Farm Radio International: Broadcasting Farming Know-How Across Africa

Farm Radio International began in 1979 when CBC broadcaster George Atkins started mailing farm radio scripts to broadcasters in developing countries after learning firsthand that African radio stations lacked good agricultural content. Today it partners with more than 1,300 radio stations across 38 African countries, supplying free scripts, training and interactive tools — including phone-in polling and SMS — that let broadcasters turn one-way farm bulletins into two-way dialogue with rural listeners. In its 2021-22 programming year alone, Farm Radio-supported broadcasts reached an estimated 24.5 million people across rural Africa with actionable agricultural and food-security information, and independent evaluations found that around 4.9 million of them went on to adopt a new farming practice as a result. The organization concentrates much of its direct programming on countries including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.