Agricultural Issues
Food and Agriculture in Ghana – a Sector in Difficulty
For some time now, there has been an on-going debate about the performance of the food and agricultural sector in satisfying the nutritional and economic needs of the nation. One assessment suggests that the sector has performed creditably and what is required of it now are more resources to accelerate development. This view is typified by The State of The Nation Address delivered by President John Mahama on 21st February, 2013. Although it is acknowledged that there have been some improvements in the well-being of Ghanaian consumers (of staple food) and agricultural producers, there can be no doubt that large sections of the rising population continue to suffer deprivation of hunger and rising poverty. This contrasts sharply with the glorious picture painted by statements such as those expressed in the latest two State of the Nation addresses. [more]
Reports
Prospects of Transforming Subsistence Agriculture into Sustainable Livelihoods; A case-study of the Ribb sub-Catchment, Ethiopia
Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences, Master Thesis
This study assesses the importance of agricultural transformation in achieving sustainable livelihood in rural Ethiopia. By focusing on the different agricultural transformation components, the study analyze different farming typologies at household level. Through the process of smallholder commercialization, households can transform into more desired farm typology which can assist them to achieve food security and reduce poverty. Based on households production objective, the result suggests that households in the study area belong to four major farm typology i.e., below-subsistence, subsistence, constant improving and commercial level farm typologies. By applying an ordered logit regression model, the variables having high significance level and determine households to transform from lower farm typology (below-subsistence level) to higher (commercial level) are topography, livestock holdings and irrigation. Farm land size, land fragmentation and non-farm income are also determining factors in smallholder agricultural transformation. In addition, the result show that weak institutions, poor access to markets and credit, inadequate infrastructure, poor soil fertility and land degradation have constrained households to transform to smallholder commercialization. [more]
Urbanization and Changes in Farm Size in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia from a Geographical Perspective, a Review of the Literature
A Foresight Study of the Independent Science and Partnership Council
The past century has entailed a relatively speaking rapid redistribution as well as growth of urban populations, with the urban population surpassing the rural one for the first time in 2008. Processes of urban growth and their implications for farming and changes in farm sizes especially are likely to be shaped both by global influences as well as more localized aspects. Spatial perspectives related to the distribution of people among urban areas of different size, the nature of production systems and how these are shaped by the proximity to urban areas are relevant in this respect. The study assesses the available empirical data on urbanization trends and changes in farm size in the context of South Asia and Sub- Saharan Africa on the basis of these perspectives. [more]
A Practical Guide for Ex-ante Impact Evaluation in Fisheries and Aquaculture
Guidelines: AAS-2013-04
This guide provides a framework for ex-ante evaluation of fisheries and aquaculture projects in developing countries. Ex-ante impact evaluations check the potential of a project or program to deliver benefits from proposed interventions. Providing extensive annotated literature citations, this guide is designed for use by practitioners who may not be fisheries or aquaculture specialists. The guide uses concepts from results-based management, organized into five modules that structure the investigation and provide insights regarding alignment of the proposed intervention with stakeholder interests, feasibility of design, potential constraints to implementation, possible impact pathways and distributional effects of the intervention. Separately published case studies of investments in Bangladesh, Malawi and Ghana illustrate application of the guide. [more]
Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Social Wellbeing of Farming Community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
The Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 23(1): 2013, Page: 319-323
The paper focuses on the impact of farmer field schools (FFS) on social wellbeing of farming community. For this purpose, six districts from the central region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi and Kohat were selected. Data were collected on various aspects of social wellbeing of farming community from 240 randomly selected FFS farmers and 60 extension field staff respondents. The data were analyzed using a paired t-test for comparison of pre and post FFS scenarios. The results show that decision making was ranked 1st with mean values 3.38, 3.94 closely followed by confidence building and spirit of self help which were ranked 2nd and 3rd with mean values 3.41, 3.94 and 3.40, 3.92 in pre and post-FFS scenarios, respectively. Similarly, field staff respondents ranked spirit of self help by farmers as 1st with mean values 3.31, 4.04, decision making as 2nd with mean values 3.27, 3.91, and confidence building as 3rd with mean values3.39 and 3.97 in pre and post-FFS scenarios, respectively. This situation shows a highly significant difference between the pre and post FFS scenarios. Hence, it can be concluded from the study that FFS had a significant impact on all aspects of social well being of farming community as a result of various project activities. [more]
Thank you
The articles included in this news digest have been generated from online news sources and the daily graphic newspaper published within last week. For more information on any of these articles, please contact Adwoa Kwarteng at A.Kwarteng@cgiar.org
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