Measuring Postharvest Losses At The Farm Level In Malawi

Author : Ambler, Kate,de Brauw, Alan,Godlonton, Susan
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2017-04-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Measuring postharvest losses at the farm level in Malawi by Ambler, Kate,de Brauw, Alan,Godlonton, Susan Pdf

Reducing food loss and waste are important policy objectives prominently featured in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. To optimally design interventions targeted at reducing losses, it is important to know where losses are concentrated between the farm and fork. This paper measures farmlevel postharvest losses for three main crops—maize, soy, and groundnuts—among 1,200 households in Malawi. Farmers answered a detailed questionnaire designed to learn about losses during harvest and transport, processing, and storage and which measures both total losses and reductions in crop quality. The findings indicate that fewer than half of households report suffering losses conditional on growing each crop. In addition, conditional on losses occurring, the loss averages between 5 and 12 percent of the farmer’s total harvest. Compared to nationally representative data that measure losses using a single survey question, this study documents a far greater percentage of farmers experiencing losses, though the unconditional proportion lost is similar. We find that losses are concentrated in harvest and processing activities for groundnuts and maize; for soy, they are highest during processing. Existing interventions have primarily targeted storage activities; however, these results suggest that targeting other activities may be worthwhile.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 36 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2021-10-27
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789251351567

Get Book

Post-harvest loss in Mozambique - Estimating maize loss in Manica and Zambezia provinces by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Pdf

In Mozambique, food security remains a key issue and the country suffers perennial food shortages, especially in the provinces of Manica,Tete, Sofala, Zambezia, Maputo and Gaza. Weaknesses in post-harvest systems, which contribute to both a lower supply and higher food prices (due to post-harvest losses) are key reasons behind these food shortages. Currently, none of the post-harvest losses programmes conducted in Mozambique provides loss estimates along the entire value chain for a given commodity. In this report, we quantify losses across the value chain in maize, which is a key staple food in Mozambique, in the provinces of Manica and Zambezia. The study, carried out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Agrifood Economics Division (ESA) at FAO, sheds light on understanding the magnitude, nature and consequences of food losses across the maize value chain in selected regions in Mozambique. In particular, the methodology used in this report allows to accurately measure food losses and identify in which segment of the value chain these food losses occur and the causes of the losses.

Author : Aberman, Noora-Lisa,Meerman, Janice,Benson, Todd
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 82 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2018-02-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780896292864

Get Book

Agriculture, food security, and nutrition in Malawi: Leveraging the links by Aberman, Noora-Lisa,Meerman, Janice,Benson, Todd Pdf

Although the Malawian food supply is shaped largely by trends in smallholder food crop production, Ma­lawi’s decades-long focus on improving smallholder productivity has only moderately improved food secu­rity and nutrition outcomes. Country statistics indicate an estimated 36.7 percent of rural Malawian house­holds failed to access sufficient calories between 2010 and 2011. During the same period, 47 percent of children under the age of five years were esti­mated to be stunted in their growth. These indicators imply that some Malawian diets are lacking in terms of quantity (total calories consumed), and most are lacking in terms of quality (sufficient calories derived from nutrient-dense foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, fruits, and vegetables). Good nutrition requires both enough total calories (quantity) and enough vitamins and minerals per calorie (quality). How can Malawi better leverage its smallholder agriculture sector to improve nutrition? This report provides a series of primary and secondary data anal­yses that examine different aspects of this question.

Author : R. A. Boxall
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1986
Category : Crops
ISBN : UIUC:30112020272461

Get Book

A Critical Review of the Methodology for Assessing Farm-level Grain Losses After Harvest by R. A. Boxall Pdf

Author : Alan de Brauw,Erwin Bulte
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2021-11-02
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9783030886936

Get Book

African Farmers, Value Chains and Agricultural Development by Alan de Brauw,Erwin Bulte Pdf

This book provides a thorough introduction to and examination of agricultural value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. First, the authors introduce the economic theory of agri-food value chains and value chain governance, focusing on domestic and regional trade in (and consumption of) food crops in a low-income country context. In addition to mainstream and heterodox thinking about value chain development, the book pays attention to political economy considerations. The book also reviews the empirical evidence on value chain development and performance in Africa. It adopts multiple lenses to examine agricultural value chains, zooming out from the micro level (e.g., relational contracting in a context of market imperfections) to the meso level (e.g., distributional implications of various value chain interventions, inclusion of specific social groups) and the macro level (underlying income, population and urbanization trends, volumes and prices, etc.).Furthermore, this book places value chain development in the context of a process the authors refer to as structural transformation 2.0, which refers to a process where production factors (labor, land and capital) move from low-productivity agriculture to high-productivity agriculture. Finally, throughout the book the authors interpret the evidence in light of three important debates: (i) how competitive are rural factor and product markets, and what does this imply for distribution and innovation? (ii) what role do foreign investment and factor proportions play in the development of agri-food value chains in Africa? (iii) what complementary government policies can help facilitate a process of agricultural value chain transformation, towards high-productive activities and enhancing the capacity of value chains to generate employment opportunities and food security for a growing population.

Author : Godlonton, Susan,Hernandez, Manuel A.,Paz, Cynthia
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2021-11-04
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Can survey design reduce anchoring bias in recall data? Evidence from Malawi by Godlonton, Susan,Hernandez, Manuel A.,Paz, Cynthia Pdf

Recall biases in retrospective survey data are widely considered to be pervasive and have important implications for effective agricultural research. In this paper, we leverage the survey design literature and test three strategies to attenuate mental anchoring in retrospective data collection: question order effects, retrieval cues, and aggregate (community) anchoring. We embed a survey design experiment in a longitudinal survey of smallholder farmers in Malawi and focus on anchoring bias in maize production and happiness exploiting differences between recalled and concurrent responses. We find that asking for retrospective data before concurrent data reduces recall bias by approximately 34% for maize production, a meaningful improvement with no increase in survey data collection costs. Retrieval cues are less successful in reducing the bias for maize reports and involve more data collection time, while community anchors can exacerbate the bias. Reversing the order of questions and retrieval cues do not help to ease the bias for happiness reports.

Author : Peng Fei,Stephen Forsythe,Chao Shi
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 126 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2023-09-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 9782832534687

Get Book

Prevalence and control measures of food-borne pathogens by Peng Fei,Stephen Forsythe,Chao Shi Pdf

Author : Shishodia, Mahika,Babu, Suresh Chandra
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2017-07-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Agribusiness competitiveness: Applying analytics, typology, and measurements to Africa by Shishodia, Mahika,Babu, Suresh Chandra Pdf

Agribusiness has a major role to play in the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa. With the demand for high-value food products increasing around the world, the production and export of these goods represents an opportunity to achieve increases in income and employment. To capture the benefits of this trend and capitalize on this opportunity for long-term agricultural growth, agribusiness in Africa must become more competitive. In addition to improving competitiveness, increasing agricultural productivity and food security are also major challenges in African agricultural development. In this paper, we compare the agribusiness competitiveness of African countries and develop typologies connected with their food security and agricultural productivity status. The typologies reveal various stylized facts on the competitiveness of agribusiness to help nations prioritize issues for agricultural development and growth. We develop the measures of agribusiness competitiveness and apply them to African countries. Additionally, we present policy implications and lessons for increasing the competitiveness of agribusiness in African countries.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 182 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2019-10-14
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789251317891

Get Book

The State of Food and Agriculture 2019 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Pdf

The need to reduce food loss and waste is firmly embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Food loss and waste reduction is considered important for improving food security and nutrition, promoting environmental sustainability and lowering production costs. However, efforts to reduce food loss and waste will only be effective if informed by a solid understanding of the problem. This report provides new estimates of the percentage of the world’s food lost from production up to the retail level. The report also finds a vast diversity in existing estimates of losses, even for the same commodities and for the same stages in the supply chain. Clearly identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains – where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses – is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. The report provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability.

Author : United Nations
Publisher : United Nations
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2019-10-14
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9789210046268

Get Book

The State of Food and Agriculture 2019 by United Nations Pdf

This year's edition provides new estimates of the percentage of the world's food lost from production up to the retail level. It suggests that identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains – where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses – is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. It also provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability.

Author : Fofana, Ismaël,Tankari, Mahamadou Roufahi,Traore, Fousseini
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2017-05-12
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Economic accounts for agriculture and farm income in Senegal by Fofana, Ismaël,Tankari, Mahamadou Roufahi,Traore, Fousseini Pdf

A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is of critical importance for evidence- and outcome-based planning and implementation in agriculture. The availability of and access to timely and reliable data to inform the M&E system is an undeniable asset. Our analysis highlights the use of survey data to generate relevant information and knowledge on the agricultural sector. The Poverty Monitoring Survey carried out in Senegal in 2011 is used to build the economic accounts for agriculture, which identify a value added of 581 billion CFA francs generated by Senegal’s farm households, representing 60 percent of the sector’s value added in 2011. The average farm household generated 646,500 CFA francs from farming in that same year. The information from the economic accounts for agriculture offers valuable inputs for decision-support tools such as the geographical information platforms (e-atlas) and social accounting matrixes used in strategic analyses and agricultural policy planning.

Author : Narayanan, Sudha,Das, Upasak,Liu, Yanyan,Barrett, Christopher B.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 68 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2017-04-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

The “Discouraged Worker Effect” in public works programs: Evidence from the MGNREGA in India by Narayanan, Sudha,Das, Upasak,Liu, Yanyan,Barrett, Christopher B. Pdf

This study investigates the consequences of poor implementation in public workfare programs, focusing on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India. Using nationally representative data, we test empirically for a discouraged worker effect arising from either of two mechanisms: administrative rationing of jobs among those who seek work and delays in wage payments. We find strong evidence at the household and district levels that administrative rationing discourages subsequent demand for work. Delayed wage payments seem to matter significantly during rainfall shocks. We find further that rationing is strongly associated with indicators of implementation ability such as staff capacity. Politics appears to play only a limited role. The findings suggest that assessments of the relevance of public programs over their lifecycle need to factor in implementation quality.

Author : Thapa, Ganesh,Kumar, Anjani,Joshi, Pramod Kumar
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 56 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2017-04-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Agricultural diversification in Nepal: Status, determinants, and its impact on rural poverty by Thapa, Ganesh,Kumar, Anjani,Joshi, Pramod Kumar Pdf

As in many parts of the developing world, the share of high value crops in agricultural gross domestic product (AgGDP) has increased substantially in Nepal. We contribute to the literature on trends in agricultural development in the poorest countries by answering the research question on “Does transition from traditional to high-value agriculture reduce rural poverty in poor developing countries”? We also identified the drivers leading to this transition. The study uses survey data from three rounds of the nationally representative Nepal Living Standard Surveys: NLSS I (1994/1995), NLSS II (2004/2005) and NLSS III (2010/2011). Multi-level model was used to study the determinants of agricultural diversification. To estimate the causal impact of agricultural diversification on welfare measures, propensity score matching and instrumental variable techniques were used. Results indicate that there has been a rightward shift in the distribution of the share (percent) of high-value crops between 1995 and 2004 and between 2004 and 2010, respectively. The area as well as the shared by major cereals (paddy, maize, and wheat) is declining over years. However, it is increasing for high-value crops (potato, vegetables, spices/condiments, and fruits). The percentage increase in share of the high-value crops was higher in or adjacent to urbanized districts between 1995 and 2010. The factors positively associated with the agricultural diversification are female-headed households, caste, mother's education, net-buyer status, urban region, remittance, farm size, kitchen garden, improved seeds, telephone and refrigerator. We found positive impact of agricultural diversification towards high-value crops on rural poverty and monthly per capita consumption expenditure. However, for cereal crops grower, we find the negative impact on poverty and monthly per capita consumption expenditure.

Author : Debnath, Deepayan,Babu, Suresh Chandra,Ghosh, Parijat,Helmer, Michael
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2017-04-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Impact of India’s National Food Security Act on domestic and international rice markets by Debnath, Deepayan,Babu, Suresh Chandra,Ghosh, Parijat,Helmer, Michael Pdf

Policy making in food security is at a crossroads in India, particularly for the rice crop. Whereas India has emerged has a leading rice exporter over the last two years, the government has also introduced a large food subsidy program called the National Food Security Act. The program requires that 33.6 million metric tons of rice per year be distributed to the marginalized rural and urban populations of the country. In this study, we analyze the long-term impact of India’s Food Security Act on its domestic rice market and the international market for rice. We specify and apply a structural demand-and-supply model to India’s rice market and link it with the world rice market, as part of a broad partial equilibrium modeling system of international agriculture commodity markets. We specifically focus on three different scenarios—subsidy as a price effect, subsidy as an inelastic income effect, and subsidy as an elastic income effect—under the broader framework of the National Food Security Act. We find that at the end of the projection period (the 2024/2025 crop year), as a result of the rice subsidy program, the consumption of rice increases significantly by 6,831 thousand metric ton (MT) in the case of the price effect while the inelastic income effect has little on production, consumption which increase by 265 thousand MT and 269 thousand MT, respectively and no impact on rice export of India.

Author : Melesse, Mequanint B.,Van den berg, Marrit,Béné, Christophe,Brouwer, Inge D,de Brauw, Alan
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 42 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2024-06-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

Get Book

Improving diets through food systems in low- and middle-income countries: Metrics for analysis by Melesse, Mequanint B.,Van den berg, Marrit,Béné, Christophe,Brouwer, Inge D,de Brauw, Alan Pdf

Taking a food systems approach is a promising strategy for improving diets. Implementing such an approach would require the use of a comprehensive set of metrics to characterize food systems, set meaningful goals, track food systems performance, and evaluate the impacts of food systems interventions. Food systems metrics are also useful to structure debates and communicate to policy makers and the general public. This paper provides an updated analytical framework of food systems and uses this to systematically identify relevant metrics and indicators based on data availability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The list of indicators partly overlaps with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators, but these do not cover all aspects of the food system. We conclude that public data are relatively available on food systems drivers and outcomes, and on some, but not all, of the activities. With only minor additional investments, existing surveys could be extended to cove