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Scaling Smart: Accelerating Digital Agronomic Advisory for Rwanda’s Farmers through the SNS Fertilizer Recommendation Tool
No full textNew and improved varieties for everyone? Gendered patterns of wheat varietal turnover among social groups in the Indian state of Bihar
No full textFor smallholder farmers in the Global South, rapid varietal turnover is an important means of coping with the risks arising from the spread of pests or diseases and for increasing crop yields. Varietal turnover in wheat systems in many states of India, however, is inadequately slow. At the same time, the Indian wheat sector is characterized by deep-rooted social inequalities, pronounced by the social differentiation of wheat farmers, such as gender, caste or ethnicity, wealth, and their intersectionalities. This article asks whether these social groups are excluded from the adoption of new and improved wheat varieties. The study builds on household survey data collected from 759 wheat farmers in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India. Our findings demonstrate only small differences of varietal turnover across heterogeneous social groups of farmers. In particular, we find only small differences in varietal turnover between female-headed and male-headed households (albeit their already low levels of varietal turnover) and their intersecting social identities. However, marginalized caste farmers appear to be more disadvantaged, as they tend to cultivate older wheat varieties, which deserves closer attention from policymakers. We discuss important directions for future research on the gendered analysis of wheat-based cropping systems
Demand-side challenges to increase sales of new maize hybrids in Kenya
No full textIn Eastern and Southern Africa, as the public sector has retreated from maize seed production and the private sector has emerged to fill the resulting void, a key issue for researchers, governments and private donors has been the capacity of privately owned, typically small scale, seed businesses to effectively produce and distribute hybrid seed. Roughly two decades on, research and development programming continues to focus on supply side issues in supporting the maize seed industry to bring new varieties to farmers. Motivated by thinking on agri-food value chains, this article explores the potential for achieving a stronger demand orientation in programming to support the maize seed industry, a requirement for varietal turnover. In 2019 data were collected in Kenya from i) 80 agro-dealers on their relations with seed businesses and their marketing of maize seed, ii) 466 farmers on their seed choice and engagement with agro-dealers and iii) 8 seed companies on their distribution and sales strategies. Results confirmed the overarching supply-push orientation of the industry, characterized by limited innovation and risk taking, weak collaboration between actors, low margins for retailers, and limited investments in seed marketing. Farmers showed weak appetite for acquiring new seed products, preferring instead to purchase seeds that they knew from experience. Better strategies for building seed value chains will require deeper insights on stakeholders needs and strategies, to include the capacity of seed businesses and retailers to innovate in business management and marketing
Launch of Vendor Business School Program to Empower Small Food Vendors in Quezon City, Philippines
No full textthe CGIAR Resilient Cities initiative in partnership with the Quezon City Local Government Unit proudly launched its innovative Vendor Business School (VBS) Program. A total of 140 men and women small food vendors who will participate in the VBS program were recognized during the event. The VBS aims to empower small food vendors by providing them with vital knowledge, skills, and resources to tackle their everyday business hurdles and enhance their food safety measures. The VBS program is designed to guide and support vendors through training sessions and mentorship programs focused on entrepreneurship, business planning, budgeting, marketing, risk management, adapting to technological changes, establishing financial connections, and ensuring food safety.
Quezon City stands out as one of the Philippines’ largest and most populous and dynamic urban centers. It is the largest city in Metro Manila by land area and serves as a major entry point for food and distribution across the entire metropolis. As a rapidly growing urban center, the city is dedicated to addressing the challenges of urbanization, including food security, environmental sustainability, and resilience to climate change. A study conducted by the Resilient Cities initiative in two urban centers in Metro Manila including Quezon City and Pasay, sheds light on the significant challenges small food vendors encounters impacting their daily operations and future prospects. Issues such as insufficient capital and limited understanding of essential business concepts lead to inadequate income. Small food vendors are keen on seeking expertise in various aspects of their businesses, including financial management, product quality enhancement, customer engagement, and communication with suppliers. Improving their entrepreneurial strategies catered to their unique circumstances, of the Vendor Business School Program, is crucial in improving their business outlook and achieve financial sustainability. [see further: “Validation Study for the Development of Vendor Business Schools in the Philippines”
DArTag single nucleotide ploymorphism (SNP) data for silver carp
No full textLow density (~500 SNP) DArTag panel for sex and parentage assignmen
AICCRA Zambia Stories of Gender and Social Inclusion
No full textThese are Youtube videos showcasing stories of gender and social inclusion in Zambia highlight the experiences of smallholder farmers engaged in aquaculture, solar irrigation, soybeans, maize, beekeeping, and various other agricultural value chains
Questionnaire pour l'Elaboration de Scénarios de Prospective Stratégique sur la Sécurité Alimentaire et la Transition Agroécologique en Tunisie à l'horizon 2050
No full textThe objective of this questionnaire is to solicit stakeholders' insights on salient aspects of food security and agro-ecological transition (AET) in Tunisia. The questionnaire is designed to address the formulation of the central scenario question, identify critical influencing factors and drivers, prioritize them based on their relative importance and uncertainty, and explore future trends that may shape food security and the agroecological transition of agri-food systems in Tunisia by the year 2050. The questionnaire is intended to be utilized in the preliminary stages of strategic foresight scenario development. During these early stages, the objective is to ascertain the experts' insights regarding the prevailing and prospective catalysts of change and transformation. This approach serves as a foundational step in the overall scenario’s development process
Value chain mapping and analysis of Mahua Flowers and Seeds in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
No full textIn Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, a state located in Central India, tribal communities collect fruits, flowers, gums and other materials from the forest for self-consumption and sale. These so-called non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important for income, food security and livelihood. Additionally, the income from these products creates an incentive for the protection of the forest, making it an important asset from an ecological perspective. However, overall forest degradation, unsustainable harvesting and alternative income sources have led to decreased NTFP collection and trade. The term NTFP encompasses a wide variety of products including fruits, nuts, seeds, resins, gums, medicinal plants, mushrooms, honey, fibers, and other plant and animal products. Although many of these can be found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, only a few products and species have sizeable economic activity. The two most important of these products are the flower of the mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia) and the leaves of the tendu tree (Diospyros melanoxylon). While the former is mainly used in the production of local liquor, the latter is used by the tobacco industry as wrapping for traditional cigarettes called bidis. The collection and trade of NTFPs was regulated under the colonial rule of the British and this continued independence. Starting from the 1990s attempts were made to shift rights and power towards the forest dwellers and away from the authorities. The implementation of these reforms (e.g. PESA and FRA) has been particularly slow and scattered in Madhya Pradesh, where the Forest Department remains virtually in charge of the forests. However, the trade of most NTFPs (except some like tendu) has been liberalized. In recent times public authorities have even gained interest in NTFPs as an avenue to lift tribal communities out of poverty. In this report we study NTFP trade and production in Mandla, discussing the value chain analysis (VCA) of mahua flowers, followed by an analysis of alternative value chain linkages to diversify the use and income potential from mahua. The goal of this analysis is to identify the potential for agro-ecological improvement
The role of research in policy development: the creation of the IMF cereal import facility
No full textExploring market opportunities for African smallholders
No full textThis is a reprint of 2020 Africa Conference Brief 6 / Issue brief 22 (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156709).
Wealthy countries’ agricultural subsidies have also created unfair competition. African farmers not only have limited access to rich-country agricultural markets, but they also face unfair competition in their own domestic markets from subsidized imports of food staples. New challenges come from dramatically changed marketing chains that require African farmers to compete in markets that are more demanding in terms of product quality and food safety. What can be done to enhance market opportunities so that agriculture can become a more powerful engine of growth for the continent? Which markets and which products offer the greatest potential for raising incomes and food consumption? This brief addresses these questions and suggests policies that could help enlarge markets for African farmers