Jan 27 2026 (IPS)

Scientists across the U.S., including me, are stressed after a year marked by several changes and challenges, including cuts to science funding that have stalled clinical trials and studies that could improve and save lives. Without funding, scientists worry about how they will support ongoing research and train America’s future workforce, including the next generation of innovators.

In the past, U.S. scientific research has greatly contributed to the country’s economic and military strength, helping the U.S. become a superpower. Through scientific research, several discoveries, innovations, scientific breakthroughs, and technologies, including artificial intelligence, have been realized.

These scientific advances have supported agricultural and healthcare advances, expanding U.S. life expectancy by almost 20 years. From vaccines to early disease detection to novel drugs, the returns on funding science are substantial.

We need science. Moments like the challenges of today call for reflection and offer opportunities to readjust, evolve, and move forward, including finding new ways to engage with the public and policymakers and to fund and conduct science creatively

Science, research, and scientific discoveries, after all, provide solutions to the pressing challenges our society faces and can improve people’s lives. Science guides us through these challenges, inspires us, and unites many curious minds.

We need science. Moments like the challenges of today call for reflection and offer opportunities to readjust, evolve, and move forward, including finding new ways to engage with the public and policymakers and to fund and conduct science creatively.

So how do we adjust? What actions can scientists take now?

First, scientists need to keep showing up and find creative ways to communicate science and the solutions being generated to the public, policymakers, and government administrators.

This includes unpacking how science solutions address the issues everyday people face, including their economic future, and how science advancements align with the challenges people face now.

Communicating science and research outcomes to the broader public, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the science enterprise is not easy. However, scientists have continued to develop creative ways to improve how we communicate science. Specifically, scientists are using multiple formats, including storytelling, infographics, animations, and interactive games and graphics.

These efforts must continue to expand, tapping into the many available ways to communicate science, including podcasts, blogs, social media, radio, TV, and op-eds.

To ensure maximum participation by scientists, universities and research institutions should find innovative ways to incentivize students and scientists to engage with the public and share their research.

Complementing these efforts, universities and research institutions, along with professional societies to which scientists belong, can continue to offer workshops and training to help scientists become better communicators.

For example, between 2008 and 2022, the American Association for the Advancement of Science offered several science communication workshops.

The Entomological Society of America, through its Science Policy and Advocacy initiative, trains and equips its members to advocate more effectively for entomology. Other science communication training opportunities include those offered by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, The OpEd Project, the American Geophysical Union, ComSciCon, and COMPASS.

Alongside these efforts, professional societies have also recognized elected officials who have continued to champion the role of science in addressing persistent societal challenges. For example, in 2025, ESA recognized Senator Susan Collins of Maine as the society’s 2025 Champion of Entomology for her continued support for science and research funding and for introducing several bills that are still pending Senate and House votes.

Second, we need to continue strengthening public and policymakers’ trust in science by improving peer review processes and ensuring that science remains transparent, rigorous, and repeatable, and that the credibility of published science remains intact. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of paper mills producing fraudulent scientific papers. These science integrity challenges undermine scientific enterprises and create distrust among the public.

Strengthening public trust in science and scientists can take many forms, including convening town halls and public forums. Other creative ways include involving the public in citizen science research and fieldwork, allowing the public to be involved from the outset, including building the research project goals and a compelling justification for why the research question being addressed is important.

Engaging the public and involving them in shaping the scientific questions scientists pursue can not only strengthen public trust in science but also enrich outcomes by incorporating local or experiential knowledge. In doing so, public engagement helps ensure that the solutions generated by these shared projects address and solve challenges that are grounded, relevant, and meaningful to communities and the public we aim to serve.

For example, in my research on plant-microbe-insect interactions, which aims to help feed a growing population sustainably amid changing environments and to strengthen plant resilience against biotic and abiotic stressors such as insects, drought, and flooding, collaborating with farmers can directly shape the pests and crops I study and guide the questions I pursue. By doing so, the resulting research insights become responsive to the current agricultural challenges American farmers face.

Third and most importantly, there is an urgent need to develop a long-term vision and establish unbreakable funding frameworks for science to ensure that the gains we have made so far are preserved. Scientists, national academies of science, government administrators, elected officials, policymakers, the military, industry, NGOs, the public, think tanks, foundations, and all stakeholders in the science enterprise must work together to chart a new path forward.

Without bending back too far, scientists can stop, reflect, and find their path forward.

It is necessary to bring together all stakeholders in the science enterprise to create new science funding frameworks that are both acceptable and reasonable. Otherwise, the value of science and research, along with the gains made to date, could be lost.

It’s time for scientists to extend the olive branch, redouble our efforts to communicate science to society, and chart a path forward that brings everyone on board.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Addressing the urban food insecurity crisis will require vision, coordinated actions and strategies, and sustained commitment from city governments, academia, the private sector, and NGOs. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Oct 7 2025 (IPS)

Millions of people in the United States and around the world continue to face food insecurity, meaning they cannot access safe and nutritious food necessary for living their fullest lives, and they often do not know where their next meal will come from. According to Feeding America, 47 million people in the United States are food insecure. Worldwide, 673 million people experience food insecurity.

Traditionally, efforts to address food insecurity have focused on populations in rural and suburban areas; however, recent census data and statistics show that more people now live in urban areas. According to the 2020 U.S. census, 80% of the U.S. population resides in urban areas, and this is expected to rise to 89% by 2050. Similarly, a United Nations report states that over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this proportion is projected to grow to 70 percent by 2050.

As city populations continue to grow and urban food insecurity remains a persistent and urgent issue, reimagining urban and peri-urban spaces as centers of food-growing innovation is no longer optional; it is essential

Unsurprisingly, a groundbreaking 2024 report by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition showed that more than 75 percent of the world’s food-insecure population lives in urban and peri-urban areas, depending on markets for their food instead of growing it themselves.

Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to broaden initiatives focused on addressing food insecurity to include populations in urban and peri-urban areas. Several interconnected strategies can be put into action to accomplish this.

Food insecurity in urban communities can be tackled through various strategies.

First, efforts to expand urban agriculture through community gardens, rooftop farms, container gardens, and other innovative urban farming methods that transform unused spaces and farmlands into productive food-growing areas should be supported.

Investing in food production near urban cities provides several benefits, including shortening supply chains, reducing dependence on imports, improving nutrition, and strengthening local resilience against climate-related shocks and disruptions in the food system.

Second, there is a need to improve food distribution within urban communities. Even when food is plentiful and easy to access, unequal distribution and access can still cause urban hunger.

Therefore, it remains essential to invest in mobile markets, expand cold storage facilities, and explore innovative and creative ways to deliver food to vulnerable households and communities. Doing so will help close this gap and ensure that food reaches those who need it most.

Third, there is a need to support and promote investments and policies that aim to build sustainable and inclusive urban food systems. Therefore, city councils and governments should intentionally incorporate food security goals into their planning.

These goals can include allocating land for local food production, establishing formal city food policy councils, and addressing unequal access to affordable and healthy food for all residents in urban areas.

The good news is that several cities across the United States have embraced this shift. For example, Seattle’s initiative was established under the city’s local food program to create a strong and resilient food system. Similar efforts have been carried out in other U.S. cities, including Detroit, Minneapolis, Austin, and Chicago.

Complementing these efforts is the need to strengthen social protection programs and safety nets for vulnerable populations living in cities. These include initiatives like school feeding programs, food vouchers, and other innovative nutrition and food assistance projects.

These initiatives can also incorporate education and awareness campaigns to promote healthy eating, reduce food waste, and motivate urban community members to engage in local food-growing activities.

As city populations continue to grow and urban food insecurity remains a persistent and urgent issue, reimagining urban and peri-urban spaces as centers of food-growing innovation is no longer optional; it is essential.

Addressing the urban food insecurity crisis will require vision, coordinated actions and strategies, and sustained commitment from city governments, academia, the private sector, and NGOs.

By investing in inclusive, evolving food systems and empowering communities to shape their food futures, our cities can transform from hunger hotspots into vibrant, nourished communities where all residents have access to healthy, affordable, and nutritious food. The time to act is now.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Heatwaves and floods are damaging essential crops like corn, wheat, rice, and tomatoes—threatening food and nutrition security. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Jul 30 2025 (IPS)

Recent weeks have seen an increase in extreme weather events. From heat waves occurring across the Midwest states to flash flooding in Texas, Maryland, and New York.

Although these weather events have had significant and measurable impacts on humans, rarely making headlines are the detrimental impacts these events have on agriculture, and that lack of coverage needs to change.

Most concerning is the noticeable gap in dialogue and focused attention by researchers, policy makers and other key stakeholders in agricultural crop production and food systems, a gap that urgently needs to change as well.

Heat and flooding impact the crops such as corn, wheat, rice, and vegetable crops including tomato that we depend on to meet food and nutritional security needs.

These impacts can range from changes in growth patterns, acres of crops decimated to tons of vegetables unsellable due to potential contamination by flooding waters. All these losses also have a dollar value associated with them.

For example, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture estimated crop-related flooding damage in Arkansas in 2025, to be $78.9 million. 

Indeed, recent research coming from research institutions and universities across United States universities has demonstrated that these events detrimentally affect agricultural crop growth and production, resulting in reduced yields and agricultural crop revenue, while driving up prices and crop insurance payments.

Heatwaves and flooding also impact plant physiology and metabolism, disrupting the life-sustaining processes of plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, the antioxidant defense system, and reactive oxygen species scavenging. These changes hinder plant growth and development, leading to reduced crop productivity and yield losses.

Ultimately, farmers lose their crops and the revenue they get from farming, and these losses are passed on to consumers through increased prices. For example, according to The American Farm Bureau Federations, in 2024, farmers lost $20.3 billion to weather disasters including flooding and heat waves.

Extreme weather also affects the multitude of belowground microbes that underpin the health of soil, its functions, health, and quality, as well as the soil microbiomes that govern soil and plant health and key biogeochemical processes, including nutrient and water cycling. Both beneficial and pathogenic microbes are impacted by flooding.  

Flooding, for example, has been reported to impact soil microbial communities negatively, depleting beneficial soil microbes, and affecting other beneficial soil-dwelling organisms, such as earthworms.

And because belowground processes are tightly linked and interconnected with aboveground processes, changes in the health and productivity of crops can be impacted by changes in belowground dwelling organisms.

Importantly, researchers are rising to the challenge of finding solutions to mitigate the trail of damage that these extreme events have on agricultural crops and production systems both during and after these events have happened.

Take the case of flooding; emerging research reveals that applying nitrogen-based fertilizers immediately after a flooding event can help rescue plants from the detrimental impacts of flooding.

Disturbingly, however, although nitrogen fertilizer can help mitigate flooding impacts, its use is not sustainable due to its negative impacts on ecosystems, including polluting groundwater and streams, while contributing to the greenhouse effect. Therefore, researchers must push the boundaries beyond nitrogen.

Fortunately, the agricultural market is filled with sustainable bioproducts, including biostimulants and microbial inoculants. These products, that contain live microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria or other groups of beneficial microbes, have potential in mitigating the detrimental impacts that extreme weather events have on crops, and their investigation should be considered.

Excitingly, this is beginning to happen. For example, a recent study revealed that foliar spraying tomato plants with microbes improved their tolerance against acute heat wave stress. In addition, review papers are being published that detail what we currently know, while outlining future research questions to explore further.

Moving into the future, this line of research needs to be funded so that the excitement in using these products as well as the challenges that come along with using biostimulants including a lack of regulation and unified terminology and the growing concerns that introduced microorganisms could mutate as they adapt to environments can be addressed. The use of biostumulants is expected to keep growing, with global market estimated to reach USD 7.84 billion by 2030.

Notably, there is a need to think of long-term solutions. Thankfully, regenerative agriculture approaches, including the use of cover crops, can be utilized. Further, recent research is reaffirming this and has revealed that cover crops can mitigate the effects of flooding, thus enhancing resilience to extreme weather events.

Cover crops are plants that are primarily grown to provide several benefits including improving water infiltration, soil health and structure, and controlling erosion. These crops can be important long-term tools to mitigate extreme weather events including mitigating flooding risks by absorbing excess soil water while improving soil physical properties. 

Although the use of cover crops continues to gain traction in the United States, rising by 17% between 2017 and 2022, according to recent satellite-based research from that analyzed 100, 000 fields, their adoption and use can pose some challenges and potential drawbacks that continue to warrant more research and consideration.

Future projections indicate that many extreme weather events including flooding will continue to increase in both intensity and frequency.

It’s time for researchers, policy makers, governments, media, and stakeholders across agriculture and food systems to engage more urgently in how these events affect not just humans, but also how they detrimentally impact agricultural crops and the microbial communities that support soils and agricultural crops health.

By acknowledging and documenting these impacts through research, we can begin to develop sustainable, science driven solutions, both short and long term.  The time is now.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research shows that women with secure land ownership see increased production, higher incomes, and improved well-being for their families and communities. Credit: Miriam Gathigah/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Mar 25 2025 (IPS)

On March the 8^th, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. This year’s theme was “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment” and called for actions that aim to unlock power and opportunities for women around the world by leaders across governments, corporate and private sector, academic communities, and civil societies.

Indeed, in a world where women make up almost half of the global population, unlocking women power and doors of opportunities will do much more than benefiting women. It will create thriving communities and societies and continue serving as the foundation of sustainable development and a  prosperous and peaceful society and world.

Arguably, the food, agribusiness and agricultural sector presents many opportunities that can be leveraged by women.   In the United States, for example, the agricultural sector which extends beyond the farm business, contributes around $1.537 trillion to the GDP.

Similarly, across many African countries, the agricultural sector is an important sector and contributor to African countries GDP.  Moreover, the African Development Bank forecasts that by 2030, the African food and agriculture market and economy will be worth $1 trillion.

Although the agricultural sector presents lots of opportunities, extensive evidence shows that women, particular in both the United States and African countries and other emerging countries, still face multitude of structural and gender-based barriers including low levels of formal education, limited technical skills, limited access to assets, finances, information, networks and resources including land.

So, what steps can be taken to break down the barriers and tap onto the opportunities the food, agribusiness and agricultural sector presents?

First, we must ensure that women have equal access and ownership to land that is central for agricultural production. There is evidence showing that women with strong property and land rights contribute to increased production and incomes. Additionally, research suggests that there are positive linkages between secure land access and ownership by women and improved incomes and human wellbeing and many economic benefits.

Second, we must ensure that women have access to information and financial resources they need to ensure that their agricultural practices and agribusinesses are resilient.

The agricultural sector is one of the sectors that continues to be vulnerable to climate change associated stressors including drought, flooding events and pest outbreaks.  With financial resources, women can adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, allowing their agricultural enterprises to thrive. Research has revealed the interlinkages between access to resources and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices.

Creating resillience can further be enhanced by ensuring that women further adopt newer technologies including technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics.

Third, efforts must be made to ensure that women who venture in agribusiness have access to credit and financial services, technical advisory and business support services and market and trade networks.

Governments can lead the efforts to ensure that legal and regulatory business networks are functional for women.  Some of the interventions that can be rolled out include bundled services that provide women with resources, credit, technical advice and networks they need to grow their enterprises.

Finally, we must continue celebrating and recognizing organizations and initiatives that have time and again continued to step up to empower women and break the multiple barriers that women in agriculture and agribusiness face. Organizations such as WomenFirst International Fund and Development in Gardening, for example have continued to empower women with positive benefits to communities and societies.

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa has several initiatives aimed at empowering women. The African Development Bank, Mastercard Foundation, The Tony Elumelu Foundation also have initiatives that seek to break down the barriers and tap onto the opportunities the food, agribusiness and agricultural sector presents.

Women play critical roles across the agricultural sector and agricultural value chain, as producers, agribusiness owners and employees.

Empowering them, unlocking their potential and opening multiple opportunity doors for them will go a long way, creating wins for women and societies at large while driving economic growth. Echoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres words, “When the doors of opportunity are open for women, everyone wins, and we all thrive”.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Scientists must step up and speak up. We cannot be silent when science is being eroded and the institutions that fund science are being dismantled, and emerging and early career researchers being terminated. Credit: Bigstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Feb 20 2025 (IPS)

Scientists like me across the U.S. are distressed following the many policy changes, funding elimination, and firings that have happened since President Trump took office. More than ever, scientists must unite in solidarity and share the negative impact these extreme measures will have on science, U.S. science funding agencies and people’s lives. Speaking up can take many forms, from posting your thoughts on social media to writing opinion pieces or op-eds.

For the latter, op-eds can be an effective way for scientists to communicate urgent messages of today, including talking about the importance of their fields and why federal agencies must keep functioning.

Scientists can write about the dangers of the presidential office interfering with important research grants and urge the government to reconsider the decision to terminate many early career scientists. By writing op-eds, scientists can also paint a picture for the public and government leaders about the dire consequences of dismantling USAID.

Op-eds can be an effective way for scientists to communicate urgent messages of today, including talking about the importance of their fields and why federal agencies must keep functioning

To many scientists who are used to academic writing, crafting an op-ed may seem like an insurmountable task. Ten years ago, when I became an Aspen Institute New Voices fellow, I felt that way.

To date, I have written over 150 op-ed pieces and covered multiple issues and topics that I was passionate about, including promoting diversity, the need for scientists to communicate, climate change and tackling food insecurity. My op-eds have led to outcomes like being invited to testify before a U.S. Congress Subcommittee Hearing.

This is my advice to scientists who want to capitalize on the power of op-eds to share how recent events are impacting them.

The first step is to determine the problem or issue to which you want to call attention. Other guiding prompts to help you focus on determining the problem is to ask a series of questions including why this topic is important, why is it timely now, what do you want the reader to do or learn (the call to action), and lastly, how will things change if you call to action happens.

Once you have clearly identified an issue, then it is important to organize your thoughts around the recognized structure of op-eds. This includes the lede/idea, main argument or thesis supported by evidence, “to be sure” statement and a conclusion paragraph, with a clearly articulated call to action.

The first element of an op-ed is the lede/idea, that is centered around a news hook, or personal anecdotes that tie on to something happening in the news. A news hook ties your argument to the current issues of the day while showing how timely your voice and argument is and why it matters now. Tying your op-ed around a news hook also lets editors know in your pitch what is new and timely about your piece before they decide to accept it.

Next after the lede or opening paragraph is your argument paragraph and main thesis.  Op-eds are centered around an argument; thus, you must decide on this before you write the rest of your piece.

The core argument or main thesis should be short and articulated in a clear way that is convincing to your readers. As you work to create an argument, think about: what you want to share with the world, is it new, what is new about it? How is it different from other arguments that have been made before?

Next, you will need to build evidence to support your argument. For many op-eds, at least three main points of evidence will suffice. The pieces of evidence can include statistics, anecdotes and personal stories, quotes from experts, news stories, and data from published research studies or reports. Provide source links for your evidence.

The “to be sure” paragraph is an important part of an opinion piece. This is the section where you preempt people who may discount your argument by acknowledging their viewpoint and then bringing in more evidence to back your argument. Essentially, in this section, you can acknowledge other counter arguments while supporting your own argument.

The final concluding paragraph is the place where you summarize all the previous paragraphs with thought-provoking messages and punchlines. This is also where you can embed your call to action. What do you want your readers to do? What needs to happen?

Op-eds, unlike other academic writing, are short, therefore remember to adhere to the word limits of the outlet you are hoping to pitch to. For many outlets, the word limit ranges from 500 to 900 words.

Once you are done, re-read for clarity and then your piece is ready to pitch.

Of course, I acknowledge that scientists and other people being impacted may be scared to write, for fear of retribution or being fired.  It is genuine fear because the internet never forgets. Before embarking on writing an Op-Ed, scientists should definitely weigh in on the positives and negatives  and the short and long-term impacts that may come about with penning down a piece.

Scientists must step up and speak up. We cannot be silent when science is being eroded and the institutions that fund science are being dismantled, and emerging and early career researchers being terminated. Time is now.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Most scientists lack training in effective science communication, and their use of jargon often hinders public understanding and trust in scientific papers and findings. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Dec 13 2024 (IPS)

New research shows that AI-generated summaries of scientific writing made the information more approachable and easier to understand, and thus created more public engagement with the information. This is notable because most scientists aren’t trained in science communication tactics and so their jargon affects many people’s ability to understand and trust scientific papers and findings.

Science communication has always been an important part of the scientific process because discoveries, solutions and findings that can help solve our world’s greatest challenges cannot be adopted or understood by the public without clear communication.  Communicating science well also can shape and inform public policy.

Scientists, therefore, have a responsibility to make sure that they communicate their knowledge and findings in a way that the public and policymakers can understand, but too often that is not happening.

Scientists have a responsibility to make sure that they communicate their knowledge and findings in a way that the public and policymakers can understand, but too often that is not happening

Due to the importance of science communication, it is necessary for scientists to be trained in science communication. That is why I started a science communications course at my university.

I have taught it for over 4 years and cover topics like the art of writing opinion pieces and creating science stories, communicating science to different audiences through careful use of metaphors and minimal use of jargon.

Additionally, the class covers topics such as communicating science using social media and communicating with politicians and creating visual science stories.  Students who have taken the class have continued to use the skills learned in class in their careers while others went on to become science communicators

The people who need to learn these skills include recent PhD graduates, post-doctoral fellows, assistant professors, newly tenured and full professors.

There are several resources including textbooks, science communication workshops, and many trusted organizations and institutions to which scientists can turn. Science communication newbies can also turn to social media including Bluesky social and Instagram to meet other science communication enthusiasts.

Notably, there are institutions and organizations to which scientists can turn. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, for example has developed a communication toolkit to help science communication newbies.

The OpED project has programs to help people learn how to write OpEds and a few times a year, they offer science communication workshops.  Moreover, most universities also have webpages listing science communication resources.

For example, Duke University has a webpage listing the resources available including science communication workshops, events and classes.

Communicating science effectively via OpEds, blogs, and social media outlets is not only important for reaching the public and policy makers, but it can help scientists themselves, too.

First, through public publishing and engagement, scientists can establish their own reputation. Journalists and policymakers will often reach out to whatever expert they can easily find, and being active on social media and op-ed pages will make a person easier to find.

Being a consistent public voice – backed up by good work – can help establish someone as an expert in their field. Moreover, scientists that regularly and consistently participate in science communication can track its impact and include that on tenure promotion packages.

This happened to me. Being consistent with writing over 150 OpEds, since 2015, for example has helped to advance my career.

Second, communicating science publicly help a person build a professional network, which can lead to peers reaching out for collaborations and co-writing of grant proposals.

It can lead to people recommending each other for awards or invitations to speak on panels, workshops or to give plenary talks.

This has been my experience, and I’ve received a few invitations thanks to my public writing. For instance, I was invited to give a plenary talk at the annual 2019 British Ecological Society, and I’ve been invited to speak at various universities.

In 2021, I was awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science.

Third, communicating science can help a scientist grow their skills and become better at speaking and writing in publicly accessible language. And it can help scientists learn to become better at capitalizing on newsworthy moments. In addition, this can also facilitate the building of trust among different communities and the public.

Fourth, it can allow scientists to offer a public service and provide accurate information about their discoveries and recent scientific and technological advancements to reporters and policymakers.

Of course, for new beginners, it can be overwhelming to join the science communication bandwagon. Not only may it be unfamiliar and a new skill to develop, but there are concerns like being unable to control what happens to your writing or how it is used once it’s published, or the fact that science is ever evolving, and new information may agree or disagree with previously held truths. But the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Science communication is critical for conveying important scientific information. Scientists must stand up for science. When scientists become better science communicators, the public, society, and scientists benefit.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Regenerative agricultural practices are a set of rejuvenating farming and agricultural sustainable practices that seek to boost soil health, water resources, soil organic carbon sequestration and soils biological diversity. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Dec 4 2024 (IPS)

Recently, at the UN climate conference COP29, countries agreed to do everything necessary to invest in climate solutions to protect lives and livelihoods from worsening climate change impacts and to build a prosperous world. This is necessary. Indeed, every effort must be made by our leaders to protect lives and livelihoods.

One of the best investments possible is in agricultural climate solutions. In particular, investments in solutions that seek to protect soils and agricultural crops that we depend upon to meet food security.

Otherwise, these soils and crops are vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the form of droughts, flooding, pest outbreaks, and elevated temperatures.

Although it is a daunting task, protecting livelihoods and agricultural crops from the detrimental impacts of climate change is achievable.

Adopting regenerative practices has been documented to bring multiple benefits including building soil health and quality, improving biodiversity, all while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change

Preventing crop failures and cascading impacts including food insecurity, hunger, and famines can be achieved by rolling out and adopting multiple climate solution strategies ranging from the use of microbial solutions and beneficial soil microbes and the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices and integrated pest management strategies.

Microbial solutions, including soil microbial inoculants, leverage beneficial soil microbes and natural soil microbiome capabilities to create fertile and resilient environments for agricultural plants, including processes like suppression of soil pathogens, fixing soil nitrogen and making other important plant nutrients such as phosphorus available.

Accumulating evidence has revealed that beneficial soil microbes can deliver many benefits including improving the growth and yields of agricultural crops like maize, tomatoes and wheat that are important for meeting food security needs.

Additionally, these microbes have been shown to shield agricultural crop plants from drought and enhance crops’ ability to tolerate elevated temperatures, salinity, insects and many other stressors associated with climate change. Beneficial soil microbes are critical in mitigating the effects of climate-change associated stressors.

Regenerative agricultural practices are a set of rejuvenating farming and agricultural sustainable practices that seek to boost soil health, water resources, soil organic carbon sequestration and soils biological diversity.

These sustainable practices include cover cropping, crop rotation, planting diverse crops, minimizing soil disturbance, using less fertilizers, agricultural inputs and chemical pesticides and incorporating livestock.

Adopting regenerative practices has been documented to bring multiple benefits including building soil health and quality, improving biodiversity, all while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. For example, research has revealed that cover crops can improve soil health and increase the abundance of beneficial insect communities.

Integrated pest management is an approach that doesn’t rule out the use of pesticides, but uses them as little as possible and only for strong reasons.

It promotes the use of safer alternatives, like biocontrol, which uses natural enemies to control pests, and cultural control practices which modify the growing environment to reduce unwanted pests.

Integrated pest management approaches include the use of resistant plant varieties that have been bred to resist insect damage, and crop rotation which changes the crops planted every season or year, to break the life-cycle of insect pests and discourage pests from staying on the farm.

Ultimately, strategies being released to help deal with the climate crisis must fundamentally pay attention to improving soil and its health. Soil is the basis of healthy and nutritious food, income and economy.

Initiatives rolled out to build soil health must be rooted in science and adhere to the several science-based soil health building principles and practices including mulching, conservation agriculture, reduced tillage and cover cropping.

Smart investments in the soil must be based on a scientific assessment of the state of the soil, making soil testing initiatives a good place to start. Knowing what soils need allows for precise interventions and is a win for climate resillience and environmental protection.

Building soil health will build back life-giving soil nutrients, diverse soil microbial communities and soil organic matter. Soil organic matter is associated with other benefits, such as improvements to plant health and yields; increased soil water retention, which increases the ability of crops to tolerate drought; and expansion of biological diversity within the soil.

Diverse biological organisms in soils turn play critical roles in soil ecosystems, including decomposition, breaking down pollutants, and cycling essential plant nutrients., life-giving nutrients, and diverse soil microbial communities, and in turn boost climate resillience.

Importantly, as we roll out these initiatives, we must remember that the ability of communities and citizens of different countries to adapt and employ these strategies will vary enormously, depending on financial capabilities.

Financial investments to support rolling out of these agricultural climate solutions and practices can be channeled through governments departments and ministry of agriculture.

Protecting lives, livelihoods, and agricultural crops from the catastrophic impacts of climate change is an urgent task that will require the rolling out of multiple initiatives-from regenerative farming practices to using microbial inoculants and adopting integrated pest management strategies. We must continue to encourage countries to invest in these initiatives. It is a win- win.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In the United States, in 2024 alone, there have been 24 climate change associated events with losses exceeding $1 billion each. Credit: Shutterstock.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Nov 15 2024 (IPS)

The United Nations recently released the 2024 Nationally Determined Contributions synthesis report, just weeks before presidents, global leaders, climate scientists and activists convene in Azerbaijan for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The report reveals that current national climate plans are not sufficient.

This is particularly alarming considering how many countries, including the United States, were negatively and economically impacted by climate change associated disasters this year, including flooding, extreme heat, drought, and pest out breaks.

In the United States, in 2024 alone, according to NOAA, there have been over 24-billion-dollar climate change associated events that have causes losses exceeding $1 billion. Also in the United States, damage by flooding averages $46 billion a year. In Western Africa, flooding disrupted the lives of millions and resulted in overwhelming losses. In the greater Horn of Africa, millions are facing food insecurity and acute hunger due to repeated droughts.

Funding flooding research would help to cut down the devastating impacts flooding has on agricultural crops and the financial burdens that come about after flooding including government and insurance payouts to those that are impacted

Flooding, that ranks in the top three of the disasters, according to NOAA, has particularly hit hard in 2024. It has caused destruction not only of human lives but of livestock, poultry, and agricultural plants.  Yet, to date, flooding news has only focused on the impacts flooding has on humans and not plants. Yet the recent flooding events in Spain, for example, have negatively impacted agriculture.

Worse still is the fact that many of these climate-change associated events often happen concurrently, producing catastrophic and compounding  effects  on livelihoods and economies.

Conversations surrounding COP29 will heavily focus on climate finance and the need to grow the finances being committed for climate change action. While finance can help reduce the impacts these climate disasters have on livelihoods and economies, those investments need to be coupled with investments exclusively dedicated to climate research.

Investing in emerging climate disasters such as flooding today will be crucial and boost climate resilience. Otherwise, in the future, food shortages will become more common and food prices more volatile, with the potential to exacerbate conflict over scarce resources.

Funded flooding research will not only provide foundational answers about the impacts of flooding, but also solutions.  These multifaceted solutions range from identifying and breeding flooding tolerant crops, and finding sustainable products that can be applied to help plants and soils to recover well and boost their ability to defend themselves from pests, pathogens and plant viruses following flooding.

Similarly, flooding research could also identify combinations of crops that can be planted together to suppress flooding impacts while finding regenerative agricultural practices that do help to mitigate flooding impacts on plants.

Financial investments in flooding research are necessary. These can come through governments’ national science funding agencies.

In the United States, for example, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and United States Department of Agriculture are big funders of research. To ensure that these emerging climate change associated stressors, particularly flooding and its impacts on agricultural crops are addressed via research, special proposal calls can be advertised and funds set aside to specifically fund flooding related research.

There are indicators that we are moving in the right direction. Recently, the BIDEN-Harris administration, through NOAA funded over $22.78 M to advance research of water-related climate impacts .

However, though encouraging most of the funded projects are on modelling and improving prediction of flooding.

For example, $7.6 M was awarded to fund work to create street-level maps of potential flood, improve models of how water cycles through nations rivers, all of which will help communities and businesses better understand the effects of extreme rainfall.

None of the projects focused on understanding and predicting the impacts flooding will have on agricultural plants or finding solutions to conquer the negative impacts flooding has on plants, soils and beneficial microbes that underpin plant health and productivity. These are areas that must be funded, too.

Funding flooding research and research surrounding building climate resilience would help ensure that lives are saved, infrastructure-related damage is cut down. Importantly, funding flooding research would help to cut down the devastating impacts flooding has on agricultural crops and the financial burdens that come about after flooding including government and insurance payouts to those that are impacted.

A 2024 climate resiliency report revealed that for every $1 invested in preparing for climate change associated disasters saves communities $13 in damages and economic impacts.

Similarly, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, every $1 invested in prevention and preparedness can save up to US$15 in damages and economic costs.

Research has continued to provide sustainable solutions to climate change-associated disasters. Investing in flooding research today will prepare us for tomorrow and a future where flooding events are expected to increase.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Eventually, flooding waters recede, leaving behind a path of destruction and a fundamentally different habitat for non-human beings including plants and soil dwelling macro and microorganisms. Credit: Shutterstock.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Oct 21 2024 (IPS)

Hurricanes Helene and Milton resulted in record-setting rain, flooding, and flash flooding events across several states, including Florida and North Carolina, leaving devastating impacts on people, communities, and infrastructure that will require many years of rebuilding and recovery.

Rarely making to the headlines are the devastating impacts that hurricanes and record-breaking flooding events have on economically important commodity crops, and horticultural and agricultural plants important for meeting and  nutrition security needs.

Similarly, rarely making the headlines are the  devastating consequences flooding has on soil, soil biology and soil health as well as microscopic and macroscopic soil dwelling organisms.

Rarely making to the headlines are the devastating impacts that hurricanes and record-breaking flooding events have on economically important commodity crops, and horticultural and agricultural plants important for meeting and  nutrition security needs

The lack of coverage about the impacts flooding events have on non-human beings needs to change.

Alarmingly, recent research that has investigated the impacts flooding has on soils and has revealed that flooding negatively affects soil biology, functioning and soil microbial communities that underpin plant health.

This includes earthworms, insect larvae, springtails, and beneficial soil microbe communities that perform fundamental functions, including breaking down plant residues, recycling nutrients, and improving crop growth functions.

Moreover, flooding can further lead to soil contamination by heavy metals including copper, iron, zinc, cadmium which further alters fungal and microbial soil communities.

The rapid decline in soil oxygen levels during flooding causes changes in soil biology and microbial communities that are important for maintaining soil health.

Rapidly declining oxygen levels further lead to dramatic changes of soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties including soil pH and nutrient concentrations.

Additionally, flooding results in increases in concentrations of compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur, manganese, and iron which are toxic and harmful to native soil microbial communities.

Flooding research conducted in my lab at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign on corn and tomato, as well as  research conducted by other scholars, has shown that flooding is detrimental, and can cause up to 100 percent crop and yield losses.

Our research at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is not just about understanding the impacts of flooding. It’s about finding solutions.

Specifically,  in my lab we investigate the molecular, physiological, metabolic, biochemical, and developmental changes flooding have on diverse tomato and corn varieties.

We also explore how flooding affects plants’ ability to defend themselves against leaf chewing pest caterpillars. Finally, we are examining the effects of flooding on soil microbial communities.

 Notably and worryingly, our experiments have revealed that flooding negatively impacts the growth and development of both tomato and maize plants.

In corn, we found that different plant varieties respond differently, and that some of the wild varieties that are no longer planted are more resistant to flooding. In tomato, we found differences in gene expression, plant chemistry and growth and development in two heirloom tomato varieties.

Eventually, flooding waters recede, leaving behind a path of destruction and a fundamentally different habitat for non-human beings including plants and soil dwelling macro and microorganisms. So far, we know very little about how non-human beings recover.

 It is time to appreciate and talk more about the impacts flooding has on non-human beings. It’s time to extend flooding research to answer the many unanswered questions.

Once we understand flooding impacts, we can develop strategies to water-proof agricultural crops and accelerate progress in building climate-resilient plants.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Record-breaking rainfall and flooding are increasingly threatening our ability to grow essential crops like wheat, soybeans, and maize. Credit: Shutterstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Aug 9 2024 (IPS)

Tropical Storm Debby has resulted in record-setting rain and flooding events across several States, including Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and parts of Georgia and left a trail of damage including leaving Florida crops flooded.

Record-breaking rain, flooding events, and other weather impacts people and our ability to grow crops successfully, including wheat, soybeans, maize, and vegetable crops such as tomatoes, which we depend on to meet human food security and nutrition needs.

In the US Midwest, for example, flooding events of 2019 resulted in economic impacts exceeding 6-8 billion USD. In 2023, weather-related disasters resulted in over $21 billion in crop losses. On the African continent, a recent study found that record-breaking rainfall and flooding events contributed to food insecurity.

Predictably, like humans, plants, including maize, soybeans, and tomatoes, are sensitive to flooding. I have seen firsthand the detrimental impacts flooding has on crops such as maize and tomato as a child growing up on a farm in Kenya and today as a University Professor and a researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign working on a flooding field study that the United States Department of Agriculture funds.

Future climate projections reveal that record-breaking flooding events will happen more frequently. We must build a comprehensive understanding of flooding. Investing in research and involving all stakeholders is the way forward

During flooding, plant growth and development are impacted by the deprivation of oxygen, an essential and indispensable element that powers all critical below-and-aboveground plant life-sustaining metabolic and physiological processes, including respiration and photosynthesis.

Ultimately, depending on several factors, including crop genetics, soil and agricultural management practices, temperatures, and crop stage, when flooding happens, plant development and growth are impacted with consequences for yield crop supply and food nutrition and security.

There is an urgent need to understand flooding’s impacts on agriculturally relevant crops. Importantly, actionable plans and strategies must be implemented to strengthen crops’ resilience to record-breaking events. What can then be done?

To implement actionable strategies against flooding and its detrimental impacts on plants, federal funding agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, must invest in flooding research.

First, we must understand the short and long-term impacts of flooding on all crops. How do diverse crop varieties grown today across different environments respond to flooding? Such research would be instrumental in picking out flooding-resistant varieties and unpacking the characteristics and traits, including crop genetics, that underpin flooding resilience.

Such intelligence would then be used to breed climate-resilient crop varieties that can tolerate flooding and thrive under other climate-associated stressors now and into the future.

Second, we must understand the impacts flooding has on soil health, soil biology, and below-ground microorganisms that underpin plants and soil health. Healthy soil is a dynamic matrix that houses microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, that play diverse functions, including nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, promoting plant growth, and suppressing disease-causing pathogens.

Emerging research has revealed that during flooding, in response to declining oxygen levels, soil undergoes dramatic changes in its physical, chemical, and biological properties, including soil pH and nutrient concentrations.

Further, research evidence reveals the accumulation of toxic compounds such as manganese and hydrogen sulfide that can harm soil microbial communities. How long these flooding-induced and associated soil changes last and their impacts on beneficial soil microbe communities across different environments remain largely unknown.

In parallel, we need to understand the role that crop and soil management practices touted as regenerative play in mitigating flooding impacts on plants.

Ultimately, flooding research should be steered towards coming up with flooding solutions. What target solutions can be implemented after flooding to steer soils, soil microbiomes, and plants toward recovery? It will require a transdisciplinary approach, collaborative research, and the participation of all stakeholders- farmers, researchers, funding agencies, the private sector, government, and humanitarian organizations.

To be sure, short-term aid efforts that have traditionally occurred when flooding occurs, including actions taken by Florida, are necessary. Still, to face the reality of more flooding in the future, we need more research.

Future climate projections reveal that record-breaking flooding events will happen more frequently. We must build a comprehensive understanding of flooding. Investing in research and involving all stakeholders is the way forward.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Time is ripe to tap on this youthful Gen Z generation and ensure that they are supported financially and with the knowledge they need to lead the much-needed African agriculture revolution. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Jul 31 2024 (IPS)

Kenyan Gen Z recently led a series of historic protests that resulted in Kenya’s President rejecting the Finance Bill 2023 and dissolving his cabinet.  These protests are inspiring a wave of change, revolutions, and optimism in Kenya and the African Continent.

Importantly, these protests present Kenyans with a chance to reflect on governance and other fundamental issues including food insecurity and hunger, youth unemployment and an agricultural sector that is yet to deliver for Kenyans and the African continent.

The agricultural sector, that is a source of livelihood for over 70% of African citizens if tapped upon by Gen Zs can offer a crucial part of the solution to this dilemma.

For one, as a sector, agriculture provides multiple avenues for Gen Zs and youth to tap in- from the production all the way to marketing agricultural products to the consumers.

Further, according to the African Development Bank, and The World Bank this sector is projected to be worth around one trillion dollars by 2030, with opportunities at every stage of the agricultural value chain.

Gen Zs possess the energy and creativity needed to revolutionize African agricultural sector. They have college degrees, are tech-savvy, purpose-driven and entrepreneurial

At the same time, according to the world bank’s “Unlocking Africa’s Agricultural Potential” report, there are enormous opportunities stemming from the several areas where the sector is currently lagging.

These include the gap between regional demand and supply, the low adoption of irrigation technologies and climate-smart farming practices, limited use of inputs and new technologies including precision technologies, ranging from remote sensing platforms, use of sensors and drones, automated mechanical weeders drones, satellite powered weather stations, soil health determination and monitoring tools and artificial intelligence.

Gen Z and the youth can view these as opportunities that can be tapped on and leveraged to bring upon this agricultural revolution.

But to tap onto these opportunities presented by the agricultural sector value chain and to transform the sector into a high-technology powerhouse of innovation and a global food powerhouse, Gen Z will need to access financial capital and other investments.

Governments in African countries, including Kenya and other credible development funding agencies such as USAID, The Rockefeller foundation, and the African Development Bank, must finance entrepreneurial efforts and agriculture-focused startups launched by Gen Zs.

Indeed, Kenya’s and Africa’s Gen Zs have the potential to lead the much-needed Africa’s agricultural revolution that will see Kenya and other African countries produce abundant, safe and healthy food that will not only meet the continent’s food needs, but also be of such taste, class and distinction that the whole world will want it.

Gen Zs possess the energy and creativity needed to revolutionize African agricultural sector. They have college degrees, are tech-savvy, purpose-driven and entrepreneurial.

Time is ripe to tap on this youthful Gen Z generation and ensure that they are supported financially and with the knowledge they need to lead the much-needed African agriculture revolution. It will do more than produce food. It will create jobs, wealth and bring the much-needed makeover of the agricultural sector in Kenya and Africa.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In 2023, the United Nations released a report revealing that extreme weather disasters had incurred economic losses totaling $4 trillion, with significant impacts felt across various sectors, notably agriculture. Credit: Miriet Abrego / IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, US, Apr 10 2024 (IPS)

Recently, the United Nations in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization released a report that highlighted the impacts of climate change including on agriculture.

Additionally, the report highlighted the economic losses and other impacts extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and tropical cyclones have on agriculture.

Indeed, globally, and in the United States, record-breaking, extreme weather disaster events, such as flooding, storms, and droughts, have become extremely costly and excessively too common.

In dealing with record-breaking extreme weather events that directly and indirectly impact the agricultural sector, we must choose to launch multipronged solutions that leverage data, incorporate newly available climate solutions and innovations, and create incentives to amplify the adoptions of these solutions

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 377 events have resulted in losses of over $2.6 trillion have been documented. In 2023, the United Nations released a report showing that extreme weather disasters have resulted in economic losses worth $4 trillion, including in the agricultural sector.

Undoubtedly, this should worry all since the agricultural sector is vital for meeting our food and nutrition security needs. In the United States, for example, agriculture, food, and related industries contribute approximately $1.4 trillion to the gross domestic product.

In Asia, Africa, and many other continents, the agricultural sector is equally important, and further serves as a source of employment, and thus a poverty-reducing sector. According to UN FAO, agriculture accounts for over 35 percent of Africa’s GDP.

Emerging, therefore is the need for multipronged efforts to help to mitigate the impacts these climate change associated disasters have on agriculture.

First. Inform agricultural sector stakeholders including farmers about newly launched technologies and most recent science-backed climate solutions.

Researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators continue to bring to life novel technologies, climate solutions, and innovations that can be deployed to help to mitigate climate change impacts.

From artificial intelligence powered prediction models that can reliably forecast when disasters are going to happen, prompting stakeholders to act, to climate resilient crops, to regenerative agricultural practices such as cover cropping, mulching, and digging trenches that can help mitigate the impacts of drought and flooding to indoor agriculture that cushions agricultural crops from weather, pests and water and space limitations.

To make sure that this information is available, governments or innovators could keep a tab or have an inventory of all recent climate solutions. This can be a one stop database that carries the most recent info.  It could be in the form of a climate solutions dashboard.

Complementing information is the need to create incentives to accelerate the adoption of these newer climate solutions, technologies, and strategies. Monetary incentives, for example, could go a long way in facilitating the rapid adoption of research backed climate solutions for agriculture. For example, in Illinois, farmers who are practicing regenerative practices such as cover cropping are eligible for a three-year contract payment of $50 per acre.

Moreover, there is a need to actively engage the next generation of farmers. Programs such as the recently launched US Department of Agriculture climate corps, a program that will mobilize over 100 young people to help advance sustainable agriculture, is a move in the right direction.

Second. Continue to invest in research, entrepreneurs, agencies, and programs dedicated to climate research. 

Research continues to be central in helping to generate new solutions. As such, there is need to keep funding researchers that are actively engaged in research aimed at generating newer solutions or understanding the direct and indirect impacts of climate change associated disasters.

As an example, in 2023, USDA invested over $46M in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program that funds research that has over the years resulted in the development of climate-smart solutions. In the same year, The Rockefeller Foundation committed $1billion to advance climate solutions.

Third. Take good data before, during, and after climate disasters.

Good data can be leveraged to help address climate change impacts to agriculture including being used in machine learning, to help to create predictive models that are continuing to revolutionize our ability to predict disaster events and act. Moreover, data can be used to introduce real-time solutions while helping to accurately capture solutions that are working.

Certainly, data driven solutions will continue to be important now and in the future and should continue to be leveraged.

At the core of preventing direct impacts of weather events on the agricultural sector should be a respect for nature and biodiversity.

Indeed, we live in a biodiverse world, that has other creatures in our ecosystem. For example, the soil matrix is home to earthworms and microbes that underpin agricultural productivity. As such, strategies, solutions, and interventions rolled out should also protect these invisible friends.

In dealing with record-breaking extreme weather events that directly and indirectly impact the agricultural sector, we must choose to launch multipronged solutions that leverage data, incorporate newly available climate solutions and innovations, and create incentives to amplify the adoptions of these solutions. A functioning agricultural sector will continue to be important as we strive to meet our food and nutrition security needs.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urban Farm gardening project in New York City. Urban agriculture is a sustainable way of growing food and local economies and meeting food security needs for urban dwellers. Credit: Shutterstock

By Ifeanyi Nsofor and Esther Ngumbi
SILVER SPRING, Maryland / URBANA, Illinois, USA, Feb 15 2024 (IPS)

Recently, a group of non-profit organizations launched the Inaugural Souper Bowl of Caring – a nationwide movement to address hunger-related challenges. It was an opportunity for VIP guests to engage and lend their support to end food insecurity as part of the Super Bowl. The goal is to encourage every viewer of the Super Bowl to contribute $1 or one can of soup.

Initiatives such as the one launched by NGOs are important since they tackle a pressing challenge: ending food insecurity in the US.

Urban agriculture leads to efficient utilization of unused urban spaces such as empty parking lots, rooftops, and vacant plots of land. Such spaces can be used to grow a range of crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, lettuces, carrots, herbs, and even edible flowers

Currently, over 10% of Americans are food insecure. But while donations can help in the short-term, they need to be accompanied with other long-term solutions. Among the long-term solutions that Super Bowl 2024 VIPs, investors, companies that spent $7 million for 30-second spots of commercial time, and viewers can do is to invest in and support urban agriculture and urban farmers.

Why are urban farms worthy of this attention?

Urban agriculture is a sustainable way of growing food and local economies and meeting food security needs for urban dwellers. On the global level, 15% – 20% of the world’s food supply is sourced from urban areas. Urban farming is growing across many U.S. cities too – from Chicago to Urbana to Kansas to Washington DC to Minneapolis to Atlanta to New York to Los Angeles to Las Vegas where the 2024 Super Bowl championship is taking place.

Urban agriculture leads to efficient utilization of unused urban spaces such as empty parking lots, rooftops, and vacant plots of land. Such spaces can be used to grow a range of crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, lettuces, carrots, herbs, and even edible flowers.  Growing crops within urban centers makes them close to markets and it becomes easy for urban farm produce to be transported to markets. It is also seamless for urban residents to walk to urban farms and buy directly from the source. The proximity of foods to markets considerably contributes to fewer emissions and helps mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Urban agriculture can bring about several social, cultural and community benefits. For example, urban farms can serve as a community space, where different events including workshops, training, farm to dinner, you pick, and weddings happen.

They can help create food secure and resilient urban communities and serve as lifelines for urban dwelling citizens when the food supply chain is disrupted by weather events, pandemics such as covid19, cyber security attacks or plant diseases and pests outbreaks.

In the United States, urban farms can build up the workforce. By venturing into urban farming, communities build their local economies and provide job opportunities for people living in those communities. City Councils can support the creation of urban food hubs.

An example is the University of the District of Columbia food hubs located in food desert neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Food hubs comprise of food production, food preparation, food distribution, and waste and water recovery. These processes contribute to increasing the workforce in cities and overall economic growth.

Of course, urban farming cannot beat rural agriculture, nor take its place. But it offers an important way for people living in urban areas to gain access to local, fresh and culturally relevant foods.

Further, urban farming comes with its challenges. Soils in urban regions are particularly contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and copper. For example, Chicago’s soil lead concentrations are high.

Therefore, it is imperative to pay attention to the land’s history, especially soil history. Furthermore, a new study found that food from urban agriculture has a carbon footprint six times larger than conventionally grown produce. To mitigate this, urban agriculture practitioners can cultivate crops that are typically greenhouse-grown or air-freighted, in addition to making changes in site design and management.

Ultimately, there are economic, environmental, and social benefits that accrue from urban farming. The Super Bowl, with its huge viewership, could be an important platform to support urban farmers.

In preparation for the 2025 Super Bowl, Americans should consider contributing to the ‘Super Bowl of Caring’. Moving forward, it would be great to see urban farms take the center stage at the Super Bowl.

Food insecurity and food waste create a paradox that necessitates us to creatively address these two interlinked issues. Credit: Claudia Ciobanu / IPS

By Ifeanyi Nsofor and Esther Ngumbi
SILVER SPRING, Maryland / URBANA, Illinois, USA, Jan 25 2024 (IPS)

Ten percent of Americans live in food-insecure households. At the same time, the average U.S. family of four spends $1,500 each year on food that ends up uneaten. Food is the single most common material found in landfills; and food waste is responsible for 58% of landfill methane emissions released to the atmosphere. Food insecurity and food waste create a paradox that necessitates us to creatively address these two interlinked issues.

Both these issues are not just American problems, they are global. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, up to one third of all food produced goes to waste. And in a cruel twist, even as so much food goes to waste, more than one billion people are food insecure globally.

On the issue of food insecurity, countries have taken several approaches to address it, including policy level interventions. The White House, for example, created a task force to investigate the issue of hunger and food insecurity. It included it as a social determinant of health.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, up to one third of all food produced goes to waste. And in a cruel twist, even as so much food goes to waste, more than one billion people are food insecure globally

In Kenya, the government in collaboration with the World Bank through initiatives such as the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture and the National Agriculture Rural Inclusive Growth Project project is addressing food insecurity by deploying multiple strategies including providing farmers with inputs, offering them extension and climate advisory services, and facilitating market access.

It is important for governments to address these issues, but we must all do more. Here are five more ideas for tackling food insecurity and food waste.

First, tackle food waste at the production level. A recent study showed that inefficiencies in agricultural supply chains contribute 1.3 billion tons of food waste as it moves along to stores, restaurants and homes.

The U.S. government can promote a range of technological advancements to address this, including utilizing drones and cell phones and other technologies to accurately map what is being produced where and when including the expected yields, and timeframes.

Doing so would facilitate ensuring that all produced food can be marketed. Start-ups focused on ensuring all food that is produced is sold to consumers including through gleaning are at the forefront, championing these kinds of initiatives of urban gleaning programs in the US.

For example, there is a national map of gleaning, that rescues foods that would otherwise go to waste. These gleaning innovations serve a dual purpose – tackling hunger and food waste. Such innovations deserve to be promoted and invested in.

Second, farmers must develop innovative new crops that are resilient to climate change, easy to cultivate and packed with nutrients. An example is the biofortified orange-fleshed sweet potato developed at the International Potato Center and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This species of potato grows with less water, can withstand disease and contains nutrients necessary for growth and development. For example, it is fortified with vitamin A to protect children from vitamin A deficiency, which typically causes blindness, diarrhea, and immune disorders.

Research published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research shows that orange-fleshed sweet potato improves vitamin A status, increases the availability of different micronutrients and reduces vitamin A deficiency, and therefore reduces child mortality rates.

Third, introduce marketing innovations that encourage consumers to not only focus on buying better looking products, but also ensure that consumers can still buy not so perfect foods.

For instance, Asda recently introduced the UK’s first supermarket ‘wonky vegetable’ box. It contains enough ugly potatoes and knobbly carrots to feed a family of four for an entire week for just £3.50. The ‘wonky vegetable’ box contains in-season winter vegetables and salad ingredients at a price that is 30% cheaper than standard lines. Customers love wonky fruit and veg and sales have steadily increased.

Fourth, integrate artificial intelligence and big data analytics and support these recent innovations. To date, artificial intelligence has been utilized in the modern day to help tackle several challenges and it could be utilized to facilitate tackling this dual challenge.

These technologies can be used to forecast disruptions in the supply chain by using historical data that’s combined with real time data. In so doing, companies involved in food distribution can proactively anticipate and prepare for any logistical and weather-related challenges that may disrupt scheduled food supply and distribution channels.

Lastly, celebrate the use of innovative ways to address food waste in order to inspire others.

In Ghana, Elijah Amoo Adoo, founder of Food for all Africa – West Africa’s largest food bank found that 46% of the food produced on farms in the country goes to waste because of poor logistics and inefficient marketing.

Consequently, Food for all Africa collects leftover food close to its expiry date from local restaurants, supermarkets, food distribution companies, and rural small-hold farmers, and redistributes to disadvantaged children in orphanages, hospitals and lower-income schools. This is significant in a country where 28% of all children aged five years and below are stunted.

Of course, it will be important to consider barriers to innovations that address the dual challenge of food waste and food insecurity. These barriers range from availability of incentives to consumer willingness to accept and pay for these innovations as well as the relevance of these innovations to specific regions and cultures. But the tradeoff is worth the work – reduced hunger and reduced waste, and millions of lives improved.

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Nsofor, MBBS, MCommH (Liverpool) is Senior New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute, Senior Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity at George Washington University, 2006 Ford Foundation International Fellow.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The time is ripe to transform American agriculture from monoculture heavy farming and food systems to diversified cropping and food systems with a variety of crops including specialty crops. Credit: Bigstock.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Sep 8 2023 (IPS)

A few weeks ago, my husband and I drove from Illinois to Iowa to visit a friend. I was excited about my over 5 hours’ drive. Sadly, 60 minutes into the drive, my excitement fiddled out. I was bored.  Field after field, as far as my eyes could see, all I saw was either corn or soybean. I also noticed that the field margins were empty-with no sight of wildflowers.

Unfortunately, growing singular crop species, also known as monocropping, in which, all plants are genetically similar or identical over vast acres of land, is prevalent across the U.S. Midwest and North America because of current problematic policies that incentivizes the overproduction of crops such as corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat.

In 2023, for example, over 90 million of acres of corn and 82 million acres of soybean are being grown, accounting for almost over 70% of the planted farmland in the United States according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

In 2023, for example, over 90 million of acres of corn and 82 million acres of soybean are being grown, accounting for almost over 70% of the planted farmland in the United States according to the United States Department of Agriculture

Not only has this system resulted into the overproduction of a few crop species, it has also resulted in a biodiversity loss including a reduction in insect diversity.

In addition, monoculture cropping systems have led to increases of many unsustainable and environmental damaging practices by farmers including the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Furthermore, monocropping contributes to pollinators death and reduces the biodiversity of soil dwelling microorganisms, including beneficial soil microbes that underpin soil and crop health while harming the U.S. waterways. Undoubtedly, the current monocropping agricultural system prevalent in North America is unsustainable.

The time is ripe to diversify U.S. Midwest farms and farms across America. Diversified agriculture and farming systems are a set of methods and tools developed to produce food sustainably by leveraging ecological diversity at plot, field and landscape scales.

There are several strategies including incorporating diverse crop rotations, intercropping, cover cropping, and agroforestry.

Indeed, the time is ripe to transform American agriculture from monoculture heavy farming and food systems to diversified cropping and food systems with a variety of crops including specialty crops. The time is ripe to consider planting pollinator strips and filling the field margins with wildflowers. There are many benefits that can emerge if American agriculture were to diversify.

First, there is long-term evidence that shows that diversifying crop systems can increase agricultural resilience to the extremities and disturbances that come along with a changing climate including drought, heat waves, insect pest outbreaks and flooding.

Second, diversified cropping systems can improve soil fertility and soil health, lower pressure of pests and weeds.

Third, diversified agroecosystems will also become home to biologically diversified species including insect species that predate on insect pests. This will ultimately become a strategy to reduce the usage of harmful pesticides and support sustainable insect control.

Indeed, recent scientific evidence reaffirms that diversification promotes multiple ecosystem services including pollination, pest control and water regulation without compromising yields.

There is glimmer of hope that a wave of change is beginning.

Several agencies, including Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), the US Forest Service, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, are promoting different crop diversification strategies and highlighting the benefits that come with cropping systems diversification.

According to SARE, for example, diversifying cropping systems can lead to many benefits including spreading farmers economic risks, exploiting profitable niche markets and creating new industries based on agriculture that can make communities competitive while strengthening and enhancing quality of life, and ultimately, aid the domestic economy.

It is encouraging that research funding agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture are funding research aiming to diversify cropping systems in the Midwest and across America. Purdue University, for example, was awarded a $10 million grant to diversify the Corn Belt.  Corteva recently posted a call for proposals that propose novel solutions to enable intercropping practices for agricultural intensification.

Complementing funding is the beginning of curation of datasets and comprehensive meta-analysis studies documenting outcomes of diversified farming practices including for biodiversity, yields, and economic returns.

These datasets that also showcase diversification as a pathway to more sustainable agricultural production serve as a resource for researchers, farmers, and practitioners since they pinpoint where diversified systems have effectively contributed to sustainable food production outcomes without compromising the economic returns.

Of course, to facilitate the shift in paradigm from monocropping to diversified cropping systems, we must confront the barriers to cropping system diversification  including lack of equipment to facilitate farming of other crops and  lack of a niche market for alternative crops.

At the root of this wave of change is the need to change the agricultural policies to promote diversified farming. Removing commodity crop subsides and reallocating the money to farms that practice diversified farming is one strategy that can accomplish this.

Changing these systems will take everyone including farmers, legislators, scientists, and advocates.

Diversifying America’s cropping and food systems is critical to meeting American food security needs and strengthening it in the face of climate change. Diversifying American agriculture will also help in keeping America as a model country to be emulated. It is a win-win for everyone.

There is an urgent need to have actionable strategies to help strengthen plants and agricultural resilience to drought, heat waves, elevated temperatures, flooding, extreme precipitation, and insect outbreaks. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Aug 18 2023 (IPS)

Across the U.S., and around the world, extremes in weather patterns, from drought to excessive heat to flooding to wildfires to outbreaks of insect pests and disease have become frequent and are predicted to continue to become more intense because of climate change, and the warming of our planet.

These reoccurring climate-linked extreme events serve as warning signals that no state, country, or region is immune to climate change. Leaders and citizens in all areas must act with urgency to mitigate this existential threat to humanity.

As leaders around the world consider climate mitigation initiatives, they need to be sure to strengthen agricultural crops’ resilience to extreme heat, drought, insect herbivory and flooding, that have become increasingly common

These record-breaking and historical extremes in weather, impacting farmers and our ability to grow essential agricultural crops such as maize, wheat, soybeans, wheat, and vegetables including tomatoes, mark a pivotal moment for all of us, including scientists, and policy makers at both the state and federal levels. Much more needs to happen to strengthen agricultural systems of today so that crops can withstand these adversities.

As leaders around the world consider climate mitigation initiatives, they need to be sure to strengthen agricultural crops’ resilience to extreme heat, drought, insect herbivory and flooding, that have become increasingly common.

Like humans, crops are sensitive to drought and extreme heat and the interactions of drought and heat. When temperatures are high, normal crop growth and development is affected. Further, several important crop physiological processes such as respiration, photosynthesis and transpiration are affected by heat stress.

Similarly, agricultural crops including maize and vegetable crops such as tomato are also sensitive to excessive rainfall and flooding stress when it happens individually or in combination with other stressors. Evidence to date reveals that, in fact, excessive rainfall results in maize yield losses of comparable magnitude to drought.

Ultimately, because of extremes brought about by climate change, plants’ normal growth is affected with consequences for yields, food supply and security as well as agriculture. This is problematic for many reasons, including because agriculture is an important sector of economies of the US, the UK, France and many African countries.

Of concern are the cascading consequences and other legacy effects that may linger on, long after extreme events such as drought have happened. These legacy effects affect both soils, microbial communities living in the soils and the health of crop plants that are grown in years to come.

Clearly, there is an urgent need to have actionable strategies to help strengthen plants and agricultural resilience to drought, heat waves, elevated temperatures, flooding, extreme precipitation, and insect outbreaks.

Strengthening the resilience of agricultural and crop plants demands the incorporation of multiple actionable strategies.

Among the actionable strategies is to encourage farmers to adopt climate-smart practices. Climate smart practices include many approaches ranging from planting heat and drought tolerant crop varieties to planting varieties that have been bred to enhance their photosynthetic capacities and water use efficiencies when periods of stress occur, to applying products such as silicon and silicone nanoparticles to applying inoculants that are made from naturally occurring beneficial soil microbes that can confer tolerance to heat and drought among other stressors.

In addition, growers can adopt soil health conservation practices including planting cover crops, mulching, and practicing no till or reduced tillage. All these practices ultimately improve soil health. It’s a win-win,

In parallel, there is need to fund research to understand how agricultural crops respond to drought, flooding, insect herbivory outbreaks and other climate-linked stresses. There is need to fund research that breeds crops that can grow under the new climate extremes including crops that can grow and produce when two stressors happen in combination.

All these actionable strategies require some form of capital; hence it is important for growers to be assisted with the capital and other inputs they need to adopt climate-smart strategies and other soil health conservation practices. Governments, NGO’s, private funders must work together and create partnerships that seek to ensure that growers and researchers have funds needed to adopt these practices.

In dealing with climate change extremes that threaten the growth, development, and the health of agricultural crops that are important to meet our food security needs, we must choose to facilitate the adoption of practices that strengthen crops resilience to these stressors. Every investment in research and funding the adoption of these strategies by growers helps.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The rapid decline of insects is caused by multiple factors including climate change and agriculture, increases in the usage of insecticides and  herbicides, deforestation, urbanization, and light pollution. Credit: Zadie Neufville/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Jan 27 2023 (IPS)

Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture granted a conditional license for the first-ever honeybee vaccine. This is an exciting step that will protect bees from American foulbrood disease and ultimately help to stop the alarming decline in their numbers.

But the honeybee is just one of the many described insect species whose declining numbers has entomologists like me, environmentalists, and everyday citizens who love insects including Monarch butterflies worried. Across the U.S. and around the world there is a growing body of evidence and trend of insect decline. It’s so bad, that many are calling it the insect apocalypse.

Currently, there are over 1 million described species. But in study after study, review after review the story has remained the same: we are losing insects at unprecedented rates. The rapid decline of insects is caused by multiple factors including climate change and agriculture, increases in the usage of insecticides and  herbicides, deforestation, urbanization, and light pollution.

Currently, there are over 1 million described species. But in study after study, review after review the story has remained the same: we are losing insects at unprecedented rates

Everyone should be worried about this trend. Insects, including bees, ants, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, and grasshoppers, make up over 80% of terrestrial species on Earth. Insects are a keystone species that provide invaluable ecosystem services  – from pollination, to biological control to serving as bio-indicators of healthy soils and streams.

Annually, in the United States, the economic value of the vital ecosystem services performed by insects is estimated to be $57 billion.  In addition, over 75% of agricultural crop species and 85% wild flowering plants are pollinated by insects Furthermore, insects like dung beetles perform important functions like breaking down manure which is a service important to the U.S. cattle industry.

A world without insects would be disastrous. Insects are food to other species including birds and their demise would have catastrophic effects on food webs.

Human food and nutrition security also benefits from insects. Essential micronutrients in the human diet (antioxidants, vitamins A and C, lycopene, folic acid, and tocopherol) are derived from insect-pollinated crops, primarily citrus and other fruits and vegetables including tomatoes.

In total, pollinator mediated crops account for about 40% of global nutrient supply for humans. Conversely, the loss of insects can worsen hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies), which afflicts over 2 billion individuals globally. It can further threaten global food security and public, human, and environmental health.  Ultimately losing insects contributes to decreasing biodiversity with a devastating impact on life on Earth.

Clearly, we need insects. The U.S. government, policy makers, scientists like me and everyday citizens should act with urgency to prevent further declines in their numbers

Protecting insects from national and global declines will require a combination of approaches including several actions that individuals can take.

First, since habitat destruction is among the largest drivers of insect declines, it is important that countries — beginning with the U.S. — create diverse landscapes. This includes forestland, meadows, and prairies to provide a variety of food and nesting resources for insects.

Everyday citizens can contribute to the attainment of this goal by planting native plants and maintaining pollinator gardens. In addition, individuals who keep lawns can consider converting them to diverse natural habitats.

Second, we must reduce insecticide and herbicides usage. Managing pests and weeds can be done by using integrated pest management approaches or integrated vegetation management approaches. These approaches promote the use of safer alternatives and encompass multiple non-chemical methods such as the use of resistant cultivars, trap cropping, and crop rotation.

Third, we can reduce light pollution. Evidence available suggests that light pollution is a driver of insect declines as it interferes with insect foraging, development, movement and their reproductive success. Simple actions like turning outdoor lights off at night can make a huge difference.

Fourth, do your part to help reduce carbon emissions. Climate change is among the biggest drivers of insect decline. Simple actions by everyday citizens like biking to work and using renewable energy sources can make a difference.

Fifth, you can choose to become an ambassador and advocate for insects and insect conservation. Begin by learning about the local, regional, national, and global policies that are in place to protect insects to prevent further insect decline.

Furthermore, encourage elected officials and all forms of governments – from local to state to federal — to pass laws and policies to protect insects while implementing measures such as setting aside protected land spaces including parks to serve as refuge spaces for insects.

Complementing the above actions is the need to support research and educational institutions, professional societies, and  nonprofit organizations that are actively addressing insect decline issues through research and taking actions to protect our natural world and conserve ecosystems that are home to insect species. These include the Entomological Society of America , The International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology, and  The Xerces Society.

Finally, research and research funding are needed both now and in the future. This can help facilitate discovery of more insect species, monitor and document insect biodiversity across a diversity of landscapes and ecosystems and help us understand all facets of insect biology in natural and managed settings.

We need insects. Our ecosystems need insects. We must commit to doing something to protect them. Their existence is essential for a sustainable future.

Esther Ngumbi, PhD is Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, African American Studies Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urgent immediate actions must be taken now, both to address the crisis in the short-term and long-term. Credit: James Jeffrey/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Nov 2 2022 (IPS)

The statistics are stark. The crisis is unprecedented. Yet again, according to the United Nations, famine looms in Somalia, with hundreds of thousands already facing starvation. In addition, droughts, and catastrophic hunger levels have left over 500,000 children malnourished and at risk of dying. This is already nearly 200,000 more than the 2011 famine. Urgent immediate actions must be taken now, both to address the crisis in the short-term and long-term.

Circumstances have been building up for the last four years to create this current crisis. Rainy seasons have failed for the last four years which has left many farmers without livestock or crops. Further, compounding the impact is the fact that the drought has coincided with a global rise in food, fuel, and fertilizer prices, the Ukrainian war, and the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The future isn’t promising either. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the forecasts reveal high chances of drier-than-average conditions in the horn of Africa. Other issues that are likely to persist in the future include food crises, civil war, and political instability.

Fixing the hunger crisis at the horn of Africa will require much more than emergency aid. Stakeholders must also roll out long-term solutions. For each dollar spent on humanitarian aid, 50 cents should go to long term solutions

Not only can the famine lead to untimely deaths, but hunger can affect people in other ways, particularly children. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that malnutrition was linked with cognitive development. In Ethiopia, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that malnutrition affected the academic performance of elementary school children. Another review also linked malnutrition with impaired brain development.

In a study that compared children of average nutrition with their malnourished peers, it was shown that malnourished children had lower IQs, lower school performance and  less cognitive functioning. Left unchecked, malnutrition can be far-reaching and have a devastating and incalculable impact on children’s future potential.

What can be done differently now and in the coming years?

Immediately, there is need for humanitarian aid. Thankfully, organizations including the UN World Food Programme (UN-WFP), UNICEF and other NGOs are doing everything they can to provide food to the people that are suffering the most. UN-WFP, for example is delivering life-saving food and cash assistance.  UNICEF is delivering ready-to-use therapeutic foods to treat children with severe acute malnutrition. It has also deployed mobile teams to find and treat children with severe malnutrition.

But, as we have repeatedly seen, providing aid is like putting on a band-aid. It is a temporary fix. Often, the international community and stakeholders react to crises in this way. After many years- it should be clear that short fixes in the form of humanitarian aid, including bursts of cash and food assistance to those most affected, are unsustainable.

Clearly, given how often drought and famine are issues, fixing the hunger crisis at the horn of Africa will require much more than emergency aid. Stakeholders must also roll out long-term solutions. For each dollar spent on humanitarian aid, 50 cents should go to long term solutions. For example, the UNICEF appeals for US$222.3 million dollars to provide humanitarian services to 2.5 million people in Somalia. Out of the entire amount, half of that should go to long-term projects that solve the root causes of hunger.

Undoubtedly, droughts are recurrent because of failed rainy seasons. There is need to roll out water projects to meet the water needs of growing crops for food for the impacted communities and their livestock. It is a no brainer. Just like the gas stations in America and other developed nations are present in every corner, there should be water stations every 10 or 20 miles.

This would be water sourced from aquifers and underground sources. Half of the funds received by the UN agencies, for example, could go towards actualizing this bold effort of drilling these water stations across Somalia. For example, out of the $222.3 million UNICEF is asking for, $111, should go to drilling water in Somalia.

With water, Somalia and other African countries that consistently are impacted by recurrent droughts, can diversify the crops they produce. More importantly, they can be able to implement climate smart practices and other local solutions.

Simultaneously, as water projects are rolled out, African countries including Somalia need to have clear, systematic, and holistic plans of how to solve climate linked extremes including drought, extreme temperatures, frequent insect outbreaks that are inextricably linked.

Planning should go hand in hand with strong documentation of what was done, how it was done, and how successful or unsuccessful it was in solving the crisis. At the moment, Somalia and other African countries lack accountability and transparency about what initiatives and strategies are implemented following early warnings. We will never make headways into solving these recurring crises, if we are not documenting what has been done, what worked and what failed.

Importantly, like any other crises, there is need to keep thinking of new solutions to roll out. As such, think tanks – that draw from in-country experts, diaspora, public, private, NGO and other stakeholder coalitions – need to research concrete strategies that can be implemented, tracked, and scaled.

We must invest in long-term solutions if we are to solve once and for all the recurrent drought, hunger and famines in Somalia and other African countries. Investing in long-term initiatives will not only solve hunger, but it will also reignite sustainable development and bring prosperity to communities. It is a win for all.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Vertical farm in Finland. Credit: Creative Commons.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Sep 16 2022 (IPS)

Cities across the world including New Jersey and  California, a State that is home to a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry, have continued to experience climate change linked extreme events including scorching temperatures, extreme heat events, heavy storms and flooding with devastating impacts on agriculture, food security,  and  food systems.

Challenges in agriculture and food systems, particularly in urban areas and cities around the world, present an opportunity to re-imagine urban agriculture and increase production and processing of food in and around urban areas.  Doing so could feed billions, but it will take investment, collaboration, research, and innovation.

The growth in vertical farming and urban farms and the accompanying research evidence demonstrating that urban farming can be highly productive is a good trend that should have support by governments, private industry, philanthropists, NGO and research institutions and universities

Promisingly, there are several innovative approaches to growing food in urban areas around the world that are already helping. One example is vertical farming that uses abandoned buildings, warehouses, and skyscrapers to grow food. Other approaches include growing food in trendy rooftop gardens.

In New Jersey, Aerofarms, for example, has the capacity to produce approximately 19,000 pounds of vegetables annually. In Chicago, Wilder Fields, a vertical farm has the capacity to produce 25 million heads of fresh lettuce.

These urban growing food approaches that are no longer a futuristic concept  have several advantages to traditional farming.  First, these approaches do not need soil. Instead, they use other growing medium such as hydroponics and other nutrient enhanced growth medium. Second, because production happens indoors with no definitive growing seasons, reliable production can take place all year round. Third, vertical farms use less water and have short production times.

Moreover, fresh food grown in vertical farms travels fewer miles to the grocery stores as opposed to conventional produce that must travel thousands of miles by plane or truck. Because the crops are shielded from several challenges that conventional agriculture faces including extreme weather events, and crop devouring insect pests, vertical agriculture could see increased yields and food production. Vertical farming can indeed meet food production needs in an environmentally sustainable way.

Urban city consumers have also contributed to an increase in vertical farms, as they are increasingly taking into consideration the ecological footprint of the food they are consuming.

Encouragingly, in recent years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of vertical farming enterprises, particularly in Asia and North America. In the US, there are several vertical farms including AeroFarms, Green Spirit Farms, BrightFarms, Gotham Greens, Freight Farms, Chicago, New Jersey, and Detroit.

The growth in vertical farming and urban farms and the accompanying research evidence demonstrating that urban farming can be highly productive is a good trend that should have support by governments, private industry, philanthropists, NGO and research institutions and universities.

To encourage continuous growth in vertical farming and growing food in urban areas, and make urban areas agricultural powerhouses, there needs to be sustained research, innovation, and funding support from diverse funding sources.

The good news is that some of the key things that need to happen to sustain growth of vertical farming are happening.  The United States Department of Agriculture, for example, convened a stakeholder workshop that solely focused on vertical agriculture and sustainable urban ecosystems  and further held small group discussion that focused on many areas that are critical to thriving vertical farms such as plant breeding, engineering and pest management.  Additionally, USDA released a call for funding, to support research on urban agriculture.

At the same time, there has been an increase in peer reviewed articles and research about vertical farming. This includes research addressing its economic feasibility, system designs and optimizations, breeding plant varieties, optimizing nutrients used in vertical farming,  use of robotics technology to automate harvesting , and  effective and best practices for management of pests.

Of course, to upscale vertical farming and to ensure that all cities, and not just a few cities, have at least one vertical farm, it will take much more. Among the things that are needed is the formation of task forces consisting of diverse stakeholders that will be charged with coming up with strategic plans, policies, recommendations, and assessments of what it will take to grow urban farms in cities. In the US, for example, the White House in conjunction with the USDA and all elected city mayors and public and private research universities can join efforts.

Complementing the above efforts is the need to keep building databases of urban agriculture initiatives, encourage more private sector funding, create policies to support the sustainable growth of urban farms including vertical farms, and launch urban agriculture research initiatives that are housed in universities that are located near cities.

Time is ripe to re-imagine urban agriculture with vertical farming. The ongoing global food crisis, particularly in urban areas, presents a unique opportunity to grow and strengthen this revolutionary and sustainable food production approach.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Heat waves increase the risks of crop failures, threatening food security for billions of people. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Jul 29 2022 (IPS)

Across the U.S., and around the world, particularly Europe, heat records are being shattered. Accompanying these extreme temperatures are fires caused by the heat that are burning both homes and forests. While extreme heat is impacting some areas of the world, flooding is impacting other areas including Colorado and Virginia in the U.S., and in other countries around the world including Brazil and Ecuador.

These climate-linked events that are occurring in regions and areas that have never been impacted before send the signal that no one is immune to climate change. All countries and citizens must act with urgency to mitigate this existential threat.

As countries consider climate mitigation initiatives, they need to be sure to strengthen agricultural crops’ resilience to extreme heat, drought, insect herbivory and flooding, that have become increasingly common

Indeed, these historical catastrophes create an important moment for all of us, including policy makers at both the state and federal level, to roll out bold reforms on many issues, including heat and agriculture.

As countries consider climate mitigation initiatives, they need to be sure to strengthen agricultural crops’ resilience to extreme heat, drought, insect herbivory and flooding, that have become increasingly common. These crops include maize, rice, soybeans, wheat and tomatoes.

Like humans, crops are sensitive to extreme heat. When temperatures increase, crops wither, their health deteriorates, and normal development is affected. Studies have shown that crops and crop varieties that are susceptible to heat stress are impacted the most.

Heat stress causes the deterioration of several important plant physiological processes including photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. Further, it causes the accumulation of toxic substances in plant cells including phenolic compounds and reactive oxygen species.

Plants’ ability to grow is affected and their life cycle is shortened. Ultimately, crop yields are reduced with consequences for food supply and agriculture, an important sector of the economies of many countries including the US, the UK, Spain, France and many African countries.

In the US, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, agriculture and related industries contributed $1.055 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020. In the UK, in 2021, agriculture contributed around 0.5% to the economy.

In China, the agricultural sector contributes 8.9% to China’s GDP.  In African countries and other emerging countries, agriculture can account for more than 25% of GDP according to the World Bank.

Heat waves increase the risks of crop failures, threatening food security for billions of people.

Indeed, scientists around the world have generated evidence of the crop and yield losses associated with heat waves and extreme temperatures. A 2017 study that examined extensive published results showed that temperature increase reduces global yields. Similarly, a 2018 study that examined more than 82,000 yield data from 17 European countries also found the same trend.

Crop failures and productivity losses due to excessive heat, drought and flooding are taking place in many countries.  The magnitude of these crop failures, however, varies enormously depending on the region and its wealth.

African countries, for example, suffer the most. A 2022 report prepared by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on climate change reported that intense heat waves, frequent droughts and floods have reduced agricultural productivity in African countries by 34 percent.

Worrying is the fact that crop devouring pests such as the fall armyworm and locusts, pests that have emerged to be serious pests also thrive when temperatures exceed the normal. Because insects are poikilothermic (meaning their temperature varies with the environment), elevated temperatures are associated with increased metabolic rate and an increased consumption of plants, leading to greater damage.

Additionally, insects like the fall armyworm can adjust their life-history strategies, further allowing them to thrive across a wide range of stressful temperatures. What’s more is that recent models suggest that each additional degree of warming will increase crop losses to insects by 10-25 percent.

It’s clear that as governments begin to strategize on how to mitigate heat waves, and other climate change brought about extremes, they must not forget agriculture.

Strengthening agricultural resilience can include developing disaster preparedness and response plans, continuing to fund agricultural research and other climate change research and accelerating outreach and education about climate-smart practices.

Climate-smart practices that can alleviate crop failures when extreme temperatures arise are diverse and include:

1. Planting heat and drought tolerant crop varieties that have been bred to enhance their photosynthetic capacities and water use efficiencies when periods of stress occur
2. Applying products such as silicon and silicone nanoparticles,  and
3. Using inoculants made from naturally occurring beneficial soil microbes that can confer tolerance to heat and drought among other stressors.

Thankfully science researchers around the world continue to advance our understanding of crops response to climate-linked stresses. We can learn from them.

In the race to mitigate climate change brought about heat waves, we must not forget strengthening agriculture.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Hunger and food insecurity impact more than 38 million Americans. Black and Hispanic families and other minority groups including LGBTQ folks, consistently and disproportionally experience food insecurity.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Jun 15 2022 (IPS)

This September, the White House will convene a conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Leading up to the conference, the White House is organizing several virtual listening sessions across America to hear firsthand from people impacted by food insecurity and to collect ideas about how to end hunger and hunger-related diseases and disparities.

Hunger and food insecurity impact more than 38 million Americans. Black and Hispanic families and other minority groups including LGBTQ folks, consistently and disproportionally experience food insecurity compared with their white and straight counterparts particularly. Thus, this attention to the issue is long overdue.

African Americans still trail Whites in the overall use of the internet; 34% of Black adults do not have access to home broadband and 30.6% of Black households lack high-speed home internet. In addition, racial minorities and those with lower education levels and income are less likely to have broadband service at home

However, the strategy the White House is taking – hosting virtual listening sessions – is problematic in many ways. As much as they have good intentions, it may not yield the much-needed input necessary to accelerate progress and make significant policy changes to end hunger.

Instead, sadly, the White House hearings will likely only provide a small picture of the problem as it will be an effort the privileged are most able to join. Participating in these hearings necessitates that you have access to the Internet and you are aware of the listening sessions.

This likely means you are part of networks or have access to channels where the announcement was disseminated. Most importantly, joining the listening sessions is something that one must have the privilege of extra time to attend.

Unfortunately, Americans who are impacted hardest by food insecurity – the people President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris need to hear from – may not have one or all of these privileges. For instance, if we look at Internet access, according to Pew Research Center Report,

African Americans still trail Whites in the overall use of the internet; 34% of Black adults do not have access to home broadband and 30.6% of Black households lack high-speed home internet. In addition, racial minorities and those with lower education levels and income are less likely to have broadband service at home.

Moreover, according to Pew Research, 10 percent of Americans that do not use the internet live in rural areas– areas where food insecurity is prevalent. The major reason many Black families living in urban and rural communities do not have access to the privilege of having internet access is the cost.

Unsurprisingly, because of persistent racial inequities, African Americans and other minority groups that are most impacted by hunger may not have the privilege of time, since many have to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet.

Worse still, for many African Americans, despite working more every year, they hold much less wealth and experience higher rates of unemployment and have no tangible economic advancements.

Thus, rather than hold virtual listening sessions only to create a national plan on how to address hunger and food insecurity, the White House should consider adding other creative platforms to be more inclusive.

The most obvious one to implement is bringing the listening tours offline to the people in the communities and spaces where food security impacted people live in.

The easiest way to do this is to hold meetings and convening gatherings where people already go. As an example, the White House could convene in-person roundtable listening sessions at food banks across America, where according to Feeding America, close to 60 million Americans who are food insecure visit regularly.

Doing so would require the White House to partner with food banks and other organizations where people impacted by food security get food from.  Another prime location for listening sessions would be churches. Churches have an existing relationship with their participating members and can be used as a platform to solicit for stories and ideas.

The Center for Disease Control and other groups  that worked to increase the number of people that got vaccinated successfully undertook this same tactic and saw an increase in the number of people agreeing to be vaccinated. As an example, partnering with Black and African American churches in areas with low vaccination rates resulted in an increase in the number of people getting vaccinated.

Additionally, rather than hold a few virtual listening sessions that have set dates and times, the White House could partner and coordinate with hunger and food insecurity community-based organizations that have existing relationships with the people so that they hold multiple listening sessions.

These groups can create ways for additional feedback and ideas to be shared with the White House, and at the same time, the White House can use these community-trusted organizations to share additional updates on future White House efforts to end hunger. It’s a win -win.

Without a doubt, solving complex problems like hunger and food insecurity needs to be a united effort where everyone’s input, voice, and ideas are listened to and considered.

Achieving that necessitates that the White House considers other creative ways to solicit ideas and stories from those who have been impacted by hunger and food insecurity and to center the ideas they provide in the national plan outlining how America will end hunger. It is the right thing to do.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Derived from naturally occurring microorganisms, microbial inoculants offer the same benefits as chemical fertilizers while reducing agricultural systems environmental footprint, according to the author. CREDIT: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, May 9 2022 (IPS)

Around the world, commercial fertilizer prices are soaring, pushing farmers and countries into a frenzy. In addition, soaring fertilizer prices are sparking fears of inflation, food supply shortages and food insecurity. There are several reasons that have contributed to the rising fertilizer prices including the Russian-Ukrainian war and the global pandemic.

To avert the ongoing fertilizer crisis, farmers in developed and developing countries alike, could turn into other alternative products such as microbial inoculants. Derived from naturally occurring microorganisms, including the billions of beneficial bacteria that teem in the soil near plant roots, microbial inoculants offer the same benefits as chemical fertilizers while reducing agricultural systems environmental footprint.

Moreover, scientific evidence, generated over the years including through both long-term studies and short-term studies have shown that these microbes when applied directly to seeds can improve the crop growth, nutrition, and productivity. As an example, a 10-year long-term field study carried in Germany showed that beneficial microbes increase maize plant growth and the availability of phosphorous – and essential plant nutrient – in the soil. In Italy, beneficial soil microbes improved tomato yields. In the US,

Due to their popularity, microbial inoculants are currently valued at $12.9 billion. Complementing their popularity is the proliferation in the number of start-ups and companies developing and commercializing microbial products. These include AgBiome, Indigo, Novozymes, Corteva, BASF, and Bayer.

What’s more is that these microbes can provide other benefits to plants including helping them to tolerate drought and hot temperatures that have increasingly become common with climate change. Further, they can increase plant defenses against crop damaging insects. These products also offer environmentally sustainable integrated crop management.

Cost wise, in the US, for example,  microbial inoculants are relatively priced, from $30 – $100 per gallon.

Of course, there remains a few challenges including the often-cited inconsistent results and  concerns that these products could eventually become invasive.

As fertilizer prices keep escalating, we must invest in understanding and harnessing these naturally occurring microbes to improve crop productivity.

Just like we are investing in producing fertilizers, there is need to invest in science that is aimed at understanding beneficial soil microbes and the mechanisms that underpin microbe facilitated crop growth improvement.

Microbial inoculants could be the next sustainable tools for breaking the dependence on fertilizers.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Groundnut farm in Torit, South Sudan. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, USA, Apr 22 2022 (IPS)

Around the world, Earth Day 2022 is being celebrated.  The theme this year is “Invest in Our Planet”. To mark the day, activities such as planting trees, protests, marches, cleaning up litter, and conferences will be held to highlight the importance of investing and taking care of our planet.

This is sorely needed as our planet is in its worst shape ever, according to the 2022 and 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, and its citizens are facing daunting challenges including food insecurity and  COVID-19.

Other evidence to highlight our unhealth planet included increase in the occurrence of billion dollar weather and climate disasters with dire impacts to humans and other species that live in our planet, land and soil degradation,  and accelerating loss of biodiversity and species including insects.

It is imperative to invest in ensuring that farmers have the tools and knowledge base to mitigate the climate change impacts on agriculture. Such tools include access to financing, and agricultural inputs as well as extension services and capacity building and technology transfer schemes to ensure that farmers can implement science-proven climate smart agricultural practices

Since there is nothing significant to celebrate, just work to do, it is only fair we reflect on what it means to invest in our planet.

And so, I took time to reflect on what this theme means to me, as a person who grew up on a farm in the Kenyan Coast, as a food security advocate and as a female African scientist.

My research aims to find sustainable ways to feed our growing population and uncover novel ways to combat the impacts climate change extremes such flooding, droughts and crop devouring insects have on agricultural crop plants.

First, investing in our planet, means investing in the people living in it and making sure everyone around the world has access to nutritious food. At the moment, over 800 million of people living in our planet are hungry. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, 44 million people in 38 countries are facing famines all because of climate shocks, conflict, and the global pandemic.

Solving hunger for the millions that are impacted, many of whom live in developing countries, means investing in agriculture. Most of the world’s poor, including women, are rural people earning livings from agriculture.

To accelerate progress, it is imperative to invest in ensuring that farmers have the tools and knowledge base to mitigate the climate change impacts on agriculture. Such tools include access to financing, and agricultural inputs as well as extension services and capacity building and technology transfer schemes to ensure that farmers can implement science-proven climate smart agricultural practices.

Climate smart agricultural practices aim to tackle three objectives: sustainably increase agricultural productivity, adapt, and build resilience to climate change and reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions.

These initiatives employ and encourage several strategies including timely planting of improved crop varieties, diversifying crop base, using integrated pest and weed management, and delivering timely seasonal and current weather information to farmers and sharing agricultural innovations.

Second, investing in the planet means investing in empowering women and girls, particularly, women from marginalized communities. Women continue to play multiple roles in our planet including serving in the agricultural workforce as food producers of food.

In many African countries including Cameroon, Gabon, Kenya, according to the World Bank, women make up over 40 percent of the agricultural workforce.

Thirdly, investing in our planet means investing in science. Science will continue to bring forth novel solutions to address these challenges and it is imperative that developed and developing countries alike invest and increase the national budgets allocated to science funding, particularly, science that is understanding the changing climate and strategies for increasing climate resilience.

Fourth, investing in our planet means highlighting and nurturing all voices – Black, white, lesbians, gay and queer.

Despite the issue affecting us all, surprisingly, the voices that continue to be heard are consistently white and straight. This must change. We must reiterate the fact that the impacts of our changing climate affect everyone and have no respect for boundaries humanity has created.

We must encourage and highlight activists from all continents and backgrounds. Doing so will reinforce the message that we are in this planet together and collectively, we can act.

Clearly, Our Earth and planet and the people living in it will continue to experience new and harsh realities in part due to the changed climate. We all must strive to reflect and proactively do something. Time is of essence.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Disseminating science via social media entails a public service. Throughout the pandemic, for instance, the value of science communication to the public has been instrumental with many scientists being called upon to provide accurate information about the latest scientific advancements. Credit: Bigstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Feb 8 2022 (IPS)

In the spirit of science communication, I posted via twitter a video clip of a bee that had taken a little too much of pollen. It received over 30,000 views and had over 100,000 impressions. Over the years, before the pandemic, thanks to several science communication workshops and trainings about various ways to communicate science, I have continued to grow as a science communicator.

The appreciation and appetite for science communication was on the rise among institutions of higher learning, professional societies and early career and junior scientists prior to the pandemic was equally growing. The National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine published a report on best practices while pointing out potential research areas to advance science communication.

Throughout the literature, there was a proliferation in journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports and web resources by Professional societies such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Workshops on science communication were routinely embedded in Professional Society annual meetings.

Science communication will continue to be important into the future. Social media and other avenues of communicating science are here to stay and they are shaping present day and potentially future academic cultures

It is critical to keep nurturing this emerging appreciation of science communication, particularly as institutions of higher learning and professional societies regain the momentum and begin rebuilding after COVID-19.

Thanks to science communications, many large-scale science related challenges and great advances in scientific discoveries with major implications to humanity have been translated into solutions and communicated effectively with the public. With on-going science-related challenges like COVID-19 and the climate crisis, science communication is more crucial than ever.

But, with no major incentives, it may be difficult to convince graduate students, postdocs, and tenured and untenured professors to partake of science communication. This is understandable because of the many demands in academia.

New graduate students, newly minted PhDs who may have transitioned to post-Doctoral fellowships and newly recruited Assistant Professors may have a hard time deciding if it is worth parking in science communication. However, as I know firsthand, it can be very beneficial to people’s careers to engage in it.

Oftentimes, when scientists publish in scientific journals, the audience is small. This is because, scientific articles can only be accessed by far fewer people, since journals require expensive subscriptions. But if they take the extra step of communicating their research, and disseminating it widely via blog, op-eds and social media, they can reach a much bigger audience.

Indeed, disseminating science via social media entails a public service. Throughout the pandemic, for instance, the value of science communication to the public has been instrumental with many scientists being called upon to provide accurate information about the latest scientific advancements.

This has led to vast increases in their followings on Twitter and Instagram from people outside academic circles. Sharing our scientific findings with the public allows us to practice speaking and writing in non-scientific language in a timely manner while reaching more diverse audiences. This can also build trust among various communities and the public.

Science communication can also help advance one’s career. For instance, since external reputation is a key metric that is used by universities to evaluate and promote professors, being active and disseminating your science via social media can help establish that reputation that would benefit you professionally. This is something that’s happened in my own career.

Being active online can help you build your professional network, which can lead to peers recommending you awards, inviting you to give talks and participate on panels, or asking you to judge to conference presentations and other competitions.

Newly formed networks may also lead to the birth of new collaborations and co-writing grant proposals. I can attest to this too as I built my professional network through Twitter. For example, I’ve received invitations to present in university departments and opportunities to present my work at the Entomological Society of America.

Moreover, the social media platforms offer ways to track impact. In Twitter, for example, you can track how many people re-tweeted the tweet, how many people interacted with the tweet, how many people accessed the links, and from what geographical location where they from.

All these data can help science communicators to better understand their audience while finding creative ways to continue engaging audiences. It can also be included in portfolio for academic promotion.

Of course, there are negatives that can come about with science communication on social media. The large volumes of science and other information shared can come at the expense of quality, and people with enough followers, but no expertise can have influence over science conversations and easily spread misinformation.

At the same time, science is continuously evolving, and the results today may improve in the future, and that is always a difficult point to communicate to non-scientists. It is also possible that those with followers can be sponsored by companies or organizations to share certain opinions and specific content. But the benefits outweigh the negatives.

So, if you want to start engaging in science communication, first, find out what already exists in your department, institution, region, and professional society. Explore what opportunities are available to begin your science communication efforts. In addition, inquire from your department if there are science communication classes you can attend.

Science communication will continue to be important into the future. Social media and other avenues of communicating science are here to stay and they are shaping present day and potentially future academic cultures.

Newbies and those who have not tried to partake of science communication can take their first steps. In the end, both the academic community and the public benefit when scientists share their discoveries with the public.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Agriculture accounts for over 25 percent of Africa’s GDP while employing over 70 percent of people that live in rural communities. Credit: Miriam Gahtigah/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Nov 3 2021 (IPS)

Local, national and world leaders, and committed climate change activists are in Glasgow for the 26^th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) to share the progress they’ve made since the COP21 in Paris six years ago and to discuss what comes next. One of the issues that must be on the table at COP26 is the worrying impact of climate change on agriculture in Africa.

Agriculture accounts for over 25 percent of Africa’s GDP while employing over 70 percent of people that live in rural communities. When agriculture is impacted, women, who work in the agricultural sector suffer the consequences. The entire agriculture value chain is threatened by climate change. According to a recent World Bank Report, unless urgent actions are taken, climate change could force millions of Africans to migrate to new areas.

At the production level, climate change is impacting agriculture via drought and flooding events. In 2020, flooding in East Africa impacted over six million people. In 2021, flooding has affected 669,000 people in West and Central Africa, over 700,000 people in Sudan and South Sudan and over 100,000 people in Nigeria.

At the foundation of climate-resilient agriculture is the need for smallholder farmers to have access to dependable and year round sources of water to support agriculture. At the moment African agriculture is dependent on rain-fed agriculture and because of climate change rains are no longer dependable

It is also having an impact through invasive and transboundary plant-eating insect pests such as the fall armyworm and the desert locust. Invasive insect pests cost the African continent U.S. $1 billion every year. Impacted the most are vulnerable groups that include African small holder farmers, women and girls, children, disabled and elderly people.

Without a climate-resilient agricultural sector, even the most ambitious climate initiatives will bear minimal returns. It is imperative for countries participating in the COP26 meeting to finance agriculture initiatives.

Looking at many developed countries, it is evident that it is possible to build climate resilient agriculture. This is particularly possible when several interlinked short-term and long-term strategies are put in place. At the foundation of climate-resilient agriculture is the need for smallholder farmers to have access to dependable and year round sources of water to support agriculture. At the moment African agriculture is dependent on rain-fed agriculture and because of climate change rains are no longer dependable.

Complementing access to water for agriculture are other important tools including access to most recent and improved agricultural technologies and resources. From improved and climate-smart seeds to drought, flooding, insects and plant disease-tolerant crops varieties to recent knowledge of agricultural practices and access to markets and financial help.

Important is the need for African countries to strengthen their early warning systems. These can only be achieved through strengthening African countries abilities to tap on big data and use it as a tool to stay ahead of all the climate linked disasters. Accompanying early warning systems is the need to lay out comprehensive climate adaptation initiatives.

At the center of all actions and strategies is the need to put the people on the ground and African countries at the center of climate action. As a founder to a startup, Oyeska Greens that is working with farmers at the Kenyan Coast I have seen firsthand the value of putting farmers at the forefront.  Putting them at the forefront ensures that the strategies and initiatives that are laid out are relevant and meeting the current challenges that small holder farmers and other vulnerable groups are facing as it relates to climate change. Without including the very people whom we are serving, we risk unsustainable and irrelevant solutions.

Climate change is the most urgent crisis of our times. While talk and meetings such as COP26 are important, in the end it is the initiatives and actual projects being implemented in African countries, particularly in the agricultural sector that will help move the needle and address the escalating climate change crisis.

All countries must work together and take action in the fight against climate change to avert many crises that are projected to happen if we fail to act.  Lives of vulnerable citizens including women, elderly and people with disabilities are at stake. Now is the time to ACT

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

While the Biden Administration has taken executive actions to tackle climate change at home and abroad, through upgrading and building infrastructure, and committing to halve US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, we are yet to see the impact.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Jul 21 2021 (IPS)

Across the United States, the last few months have brought along many climate-linked disasters. From surging wildfires in Hawaii to record-breaking Pacific Northwest heat waves to drought across the western states. The southwestern states also have seen heavy rains that resulted in flash flooding events.

Importantly, these climate-linked events have occurred in regions that had not been impacted before because of geography, sending the signal that no one is immune to climate change. We all must act with urgency to mitigate this existential threat, as described by President Joe Biden.

As new record-breaking events occur, pausing for a moment to wonder about the next record-breaking event becomes natural. What would it be? Where? Who else who was insulated before will be affected now?

Science delivered in a year a vaccine that traditionally takes 5 -10 years, thanks to generous funding by the government and the private sector. With increased funding by the government and private sector, scientists can collaborate across disciplines to uncover bold solutions to confront climate change

These renewed and heightened public awareness about climate change and the dangers that we all face, if we do not mitigate it, creates an important moment for all of us including policy makers at both the state and federal level to roll out bold reforms.

First up is the need to ensure that ordinary people have the most recent research and data about climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides timely data, tools, and the information about climate.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change further provides policymakers with scientific assessments on climate change including highlighting climate adaptation and mitigation options.

In addition, agencies such as NASA and the United States Environmental Protection Agency also provide very robust scientific data to understand climate change and how to mitigate it. Further, states, including those facing these disasters at the moment such as the State of Oregon, have information about climate change and actions they are taking to address it.

Beyond national agencies are several websites and newspapers that have enormous sources of information about climate change.

While having most recent data is important, communicating what these climate change research and data means clearly and consistently to citizens is key. Moreover, there will be  a need to broaden  and focus on the framing, so as to engage many citizens.

Beyond sharing knowledge and communicating about climate change, both federal and state governments must enact bold and transformative climate change policies.

While the Biden Administration has taken executive actions to tackle climate change at home and abroad, through upgrading and building infrastructure, and committing to halve US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, we are yet to see the impact.

It will take another nine years to halve greenhouse emissions. As seen, year after year, the disasters are getting stronger, and nine years is a long time to wait for change.

Governments need to re-strategize and develop immediate climate mitigation and adaptation actions that can be achievable in shorter timeframes. Alongside re-strategizing, all government ministries and agencies and sectors need to re-examine how vulnerable these sectors are to climate change.

Furthermore, they should outline what actions need to be taken to ensure that all sectors can withstand the changing climate. It is encouraging to see the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen leading efforts to review and assess the risks that climate change have on the financial stability of the U.S. Many more sectors including the agriculture and energy sectors need to engage in this type of review too.

Complementing all efforts to address climate change is the need to increase funding to climate science research. From research aimed at finding novel approaches to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to finding low -carbon -climate smart technologies to advanced energy research to climate modelling and simulation studies to understanding how the ecosystems respond to and recover from climate-linked disasters.

As we have seen with COVID-19, science can deliver solutions. Science delivered in a year a vaccine that traditionally takes 5 -10 years, thanks to generous funding by the government and the private sector. With increased funding by the government and private sector, scientists can collaborate across disciplines to uncover bold solutions to confront climate change.

Finally, there is need to ensure that all sectors impacted by climate change adapt and act. From planning for extreme temperatures, heat waves, surging wildfires, and flooding to building more resilient communities and cities.

In the fight against climate, governments must lead the way. Time is of essence.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Small-holder farmer works on a community vegetable garden in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Credit: Ignatius Banda/IPS

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Jun 16 2021 (IPS)

The number of people facing acute food insecurity has hit a five-year high, according to a recently released annual report by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) – an international alliance of the United Nations, the European Union, governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises. In addition, the report noted that 28 million people were one step away from starvation. This was attributed to conflict, economic shocks due to COVID-19 and climate change associated weather events.

The continued trajectory of increase in food insecurity is making it clear that our current food systems are not resilient.  Moreover, with climate change expected to continue to bring extreme events — from droughts to floods to invasive insects to deadly cyclones — it is likely going to get worse. We must urgently act to reverse these current trends.

The questions, then, become these: How can we reverse these worrisome trends? How can we ensure that people, across Africa and around the globe have the tools, technologies, and resources to be resilient to climate change?

Many farmers continue to rely on an agricultural system that remains rain-fed and underdeveloped. With limited access to infrastructure, current agricultural knowledge and reliable access to financial services, their ability to build a resilient agricultural system remains an unattainable dream

To answer these questions, we must re-examine the underpinning roots to food insecurity.

First off, most of the people affected by hunger live off the land, many as small holder farmers. They depend on agriculture, a sector that is highly vulnerable to climate change.

Furthermore, many farmers continue to rely on an agricultural system that remains rain-fed and underdeveloped. With limited access to infrastructure, current agricultural knowledge and reliable access to financial services, their ability to build a resilient agricultural system remains an unattainable dream.

Based on the challenges above, tackling rising food insecurity would greatly benefit from modernizing agriculture and making the agricultural sector resilient to climate change.

The good news is that building a resilient agricultural sector and dealing with climate-linked weather events such as drought, flooding, tropical cyclones, and insect invasions can benefit from science.  Science can help to develop climate-smart efficient water management technologies such as the drip irrigation, improved drought and flood tolerant crops and crops that are resistant to insects and plant diseases.  Also important are advances in improving and restoring soil health which is fundamental and key.

In addition to science, countries that continue to face food insecurity must invest in climate smart agricultural practices. As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), climate smart agricultural practices are approaches that help to transform and reorient agricultural and food systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate.

These approaches aim to sustainably increase agricultural productivity, adapt, and build resilience to climate change and reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the science-based solutions above are regarded as climate smart strategies.

Coupled with building climate smart strategies, is the need to invest in early warning systems, to ensure that farmers and citizens who continue to face hunger are not caught unawares. To do so, it is important that countries have access to reliable data.

Building resilient agricultural sectors must also go hand in hand with rebuilding rural communities’ infrastructures. Local roads, rural water, energy, and other infrastructures that are critical to ensuring an efficient and functioning agricultural supply chain.  Investing in upgrading rural communities should also result in job creation for the rural poor. It also could curtail urban migration, which continues to be an issue affecting many African countries.

Finally, all the above cannot happen and be sustainable without the strong presence of the people that are affected by climate change. They must be at the conversation tables where decisions are being made, or there should be appropriate channels to solicit their thoughts. Without these initiatives being locally driven, and involving broad coalition of stakeholders, we risk delivering unsustainable solutions that are heavily disconnected from the needs.

The task of achieving food security for all remains an enormous challenge. As we continue to invest in climate-smart strategies, upgrade rural infrastructure, and utilize science derived data evidence to improve agriculture and mitigate climate change associated weather events, we will make progress. We must do everything we can to fight food insecurity.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Sudanese youth live with continuous insecurity due to climate change vulnerability, including droughts, desertification, land degradation and food insecurity. Courtesy: Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, May 17 2021 (IPS)

Recently, I participated in a Congressional hearing on the “Effects of climate change in Africa”, before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and Internal Organizations, chaired by Congresswoman, Karen Bass.

Without a doubt, climate change is arguably, the most pressing challenge of our time, the biggest threat to humanity and an increasing threat to Africa and our global world.  Because of climate change, millions of African citizens, many of whom depend on agriculture as a source of livelihood, are hungry, poor, food insecure, and displaced.

Tens of millions of African citizens are driven from their homes by floods, storms, intense cyclones, and droughts. Sadly, these numbers are expected to increase. Tragically, it is the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities that are suffering.

Helping African countries to address the escalating climate change crisis is the right thing to do for the United States. African Governments cannot do it alone, and nor should they

Already in 2021, flooding events have damaged homes, displaced communities, and killed African citizens from several countries, from Angola to Zimbabwe. But if it is not flooding, then it’s usually a drought that’s harming members of the continent.

Repetitive and vicious cycles of drought and famines have become common in Africa. As a result, millions of African citizens are living in abject poverty. Millions have been forced to migrate-and along the migration paths, women and girls are often raped, leaving lifelong scars that are hard to erase.

Then what drought hasn’t taken, crop-eating invasive insects often take. For instance, East Africa is still recovering from a plague of locusts – the most extensive and worst outbreaks the region had seen in generations.  Before the locusts were the fall armyworm which affected more than 44 African countries. I am an Entomologist, and science predicts a future where insect invasions will become common.

While the impacts of climate change have been enormous, we MUST applaud African countries because they have not walked away from these issues.

They consider the climate crisis a serious threat and have boldly stepped up to cut greenhouse gas emissions and address the climate change crisis. African countries are members of international climate agreements, including the 2016 Paris Climate Accord, and have fulfilled the critical requirements.

And many governments are prioritizing climate-proofing and mitigation development activities in critical sectors like agriculture and energy. Further, they’ve launched new initiatives such as the African Development Bank’s Desert to Power project, and the Great Green Wall initiative.

The truth, however, is that African leaders cannot do this alone. And nor should they. The U.S. must help and here’s how.

First, the US must cut its own greenhouse emissions and continue treating climate change as an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security. They contribute more to climate change than African nations and curbing their own contributions would help Africa – and all nations. the U.S. must live up to the promises made at the recently concluded White House Climate Summit.

Second, the U.S. should help African countries build a climate-resilient and vaccinated agricultural sector. Unless African agriculture is resilient, even the most ambitious climate mitigation and action initiatives will bear minimal returns.

Indeed, African agriculture must modernize and doing so demands significant investments in irrigation, better roads, seed systems, post-harvesting systems and climate smart agricultural and technologies. This will pave the way for the attainment of African food security, self-sustainability and facilitate a more stable and prosperous African continent. Launched initiatives must be guided by recent science evidence.

Third, beyond the agricultural sector, the US can help African countries build their renewable energy sector. Doing so will create millions of jobs.

Fourth, the US must commit to sharing resources, expertise, and capabilities with the African countries. Furthermore, the US can work with African countries and enhance their ability to tap on big data.

Finally, as an agricultural scientist and an Assistant Professor at a Land Grant University, I see firsthand how one of the ways the US can help is to increase the funding through US Feed the Future Initiatives. This would allow for more collaborative research between African universities and US universities. Initiatives funded by the US should always focus on what African countries need and not vice versa.

Climate change is the most urgent crisis of our times. Helping African countries to address the escalating climate change crisis is the right thing to do for the United States. African Governments cannot do it alone, and nor should they.  African lives are at stake. Now is the time to ACT by looking to science.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Climate change, while affecting all of us, will be felt by the youth, who do not have an alternative planet. Credit: Miriet Abrego/IPS.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Apr 26 2021 (IPS)

Recently, I participated in Kids Climate Summit 2021, a virtual event that gave younger students an opportunity to take a stance on climate change, express their concerns, and learn about global climate and the actions we all can take to mitigate climate change. 

Among the other panelists were an elected Member of U.S. Congress, Rep Sean Casten, who serves on several House Committees including House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and House Science, Space, and Technology, an astrophysicist, Jeffrey Bennett, and a 19 year old climate justice activist, Jamie Margolin.

Listening to young people take a stance on climate change and hearing their well-articulated and very alarming concerns about the changing climate re-inspired my commitment to do my best and to keep calling on everyone to take action to ensure our younger generation inherits a livable planet

Over a month ago, I also participated in another webinar -broadening our horizons-organized by an Eighth grader who is passionate about educating communities on the climate crisis. Through her webinars, Nyla hopes to “amplify voices, to educate and inspire change.”

Listening to young people take a stance on climate change and hearing their well-articulated and very alarming concerns about the changing climate re-inspired my commitment to do my best and to keep calling on everyone to take action to ensure our younger generation inherits a livable planet.

Around the world, young people continue to speak up while demanding for actions by elected officials, Governments, Corporations and researchers like myself and everyday citizens. For example, last month, on March 19, the Fridays for Future climate activism movement, led by Greta Thunberg, organized a strike in 68 countries to call out World powers “empty promises” to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.

Undoubtedly so, young people have a reason to be mad and to protest. Despite, countries setting goals, according to the United Nations Climate Change, recently published NDC Synthesis report,  Climate Commitments are NOT on track to meet Paris Agreement Goals.

Governments, corporations and all stakeholders in climate change, must listen. Young voices ideas and demands must be acted upon.

To begin with, youth can be appointed as climate change youth envoys or in councils that can provide input to initiatives being rolled out to address climate change. The United Nations already has climate change youth envoys.

The White House under President Biden recently announced its environmental justice advisory 26 member’s council and among those appointed is an 18 year old, from New York, who has been engaged with climate crisis protests. He will have a seat at the table, helping give input to the American Government as it creates climate policies.  This should be the norm. As a matter of fact, all elected State Governors, Senators and corporations and other climate agencies that have advisory boards should include and appoint the youth. They deserve a seat at the table at all climate change.

Alternatively, governments and all stakeholders including corporations need to carve out spaces to bring youth and listen to their voices, ideas and demands. This is beginning to happen and it is commendable to see Presidents and Governments carving out spaces to include youth.

For example, recently the UK government, Italy and Singapore held a youth climate dialogue that was aimed at driving youth action and understanding their concerns on issues of sustainability and climate change. Moreover, the ideas brought forward need to be included in policy formulations. And if possible, youth should also be involved in disaster preparedness planning and response actions.

Importantly, institutions of higher learning and research centers where climate change research happens should do their best to ensure that the youth have recent information about the science and other developments in climate change.

Society at large would benefit from having youth that understand climate system and the initiatives governments are taking to mitigate it and know how to apply the most recent science in their engagement endeavors.

This calls for more scientists to not only do the research, but, communicate it in formats that are accessible. Doing so will ensure that young students and everyday citizens who want to be guided by science in taking climate action to have what they need.

It is encouraging to see professional societies where the scientists belong to actively rolling out science communication training workshops and events to ensure that scientists have numerous opportunities to learn how to communicate their science to the public.

Even better, scientific journals are beginning to cater for young students. For example, Frontiers for Young Minds is a journal publishing articles in format that are accessible to young students, because they are the ones who review the articles.

Climate change, while affecting all of us, will be felt by the youth, who do not have an alternative planet. Their voices must be heard, and their ideas incorporated in climate mitigation and adaptation policies. They must be involved at every level of taking action against climate change.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Globally, women are grossly underrepresented in scientific research and development. Credit: Bigstock

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Mar 17 2021 (IPS)

Over a month ago, the world celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. But the celebrations ring hollow when there’s still been no meaningful progress in the representation of women in the research sciences field.  At present, less than 30 percent, of scientific researchers worldwide are women, a percentage that has been the same for almost a decade.

Despite this lag in progress, consistently, and predictably so, from the United Nations, to professional societies, to Universities, there is often the message shared that “Every girl can be a scientist”. As a woman scientist, who is very lucky to be in science, because, without luck, and I mean, nature’s luck, I would never been a scientist, I know this statement isn’t true right now.

The truth is, the way our society and systems are set up, few girls, especially girls like me, from rural communities, can ever be scientists. How do we expect them to be scientists without the resources and facilities to allow them to experience the magic of science? How do we expect them to get into science when they do not have societal role model scientists that look like them?

And even if they are lucky like me, how do we expect them to succeed, if many end up in institutions that are still grappling with low representation of women in science? How?

These are the questions I struggle with every time I hear the overly optimistic and unrealistic statements that are not backed up by policies to support them. Moreover, it is also clear that the ongoing pandemic has amplified these challenges.

I am an optimist too and I hope to see – want to see – equal representation of women in the sciences. To get there, though, we must envision and implement big changes.

First and foremost, there is need to avail resources and all necessary infrastructures to introduce girls from all communities, including marginalized communities, to science. This means investing in creating research labs and community science centers and science museums.

These spaces present excellent spaces for young and curious students including girls to interact with science. In the United States, there are several science centers that are doing a great job. From Maryland Science Center to Orlando Science Center to Museum of Science + industry Chicago.

Alternatively, university institutions, research centers and other professional societies can work with organizations present in marginalized communities to provide the platforms for girls and women from marginalized communities to access science at an early age.

I still remember my first day at a modern lab at Kenyatta University and how it mesmerized and aroused curiosity in me. Now imagine, if we arise the curiosity for many more girls and at a younger age, then the statistics will change

The American Association for Advancement of Sciences, for example, has the Science Linkages in the Community Initiative that works with and trains community based partners in an effort to ensure that younger students have hands-on, inquiry based STEM activities. Museum spaces. Such programs should continue.

From firsthand experiences, I know what access to the right infrastructures can have. I still remember my first day at a modern lab at Kenyatta University and how it mesmerized and aroused curiosity in me. Now imagine, if we arise the curiosity for many more girls and at a younger age, then the statistics will change.

Second, once exposed to science at a younger age, girls and women need concerted mentoring, funding and encouragement. The truth is science, like any other career has its good and bad days. Mentoring schemes that continue to support women at the early years, where they are likely to transfer to other non-science disciplines, is necessary.

Mentors have played a critical role in my journey as a scientist-holding my hand, providing support and encouraging me every milestone of my journey. We cannot afford to lose any women through the pipeline.

Third, as they continue to move through the pipeline, and early into the college years, it is important once again that they are supported. Fully paid internships and mentoring programs at these stages are key. At the same time, funding and scholarships are also key, so that they dedicate most of their time while in college in pursuing science without having to work multiple jobs.

Reflecting on my science journey, funding through scholarships and fellowships by universities and numerous organizations including the American Association for University Women and the Schlumberger Faculty for the Future were very instrumental. Without them, I would not have afforded to stay and pursue a career in science.

At the undergraduate level, there also needs to be a clear job pipeline. Career offices and undergraduate studies should provide as many opportunities as possible so that these future scientists are exposed to and discover several pathways to take. At the graduate level, support, mentoring and access to opportunities are also key.

This is extremely crucial as at this point, many make the decision to either stay in science or to finally transition to other careers. Additional resources such as grant writing courses could also go a long way.

Once they make it into science careers, whether in universities, research institutions, or in private and tech companies, it is important to also be supported. Data evidence suggest that women researchers still face so many challenges –from-sexism, workplaces that are not diverse enough, to inflexible work hours to allow women researchers to balance work and family responsibilities.

Therefore, universities and workplaces should put in place policies to correct these issues. Importantly, when policies are instituted, there needs to be well articulated metrics about how they will track success and evaluate whether the policies are working.

Let’s create the right policies and support systems to ensure that many more girls and women pursue and stay in science – then we can truly celebrate.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Soil degradation: over one-third of the Corn Belt, the epicenter of American corn and soybean production, has lost its carbon-rich top soil.  Credit: Bigstock.

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Feb 26 2021 (IPS)

The White House, under the Presidency of Joe Biden just released an Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains stating the country needs to have resilient, diverse and secure supply chains to ensure economic prosperity and national security. Among the acknowledged threats that can reduce the resilience of America’s supply chains include climate change and extreme weather events.

Indeed, climate change and extreme weather, all of which have become very frequent and of economic importance, can have a huge impact on the agricultural sector. This was already evident before the global pandemic.

Soil degradation is a global problem with a third of Earth’s soil considered to be degraded in part due to agriculture. Without healthy soils, that play many critical roles including storing soil carbon, resilient agriculture won’t be possible

For example, recently, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that 2020 was tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record. In the same year, the United States experienced many climate change related extremities including the Iowa derecho, a costly thunderstorm disaster, California wildfires and flooding in Michigan . These extremities have already began happening in 2021, and are expected to continue.

The move by the Biden Administration is commendable. A question that becomes central is –how does a resilient agricultural system that is resistant to climate change and extreme weather events look like? What are the pillars?  Can resiliency in today’s United States agricultural systems be achieved? Could we unleash operation warp speed to create resilient agricultural systems that are critical to meeting US food security needs?

Of course, there will be many visions and pathways to achieving resilience in agricultural sector, because agriculture and the agricultural value and supply chain is complex with many pillars and activities that are linked and interdependent. Despite the complexities involved in building resilience, there are a few fundamental and key things that must happen.

First and foremost, a resilient agricultural system must be rooted in healthy soils. Soils is the foundation of life and the base upon which we grow resilient crops. Healthy soils are necessary and a prerequisite to achieving sustainable national food security. They are also a useful resource in the fight against the worsening climate change as they absorb carbon from air and store it.

Alarmingly, soils are unhealthy and degraded.  A recently published paper reported that over one-third of the Corn Belt, the epicenter of American corn and soybean production, has lost its carbon-rich top soil.  Soil degradation is a global problem with a third of Earth’s soil considered to be degraded in part due to agriculture. Without healthy soils, that play many critical roles including storing soil carbon, resilient agriculture won’t be possible.

Secondly, resilient agricultural system must be fully vaccinated from climate change and extremities that come with a changing climate. Just like we have rolled operation warp speed to tackle COVID-19, it is important to unleash science based solutions to vaccinate our agricultural systems. From using artificial intelligence to predict climate-related disasters such as flooding, drought, and insect pests to planting climate-smart crops that can withstand disasters to using smart and intelligent systems all through the agricultural value and supply chains to ensure that agriculture and food systems stay ahead of all the challenges.

Thirdly, resilient agricultural systems must be racially inclusive, just and equitable. According to data evidence, there are fewer Black farmers, a number that has reduced from nearly 1 million farmers in 1920 to less than 50 000 farmers, because of historic discrimination, exclusion and inequities in federal agricultural policies.

It is commendable that US Senators led by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are taking the lead in changing these statistics by introducing a comprehensive bill that addresses these injustices.

Finally, resilient systems must be built in ways that allow for ways to transparently monitor and track progress made. Americans deserve transparency.

The task of building resilient American supply chains amidst the current challenges is no doubt difficult but it can be achieved by focusing on healthy soils, vaccinated crops and equitable and just agricultural systems. The time is now.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Greta Thunberg (right), Climate Activist, speaks at the opening of the UN Climate Action Summit 2019. Credit: UN Photo/Cia Pak

By Esther Ngumbi
URBANA, Illinois, Jan 21 2021 (IPS)

On the first day, hours after inauguration of the new Biden-Harris administration, President Biden signed an Executive Order-rejoining the United States in the Paris Climate Accord.

President Joe Biden is also expected to roll out an ambitious climate change agenda and initiatives to mitigate the crisis, shrink the nations carbon emissions, convene a U.S. climate summit, and give voices to vulnerable communities impacted by climate change. He has already unveiled a very competent climate change team and appointed John Kerry as the special climate change envoy.

Already,  the youth, who understand they do not have an alternative planet, have been very instrumental in climate change related activism-demanding politicians to act on climate change. Their continued activism on climate change matters including the school strike for climate

It is also clear that the new U.S. President believes in science, as seen in his recent unveiling of the science team, and his promise to elevate the Office of Science and Technology Policy into a Cabinet-level position.

These BOLD moves are commendable, especially in a time, when the science and evidence on the impact of climate change is clear. For instance, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service that tracks climate trends, reported that 2020 was tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record.

In 2020, we also experienced many climate change linked extremes – from hot and dry conditions to wild fires in Australia, Brazil, California and Siberia, to flooding in Michigan  to droughts in Zimbabwe and Madagascar to locust invasions in Kenya and India.

In 2021, climate change linked extremities like flooding have already started to happen as seen in Oregon and Washington State , in Panama, Jamaica and in Paraguay. These events would have not been possible without the climate changes driven by the warming earth.

At the current rate, the Earth is on track to warm over 3 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Without a doubt, President Biden’s sense of urgency and his plans to mobilize the entire Federal Government to combat climate change are definitely going to make an impact. When you are facing such an existential crisis-bold actions matter.

Even with all these important efforts, still missing out in the ambitious climate change agenda is the role of youth.

They must be included and given a platform to showcase their ideas and solutions while meaningfully engaging with Federal and State decision makers. One way to include them is for the President to appoint a climate change youth envoy person and a council consisting of youth from all the 50 states, particularly including those from vulnerable states like the southeastern states. The United Nations already has one. The U.S. can emulate this.

Already,  the youth, who understand they do not have an alternative planet, have been very instrumental in climate change related activism-demanding politicians to act on climate change. Their continued activism on climate change matters including the school strike for climate, led by Greta Thunberg and other activists around the world is commendable. Even as leaders failed, these youth voices were key to ensuring that the climate change debate did not grow cold.

Importantly, there must be training and workforce development that targets the youth so that they can acquire the skills that will be needed to tap onto the promised 10 million clean energy jobs that will be created in the process of tackling climate change. The youth will bear the full brunt of climate change, and failure to involve them now is a failure by humanity. They too have a crucial role in addressing climate change.

We also need to value youth’s message and listen to science and researchers.

Researchers across the Universities and other research institutions are hard at work understanding the impacts of climate change and generating solutions to mitigate it. There is need to increase the funding that goes to climate science and the other research that addresses the effects of climate change including its effects on agriculture and food insecurity while developing solutions that are implementable with immediate effect.

In addition, new lines of funding for climate-related research can be rolled out by agencies such as the National Science Foundation and United States Department of Agriculture.

Finally, science communication will continue to be important. Key messages emerging from research and the initiatives taken by Federal Government to mitigate climate change should be communicated clearly and consistently to all stakeholders, including the public. Doing so will continue to elevate the role of science and science advancements in generating solutions to our everyday challenges including climate change.

Tackling climate change will require strong leadership by the government. Confronting the impacts of climate change necessitates the participation of everyone including the youth. As the U.S. returns to the Paris Climate Accord, it must bring everyone with it, fund more science research and communicate messages clearly.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

Credit: Miriam Gathigah/IPS.

By Esther Ngumbi
Jan 13 2021 (IPS)

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and disrupted food systems and food supply chains in developed and developing countries alike. In the United States, millions of Americans struggle to put food on the table. Around the world, according to the United Nations over 270 million are hungry, and this is expected to continue to increase. 

As a brand new year begins, I can’t help but think what must be done to mitigate these worrying trend?

First and foremost, there should be continued monitoring of the food insecurity statistics. Real time data to know where food insecurity is highest, and interventions are needed the most should continue to be collected by agencies like United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, Feeding America, United Nations World Food Programme.

Collecting real time data and using data intelligence to tackle food insecurity can be extended to cover the entire agricultural food chain-from production, distribution, processing, supply and consumption

Moreover, collecting real time data and using data intelligence to tackle food insecurity can be extended to cover the entire agricultural food chain-from production, distribution, processing, supply and consumption.

As an example, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future has real time mapping platform that shows production, distribution, processing and consumption within Maryland’s food system via its Maryland Food System Map Project.  Around the world, the United Nations World Food Programme continues to track and monitor hunger and food insecurity through its real time HungerMap.

In the end, this kind of real time collected data should be used to identify gaps. In addition, insights obtained should be used to inform decision makers in country governments, nonprofit institutions, food banks and other people responsible for designing programs and policies to address food insecurity in 2021 and beyond. In the long-term, data obtained from real time mapping of food insecurity can be used to distribute food more equitably and reliably.

Accompanying data and on the ground reality should be the continuation of actions that have proven to be critical in 2020 in efforts to address hunger. Throughout 2020, Feeding America and many foodbanks and food pantries have stepped up to the challenge of feeding everyday people.

It is important that they are restocked and the people working there enumerated well. Restocking foodbanks can be achieved through government funding and donations by businesses and individuals who are in a position to do so.

Among the strategies that proved important in 2020 were home and community gardens. These gardens flourished for the best part of the year across many states, with many people venturing into planting their own gardens. In 2021 and beyond, citizens who want to garden come spring should be encouraged and supported with resources and knowledge about how to successfully grow the crops they choose to.

Luckily, many states have Land-Grant Universities such as the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Purdue University that can assist through the Cooperative Extension Service.  As such, Universities should find ways to unpack useful and guiding knowledge in formats that can easily be used by citizens as they look to start gardening.

Consistently, throughout the pandemic, many citizens relied on local food solutions and their local farmers and producers to meet their food needs. Moving on in 2021, everyday people should continue to think locally whenever possible.

Of course, thinking locally when it comes to meeting food insecurity may not always be possible, especially with food deserts in many under-resourced areas and with usually higher prices at farmers markets.

Finally, there is room for more innovative solutions such as food dispensing ATM machines, food finding and food redistribution apps,   and as such, we should continue to look for solutions from food security experts and everyday people that are facing food insecurity challenge and highlight those that are making an impact.

Tackling food insecurity will continue to need all of us to step up. Every action, every strategy counts.

Dr. Esther Ngumbi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and a Senior Food Security Fellow with the Aspen Institute, New Voices.

We never imagined that we would witness food insecurity being an issue in developed countries such as the US. Credit: Stephen Leahy/IPS.

By Esther Ngumbi and Ifeanyi Nsofor
URBANA, Illinois / ABUJA, Dec 17 2020 (IPS)

Food insecurity across the U.S. continues to be on the rise because of the effects of COVID-19. According to Feeding America, over 50 million Americans will experience food insecurity, including 17 million children. 

We both grew up in countries referred to as “developing countries,” Ifeanyi in Nigeria and Esther in Kenya. At the time, we never imagined that we would witness food insecurity being an issue in developed countries such as the U.S. like we are now. As thought leaders in global health and food security, we are compelled to amplify this inequity in the world’s richest country.

The last few months, clearly, have changed our perception of food insecurity and the narrative around it is changing.

COVID-19 is very well linked with food insecurity and failing to have a food security expert working alongside the other advisory council members would undermine the ability of the country to effectively tackle these tightly linked issues

Moreover, even as we celebrate the arrival of the vaccine, COVID-19 continues to claim the lives of many Americans, while bringing the possibilities of new lockdowns, hence, we can certainly expect food insecurity to continue to be a problem.

Impressively, measures that were in existence before the pandemic in the U.S. such as foodbanks and other Federal benefits such as SNAP and WIC that Americans have access to in order to assist with food insecurity have helped to make a difference.

Through the pandemic months, we have also witnessed a rise in resources available to citizens who at one point or another need help with finding food. From the U.S. Department of Agriculture hotline that can connect citizens to available pantries, interactive maps that reveal where help and your local food bank is, to databases of pantries and non-profit subsidized grocery to food finder apps.  But the truth is these resources were designed to be supplemental.

Much more needs to be done. Here’s where to start.

First, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should include a food security expert in the COVID-19 Advisory Council. The responsibility of the expert should be to provide advice on ways to address the current COVID-19 food insecurity in the U.S.

COVID-19 is very well linked with food insecurity and failing to have a food security expert working alongside the other advisory council members would undermine the ability of the country to effectively tackle these tightly linked issues. Moreover, this person should preferably be a person of color, the population that has been impacted most by food insecurity.

Second, develop a multi-stakeholder comprehensive food security plan as part of epidemic preparedness plans for the next pandemic.

This is imperative because no one knows when the next pandemic could occur. A major lesson from COVID-19 and the city lockdowns which followed is that during pandemics there would be life losses, job losses, schools will be closed, and some families would need food support.

The major idea is to use lessons from COVID-19 to estimate those who may be in need of food support and group them based on ethnicities, postcodes, states etc. This plan should involve government agencies, food banks, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, schools, university institutions and other community groups.

Third, food banks should improve their process to enable long-term storage of nutritious foods such as green vegetables, fruits, proteins, milk etc. According to Feeding America, these classes of nutritious foods are the most requested at food banks. However, due to challenges with storage, those in need hardly have these requirements met.

Fourth, prioritize the needs of under-five children and women of child-bearing age. Worryingly, science and available evidence from a comprehensive review of 120 studies done by the UN FAO suggests a correlation between food insecurity and malnutrition.

Furthermore, according to World Health Organization, and available scientific data evidence, mostly obtained from studies done in developing countries, childhood malnutrition is considered a major public health concern with long lasting impacts including impaired cognitive development, enhanced risks of acquiring other diseases, and suboptimal economic productivity.

With the risk of irreversible stunting in children and its consequences on school performance, future earning capacity and contributions to the economy, children must receive the right nutrition at the right time.

Likewise, women of child-bearing age require to be well nourished to ensure they have adequate blood, healthy milk and not anemic. Anemia in women who plan to get pregnant has adverse consequences such as intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus, low birth of their babies and more likelihood of going into shock from bleeding after birth or even death.

Lastly, encourage families to form groups and run all seasons sustainable community gardens. There is a need to have community greenhouses that can be used to grow food past summer months. This would enable them grow fresh vegetables, poultry (for proteins) and cows (for milk).

At this time, many US States are going through the winter season, and food gardens that millions of Americans relied upon during summer have no sustainability during cold seasons.

A recent UNICEF report on the persistence of child poverty above pre-COVID levels in high income countries highlights why all year around community gardens should be an alternative source of fresh foods as the country recovers from this pandemic.

COVID-related food insecurity is widening health and social inequities in the U.S. The in-coming Biden-Harris administration should make this a priority. It is an ethical thing to do.