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To improve Africa’s soil health and plant nutrition, empower women farmers
No full textHealthy soils play a critical role in supporting agricultural productivity, climate change mitigation and resilience, and a range of ecosystem services. Up to 65% of Africa’s productive land is estimated to be degraded, and far too many smallholder farmers must eke out a living on degraded and nutrient depleted soils. While many technical options for soil improvement or restoration exist, a large number of them remain “on the shelf” or do not see widespread use due to sociocultural, institutional, economic, and policy barriers that stand in the way of their uptake at scale.
Gender inequality is deeply embedded in soil health and plant nutrient management; It reinforces these barriers and represents a “wicked problem” requiring a fuller understanding of context and culture-specific approaches. Persistent inequalities such as women’s lower access to both agricultural resources and knowledge are a significant contributor to the 24% gap in land productivity between women and men farmers on farms of equal size, as well as to major differences in labor productivity
The changing economic context of mixed farming in savanna West Africa: a conceptual framework applied to Burkina Faso.
No full textCan household dietary diversity inform about nutrient adequacy? Lessons from a food systems analysis in Ethiopia
No full textThis study examined the use of the household dietary diversity score (HDDS) to assess household nutrient adequacy in Ethiopia. It also examined the correlates of HDDS following the food systems framework. Results show that the average nutrient consumption in Ethiopia varies by place of residence and by income profile, where households in urban areas and those in the higher income quintiles rank favorably. Among 13 nutrients under study, we found nutrient inadequacy for fat, calcium, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin C and vitamin A ranging between 46% and 89%, and the prevalence of inadequacy for vitamin B12 to be up to 100%. Econometric results showed that HDDS is a strong predictor of a household’s mean probability of nutrient adequacy (MPA), and that an HDDS of 10 is the minimum threshold at which HDDS can improve household MPA. We found suggestive evidence within the food systems that improving household-incomes, access to health and transport services are beneficial to improve HDDS and nutrient consumption in Ethiopia
Ukama Ustawi’s Learning Alliance: scoping study - final report
No full textThis scoping study for Ukama Ustawi’s Learning Alliance (UULA) was inspired by the need for better collaboration and experience sharing among research providers dedicated to creating agricultural knowledge and its dissemination in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region. It provides recommendations on the potential institutional arrangements for setting up a Learning Alliance (LA) to achieve the desired end and to also guide Knowledge Management and Learning (KML) around diversified maize farming systems. The recommendations were developed following a desk review of relevant literature and analysis of data collected from key implementing partners at the national and regional levels.
UULA is led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in partnership with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), AKADEMIYA 2063, and several members of the Global research partnership for a food-secure future (CGIAR).The network promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing, focusing on climate-smart, diversified maize farming practices. It engages national research systems and regional bodies to drive innovation and effective knowledge exchange in agriculture.
From the literature review, the study has observed that a Learning Alliance is a socialization mechanism for generating transdisciplinary knowledge in the context of application and uses a double loop learning process. It derives its strength from dealing with practical problems that require partnership based on the understanding that there is no single individual or institution that can solve them on their own. Within the context of a Learning Alliance, a contextual problem is resolved through several repetitive cycles. The double loop learning process at the end of each cycle is what gives rise to the name “Learning Alliance”
Accelerated development of genotype IX African swine fever virus vaccine candidates using rapid CRISPR/Cas9 editing
No full textDietary studies in countries experiencing a health transition: Mexico and Central America
No full textLandscape context influences local management effects on birds and bats in Amazonian cacao agroforestry systems
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Pluralismo legal y derechos dinamicos de propiedad: Spanish translation of Legal pluralism and dynamic property rights
No full textConventional conceptions of property rights focus on static definitions of property rights, usually as defined in statutory law. However, in practice there is co-existence and interaction between multiple legal orders such as state, customary, religious, project and local laws, all of which provide bases for claiming property rights. Legal anthropological approaches that recognize this legal pluralism are helpful in understanding this complexity. Individuals may choose one or another of these legal frameworks as the basis for their claims on a resource, in a process referred to as “forum shopping.” Legal pluralism can create uncertainty especially in times of conflict because any individual is unlikely to have knowledge of all types of law that might be relevant, and because rival claimants can use a large repertoire to lay claim to a resource. However, at the same time the multiple legal frameworks facilitate considerable flexibility for people to maneuver in their use of natural resources. Legal pluralism also introduces a sense of dynamism in property rights, as the different legal frameworks do not exist in isolation, but influence each other, and can change over time. Unless these aspects of property rights are recognized, changes in statutory law intended to increase tenure security may instead increase uncertainty, especially for groups with less education and contacts. This paper illustrates the implications of legal pluralism for our understanding of natural resource management and policies toward resource tenure, using the example of water rights. (text of Abstract
Comparing traditional and commercial nixtamalization of three maize landraces: Impact on pozole quality and consumer acceptance
No full textOne of the most typical dishes of traditional Mexican cuisine is pozole, made with nixtamalized maize. This dish has a special place as part of the identity of Mexican culture. However, it is time-consuming to prepare. With an increasing demand for precooked maize for pozole and the limited information on its preparation process, this study aims to assess the impact of both traditional (TN) and commercial nixtamalization (CN) on the quality of processed maize and its reception by consumers, focusing on the three most popular maize landraces used in pozole recipes. This study was carried out with the Cacahuacintle (‘CAC’), Elotes Occidentales (‘EO’) and Ancho (‘AN’) landraces, which were nixtamalized using the traditional method (only lime) and the commercial method (lime + additives) and the grain was flowered. The quality of the flowered grain was determined, and a sensory analysis consisting of magnitude of difference tests, a descriptive analysis, affective test and evaluation of consumer preferences was carried out. The ‘CAC’ landrace, when processed traditionally, yielded the highest sensory and commercial quality. The ‘EO’ landrace demanded a longer flowering time, resulting in less volume but retaining the aleurone layer. This characteristic helped preserved a portion of the anthocyanins. Consistently, maize landraces subjected to traditional nixtamalization displayed higher ratings for attributes related to masa and nejayote aroma. The ‘CAC’ landrace subjected to CN faced challenges in acceptability due to odors of acetic acid and sulfuric acid. These findings underscore the importance and advantages the TN techniques. They also emphasize the need to preserve grain quality and meeting consumer preferences when exploring alternative maize processing methods for emerging markets