Every week, RuralReporters.com collate reports on development issues in rural Africa and its environs.

This report includes some of our top picks from recent must-read research, interviews, blogs, and in-depth articles, carefully selected to help you keep up with global issues.

Here are some of the updates you may have missed from the previous week:

Philanthropists can lead the way in rural Africa

In the past 25 years in Africa a vast mounting of “rethinking” in agriculture and rural development has been going on at all levels and integration is now seen as key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. What is holding back investment is the lack of suitable large-scale models. This could be helped by philanthropists who either buy, lease or “adopt’ a farm in Africa with the intention of not only increasing yields and improving livelihoods but also making the farm part of a larger integrated project along the lines of Unesco Biosphere Reserves that study and promote integration between rural, urban and wilderness areas. For innovative investment in rural Africa, philanthropists can lead the way.

Farmers Not Benefiting From Seed Crop, Supplies From Donors

The Farmers’ Cooperative of Tarlesson Farms, with 200,000 producers and farmers has announced that farmers across Liberia are not benefiting from seed crops and supplies given to them by international donors. The group avowed that farmers and people in rural communities and villages across Liberia are ready to eradicate hunger, poverty, youth unemployment, and revise the Liberian agro-economy themselves.

Mo Ibrahim Hopeful Peaceful Elections Will Turn Tide in Liberia

The deterioration in Africa’s Rural Sector over the last five years, which could threaten recent progress in this key area for the continent’s sustainable growth and wealth-creating potential, is a particular cause for concern.

Participation & Human Rights is the only category picking up speed in the last five years, with the greatest number of countries (17) improving at an accelerated rate across all four categories of the IIAG.

Economic shake-up for rural areas

Rural South Africa is expected to get an economic shake-up following the launch of the United Royal Kingships Holding (URKH) in Melrose Arch, Joburg on Friday.

The URKH is the brainchild of the country’s 829 traditional leaders who aim to leverage the natural and cultural resource base of kingdoms, kingships and royal communities in a bid to create investment opportunities.  His Royal Highness Ikosi Sipho Mahlangu said on Friday that the company aimed to uplift 25million residents in rural South Africa through investments in industries ranging from property to financial services.

Bridging the information gap for rural communities in Malawi

A new calling platform, implemented by various organisations, including Self Help Africa, has been harnessing the incredible reach of the mobile phone to provide rural poor farming families in Malawi with timely access to advice about their crops and their businesses.

Today, close to 800,000 Malawian smallholder farmers like William are accessing farming advice at the end of the phone. It’s a service available on demand and at practically no cost.