Author: lorenzo

From forest to table: discovering bushmeat, the meat of wild animals A source of food and income The meat of wild animals (bushmeat) has always been an extremely important source of food and income for many African populations, who hunt bats, monkeys, rats, snakes and other wild animals for their own subsistence. Smoked, dried or cooked, this meat represents a valuable source of protein for rural communities, where raising domestic animals is too expensive or impractical. In the forests of Central Africa, the total volume of wild animal harvesting is estimated at between 1 and 4.9 million tonnes...

2026: International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 has been proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF). The initiative, coordinated by FAO, IFAD and WFP, aims to place the condition of women working in agrifood systems at the centre of international attention. The proposal was created to highlight the role of women in a sector that depends on their labour far more than traditional narratives tend to suggest. A central yet poorly paid role The most recent data show a picture in which the centrality of women’s contribution remains linked to conditions...

DJIBOUTI: the tiny country with enormousstrategic importance The strategic role Situated in the Horn of Africa between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, the Republic of Djibouti appears on maps as a tiny dot with square borders; in this small and little-known land, the strategic and geopolitical interests of half the world converge. Djibouti covers an area of 23,000 km² and has a population of around 1 million inhabitants who, until the mid-19th century, shared a historical and political development rather similar to that of the neighbouring Somali people. In 1882, the French built the city of...

INVICTUS: SOUTH AFRICA AND RUGBY Rugby Rugby is perhaps the most famous sport of the British Isles and many of its former colonies. Among the ten strongest national teams in the world are England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa. Today the title of world champion belongs to South Africa’s “Springboks”, after having long been held by their rivals, New Zealand’s “All Blacks”. The birth of the Springboks In South Africa, rugby symbolizes some of the country’s deepest social, political and economic transformations. The national team, founded in 1889, adopted...

SCIENTIFIC DIPLOMACY GLOBAL CONTEXT AND THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC DIPLOMACY Climate change, food security, global health, data and technology governance: many of the challenges shaping our present do not respect national borders and require responses grounded in evidence, dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation. Within this context lies scientific diplomacy, defined as the field of international relations in which science and foreign policy intersect. BEYOND COOPERATION Its meaning therefore goes beyond the mere implementation of international projects. It is rooted in the recognition that science,...

THE GEOPOLITICS OF COFFEE:BETWEEN GLOBAL POWER AND LOCAL HOPE THE DIPLOMACY OF COFFEE Originally from Africa, coffee has gradually acquired global socio-economic and environmental importance. Currently, the entire supply chain generates an estimated value of approximately $200 billion and involves over 25 million producers, spread across 80 countries in the geographical area between the two tropics, commonly referred to as the “Coffee Belt.” Like all supply chains of colonial origin, the coffee supply chain is characterized by a clear distinction between areas of production and consumption....

Nioko Bokk: An eco-village between forest, ocean, and community Immersed in the heart of the subtropical forest of Casamance, in southern Senegal, between the villages of Diannah and Abene, lies Nioko Bokk: an eco-village and solidarity camp created with the aim of uniting hospitality, environmental sustainability, and community growth.It welcomes tourists, volunteers, and travelers from all over the world, offering not only an experience of living in harmony with nature but also the chance to discover agroecological practices and take part in environmental awareness projects. The land where...

SALEGY IN MADAGASCAR: BETWEEN MUSICAL TRADITION AND ACTIVISM A FAST-PACED MUSIC It plays constantly in every corner of Madagascar, at any time of day. Whether it comes from a small Bluetooth speaker, a smartphone, a live band or a radio programme, the genre remains the same. It has a lively groove that engages and includes everyone. Without distinction, everyone dances! Often played in six-eight time, it moves dancers and musicians in unison. Their steps and voices intertwine with the bass, electric guitar and accordion lines, creating the musical backdrop for dancing. And, if that weren’t...

AFRICA AND THE ATOMIC BOMB On 13 February 1960, France detonated its first atomic bomb in the Algerian Sahara desert. The test, ordered by Charles De Gaulle, generated a cloud contaminated with caesium-137 and iodine-131, which was carried by the wind as far as western Sicily. In the midst of the Algerian War of Independence, France did not reveal what had happened and continued its experiments in the province of Adrar. From that 13 February until 1966, 16 more nuclear explosions were carried out in the Sahara desert, with devastating consequences for the local population, the surrounding environment...

CISAO in Rome for the launch of the AEYA project On Wednesday 16 July, in Rome, at the headquarters of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the operational guidelines of the Italian component of the Africa-Europe Youth Academy (AEYA) initiative were presented. The University of Turin is part of this initiative with its CISAO centre (Interdepartmental Centre for Research and Technical-Scientific Cooperation with Africa). Carried out as part of a delegated cooperation funded by the European Commission and implemented in partnership with the French agency Expertise France (consortium...