1,721,069 research outputs found
How is the Capability Approach Applied to Assess Well-being Impacts? A Systematic Review
Full text linkA shift in how to measure well-being using more appropriate and coherent indicators has been long called for. Nonetheless, monetary indicators, such as income and GDP, or utilitarian frameworks, remain the most common approaches used. The capability approach (CA) has been advocated as an alternative framework to measure well-being. This paper aims to capture the state-of-the-art of how the CA has been applied to assess or characterise the well-being impacts of project-based development interventions in Global South countries. The ultimate goal is to discuss whether the CA provides more varied and complex indicators of well-being and therefore more comprehensive impact assessments. The results highlight that qualitative and participatory approaches are frequently applied methods to assess individual capabilities, most often related to educational, economic, social and empowerment dimensions. Capabilities linked to environmental and recreational activities, as well as collective capabilities, were significantly overlooked. Quantitative approaches to impact evaluation were less frequently used. This paper provides a first systematic review on the use of the CA to assess well-being impacts. Future applications of the CA could focus on better integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches for robust impact assessments and targeting understudied capabilities
Hunters and hunting across indigenous and colonist communities at the forest-agriculture interface: An ethnozoological study from the Peruvian Amazon
No full textBackground: Wildlife has been traditionally used by forest communities as a source of protein, and the Peruvian Amazon is no exception. The articulation of colonist and indigenous communities to urban centers and markets results in changes in livelihood strategies and impacts on wildlife populations. To address the threat of overhunting and forest conversion, we provide a generalized characterization of colonist and indigenous communities and their hunting activities near Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru. Methods: A semi-structured household survey was conducted to characterize hunters and describe their prey collections. The data were analyzed by conducting a Kruskal-Wallis test, a multiple regression analysis, and by estimating the harvest rate (H). Results: Less wealthy households were more actively engaged in hunting for food security and as a livelihood strategy. Additionally, older hunters were associated with higher hunting rates. Although the percentage of hunters was relatively low, estimated hunting rates suggest overharvesting of wildlife. Lowland pacas (Cuniculus paca) were the most frequently hunted prey, followed by red brocket deer (Mazama americana) and primates. While hunting intensity was not significantly different between indigenous and colonist communities, hunting rate disparities suggest there are different types of hunters (specialized vs. opportunistic) and that prey composition differs between communities. Conclusion: Close monitoring of wildlife populations and hunting activities is ideal for more accurately determining the impact of hunting on wildlife population and in turn on forest health. In lack of this type of information, this study provides insight of hunting as a shifting livelihood strategy in a rapidly changing environment at the forest/agriculture frontier.</p
Lessons learned on research uptake by next users
Full text linkCIAT is the leader of the CGIAR Research Program
on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
(CCAFS), and much of CIAT’s work contributes directly
to this global effort. The strength of CIAT’s climate
change research is its focus on disseminating solid
research results through partnerships.
In order to understand the key elements of success of
this participatory and user-oriented approach, CIAT is
implementing a simple but effective monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) system. This includes monitoring results and conducting external validation studies. Based on this M&E system, 3 main lessons have been
learned during the past year and a half, which are
relevant to policy makers and investors
Outcome Harvesting
No full textOutcome harvesting is a qualitative approach to ex post evaluation of social change results. Rather than testing for a specific impact of the intervention at hand, it consists in, in collaboration with stakeholders: broadly making sense and collecting evidence on outcomes, investigating how these were produced and whether and how the intervention may have played a role in this process, before substantiating these outcomes with external sources. Outcome harvesting is a utilisationfocused approach: it aims at producing knowledge for action. It is particularly useful in the case of complex interventions; when the effects of an intervention are previously not known or identified; or when the intervention has been significantly modified since its inception
Exploring the links between agricultural biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being : evidence from the Yucatan, Mexico
No full textThis study hypothesises that the application of an integrated and multidimensional human well-being - ecosystem approach can improve our understanding of agricultural biodiversity
and the ecosystem services it provides in terms that are meaningful to the people that depend
on them, allowing us to draw relevant policy implications. We develop an Extended-
Capability-Ecosystem-Approach based on Duraiappah (2004) to analyze the relationship
between the conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity and different aspects of the well-being of households, including their conversion factors, capabilities and endowments.
The empirical focus is on farming households of the Yucatán, Mexico, where Mayan descendants depend on agricultural biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides for their subsistence, food security, and culture, often within marginal economic and agronomic
conditions. The possible expansion of opportunities open to people through education and employment appears coupled with a process of ageing of the population working in agriculture and rural out-migration. The latter seems related to the use of higher crop diversity on farm and the conservation of local varieties, posing issues of future loss of
genetic resources, associated knowledge and cultural values. Geographical isolation also
appears to contribute to a higher level of crop diversity and a more intensive use of off farm
ecosystem goods. Finally, the work of women on farm is significantly associated with conservation of local varieties and higher crop diversity for consumption, indicating that
conservation strategies should take into account the gender dimension of associated
knowledge and preferred characteristics of varieties. It emerges that agrobiodiversity and
related ecosystem services represent fundamental safety nets, the basis for consumption stability and a risk diversification strategy, often linked to cultural and social practices, but the difficult condition of life in rural areas cannot be overlooked. The relationship between
socio-economic characteristics of households and agrobiodiversity calls for a more coherent
and concerted conservation strategy linking the action of development and environmental agencies. The recognition of the needs and aspirations of different groups in the population might favour the creation of appropriate incentives for the conservation of crop genetic resources on farm and the sustainable use of off farm ecosystem goods, expanding the real opportunities that people enjoy
Outcome Harvesting
No full textOutcome harvesting is a qualitative approach to ex post evaluation of social change results. Rather than testing for a specific impact of the intervention at hand, it consists in, in collaboration with stakeholders: broadly making sense and collecting evidence on outcomes, investigating how these were produced and whether and how the intervention may have played a role in this process, before substantiating these outcomes with external sources. Outcome harvesting is a utilisationfocused approach: it aims at producing knowledge for action. It is particularly useful in the case of complex interventions; when the effects of an intervention are previously not known or identified; or when the intervention has been significantly modified since its inception
How is the Capability Approach Applied to Assess Well-being Impacts? A Systematic Review
No full textA shift in how to measure well-being using more appropriate and coherent indicators has been long called for. Nonetheless, monetary indicators, such as income and GDP, or utilitarian frameworks, remain the most common approaches used. The capability approach (CA) has been advocated as an alternative framework to measure well-being. This paper aims to capture the state-of-the-art of how the CA has been applied to assess or characterise the well-being impacts of project-based development interventions in Global South countries. The ultimate goal is to discuss whether the CA provides more varied and complex indicators of well-being and therefore more comprehensive impact assessments. The results highlight that qualitative and participatory approaches are frequently applied methods to assess individual capabilities, most often related to educational, economic, social and empowerment dimensions. Capabilities linked to environmental and recreational activities, as well as collective capabilities, were significantly overlooked. Quantitative approaches to impact evaluation were less frequently used. This paper provides a first systematic review on the use of the CA to assess well-being impacts. Future applications of the CA could focus on better integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches for robust impact assessments and targeting understudied capabilities
Informe del taller de diseño de una nueva intervención basada en los aprendizajes del proyecto AGRECOCARIBE. Cuba, 8-10 de febrero 2022
Full text link
AGRECOCARIBE, una plataforma de colaboración entre investigadores, docentes y productores innovadores. Evaluacion final del proyecto
Full text linkEste reporte presenta la evaluación final del proyecto, que se condujo entre enero y mayo 2022 a través de una revisión documentaria, un taller participativo con todos los integrantes del proyecto y entrevistas de validación de los cambios identificados con los representantes de las instituciones socias
- …
