An Ex Ante Analysis Of The Impact And Cost Effectiveness Of Biofortified High Provitamin A And High Iron Banana In Uganda

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An Ex Ante Analysis of the Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Biofortified High-Provitamin A and High-Iron Banana in Uganda

John L. Fiedler,Enoch M. Kikulwe,Ekin Birol
An Ex Ante Analysis of the Impact and Cost Effectiveness of Biofortified High Provitamin A and High Iron Banana in Uganda Book PDF

Author : John L. Fiedler,Enoch M. Kikulwe,Ekin Birol
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2013-07-16
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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An Ex Ante Analysis of the Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Biofortified High-Provitamin A and High-Iron Banana in Uganda by John L. Fiedler,Enoch M. Kikulwe,Ekin Birol Pdf

Uganda has made notable progress in reducing micronutrient deficiencies in recent years, but the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and anemia among children under 5 remain unacceptably high. According to World Health Organization criteria, VAD remains a public health problem in Uganda, and anemia is a severe problem. In this paper we explore the potential contribution to reducing both of these deficiencies using a genetically modified, high–provitamin A and high-iron banana (HPVAHIB) that is currently being developed. We present an ex ante analysis of the costs and nutritional benefits of HPVAHIB. Using the Ugandan National Household Survey of 2005/06, we analyzed the production and consumption patterns of highland cooking banana (nakinyika) and sweet banana (sukalindizi). Informed by the empirical findings, we developed geographically differentiated adoption, production, consumption, and diffusion patterns for several types of HPVAHIB. Based on households’ reported quantities of each type of banana currently consumed, we estimated the number of people consuming each banana and the quantities they consume, and then simulated the additional intakes of vitamin A and iron and estimated the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) saved attributable to each. Combining the health impacts with the estimated costs of the project, three impact measures of the HPVAHIB are developed: the cost per DALY saved, the benefit–cost ratio, and the internal rate of return. Eighteen scenarios are estimated. The base scenario, which includes only the biofortification of cooking banana with provitamin A at a level equal to 400 percent its intrinsic provitamin A content, estimates that the net present cost per DALY saved of HPVAHIB is US$62, its benefit–cost ratio is 16, and its internal rate of return is 31 percent. According to criteria established by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, the HPVAHIB project is a “very cost-effective” health intervention.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the African Risk Capacity Facility

Daniel J. Clarke,Ruth Vargas Hill
Cost Benefit Analysis of the African Risk Capacity Facility Book PDF

Author : Daniel J. Clarke,Ruth Vargas Hill
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2013-11-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Cost-Benefit Analysis of the African Risk Capacity Facility by Daniel J. Clarke,Ruth Vargas Hill Pdf

Governments play a key role in supporting populations affected by natural disasters, including rebuilding infrastructure to ensure continued services and scaling-up public safety nets to prevent widespread hunger and poverty. However, the traditional approach of limiting greater spending to the aftermath of a disaster has many drawbacks. External support from bilateral or multilateral donors can be slow and unreliable. Private sector reinsurance can be prohibitively expensive. And reallocating budgets toward recovery and reconstruction is typically a slow process that can even hurt long-term development by drawing resources away from effective programs. Some countries are trying to mitigate this liability by banding together and creating sovereign catastrophe risk pools that allow governments to coordinate with one another to insure their uncertain fiscal liabilities at lower cost. Countries contribute to the pool, which then provides payments if an insured natural disaster strikes. The African Risk Capacity (ARC), has been proposed as a pan-Africa drought risk pool to insure against drought risk in Africa south of the Sahara. If fully operationalized, the ARC will mark a major change in how donors fund emergency support to countries in Africa during times of need. In this paper, we undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the ARC pool and discuss how lessons can inform the design of the ARC.

Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals

Ademola A. Adenle,Marian R. Chertow,Ellen H. M. Moors,David J. Pannell
Science Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals Book PDF

Author : Ademola A. Adenle,Marian R. Chertow,Ellen H. M. Moors,David J. Pannell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-07-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780190949525

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Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals by Ademola A. Adenle,Marian R. Chertow,Ellen H. M. Moors,David J. Pannell Pdf

After the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all," researchers and policy makers highlighted the importance of targeted investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to make tangible progress. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals showcases the roles that STI solutions can play in meeting on-the-ground socio-economic and environmental challenges among domestic and international organizations concerned with the SDGs in three overlapping areas: agriculture, health, and environment/energy. Authors and researchers from 31 countries tackle both big-picture questions, such as scaling up the adoption and diffusion of new sustainable technologies, and specific, localized case studies, focusing on developing and middle-income countries and specific STI solutions and policies. Issues addressed include renewable energy, automated vehicles, vaccines, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, and precision agriculture. In bringing together diverse voices from both policy and academic spheres, this volume provides practical and relevant insights and advice to support policy makers and managers seeking to enhance the roles of STI in sustainable development.

Efficiency and Productivity Differential Effects of Land Certification Program in Ethiopia

Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden
Efficiency and Productivity Differential Effects of Land Certification Program in Ethiopia Book PDF

Author : Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-11-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Efficiency and Productivity Differential Effects of Land Certification Program in Ethiopia by Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden Pdf

security effects (investment effects) and through more efficient input use due to enhanced tradability of the land (factor intensity effect), empirical studies on the size and magnitude of these effects are very scarce. Taking advantage of a unique quasi-experimental survey design, this study analyzes the productivity impacts of the Ethiopian land certification program by identifying how the investment effects (technological gains) would measure up against the benefits from any improvements in input use intensity (technical efficiency). For this purpose, we adopted a data envelopment analysis–based Malmquist-type productivity index to decompose productivity differences into (1) within-group farm efficiency differences, reflecting the technical efficiency effect, and (2) differences in the group production frontier, reflecting the long-term investment (technological) effects. The results show that farms without a land use certificate are, on aggregate, less productive than those with formalized use rights. We found no evidence to suggest this productivity difference is due to inferior technical efficiency. Rather, the reason is down to technological advantages, or a favorable investment effect, from which farm plots with a land use certificate benefit when evaluated against farms not included in the certification program. The low level of within-group efficiency of farms in each group reinforces the argument that certification programs need to be accompanied by complementary measures such as an improved financial and legal institutional framework in order to achieve the promised effects.

The Impact of Food Price Shocks in Uganda

Bjorn Van Campenhout,Karl Pauw,Nicholas Minot
The Impact of Food Price Shocks in Uganda Book PDF

Author : Bjorn Van Campenhout,Karl Pauw,Nicholas Minot
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2013-08-14
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The Impact of Food Price Shocks in Uganda by Bjorn Van Campenhout,Karl Pauw,Nicholas Minot Pdf

In developing countries, all too often policies formulated in response to high food prices are inspired by ideology instead of evidence-based policy research. We look at the immediate effects of these shocks faced by households in Uganda on their poverty and well-being. In addition, we look at the economywide impact in the long run when all markets have settled at a new equilibrium. We find that in the short run, poverty has increased substantially. However, in the longer run, we find welfare levels of rural farm households in particular to rise sharply, primarily as a result of increased returns to farm labor and agricultural land coupled with improved market prices for output sold. These results call for policies that aim to protect the most vulnerable against high food prices and extreme volatility in the short run, without eliminating the incentives of steadily rising commodity prices for longer-run structural agricultural development.

An Evaluation of Poverty Prevalence in China

Chunni Zhang,Qi Xu,Xiang Zhou,Xiaobo Zhang,Yu Xie
An Evaluation of Poverty Prevalence in China Book PDF

Author : Chunni Zhang,Qi Xu,Xiang Zhou,Xiaobo Zhang,Yu Xie
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2013-10-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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An Evaluation of Poverty Prevalence in China by Chunni Zhang,Qi Xu,Xiang Zhou,Xiaobo Zhang,Yu Xie Pdf

Knowledge of actual poverty prevalence is important for any society concerned with improving public welfare and reducing poverty. In this paper, we calculate and compare the poverty incidence rate in China using four nationally representative surveys: the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of 2010, the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) of 2010, the Chinese Household Finance Survey (CHFS) of 2011, and the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) of 2007. Using both international and official domestic poverty standards, we show that poverty prevalence at the national, rural, and urban levels based on the CFPS, CGSS, and the CHFS are much higher than the official estimation and those based on the CHIP. The study highlights the importance of using independent datasets to validate official statistics of public and policy concern in contemporary China.

Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition

Mara van den Bold,Agnes R. Quisumbing,Stuart Gillespie
Women s Empowerment and Nutrition Book PDF

Author : Mara van den Bold,Agnes R. Quisumbing,Stuart Gillespie
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 80 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2013-11-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition by Mara van den Bold,Agnes R. Quisumbing,Stuart Gillespie Pdf

Many development programs that aim to alleviate poverty and improve investments in human capital consider women’s empowerment a key pathway by which to achieve impact and often target women as their main beneficiaries. Despite this, women’s empowerment dimensions are often not rigorously measured and are at times merely assumed. This paper starts by reflecting on the concept and measurement of women’s empowerment and then reviews some of the structural interventions that aim to influence underlying gender norms in society and eradicate gender discrimination. It then proceeds to review the evidence of the impact of three types of interventions—cash transfer programs, agricultural interventions, and microfinance programs—on women’s empowerment, nutrition, or both. Qualitative evidence on conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs generally points to positive impacts on women’s empowerment, although quantitative research findings are more heterogenous. CCT programs produce mixed results on long-term nutritional status, and very limited evidence exists of their impacts on micronutrient status. The little evidence available on unconditional cash transters (UCT) indicates mixed impacts on women’s empowerment and positive impacts on nutrition; however, recent reviews comparing CCT and UCT programs have found little difference in terms of their effects on stunting and they have found that conditionality is less important than other factors, such as access to healthcare and child age and sex. Evidence of cash transfer program impacts depending on the gender of the transfer recipient or on the conditionality is also mixed, although CCTs with non-health conditionalities seem to have negative impacts on nutritional status. The impacts of programs based on the gender of the transfer recipient show mixed results, but almost no experimental evidence exists of testing gender-differentiated impacts of a single program. Agricultural interventions—specifically home gardening and dairy projects—show mixed impacts on women’s empowerment measures such as time, workload, and control over income; but they demonstrate very little impact on nutrition. Implementation modalities are shown to determine differential impacts in terms of empowerment and nutrition outcomes. With regard to the impact of microfinance on women’s empowerment, evidence is also mixed, although more recent reviews do not find any impact on women’s empowerment. The impact of microfinance on nutritional status is mixed, with no evidence of impact on micronutrient status. Across all three types of programs (cash transfer programs, agricultural interventions, and microfinance programs), very little evidence exists on pathways of impact, and evidence is often biased toward a particular region. The paper ends with a discussion of the findings and remaining evidence gaps and an outline of recommendations for research.

GM agricultural technologies for Africa

Chambers, Judith A.,Zambrano, Patricia,Falck-Zepeda, José Benjamin,Gruère, Guillaume P.,Sengupta, Debdatta,Hokanson, Karen
GM agricultural technologies for Africa Book PDF

Author : Chambers, Judith A.,Zambrano, Patricia,Falck-Zepeda, José Benjamin,Gruère, Guillaume P.,Sengupta, Debdatta,Hokanson, Karen
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2014-09-29
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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GM agricultural technologies for Africa by Chambers, Judith A.,Zambrano, Patricia,Falck-Zepeda, José Benjamin,Gruère, Guillaume P.,Sengupta, Debdatta,Hokanson, Karen Pdf

The African Development Bank (AfDB), in commissioning this report to be prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), highlighted the need for a comprehensive, evidenced-based review of agricultural biotechnology in order to better understand its current status, issues, constraints, and opportunities for Africa. Agricultural biotechnology comprises several scientific techniques (genetic engineering, molecular marker-assisted breeding, the use of molecular diagnostics and vaccines, and tissue cul­ture) that are used to improve plants, animals, and microorganisms. However, in prepar­ing this desktop analysis, IFPRI has focused on genetic modification (GM) technologies in particular and on the agricultural context in which they are being applied, because GM technologies are at the center of the controversy about biotechnology’s role in Africa. In addition, because we have attempted to focus our review on peer-reviewed evidence and documented examples, the preponderance of data presented in the report is focused on genetically modified (also abbreviated GM) crops in use and under development, although we recognize the potential of the technology for livestock, fisheries, and forestry.

Land Constraints and Agricultural Intensification in Ethiopia

Derek Headey,Mekdim Dereje,Jacob Ricker-Gilbert,Anna Josephson,Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse
Land Constraints and Agricultural Intensification in Ethiopia Book PDF

Author : Derek Headey,Mekdim Dereje,Jacob Ricker-Gilbert,Anna Josephson,Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2013-09-13
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Land Constraints and Agricultural Intensification in Ethiopia by Derek Headey,Mekdim Dereje,Jacob Ricker-Gilbert,Anna Josephson,Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse Pdf

Highland Ethiopia is one of the most densely populated regions of Africa and has long been associated with both Malthusian disasters and Boserupian agricultural intensification. This paper explores the race between these two countervailing forces, with the goal of informing two important policy questions. First, how do rural Ethiopians adapt to land constraints? And second, do land constraints significantly influence welfare outcomes in rural Ethiopia? To answer these questions we use a recent household survey of high-potential areas. We first show that farm sizes are generally very small in the Ethiopian highlands and declining over time, with young rural households facing particularly severe land constraints. We then ask whether smaller and declining farm sizes are inducing agricultural intensification, and if so, how. We find strong evidence in favor of the Boserupian hypothesis that land-constrained villages typically use significantly more purchased input costs per hectare and more family labor, and achieve higher maize and teff yields and high gross income per hectare. However, although these higher inputs raise gross revenue, we find no substantial impact of greater land constraints on net farm income per hectare once family labor costs are accounted for. Moreover, farm sizes are strongly positively correlated with net farm income, suggesting that land constraints are an important cause of rural poverty. We conclude with some broad policy implications of our results.

Economywide Impact of Maize Export Bans on Agricultural Growth and Household Welfare in Tanzania

Xinshen Diao,Adam Kennedy,Athur Mabiso,Angga Pradesha
Economywide Impact of Maize Export Bans on Agricultural Growth and Household Welfare in Tanzania Book PDF

Author : Xinshen Diao,Adam Kennedy,Athur Mabiso,Angga Pradesha
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2013-09-03
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Economywide Impact of Maize Export Bans on Agricultural Growth and Household Welfare in Tanzania by Xinshen Diao,Adam Kennedy,Athur Mabiso,Angga Pradesha Pdf

In recent years, the government of Tanzania, like other governments in Africa south of the Sahara, has periodically banned the export of staple crops (maize) in an attempt to ensure the domestic food supply and protect its citizens from international food price hikes. While this policy seems to be a common response to domestic production shortfalls or to high prices in international or neighboring countries’ markets, export bans not only have the potential to reduce producer prices locally but also, because the bans are often ad hoc, can cause significant market uncertainty for farmers and the private sector, ultimately making them less responsive in both supply and trade opportunities in the future. While complaints by farmers and traders regarding the export bans frequently appear in the newspapers in Tanzania, few rigorous analyses have been done to quantitatively measure the impacts of the policy. Given this knowledge gap and policy demand, we study the impact of export bans in Tanzania using a computable general equilibrium model. We find that although maize is an important food crop in Tanzania, its contribution to food price inflation is rather limited, and that banning cross-border maize exports lowers the national food price index by only 0.6–2.4 percent compared with the free-export scenario. The benefits of lower prices are captured primarily by urban households, but maize producer prices decrease by 7–26 percent, depending on the region. We also find that the export ban decreases the wage rate for low-skilled labor and the returns to land, while returns to nonagricultural capital and wage rate for the skilled labor increase, further hurting poor rural households and thus increasing poverty for the country as a whole.

Welfare and Poverty Impacts of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

Klaus Deininger,Yanyan Liu
Welfare and Poverty Impacts of India s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Book PDF

Author : Klaus Deininger,Yanyan Liu
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2013-09-13
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Welfare and Poverty Impacts of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme by Klaus Deininger,Yanyan Liu Pdf

India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is one of the largest public works programs globally. Understanding the impacts of NREGS and the pathway through which its impacts are realized thus has important policy implications. We use a three-round 4,000-household panel from Andhra Pradesh together with administrative data to explore short- and medium-term poverty and welfare effects of NREGS. Triple difference estimates suggest that participants significantly increase consumption (protein and energy intake) in the short run and accumulate more nonfinancial assets in the medium term. Direct benefits exceed program-related transfers and are most pronounced for scheduled castes and tribes and households supplying casual labor. Asset creation via program-induced land improvements is consistent with a medium-term increase in assets by nonparticipants and increases in wage income in excess of program cost.

Links between Tenure Security and Food Security

Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden
Links between Tenure Security and Food Security Book PDF

Author : Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-13
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Links between Tenure Security and Food Security by Hosaena Ghebru Hagos,Stein Holden Pdf

While numerous studies exist that evaluate the impacts of land reform on household investment behavior, land productivity, and land rental market activities, the literature is thin in terms of showing the direct food securities impacts of land tenure reforms. This study, thus, uses five rounds of household panel data from Tigray, Ethiopia, collected in the period 1998–2010 to assess the impacts of a land registration and certification program that aimed to strengthen tenure security and how it has contributed to increased food availability and thus food security in this food-deficit region. Our first survey took place just a year before the intervention (the land certification program). Our panel data in combination with the “years of certificate ownership” variable allow us to assess the dynamic impacts on food (calorie) availability of strengthened tenure security. Anthropometric data also allow us to assess potential child nutrition impacts of the reform 8–12 years after its implementation. Results show that land certification appears to have contributed to enhanced calorie availability (calorie intake), and more so for female-headed households, either through enhanced land rental market participation or increased investment and productivity on owner-operated land. Results also show that members of households that accessed additional land through the land rental market had a significantly higher body mass index. Though results show that land rental market participation is enhancing production efficiency, high transaction costs in that market suggest there are still unrealized gains from trade. Thus, the recent restrictive regional land law that allows for only short-term rental contracts and does not allow more than 50 percent of land to be rented out may threaten future tenure security and may undermine the benefits from the existing tenure reform.

Cambodian Agriculture

Timothy S. Thomas,Tin Ponlok,Ros Bansok,Thanakvaro De Lopez,Cathy Chiang,Nang Phirun,Chhim Chhun
Cambodian Agriculture Book PDF

Author : Timothy S. Thomas,Tin Ponlok,Ros Bansok,Thanakvaro De Lopez,Cathy Chiang,Nang Phirun,Chhim Chhun
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2013-08-22
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Cambodian Agriculture by Timothy S. Thomas,Tin Ponlok,Ros Bansok,Thanakvaro De Lopez,Cathy Chiang,Nang Phirun,Chhim Chhun Pdf

Cambodia has been identified as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, given the predicted changes in temperature and precipitation, the share of labor in agriculture, and the country’s low adaptive capacity due to widespread poverty. In this study, we use climate data from four general circulation models (GCMs) to evaluate the impact of climate change on agriculture in Cambodia by 2050. We used the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer crop modeling software to evaluate crop yields, first for the 1950–2000 period (actual climate) and then for the climates given by the four GCMs for 2050. We evaluated crop yields for eight different crops at 2,162 points in Cambodia, using a grid of 10-kilometer squares, for 2000 and 2050. For each crop, we searched for the best cultivar (variety) in each square, rather than assuming the same cultivar to be used in all locations. We also searched for the best planting month in each square. We explored potential gains from changing fertilizer levels and from using irrigation to compensate for rainfall changes. This analysis indicates that when practiced together, using improved cultivars better suited for the changing climate conditions and adjusting planting dates can lessen the impact of climate change on yields, including for both wet- and dry-season rice. In addition, the analysis shows that losses in yield due to climate change can be compensated for—for many crops—by increasing the availability of nitrogen in the soil. To provide context to the modeling analysis, a survey of 45 communes was conducted using focus group discussions to solicit information on agricultural practices. Questions were asked about fertilizer, irrigation, seeds, tillage, and pest management, as well as about natural disasters and how farmers respond. Key results indicate that in response to extreme weather, only 7 to 16 percent of farmers report changing crop variety and only 20 percent of farmers report changing planting dates. Since the modeling results indicate that adaptation to climate change by changing crop variety and planting dates will be critical in order to avoid yield losses over the next 40 years, it is recommended that farmers expand their capacity to adapt in this way. In addition, every commune reported using some type of chemical fertilizer; however, in a typical commune, only 50 percent of the farmers were using any chemical fertilizer. This indicates that there is room to increase the use of chemical fertilizers. Finally, focus group participants were asked to name the top three natural disasters of concern. Drought was the most cited, reported in 44 of the 45 communes (98 percent), while flooding was cited in 67 percent of the communes surveyed. Despite this, in fully 58 percent of the communes, farmers reported taking no action in response to floods. In response to drought, farmers reported switching to other crops in 16 percent of the communes, and changed planting dates in 19 percent, while only 7 percent of the communes reported no adaptation in farming practices. These findings indicate the need for intervention to help farmers deal with floods in particular, and to determine whether strategies for adapting to drought are the best suited to mitigate crop loss.

Agricultural Commercialization, Land Expansion, and Homegrown Large-Scale Farmers

Antony Chapoto,Athur Mabiso,Adwinmea Bonsu
Agricultural Commercialization Land Expansion and Homegrown Large Scale Farmers Book PDF

Author : Antony Chapoto,Athur Mabiso,Adwinmea Bonsu
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2013-09-03
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Agricultural Commercialization, Land Expansion, and Homegrown Large-Scale Farmers by Antony Chapoto,Athur Mabiso,Adwinmea Bonsu Pdf

The past decade has seen several African countries increasing their agricultural growth, a trend largely underpinned by increases in land area cultivated instead of productivity increases. Meanwhile, scholars debate whether Africa should pursue a strategy of large-scale or smallholder farms, paying little attention to a special group of smallholder farmers who have transitioned to become medium- and large-scale farmers. This study, therefore, begins to analyze this group of farmers, using qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in Ghana. We analyze their characteristics, ingredients of farm-size expansion, and commercialization. Numerous insights are gained and hypotheses formulated for future research. One important insight is that with the right attitude, exposure, and discipline, it is possible for smallholder farmers to increase their farm size and commercialize regardless of initial farm enterprise choice. However, to transition, initial farm size and farming system appear critical, with farmers in areas of low population density and flat topography more likely to acquire larger farming land. The transition, however, occurs gradually over 20 to 30 years, with mean annual land acquisition rates ranging from 0.3 to 24.3 acres per year. In the transition process, large- and medium-scale farmers are found to increase their use of modern farm inputs (such as fertilizer and high-yielding seed varieties) and agricultural technologies (such as tractors and processing machinery) and appear more productive than smallholder farmers. Additional quantitative analyses using representative survey data are, however, needed to substantiate the observed qualitative patterns and to further understand the trajectories of farm size expansion and the implications for agricultural productivity and commercialization.

Organizational and Institutional Issues in Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management

Catherine Ragasa,Yan Sun,Elizabeth Bryan,Caroline Abate,Atlaw Alemu,Mahamadou Namori Keita
Organizational and Institutional Issues in Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management Book PDF

Author : Catherine Ragasa,Yan Sun,Elizabeth Bryan,Caroline Abate,Atlaw Alemu,Mahamadou Namori Keita
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 64 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2013-07-17
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Organizational and Institutional Issues in Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management by Catherine Ragasa,Yan Sun,Elizabeth Bryan,Caroline Abate,Atlaw Alemu,Mahamadou Namori Keita Pdf

Climate change places demand on existing governance structures to reform and work more effectively than in the past. In response, greater attention to and funding for climate change adaptation—including the efforts of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), the Least Developed Country Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the E.U. Global Climate Change Alliance—provide an opportunity for institutional, organizational, and human-capacity strengthening. This study was conducted to explore the challenges and opportunities for building human, organizational, and institutional capacity for more effective climate change adaptation in developing countries. It is part of a larger research project titled “Enhancing Women’s Assets to Manage Risk under Climate Change: Potential for Group-Based Approaches,” which is being conducted to help organizations better understand ways in which development projects can assist rural households in adapting to and managing the effects of climate change. This report provides some reflections and insights on the level of awareness, practices, and organizational and institutional issues being faced by countries as they adapt to climate change, based on interviews with 87 practitioners working in government agencies, local organizations, international organizations, and think thanks reporting involvement in climate change adaptation. Data were collected in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mali using both an e-survey platform and face-to-face interviews. Responses reveal active work within these organizations on climate change adaptation and emphasize their important role in the countries’ efforts to address and adapt to climate change. Responses also reveal strong awareness among these organizations of different aspects of climate change adaptation along the different stages in a climate change adaptation project cycle, which may be a reflection of the active discussions and awareness campaigns during NAPA development in these countries. However, despite the awareness and presence of national strategies and action plans, there seem to be no explicit and clearly defined policy and strategy within these organizations outlining their role in and contribution to the national and collective efforts and, more importantly, no explicit and measurable targets and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to track progress and outcomes over time. Reported capacity gaps can be grouped into two categories: training needs and institutional challenges. In many organizations, there is limited awareness of and emphasis on the need for participation of target groups and beneficiaries during design and planning of climate change adaptation projects. In addition, many respondents reported a need for greater attention to issues related to profitability, financial sustainability, and market access from climate change project design to M&E. Finally, respondents emphasized that climate change projects should pay greater attention to gender, social, political, and cultural issues in their design and implementation. Reflections of respondents also highlighted the need for organizational capacity strengthening for those local organizations working in and providing services to rural communities, and for promoting a culture of impact and M&E within these organizations, in addition to the reported training needs in climate change management and in gender and social analysis. While this report provides some insights, further empirical analyses are needed to discover more details on strategies that could help trigger mind-set and organizational culture change and to capture the complexity of organizational and institutional issues hindering climate change adaptation efforts that aim at reducing vulnerability and contributing to development outcomes.