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Crowding in private quality: The equilibrium effects of public spending in education
No full textPoverty, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI
Revolutionising multi-sectoral nutrition policy: Insights from the Ethiopian National Information Platform for Nutrition (NiPN) approach
No full textThe global nutrition and food security crisis, characterised by troubling trends in various forms of malnutrition ranging from hunger to obesity, has significantly worsened [1,2]. In 2021 and 2022, nearly one-third of the global population faced moderate to severe food insecurity, underscoring a persistent challenge in accessing healthy and sustainable diets [1,3]. This decline in diet quality has led to a surge in malnutrition, with obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) reaching epidemic proportions [4–6].
Despite the implementation of numerous nutrition policies and interventions, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to grapple with food and nutrition security issues, posing a significant threat to vulnerable populations [3,7]. Food insecurity is particularly evident among the poor, with women and children in rural areas being the most affected [1,2,8]. In 2022 alone, an alarming 230 million children under the age of five experienced some form of malnutrition. Specifically, 148 million (22.3%) were stunted, 45 million (6.8%) were wasted, and 37 million (5.6%) were overweight [1,9,10]. Stunting and wasting were more prevalent in rural areas, while overweight was somewhat more common in urban settings. In Ethiopia, the latest national survey showed that 37% of children under five were stunted, 11% were wasted, and 22% were underweight [11].Development Strategies and Governance (DSG
Innovation for inclusive value-chain development: Successes and challenges
No full textGovernments, nongovernmental organizations, donors, and the private sector have increasingly embraced value-chain development (VCD) for stimulating economic growth and combating rural poverty. Innovation for Inclusive Value-Chain Development: Successes and Challenges helps to fill the current gap in systematic knowledge about how well VCD has performed, related trade-offs or undesired effects, and which combinations of VCD elements are most likely to reduce poverty and deliver on overall development goals. This book uses case studies to examine a range of VCD experiences. Approaching the subject from various angles, it looks at new linkages to markets and the role of farmer organizations and contract farming in raising productivity and access to markets, the minimum assets requirement to participate in VCD, the role of multi-stakeholder platforms in VCD, and how to measure and identify successful VCD interventions. The book also explores the challenges livestock-dependent people face; how urbanization and advancing technologies affect linkages; ways to increase gender inclusion and economic growth; and the different roles various types of platforms play in VCD.PART 1 Innovation for Inclusive Value-Chain Development: Highlights
Douglas Horton, Jason Donovan, André Devaux, and Maximo Torero
PART 2 Challenges and Approaches for Inclusive Value-Chain Development: Introduction
Jason Donovan, Dietmar Stoian, and Mark Lundy
Chapter 1 Guides for Value-Chain Development:A Comparative Review
Jason Donovan, Steve Franzel, Marcelo Cunha, Amos Gyau, and Dagmar Mithöfer
Chapter 2 Value-Chain Development for Rural Poverty Reduction: A Reality Check and a Warning
Dietmar Stoian, Jason Donovan, John Fisk, and Michelle F. Muldoon
Chapter 3 Changing Asset Endowments and Smallholder Participation in Higher-Value Markets: Evidence from Certified-Coffee Producers in Nicaragua
Jason Donovan and Nigel Poole
Chapter 4 Contract Farming in Developing Countries: Theory, Practice, and Policy Implications
Nicholas Minot and Bradley Sawyer
PART 3 Integrating Agricultural Innovation and Inclusive Value-Chain Development: Introduction
André Devaux, Claudio Velasco, and Matthias Jager
Chapter 5 Enhancing Innovation in Livestock Value Chains through Networks: Lessons from Fodder Innovation Case Studies in Developing Countries
Seife Ayele, Alan Duncan, Asamoah Larbi, and Truong Tan Khanh
Chapter 6 Transformation of Smallholder Beef-Cattle Production in Vietnam
Werner Stür, Truong Tan Khanh, and Alan Duncan
Chapter 7 Collective Action for Market-Chain Innovation in the Andes
André Devaux, Douglas Horton, Claudio Velasco, Graham Thiele, Gastón López, Thomas Bernet, Iván Reinoso, and Miguel Ordinola
Chapter 8 Multistakeholder Platforms for Linking Small Farmers to Value Chains: Evidence from the Andes
Graham Thiele, André Devaux, Iván Reinoso, Hernán Pico, Fabián Montesdeoca, Manuel Pumisacho, Jorge Andrade-Piedra, Claudio Velasco, Paola Flores, Raúl Esprella, Alice Thomann, Kurt Manrique, and Doug Horton
Chapter 9 Unraveling the Role of Innovation Platforms in Supporting Coevolution of Innovation: Contributions and Tensions in a Smallholder Dairy-Development Program
Catherine W. Kilelu, Laurens Klerkx, and Cees Leeuwis
Chapter 10 Dealing with Critical Challenges in African Innovation Platforms: Lessons for Facilitation
Kees Swaans, Beth Cullen, André van Rooyen, Adewale Adekunle, Hlami Ngwenya, Zelalem Lema, and Suzanne Nederlof
Chapter 11 Impact of Third-Party Enforcement of Contracts in Agricultural Markets—A Field Experiment in Vietnam
Christoph Saenger, Maximo Torero, and Matin Qaim
Chapter 12 Linking Smallholders to the New Agricultural Economy: The Case of the Plataformas de Concertación in Ecuador
Romina Cavatassi, Mario González-Flores, Paul Winters,
Jorge Andrade-Piedra, Patricio Espinosa, and Graham Thiele
Chapter 13 Lapses, Infidelities, and Creative Adaptations: Lessons from Evaluation of a Participatory Market Development Approach in the Andes
Douglas Horton, Emma Rotondo, Rodrigo Paz Ybarnegaray, Guy Hareau, André Devaux, and Graham Thiele
Chapter 14 Using Quantitative Tools to Measure Gender Differences Within Value Chains
Lucia Madrigal and Maximo ToreroPRIFPRI1; CRP2; C Improving markets and trade; B Promoting healthy food systemsMTID; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM
Micronutrient policy process in Malawi
No full textMicronutrient deficiencies are common across the developing world and have major effects on the health outcomes of its population. Although this is well understood, many countries find it difficult to bring about policy change in this regard. This paper uses micronutrient policies designed and implemented in Malawi as a case study to shed light on the barriers and gaps faced by developing countries for similar programs and policies. To understand the drivers of policy change, this paper uses the kaleidoscope model to trace the policy processes of three major micronutrients—iodine, vitamin A, and iron. Using a select set of policy process tools, as well as field interviews with key informants who were part of Malawi’s micronutrient policy process, the authors test a set of hypotheses on 16 variables that drive policy change in the micronutrient policy sphere. Results indicate that much of the agenda setting for micronutrient policies and programs was triggered by external events that focused on the elimination of micronutrient deficiencies as part of the global development agenda. These events include the International Conference on Nutrition, the Millennium Development Goals, and, more recently, Scaling up Nutrition. The design of micronutrient policies and program interventions in Malawi was adopted by locally mandated ministries and institutions, in collaboration with development partners who provided both financial and technical support at the design stage. The adoption of micronutrient policies and intervention programs was driven primarily by external funding, particularly through supplementation programs related to vitamin A and iron. Adoption of fortification standards for vitamin A has been going on for more than a decade due to continuous resistance from the private sector, which faces additional costs and needs greater technical expertise. The biofortification method of micronutrient interventions for iron and vitamin A is externally driven and relatively new in Malawi. Although this method is widely accepted by policy makers, no concrete strategy has been developed for its design, adoption, and implementation. Further, supplementation and fortification programs continue to face implementation challenges due to poor physical infrastructure and monitoring systems. However, the national institutional architecture required for agenda setting, design, adoption, implementation, evaluation, and review to address micronutrient deficiencies is in place in Malawi. The system needs continued support from development partners for effective functioning at all levels. The use of various tools for the policy change part of the kaleidoscope model indicate that policy change is a dynamic process; over time, changes in the nature and composition of the members of policy and institutional architecture can result in different policy outcomes. The Malawi case study demonstrates two things. First, local leadership is crucial in keeping micronutrient deficiencies on the policy-making agenda, and second, it matters where coordinating power is placed in the policy hierarchy. This paper finds that, even with policy champions, adopted policies will face implementation challenges unless they are supported with adequate resources and are systematically followed through to final execution and delivery.Non-PRIFPRI1; F Strengthening institutions and governance; F.2 Political Economy of Development Policy and Investment ProcessesDSGD; DG
Economic transformation in Africa from the bottom up: Evidence from Tanzania
No full textAt roughly 4% per annum, labor productivity in Tanzania has grown more rapidly over the past 14 years than at any other time in recent history. Employment growth has also been strong keeping up with population growth at roughly 2.2 percent per annum. However, the bulk of the employment growth – 88.6% - has been in the non-agricultural and largely informal private sector. Using Tanzania’s first nationally representative survey of micro, small and medium sized enterprises - we show that firms in the informal sector contributed roughly half a percentage point to economywide labor productivity growth in Tanzania between 2002 and 2012. However, virtually all of the labor productivity growth contributed by informal firms came from a small subset of firms we call the inbetween firms. We consider attributes of the inbetween firms that could be used for targeting financial and business services to firms with the potential to grow. We find two salient characteristics of firms in the inbetween sector that might lend themselves to targeting – their owners are more likely to keep written accounts and they are more likely to keep their savings in formal bank accounts.Non-PRIFPRI1; CRP2; Open Access; D Transforming AgricultureDSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM
Increase knowledge about seed selection and seed storage and handling among smallholder potato farmers in southwestern Uganda
No full textTo feed a growing population, agricultural productivity needs to increase dramatically. Agricultural extension information, with its public, non-rival nature, is generally undersupplied, and public provision remains challenging. In this research, we explore the effectiveness of alternative modes of agricultural extension information delivery. We test whether simple agricultural extension video messages delivered through Android tablets increase knowledge of recommended practices in seed selection, storage, and handling among a sample of potato farmers in southwestern Uganda. Using a field experiment with ex ante matching in a factorial design, we find that showing agricultural extension videos significantly affects farmers’ knowledge. However, our results suggest impact pathways that go beyond simply replicating what was shown in the video. Video messages may also trigger a process of abstraction, whereby farmers apply insights gained in one context to a different context. Alternatively, video messages may activate knowledge farmers already posses but, for some reason, do not use.Non-PRIFPRI1; A Ensuring Sustainable food productionDSG
2017 Global food policy report: Synopsis
No full textImportant signs of progress in food security and nutrition and a commitment to sustainable development marked 2016. Yet challenges arising from dramatically changing political, economic, and demographic landscapes are sure to test the international momentum behind the new sustainable development agenda. As rapid urbanization continues around the world, poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition are increasingly becoming urban problems. This rapid shift is changing diets and reshaping food chains—from small farms to modern supermarkets. Going forward, policies and investments to end hunger and malnutrition must take account of the needs of poor urban populations and develop strong links between rural food producers and urban markets to support both rural and urban populations.Non-PRIFPRI1DGO; CPA; WCAO; DSGD; SAO; PHND; LA
Existing data to measure African trade
No full textOne finds a broad consensus in the literature regarding the lack of good information on trade in Africa, particularly intraregional trade. This paper attempts to identify gaps and remedies in measuring and tracking trade in Africa. We review the major international and regional databases that track trade in Africa, identifying the gaps therein. We also review the studies that have attempted to track informal trade between African countries, and we look at the major ongoing initiatives to track such informal trade. It appears that both international and regional databases suffer from a lack of reporting or from faulty reporting of African trade statistics. Informal trade flows pose an ongoing problem when measuring intraregional trade, although actual border-monitoring initiatives ongoing in selected countries constitute an interesting option for their quantification. When no direct monitoring method is available, estimating gravity equations represents an alternative with which to measure the potential trade between two partner countries, giving us an estimate of missing trade. A final avenue consists of estimating unregistered trade via national accounts data by comparing consumption, production, and declared trade.Non-PRIFPRI1; CRP2; PIM 1.2 Macroeconomic, Trade, and Investment Policies; CBT AfricaMTID; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM
Food policy indicators: Tracking change: Global Hunger Index (GHI)
No full textThis section provides updates on data generated by IFPRI research in 2016 and illustrations of key trends.Non-PRIFPRI1DGO; CPA; WCAO; DSGD; SAO; PHND; LA
Limitations of contract farming as a pro-poor strategy: The case of maize outgrower schemes in upper West Ghana
No full textThe focus in this paper is on two relatively large maize-based contract farming (CF) schemes with fixed input packages (Masara and Akate) and a number of smaller and more flexible CF schemes in a remote region in Ghana (Upper West). Results show that these schemes led to improved technology adoption and yield increases. In addition, a subset of maize farmers with high yield improvements due to CF participation had high gross margins. However, on average, yields were not high enough to compensate for higher input requirements and cost of capital. On average, households harvest 29–30 bags (100 kg each), or 2.9–3.0 metric tons, of maize per hectare, and the required repayment for fertilizer, seed, herbicide, and materials provided under the average CF scheme is 21–25 bags (50 kg each) per acre, or 2.6–3.0 tons per hectare, which leaves almost none for home consumption or for sale. Despite higher yields, the costs to produce 1 ton of maize under CF schemes remain high on average—higher than on maize farms without CF schemes, more than twice that of several countries in Africa, and more than seven times higher than that of major maize-exporting countries (the United States, Brazil, and Argentina). Sustainability of these CF schemes will depend on, from the firms’ perspective, minimizing the costs to run and monitor them, and from the farmers’ perspective, developing and promoting much-improved varieties and technologies that may lead to a jump in yields and gross margins to compensate for the high cost of credit.Non-PRIFPRI1; CRP2; GSSP; C Improving markets and trade; D Transforming Agriculture; Capacity StrengtheningDSGD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM