Backgrounders

Backgrounders are brief introductions to important and technical topics and Answers to frequently asked questions share key information on a topic.

Use this information to plan an episode or series of episodes on the topic, to prepare for an interview, or to answer questions from callers.

All
  • All
  • Agriculture
  • Aquaculture
  • Children and youth
  • Climate change
  • Community development
  • Crop production
  • Energy
  • Environment and climate change
  • Gender equality
  • Health
  • Hygiene and sanitation
  • Land issues
  • Livestock and beekeeping
  • Marketing and market information
  • Nature-based Solutions
  • Nutrition
  • Post-harvest activities
  • Social issues
  • Soil health
  • Trees and agroforestry
  • Water management

Chicken diseases

Story about dealing with chicken diseases Sogodogo Sarata Berthé is a 65-year-old widow living in Bougouni, 165 kilometres from Bamako, the capital of Mali. After retiring from the Malian postal service, Sarata completely shifted to raising poultry. But like any woman wanting to become an entrepreneur, she faced challenges.She started by successfully raising local chickens…

Raising guinea fowl for food and income

Why is this subject important to listeners? Men and women in many countries can improve their families’ food and nutrition intake and make good money at the market by raising guinea fowl. But farmers must follow good practices to reap the benefits! What are some key facts? Guinea fowl meat is nutritious and the birds’…

Cowpea production

Introduction and how to use this issue pack This issue pack is designed to give radio broadcasters the information needed to create effective and entertaining radio programs about growing cowpea. It talks about growing cowpeas in northern Ghana, but you can easily adapt the information to other sub-Saharan African countries where cowpeas are grown. The…

Raising guinea fowl

Stories about raising guinea fowl Guinea fowl story #1: Appiealore Alagiwugah lives in Banyono, in the Upper East Region of Ghana, and has been raising guinea fowl since 2008. He says that there are two big challenges to raising guinea fowl. The first is raising the keets (as the young birds are known) so that…

Aquaculture: The value chain

I.     Introduction and how to use this issue pack This issue pack is designed to provide radio broadcasters with the information they need to create effective and entertaining radio programs on the value chain for fish farming, or aquaculture. Activities in the aquaculture value chain include raising, processing and marketing farmed fish. The…

Cassava value chain in Tanzania: Post-harvest

  Introduction and how to use this issue pack   This issue pack is designed to give radio broadcasters the information they need to create effective and entertaining programs on the post-harvest value chain for cassava, a staple food with the scientific name of Manihot esculenta. The issue pack focuses on cassava in Tanzania, but…

Groundnut value chain in Malawi: post-harvest

Introduction and how to use this issue pack   This issue pack was designed to provide radio broadcasters with the information they need to create effective and entertaining radio programs on the post-harvest value chain for groundnuts. Actions in the post-harvest groundnut value chain include drying, plucking, shelling, grading, storing, marketing, and processing groundnuts. This…

Issue Pack: Groundnut value chain in Malawi, production

1.     Introduction and how to use this issue pack This issue pack is designed to provide broadcasters with the information they need to help create effective and entertaining radio programs on growing groundnuts. The issue pack focuses on groundnuts in Malawi, but the information will be relevant, with some possible modifications, to other sub-Saharan African…

Issue Pack: Cassava value chain in Tanzania – production

1.      Introduction and how to use this issue pack This issue pack is designed to provide broadcasters with the information needed to help create effective and entertaining radio programs on cassava. The issue pack focuses on cassava in Tanzania, but much of the information will be relevant to other sub-Saharan African countries where cassava is…

An Introduction to Value Chains

Introduction: A value chain is not an object that you can see. Rather, a value chain is simply a useful way of understanding how the world of producing, buying and selling things works. We are all part of value chains in one way or the other as producers, consumers of goods and services, processors, retailers,…