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
- 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
Growing tef
Introduction Ethiopians plant more tef than any other cereal, and produce and consume more tef than any other cereal except maize. Approximately five million Ethiopian households grow tef on about three million hectares of land. The scientific name of tef is Eragrostis tef, and the crop is believed to have originated in Ethiopia. Tef accounts…
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…