New BCG-PxD report shows how Digital Agriculture Units can help governments turn digital strategies into real farmer impact Digital agriculture could unlock up to USD 500 billion in additional agricultural GDP each year across low- and middle-income countries, if proven solutions can successfully scale beyond pilots. The From Strategy to Scale: Why Delivery Matters in Digital Agriculture report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in collaboration with Precision Development (PxD) explores how Digital Agriculture Units (DAUs) are helping governments close the gap between strategy and delivery. The report finds that while many countries have developed ambitious digital agriculture strategies, too few have invested…
Author: Ewang Johnson
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Over the last few decades as film and television have evolved, audiences have largely come to expect certain qualities from their leading protagonists: bravery, intelligence, ambition, wit, even a slightly rebellious nature. However, as global, real-life media has invaded more and more of our everyday lives, the things which previously felt solidly black-and-white have instead entered a sort of grayscale realm. Perhaps as a result of this shift, the main characters in popular film, television, and books have begun to enter that grayscale as well.Kindness, gentleness, self-control: these fruits of the Spirit which are so central to Jesus’ Sermon on…
In this edition of our film show, critic Emma Jones talks to Eve Jackson about the latest film releases, including “The History of Sound” from director Oliver Hermanus. It stars Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor as two men who fall in love in the shadow of World War I. The film premiered in competition at Cannes to lukewarm reviews, but Emma argues its quiet, repressed portrayal of a gay relationship shaped by its era is exactly what gives it emotional force. Source link
As exceptional as Titanic was, though, it was part of a significant broader pattern: many of the 20th Century’s best picture winners were also some of the most profitable films of their respective years. “From 1927 to 1976, roughly 90% of Oscars for best picture were awarded to films that were also in the top 10 grossing pictures for their year,” wrote film historian Gene Del Vecchio in The Huffington Post in 2014. “Academy voters and the public alike enjoyed serious romance dramas like Casablanca, adventures like Around the World in 80 Days, historical dramas like Ben-Hur, and musicals like My Fair Lady. Our…
South Africa is approaching a critical inflection point in its water system − one that has developed steadily and largely out of public view. According to participants at the Investec-Proparco industry dialogue, the window for effective intervention is narrowing. Despite being among the world’s 30 most water-scarce countries, South Africans consume an average of 218 litres per person per day − well above the international average of 173 litres. Meanwhile, the deterioration in drinking water quality and service reliability is accelerating: the proportion of municipal water supply systems failing microbiological standards has surged from 5% in 2014 to 46% in…
In this episode of arts24, we mark four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with powerful films from the frontlines. The BAFTA-winning documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” exposes how Russian schools have been used for propaganda, while Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov captures frontline courage in “2000 Meters to Andriivka”, which follows soldiers during the 2023 counteroffensive. Source link
The Comeback premieres 22 March on HBO and Max in the USAmazon Prime Video(Credit: Amazon Prime Video)11. BaitRiz Ahmed has made his name in dramas, earning an Oscar nomination for The Sound of Metal, but he reveals his comic side in this series he wrote and stars in. He plays a struggling actor named Shah Latif, who gets an audition to play the next James Bond. Word leaks to the public and everyone around him, especially his large Anglo-Pakistani family, goes wild with expectations and advice, throwing his life into chaos. “It’s almost like his life starts to resemble the…
Despite rapid innovation in financial technology, nearly 300 million adults across Africa remain unbanked, most of them in rural and low-income communities. This persistent gap highlights both the urgency of financial inclusion and the scale of opportunity ahead. With Africa’s fintech revenues projected by McKinsey to grow almost fivefold, from approximately US$10 billion in 2023 to US$47 billion by 2028, the continent stands at a pivotal moment where innovation, policy, and capital must converge to ensure inclusive growth. Against this backdrop, the Inclusive FinTech Forum (IFF) 2026 will convene from 10–12 March 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre, bringing together…
If you’re like me, then professional sports have always helped define the decades. The accomplishments of athletes like Mickey Mantle, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Simone Biles provide a sort of soundtrack that flavors their respective time periods. For example, it’s difficult to think about the 1990s without remembering the feats of Michael Jordan. I can still recall laying sick on the sofa and watching Jordan dominate the Utah Jazz while also covered in sweat from the flu. Although we don’t know athletes like Jordan personally, they are important to us, serving as markers for many of our…
In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with British artist Jamie Woon, who is back with new music for the first time in a decade. He emerged from London’s fertile post-dubstep scene of the early 2010s with his debut album “Mirrorwriting” and his Mercury-nominated follow-up “Making Time”. His lyrics are vulnerable and introspective, blending R’n’B, neo soul and electronic sounds. After a decade away from the spotlight, Jamie is back with his album “3,10, Why, When” and is heading out on a European tour. Source link
