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Breaking down silos: On post-harvest loss interventions in Tanzania
No full textPost-Harvest Losses (PHL) are considered to pose important economic losses for farmers in developing countries. This paper examines the effects of an intervention in Tanzania, aimed at reducing PHL of maize growing farmers during maize storage. Farmers were invited to attend a training on best practices in postharvest maize management, and a randomized subset of trainees received the opportunity to buy an improved storage facility (silos) at a substantially discounted price. Data collected at 30 days and 90 days after harvest, however, do not point to significant impacts of the treatments offered to the farmers. Receiving training on best practices improved stated knowledge, but training nor the opportunity to purchase an improved storage had a significant effect on maize storage and sales behavior, physical PHL during storage, or the quality of the stored maize. The paper explores potential explanations, and provides some policy recommendations for future learning and decision-making on how to address PHL issues in developing countries
Decent work in global food value chains: Evidence from Senegal
No full textThe rapid growth and transformation of global food value chains has stimulated the development of rural labour markets, and has important consequences for rural poverty reduction. While there is consensus that this transformation is associated with substantial rural employment creation, there is still debate on the inclusiveness and quality of these jobs. We provide quantitative evidence on the quantity and inclusiveness of wage employment in the horticultural sector in Senegal, and on the quality of this employment and discrimination towards vulnerable groups of workers. We use survey data from 525 workers, 392 workers in agro-industrial companies and 133 workers on small-scale horticultural farms. We assess the inclusiveness of employment towards female, young and migrant workers, and compare the quality of employment between these groups of workers and between the agro-industrial and the small-scale farm sectors. The quality of employment is assessed through wages and a decent work index that captures multiple wage and non-wage dimensions of job quality. We use bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine quality of employment and a decomposition analysis to examine discrimination. Results suggest that the agro-industry is inclusive towards migrant, female and young workers, but that discrimination in job quality occurs within and across companies. Results illustrate substantial gender and youth wage gaps, and a lower likelihood of having decent employment among migrant and young workers. Our results suggest that discrimination, for all dimensions of job quality, is mainly indirect
KEY INSIGHT ON THE USE OF IMPROVED MILLET AND GROUNDNUT VARIETIES IN DRYLAND AREAS OF SENEGAL
No full textThis study investigates the impact of improved millet and groundnut varieties on
smallholder farmers' productivity in Senegal. It explores adoption factors and yield
effects by analyzing data from 21 villages in Kaffrine, Louga, and Thiès regions. Climate-
Smart Agriculture training emerges as the primary adoption driver, increasing adoption
probabilities by 21.8% for millet and 26.6% for groundnut. Improved varieties
significantly boost millet yields by 91% (+360 kg/ha), while groundnut yields increase by
40% (+180 kg/ha), though not statistically significant. Aligning to Ricciardi et al. (2020),
the findings underscore the positive impact of agricultural technologies and emphasize
the need to understand adoption factors better. Recommendations include enhancing
training access, tailoring agricultural strategies to local contexts, and considering socioeconomic
and gender factors to optimize farm productivity and maximize innovation
benefits
Modelling the current and future agro-ecological distribution potential of Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana L.) invasive alien plant species in South Wollo, Ethiopia
No full textArgemone mexicana L. is an invasive alien plant species (IAPS) that belongs to Papaveraceae family. This study aimed to identify and map its current and future (2050 and 2070) potential distribution in South Wollo, Ethiopia. Eight Kebeles were selected using a stratified random sampling method that covered two agro-ecologies ranging 1500–3200masl for species presence data collection and 204 presences data were used for modelling. Climate, topography, and land use land cover change (LUCC) variables were used to build the species distribution model (SDM). An ensemble SDM model was run consisting of five algorithms into one single model. The area under the curve (AUC) and true skill statics (TSS) of the ensemble SDM score values of 0.89 and 0.7, respectively. The predicted result on its agro-ecological distribution showed 76.75% was non-suitable and 23.26% was suitable in varied extents, currently. Suitability will be increased after LUCC and climate change except the SSP5–8.5 2070 emission scenario. It will be highest under SSP1–2.6, 2050, and SSP2–4.5, 2070 emission scenarios possessing 28.67% and 28% suitability class, respectively. A. mexicana distributed in the mid and highland agro-ecologies from 1500–3200masl both in current and future time period. It urges effective coordination among actors to minimize its distribution potential
Policy coherence in the Ethiopian food systems transformation effort
No full textThe issue of policy coherence has gained growing significance in development discussions over the past few decades. It was also emphasized in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal 17. Similarly, it has been noted by both experts and researchers that fragmented policies and isolated thinking can hinder the effectiveness of policy implementation, often leading to unexpected adverse outcomes (Monticone and Samoggia, 2023; Parsons and Barling, 2022). In simple terms, policy coherence refers to aligning policy actions across different sectors and stakeholders to achieve common goals (Koch, 2018).
The food sector is a prime example of the importance of policy coherence. As a complex issue, food policy covers various topics, including food security, nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare. Effective food policymaking requires balancing these diverse areas and fostering collaboration among multiple stakeholders, making it difficult to achieve strong policy coherence (Monticone and Samoggia, 2023). Margulis (2013) and Popkin et al. (2012) indicates that government actions and policies impacting the food system are not aligned with improving nutrition outcomes, primarily due to conflicts with government priorities to drive economic growth, especially through economic liberalization. Consequently, many scholars advocate for a coherent and integrated food policy as a practical approach to addressing contemporary food system challenges. Despite this, there are still opportunities to improve policy coherence within the food system to develop national strategies for sustainable food systems.
When considering how to achieve greater policy coherence in the food system, it is essential to address the following key questions: What is policy coherence? Why is it important in the food system? What challenges does it face? How can capacity for policy coherence and analytical tools be built? This note aims to explore these questions, focusing on Ethiopia's initiatives to transform its food systems
How conflict-sensitive water management builds peace: Lessons from CGIAR’s training with Egypt’s NWRC
No full textClimate change is straining water supplies and heightening community tensions. Evidence shows that when water scarcity rises within certain contexts, the risk of conflict increases. However, sustainable water management arrangements that are attuned to these dynamics, can offer important co-benefits for social cohesion and the emergence of a climate-resilient peace. To help equip those working in the field of water management prepare for and manage these risks, members of the CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security team delivered a multi-module training session on conflict-sensitive water management frameworks to over 35 water engineers from across Africa as part of the NWRC’s 29th Regional Annual Diploma Course on Hydraulic Engineering in River Basins