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Can I speak to the manager? The gender dynamics of decision-making in Kenyan maize plots
No full textGender and social inclusion efforts in agricultural development are focused on making uptake of agricultural technologies more equitable. Yet research looking at how gender relations influence technology uptake often assumes that men and women within a household make farm management decisions as individuals. Relatively little is understood about the dynamics of agricultural decision-making within dual-adult households where individuals’ management choices are likely influenced by others in the household. This study used vignettes to examine decision-making related to maize plot management in 698 dual-adult households in rural Kenya. The results indicated a high degree of joint management of maize plots (55%), although some management decisions—notably those related to purchased inputs—were slightly more likely to be controlled by men, while other decisions—including those related to hiring of labor and maize end uses—were more likely to be made by women. The prevalence of joint decision-making underscores the importance of ensuring that both men’s and women’s priorities and needs are reflected in design and marketing of interventions to support maize production, including those related to seed systems, farmer capacity building, and input delivery.205–22
Energy use and global warming potential: Evaluating diverse cropping systems. A field study in Chapainawabganj District in Bangladesh
No full textThe Barind Tract, located in the Chapainawabganj region of Bangladesh, spans 13,311 hectares of net cropped area (DAE 2023) and is characterized by a challenging agroecological environment. The areas are victim to high temperatures, limited soil moisture retention, and erratic, low rainfall, contributing to severe water stress. The region’s soils are known for their poor drainage, low organic matter content, and susceptibility to drought, all leading to suboptimal crop productivity (Ali et al. 2018; Harun et al. 2017). In this context, addressing these issues through sustainable agricultural practices is crucial to enhance both productivity and resilience in the face of climate change. To tackle the agronomic challenges in Chapainawabganj, a participatory research trial was conducted from 2022 to 2023. The study explored diversified, intensified, and climate-resilient cropping system options, comparing them with traditional farming practices in the region. This brief highlights the key findings on energy use, global warming potential, and emission intensity from the study, offering insights into viable solutions for improving agricultural outcomes in this climate-sensitive area.17 page
Case study: Demand-led seed system accelerates adoption of improved bean, sorghum, and groundnut varieties in Tanzania
No full text8 page
Does subsidizing seed help farmers? Nepal's rice seed subsidies
No full textMotivation: Improved seed adoption can increase yield, enhance food security, improve livelihoods, and reduce poverty. Although many governments in the global South use seed subsidies to achieve these outcomes, the success and efficiency of input subsidies is subject to debate. Most smallholders in Nepal lack information and finance to access improved technologies, including improved seeds. To address this, Nepal's universal seed subsidy programme (SSP) began in 2012. SSP offers participants up to 50% off the price of rice seed from improved varieties. Purpose: We evaluate the impact of SSP on farmer participants five years after its inception. Until now, the programme had not been evaluated. Approach and Methods: We compare rice-growing households receiving subsidized seeds (treatment group) with those that do not (control group). We match the two groups using propensity scoring. We compare rice yield per hectare for the two groups, looking at aggregate and heterogeneous treatment effects. Primary data come from a 2019 survey of 157 treated and 173 control farm households in the Terai lowlands. Findings: We find no evidence of SSP impact on rice yield in the aggregate. One potential explanation is that the programme tended to promote seed of a long-standing open-pollinated variety (OPV), rather than newer, higher-yielding OPVs and hybrids. Examination of heterogenous impacts, however, shows higher yields among treated households who were either on low incomes or remote from agro-dealers and agricultural extension offices. Policy implications: Given the lack of impact on yields of SSP, sustaining the programme in the same form is neither advisable nor justified. We suggest targeting households on low incomes and in remote areas; subsidizing only the more recent high-yielding varieties; and considering cost-effective approaches to administer the programme, such as seed vouchers. To improve last-mile seed delivery, SSP needs to engage more with private seed providers and be more transparent in its operations. Results from this study may have broader implications for other long-standing agricultural subsidies in Nepal and other developing countries with universal subsidy programmes
Chapter 2. Minimizing post-harvest losses: gaps in post-harvest intervention
No full textIn developing countries, post-harvest losses (PHL), which represent the quantitative, qualitative, nutritional, or economic loss of food commodities from harvesting to consumption, remain an important challenge and affect the food security of millions of people. Despite increased attention to PHL, a structural change in PHL is yet to be achieved. This is partly because PHL is a multidimensional challenge with multiple direct and indirect causes linked to the socioeconomic context. This chapter highlights notable gapsin post-harvest interventionsregarding technology, management, finance, capacity building, innovations, and weak data availability. The importance of sustainable business models is also demonstrated as post-harvest technologies need to be profitable in the long term to facilitate adoption and scalability. This chapter also stresses the importance of using a system approach to achieve a sustainable reduction of losses, involving stakeholders from the beginning through a value chain approach. This approach enables the definition of a common vision, identification of gaps from different perspectives, collaborative creation and design of inclusive interventions, and promotion of collaboration, coordination and co-learning. Strong public and private sector investments are needed to achieve a sustainable reduction of PHL. This chapter concludes by reiterating there are no universal solutions to addressing PHL, and the technologies promoted must be adapted to the local context or sourced locally.21-3
CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions: CIMMYT final report
No full textThe Nature+ initiative was launched in 2022 as part of the OneCGIAR strategy to develop and implement solutions that support local food systems and livelihoods equitably while ensuring that agriculture contributes positively to the planet's ecosystems. CIMMYT participated in this initiative with a focus on Colombia and Burkina Faso through the "Conserve," "Manage," and "Recycle" work packages. Activities implemented included different diagnostics in the targeted countries (farmers typologies, stakeholders mapping, social network mapping of informal seed systems) in these regions through a nature-positive approach to understand the local contexts. Additional activities included co-designing solutions to address challenges identified by farmers and providing training on agrobiodiversity management. Overall, the CIMMYT team engaged with thousands of farmers and 36 different stakeholders (34 in Colombia and 2 in Burkina Faso) through 72 events, meetings, workshops and training. Throughout he initiative, farmers received training in improved seed postharvest practices, ensuring the preservation of native maize and other crops. A total of 782 farmers (58% of women) participated in seed storage training. In addition, 11 community seed banks in Colombia were also strengthened with different equipment (moisture meters, dryers, sieves, airtight containers), providing local farmers with tools and knowledge to preserve agrobiodiversity. Smallholders' access to niche markets was part of the activities implemented, with workshops and matchmaking events to help bridge the gap between farmers and buyers and address challenges such as inconsistent supply, postharvest losses, and intermediaries dependence. The project also fostered collaboration with government institutions, including the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, to create favorable policies for the promotion of bioinputs and sustainable farming practices. Within the Multifunctional Landscape Science Program, CIMMYT, in col laboration with the other centers, will focus on expanding these efforts, with an emphasis on participatory varietal selection, business models to connect farmers with market opportunities, and women empowerment for biodiversity conservation. Efforts toward strengthening the seed systems for landraces will also continue, promoting biodiversity conservation and agroecological pest management practices. The collaboration with governmental institutions will continue to help co-design policies that support the production of bioinputs and biofactories and their accessibility to smallholder farmers, helping to create more sustainable farming systems across Colombia and Burkina Faso.21 page
Multi environment trials and adaption of advanced bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in low moisture stress areas of Ethiopia
No full textTo predict bread wheat genetic potential across environments and adaption in low moisture stress wheat growing areas of Ethiopia. Multi-location trials were conducted in Ethiopia from 2020 to 2021 in main seasons. A total of advanced genotypes including the checks were arranged in randomized complete block design in a rectangular (row x column) array of plots with two replications. The results showed that, under the linear mixed model, the spatial and factor analytic models were efficient methods of data analysis for this study. By ranking average best linear unbiased prediction (BLUPs) within clusters, the 13 bread wheat environments were clustered into three mega environments (C1, C2, and C3) for the trait grain yield. This method used as a selection indicator, assisting in the selection of superior and adaptable types. The predicted performance of genotypes based on BLUP values averaged across correlated settings of C1 and C2, eliminating C3 due to low genetic correlation with the other trials and low genetic variation. Based on these clusters, the genotypes with the highest potential EBW192350 and EBW192369 were selected for a subsequent verification study that might potentially use them as a released variety. For genetic variance, the estimates for variance component parameters ranged from 0.069 to 2.896 and error variance, they ranged from 0.175 to 1.002. Therefore, increasing the application of this efficient analysis method will improve the selection of superior bread wheat varieties. The two genotypes can be further verified using national performance trials/ or verified in farmers’ fields for registration and commercialization.76-8
Labor displacement in agriculture: Evidence from oil palm expansion in Indonesia
No full textWe analyze the labor market effects of oil palm cultivation among smallholder farmers in Indonesia. Oil palm requires less labor per unit of land than alternative crops, especially less female labor. Micro-level data and nationally-representative regency-level data show that oil palm adoption, on average, led to an expansion of total cropland at the expense of forestland, resulting in higher agricultural labor demand for men. At the same time, women’s employment rates declined due to a substantial decrease in agricultural family labor, which was most evident in regions with high initial land scarcity and thus limited options for cropland expansion.547-56
