Charles Dhewa
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Where does agriculture begin and end?
If the world continues to value farmers rights and human rights at the expense of natural or ecosystems rights, we will not be able to combat climate change.
By Charles Dhewa
Aug. 31, 2022
Mechanising value chain nodes could make a difference in African food systems
Mechanizing the preservation of tubers and small grains can also go a long way in averting food losses and ensuring nutrition security in most African countries.
By Charles Dhewa
Sep. 6, 2022
African mass food markets as bases for business identities
Most of the business models begin as soon as food commodities get into the market.
By Charles Dhewa
Sep. 16, 2022
Pathways for repurposing resources are long overdue in developing countries
As long as private property laws are not revamped, it will remain difficult for African countries to create growth avenues for the young generations.
By Charles Dhewa
Sep. 28, 2022
Poor co-ordination makes it difficult to see where African food systems are going
EVEN when sufficient funding is made available, African countries may fail to feed themselves and produce excess food for export in a consistent manner.
By Charles Dhewa
Oct. 4, 2022
Whose role is it to convert natural resources into decent employment?
While short-term strategies are ideal for firefighting and dealing with emergencies, real impact can come from long-term planning at national level.
By Charles Dhewa
Oct. 11, 2022
Unknown side of food processing, value addition in African countries
The assumption is that investing in food processing and value addition will lift people out of poverty and create local employment.
By Charles Dhewa
Nov. 4, 2022
Long-term planning can get rid of land barons
Traditional leaders have become another version of land barons. Abusing their roles as custodians of traditional land.
By Charles Dhewa
Nov. 16, 2022
Impact of commodity shrinkage on African farmers
SHRINKAGE in business lingo refers to cases whereby commodities become dry, thin and weak
By Charles Dhewa
Nov. 25, 2022
Promising avenues for funding African mass markets
Bureaucracy in loan processing In countries like Zimbabwe, it takes at least three weeks to a month for a bank loan application to be processed.
By Charles Dhewa
Dec. 6, 2022
African mass food markets decolonising entrepreneurship
These markets operate 24 hours a day for the whole year, supporting millions of African populations as well as horizontal and vertical food and non-food industries.
By Charles Dhewa
Dec. 13, 2022
African mass food markets: Honing expertise in decolonising entrepreneurship
There was no space for developing an entrepreneurial mindset within Africans among most African economies.Â
By Charles Dhewa
Dec. 23, 2022
Aggregation is the only way of returning African farmers to profitability
Food processors often struggle to get raw materials for processing due to fragmented production and distribution systems in several production zones.
By Charles Dhewa
Jan. 4, 2023
Time to decolinise procurement processes
By coercing every formal institution to procure food through registered companies, government procurement procedures incentivise some of the most greedy middlemen who reap off farmers.
By Charles Dhewa
Jan. 13, 2023
A ready market is more important than food handouts, free inputs
Instead of bringing food from elsewhere, government and development agencies can make a difference by providing a ready market for local food.
By Charles Dhewa
Jan. 27, 2023
Of leaders, climate change, food sovereignty
It is good that climate change and food sovereignty are also finding their way into corporate boardrooms.
By Charles Dhewa
Feb. 1, 2023
Business vs financial literacy
Instead of demonising the informal economy, policymakers, financial institutions and researchers can benefit a lot from investing in this vibrant socio-economic ecosystem.
By Charles Dhewa
Feb. 7, 2023
Home-grown economy versus foreign currency-driven economy
In the absence of basic information on the role of government departments, ordinary people lack appreciation of the role of government.
By Charles Dhewa
Feb. 24, 2023
How can communities protect their food systems from external influence?
Communities cannot protect what they do not know.
By Charles Dhewa
Mar. 2, 2023
The curse of imported knowledge, investment models
Instead of relying on imported equipment, knowledge and innovations, indigenous knowledge should be given an important role in development.
By Charles Dhewa
Mar. 8, 2023
Narrow extension models unsuitable for holistic food systems
In most communities, baboons, monkeys, wild pigs and even hippopotamuses often invade fields and homesteads to feed on farmers’ crops and foodstuffs.
By Charles Dhewa
Mar. 15, 2023
Indigenous commerce should help valuate African economies
Some of the principles of indigenous African commerce expressed through mass food markets
By Charles Dhewa
Mar. 22, 2023
When status is greater than money in the bank
As an expression of neo-liberal commerce, industrial agriculture focuses on cost of inputs like chemicals, fertiliser and equipment.
By Charles Dhewa
Mar. 29, 2023
Politics should not undermine socio-economic development
Some may have big farms but have no clue how to unlock value from the land after spending years in government and Parliament.
By Charles Dhewa
Apr. 5, 2023
Investment in production futile without markets
The price of a bottle of Coke remains the same whether quantities are few or more. Why should not that be the case with necessities like tomatoes?
By Charles Dhewa
Apr. 12, 2023
Updates: Bulawayo Horticulture products - Markets Analysis
There was a high supply of pumpkins and Mashamba ( amajodo) from Gokwe and Bubi district. Pumpkins were sold at R10 - 3 whereas amajodo were going for $1-2 each depending on size.
By Charles Dhewa
Apr. 17, 2023
How to stimulate development in local communities
There are no clear pathways on how communities can contribute to the achievement of national policies and strategic goals due to absence of community ownership pathways.
By Charles Dhewa
Apr. 19, 2023
Enriching climate change discourse with indigenous knowledge perspectives
Fortunately, most rural African communities still have elders who can be considered generators, preservers and conveyors of IKS.
By Charles Dhewa
Apr. 26, 2023
A case for local food and indigenous knowledge systems
African researchers have not played a meaningful knowledge building role in examining micro climates and soils in which different indigenous fruits do well.
By Charles Dhewa
May. 10, 2023
Importance of continuously listening to the market
Continuous dialogue with the market requires a strong system that hosts data on surplus from the production side and match with market needs in terms of quantities and quality aspects.
By Charles Dhewa
May. 17, 2023
