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1
Morón, Cecilio. "Food-based nutrition interventions at community level." British Journal of Nutrition 96, S1 (August 2006): S20—S22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/bjn20061693.
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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations promotes nutrition interventions considering food as the basis for action, given the strategic role of food and the agricultural sector to improve food security for the community; thus, a large number of people, especially the poor, who participate directly or indirectly in agricultural activities are able to obtain benefits from its multifunctional character. Food-based nutrition interventions have the purpose of improving food production and availability, processing and conservation, supply and commercialization, as well as access and food consumption. The basis of this focus is community and local government participation in the planning, execution, supervision and evaluation of specific interventions. Food-based nutrition interventions include the development of community gardens and farms in urban and rural areas; hydroponic gardens and other related initiatives in urban and periurban agriculture; as well as the promotion of traditional crops with nutritional value and the development of small agro-industries. Food-based nutrition interventions can be implemented to improve the food supply in street and itinerant markets, town squares and rural markets, and street food sales. In all food-based interventions, food safety and quality control must be taken into consideration throughout the food chain. The interventions on nutrition education increase the family's capacity to improve access to and consumption of food. Food-based dietary guidelines and nutrition education in schools are highlighted, as well as the utilization of school gardens.
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Carter, S., M. Herold, M. C. Rufino, K. Neumann, L. Kooistra, and L. Verchot. "Mitigation of agriculture emissions in the tropics: comparing forest land-sparing options at the national level." Biogeosciences Discussions 12, no. 7 (April 10, 2015): 5435–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-5435-2015.
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Abstract. Emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation are of global concern, but forest land-sparing interventions such as agricultural intensification and utilization of available land offer opportunities for mitigation. In many tropical countries, where agriculture is the major driver of deforestation, interventions in the agriculture sector can reduce deforestation emissions as well as reducing emissions in the agriculture sector. Our study uses a novel approach to quantify agriculture-driven deforestation and associated emissions in the tropics. Emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation in the tropics between 2000 and 2010 are 4.3 Gt CO2 eq yr−1 (97 countries). We investigate the national potential to mitigate these emissions through forest land-sparing interventions, which can potentially be implemented under REDD+. We consider intensification, and utilization of available non-forested land as forest land-sparing opportunities since they avoid the expansion of agriculture into forested land. In addition, we assess the potential to reduce agriculture emissions on existing agriculture land, interventions that fall under climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The use of a systematic framework demonstrates the selection of mitigation interventions by considering sequentially the level of emissions, mitigation potential of various interventions, enabling environment and associated risks to livelihoods at the national level. Our results show that considering only countries with high emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation, where there is a potential for forest-sparing interventions, and where there is a good enabling environment (e.g. effective governance or engagement in REDD+), the potential to mitigate is 1.3 Gt CO2 eq yr−1 (20 countries of 78 with sufficient data). For countries where we identify agriculture emissions as priority for mitigation, up to 1 Gt CO2 eq yr−1 could be reduced from the agriculture sector including livestock. Risks to livelihoods from implementing interventions based on national level data, call for detailed investigation at the local level to inform decisions. Three case-studies demonstrate the use of the analytical framework. The inherent link between the agriculture and forestry sectors due to competition for land suggests that these cannot be considered independently. This highlights the need to include the forest and the agricultural sector in the decision making process for mitigation interventions at the national level.
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Estrada-Carmona, Natalia, Jessica E. Raneri, Stephanie Alvarez, Carl Timler, Shantonu Abe Chatterjee, Lenora Ditzler, Gina Kennedy, et al. "A model-based exploration of farm-household livelihood and nutrition indicators to guide nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions." Food Security 12, no. 1 (December 4, 2019): 59–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12571-019-00985-0.
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AbstractAssessing progress towards healthier people, farms and landscapes through nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) requires transdisciplinary methods with robust models and metrics. Farm-household models could facilitate disentangling the complex agriculture-nutrition nexus, by jointly assessing performance indicators on different farm system components such as farm productivity, farm environmental performance, household nutrition, and livelihoods. We, therefore, applied a farm-household model, FarmDESIGN, expanded to more comprehensively capture household nutrition and production diversity, diet diversity, and nutrient adequacy metrics. We estimated the potential contribution of an NSA intervention targeting the diversification of home gardens, aimed at reducing nutritional gaps and improving livelihoods in rural Vietnam. We addressed three central questions: (1) Do ‘Selected Crops’ (i.e. crops identified in a participatory process) in the intervention contribute to satisfying household dietary requirements?; (2) Does the adoption of Selected Crops contribute to improving household livelihoods (i.e. does it increase leisure time for non-earning activities as well as the dispensable budget)?; and (3) Do the proposed nutrition-related metrics estimate the contribution of home-garden diversification towards satisfying household dietary requirements? Results indicate trade-offs between nutrition and dispensable budget, with limited farm-household configurations leading to jointly improved nutrition and livelihoods. FarmDESIGN facilitated testing the robustness and limitations of commonly used metrics to monitor progress towards NSA. Results indicate that most of the production diversity metrics performed poorly at predicting desirable nutritional outcomes in this modelling study. This study demonstrates that farm-household models can facilitate anticipating the effect (positive or negative) of agricultural interventions on nutrition and the environment, identifying complementary interventions for significant and positive results and helping to foresee the trade-offs that farm-households could face. Furthermore, FarmDESIGN could contribute to identifying agreed-upon and robust metrics for measuring nutritional outcomes at the farm-household level, to allow comparability between contexts and NSA interventions.
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Carter, S., M. Herold, M. C. Rufino, K. Neumann, L. Kooistra, and L. Verchot. "Mitigation of agricultural emissions in the tropics: comparing forest land-sparing options at the national level." Biogeosciences 12, no. 15 (August 10, 2015): 4809–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4809-2015.
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Abstract. Emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation are of global concern, but forest land-sparing interventions such as agricultural intensification and utilization of available non-forest land offer opportunities for mitigation. In many tropical countries, where agriculture is the major driver of deforestation, interventions in the agriculture sector could reduce deforestation emissions as well as reduce emissions in the agriculture sector. Our study uses a novel approach to quantify agriculture-driven deforestation and associated emissions in the tropics between 2000 and 2010. Emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation in the tropics (97 countries) are 4.3 GtCO2e yr−1. We investigate the national potential to mitigate these emissions through forest land-sparing interventions, which can potentially be implemented under REDD+. We consider intensification and utilization of available non-forested land as forest land-sparing opportunities since they avoid the expansion of agriculture into forested land. In addition, we assess the potential to reduce agricultural emissions on existing agriculture land. The use of a systematic framework demonstrates the selection of mitigation interventions by considering sequentially the level of emissions, mitigation potential of various interventions, enabling environment and associated risks to livelihoods at the national level. Our results show that considering only countries with high emissions from agriculture-driven deforestation, with potential for forest-sparing interventions and a good enabling environment (e.g. effective governance or engagement in REDD+), there is a potential to mitigate 1.3 GtCO2e yr−1 (20 countries of 78 with sufficient data). For countries where we identify agricultural emissions as a priority for mitigation, up to 1 GtCO2e yr−1 could be reduced from the agriculture sector including livestock. Risks to livelihoods from implementing interventions based on national level data call for detailed investigation at the local level to inform decisions on mitigation interventions. Three case studies demonstrate the use of the analytical framework. The inherent link between the agriculture and forestry sectors due to competition for land suggests that these sectors cannot be considered independently. Our findings highlight the need to include the forest and the agricultural sectors in the decision-making process to mitigate deforestation.
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Wharton, Christopher M., Renee Shaw Hughner, Lexi MacMillan, and Claudia Dumitrescu. "Community Supported Agriculture Programs: A Novel Venue for Theory-Based Health Behavior Change Interventions." Ecology of Food and Nutrition 54, no. 3 (February 23, 2015): 280–301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2014.1001980.
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Okello, Julius J., Edith Ofwona-Adera, Oliver L. E. Mbatia, and Ruth M. Okello. "Using ICT to Integrate Smallholder Farmers into Agricultural Value Chain." International Journal of ICT Research and Development in Africa 1, no. 1 (January 2010): 23–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jictrda.2010010102.
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This article examines an ICT-based intervention (known as the DrumNet project) that has succeeded in integrating smallholder-resource and poor farmers into a higher value agricultural chain. The article assesses the design of the project, and how it resolves the smallholder farmers’ idiosyncratic market failures and examines member-farmers’ marketing margins. The article finds that the design of the DrumNet project resolves smallholder farmers’ credit, insurance and information market failures and enables them to overcome organizational failure. The article concludes that successful ICT-based interventions for integrating farmers into higher value agricultural value chains require an integrated approach to tackling smallholder farmers’ constraints. The findings have implications for the design of future ICT-based interventions in agriculture.
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Ogweno, Peter, Nephat Kathuri, and Agnes Nkurumwa. "EFFECTS OF PROBLEM BASED LEARNING METHOD AND DEMONSTRATION TEACHING METHOD ON SECONDARY STUDENTS AGRICULTURE ACHIEVEMENT IN NDHIWA SUB COUNTY, KENYA." African Journal of Education and Practice 7, no. 2 (March 22, 2021): 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.47604/ajep.1250.
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Purpose: The study sought to compare the effects of Problem Based Learning (PBL) method and Demonstration Teaching Method (DTM) on achievement of students in agriculture subject.
Methodology: The study used Quasi-Experimental Design which followed a Non-equivalent Control Group Pre-test-Post-test Design, while a Constructivist learning theory guided the study. PBL was the treatment while Demonstration teaching method was used as control. The target population were 7124 students taking agriculture and 52 teachers of agriculture. Accessible population were Form Two Students and 12 schools. Both stratified random sampling and purposive sampling methods were used to obtain a sample size of 575 students and 12 teachers of agriculture. Six schools used Problem Based Learning as treatment, while the other six schools were taught through Demonstration teaching method. Pre-test was administered to PBL and DTM groups before teaching the students and a post-test was also administered to both groups at the end of six weeks of study. Data was collected using Agriculture Achievement Test (AAT) to measure students’ achievement. Data was analysed using ANCOVA and descriptive statistics.
Findings: Post-test results established that teaching through PBL resulted in higher students’ achievement in agriculture with a mean score of 57.47 compared to DTM mean score of 48.4. There were statistically significant difference in post-intervention scores between the interventions, F (1, 278) = 1170.43, p < .001, partial η2= .800 leading to rejection of null hypothesis. Therefore, PBL teaching method was found to be more effective in teaching agriculture as compared to Demonstration teaching method.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that teachers of agriculture should embrace and use PBL as a method of instruction in agriculture subject. Likewise, Tertiary institutions and Universities in Kenya should implement the use of PBL method in their training programmes in training students.
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O'Neill, D. H. "Ergonomics Interventions in Agricultural Development Projects." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 44, no. 22 (July 2000): 620–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/154193120004402233.
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World population growth is demanding ever-increasing production and productivity in the agricultural industry to meet the world's food needs. Whilst the biological sciences make the major contribution through agronomy, crop protection, harvesting and storage techniques, many of the advances in these spheres of research and development do not meet their full potential because the associated human factors issues are not fully addressed. The ergonomics needs of the three major levels of agricultural enterprise - smallholder (subsistence) agriculture, small-scale commercial farming and large-scale commercial farming - are considered and the nature of appropriate interventions for each of these levels outlined. Examples of potential interventions, based on ergonomics research and development are presented.
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Margolies, Amy, Aulo Gelli, Roshan Daryanani, Aisha Twalibu, and Carol Levin. "When Communities Pull Their Weight: The Economic Costs of an Integrated Agriculture and Nutrition Home-Grown Preschool Meal Intervention in Malawi." Food and Nutrition Bulletin 42, no. 1 (March 2021): 3–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0379572120986693.
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Background: Community-based preschool meals can provide an effective platform for implementing integrated agriculture and nutrition programs. However, there is little evidence on the costs and cost-efficiency of implementing these types of multisectoral interventions. Objectives: Assess the economic costs and cost-efficiency of implementing an effective integrated nutrition-sensitive intervention through a preschool platform in Malawi, including community-level contributions. Methods: The Strengthening Economic Evaluation for Multisectoral Strategies for Nutrition (SEEMS-Nutrition) framework and methods were applied to assess financial and economic costs of the intervention. A mixed-methods approach was used to measure and allocate costs for program activities and inputs using financial expenditure data combined with micro-costing. All costs were allocated to input and expenditure categories using the SEEMS-Nutrition framework. To facilitate comparisons with existing school meals programs, activities were also mapped against a standardized school feeding supply chain framework. Results: The total annualized cost of the program was US$197 377, inclusive of both financial and economic costs. The annual economic cost of the program ranged from US$160 per preschool child to US$41 per beneficiary. The principal drivers of cost by program activity were training (46%), school meals provision (19%), monitoring and evaluation (12%), and establishing and running community groups (6.5%). Notably, community contributions accounted for 25% and were driven by food donations and volunteer labor. Conclusions: Cost per beneficiary estimates of implementing an integrated agriculture–nutrition intervention through an early childhood development platform compare favorably with similar interventions. Further research is needed that applies a standardized economic evaluation framework to such multisectoral interventions.
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Chander, Girish, Suhas P. Wani, Kamma Krishnappa, Kanwar Lal Sahrawat, Gazula Parthasaradhi, and Lingraj Shivappa Jangawad. "Soil Mapping and Variety-Based Entry-Point Interventions for Strengthening Agriculture-Based Livelihoods - Exemplar Case of 'bhoochetana' in India." Current Science 110, no. 9 (May 1, 2016): 1683. http://dx.doi.org/10.18520/cs/v110/i9/1683-1691.
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Balkrishna, Acharya, Rashmi Mittal, Ashwani Kumar, Deepti Singh, and Vedpriya Arya. "Analysis of policy interventions in agriculture and ICT based mechanistic approach towards sustainability: an Indian perspective." Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development 10, no. 1 (2020): 194–213. http://dx.doi.org/10.18488/journal.1005/2020.10.1/1005.1.194.213.
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Geza, Wendy, Mjabuliseni Ngidi, Temitope Ojo, Adetoso Adebiyi Adetoro, Rob Slotow, and Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi. "Youth Participation in Agriculture: A Scoping Review." Sustainability 13, no. 16 (August 14, 2021): 9120. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13169120.
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Providing economic opportunities for youth in agriculture is essential to securing the future of agriculture in Africa, addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality. However, barriers limit youth participation in agriculture and the broader food system. This scoping review aimed to investigate the opportunities and challenges for youth in participating in agriculture and the food system in Africa. This review conducted a scoping review using the PRISMA guideline. Published studies were retrieved from online databases (Web of Science, Cab Direct, and Science Direct) for 2009 to 2019. The findings showed that existing agricultural interventions are production-centric and provide low-income earnings and inadequate social protection. We also found that the youth have pessimistic perceptions about agriculture’s capability of improving their living standards. This could be ascribed to the minimal youth involvement in agricultural activities and the youth’s shared understanding of the agricultural sector’s contribution to general economic growth. From a policy perspective, the literature revealed that current agricultural development programs do not adequately address structural issues underpinning youth participation in the economy. Therefore, to enhance the involvement of youths in agriculture, there is a need for policy implementation in the area of integrated agricultural-based interventions that are context-specific and promote meaningful youth participation in shaping future food systems.
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Planas, Jordi. "Cooperation, technical education and politics in early agricultural policy in Catalonia (1914–24)." Rural History 31, no. 2 (October 2020): 211–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0956793319000360.
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Abstract After the crisis of the late nineteenth century, the role of the state in European agriculture expanded to many new areas: education and technical innovation; commercial policies and market regulations; farm support policies, and sometimes interventions in property rights. The development of these policies was a difficult and costly process, without the intervention of intermediary organisations like agricultural cooperatives and farmers’ associations. This article analyses the early agricultural policy in Catalonia (Spain) and the role of cooperatives in its implementation. It argues that this regional case was quite exceptional in the early twentieth-century Spanish context, where state intervention in agriculture was extremely limited. In 1914, an autonomous government was set up in Catalonia, and a modern agricultural policy was introduced in which technical education and cooperatives played a crucial role, as well as politics. The agricultural policy promoted and developed by the Catalan government was part of a state-building project based on a regionalist ideology.
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Maumbe, Blessing M., and Julius Okello. "Uses of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture and Rural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa." International Journal of ICT Research and Development in Africa 1, no. 1 (January 2010): 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jictrda.2010010101.
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This paper presents a framework of the evolution of information and communication technology (ICT) applications in agriculture and rural development based on comparative experiences of South Africa and Kenya. The framework posits that full deployment of ICT in agriculture and rural development will be a culmination of several phases of changes that starts with e-government policy design, development and implementation. The paper argues that ICT use in agriculture and rural development is a powerful instrument for improving agricultural and rural development and standards of living throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. However, success in greater application of ICT in agriculture will require addressing impediments to adoption and diffusion. Such impediments include the lack of awareness, low literacy, infrastructure deficiencies (e.g. lack of electricity to charge electronic gadgets), language and cultural barriers in ICT usage, the low e-inclusivity and the need to cater for the special needs of some users. The paper reviews successful applications of ICT in agriculture and urges greater use of ICT-based interventions in agriculture as a vehicle for spurring rural development in Africa.
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Canet-Martí, Alba, Rocío Pineda-Martos, Ranka Junge, Katrin Bohn, Teresa A. Paço, Cecilia Delgado, Gitana Alenčikienė, Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, and Gösta F. M. Baganz. "Nature-Based Solutions for Agriculture in Circular Cities: Challenges, Gaps, and Opportunities." Water 13, no. 18 (September 17, 2021): 2565. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13182565.
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Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.
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E., Stathakis, Stambologlou E., and O. Manoliadis. "Ex post evaluation of developmental interventions in large scale infrastructure projects: The case of Vistonida rural area." International Journal of Scientific Research and Management 8, no. 01 (January 29, 2020): 319–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/ijsrm/v8i01.ec03.
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The structural development interventions carried out by the European Union (EU) aim to accelerate the real convergence of 28 Member States, mainly those lagging behind interventions. Most of these contribute to better environmental protection, better life condition for farmers and flood protection. Evaluation of infrastructure projects contributing to spatial growth in ex-ante, ongoing, and ex-post basis is an essential activity to answer several issues raised during the growth mentioned above process. This paper aims to evaluate on ex-post basis integrated developmental interventions-large scale infrastructure projects in rural areas, using a combined method based on Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA), sustainable and rural growth indicators coming from official organizations along with the n-Dimensional (nD) modelling. The studied developmental interventions refer to Vistonida's rural area, an area to which large-scale infrastructure financed and carried out by the Greek state. They contributed to the modernization and adaptation of the agriculture sector, improving its qualitative and quantitative performance. The needed data derived from the Hellenic National Statistical Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Greek Payment Authority of Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P.) and concern a period of forty years and they are referred to Land redistribution, irrigation land, crops structure. According to this study, the large-scale agriculture infrastructure contributes significantly to the improvement of the growth rates of a rural spatial productive system as a whole. The application of the combined method was simple, easily understood by policymakers, adequately reliable, and precise.
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Moss, Cami, Tesfaye Hailu Bekele, Mihretab Melesse Salasibew, Joanna Sturgess, Girmay Ayana, Desalegn Kuche, Solomon Eshetu, Andinet Abera, Elizabeth Allen, and Alan D. Dangour. "Sustainable Undernutrition Reduction in Ethiopia (SURE) evaluation study: a protocol to evaluate impact, process and context of a large-scale integrated health and agriculture programme to improve complementary feeding in Ethiopia." BMJ Open 8, no. 7 (July 2018): e022028. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022028.
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IntroductionImproving complementary feeding in Ethiopia requires special focus on dietary diversity. The Sustainable Undernutrition Reduction in Ethiopia (SURE) programme is a government-led multisectoral intervention that aims to integrate the work of the health and agriculture sectors to deliver a complex multicomponent intervention to improve child feeding and reduce stunting. The Federal Ministries of Health and Agriculture and Natural Resources implement the intervention. The evaluation aims to assess a range of processes, outcomes and impacts.Methods and analysisThe SURE evaluation study is a theory-based, mixed methods study comprising impact and process evaluations. We hypothesise that the package of SURE interventions, including integrated health and agriculture behaviour change communication for nutrition, systems strengthening and multisectoral coordination, will result in detectable differences in minimum acceptable diet in children 6–23 months and stunting in children 24–47 months between intervention and comparison groups. Repeated cross-sectional household surveys will be conducted at baseline and endline to assess impact. The process will be assessed using observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions to investigate the fidelity and dose of programme implementation, behavioural pathways of impact and contextual factors interacting with the intervention. Pathways of impact will also be explored through statistical analyses.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received ethics approval from the scientific and ethical review committees at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The findings will be disseminated collaboratively with stakeholders at specified time points and through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
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de Klein, C. A. M., and R. J. Eckard. "Targeted technologies for nitrous oxide abatement from animal agriculture." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, no. 2 (2008): 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea07217.
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Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions account for ~10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with most of these emissions (~90%) deriving from agricultural practices. Animal agriculture potentially contributes up to 50% of total agricultural N2O emissions. In intensive animal agriculture, high N2O emission rates generally coincide with anaerobic soil conditions and high soil NO3–, primarily from animal urine patches. This paper provides an overview of animal, feed-based and soil or management abatement technologies for ruminant animal agriculture targeted at reducing the size of the soil NO3– pool or improving soil aeration. Direct measurements of N2O emissions from potential animal and feed-based intervention technologies are scarce. However, studies have shown that they have the potential to reduce urinary N excretion by 3–60% and thus reduce associated N2O emissions. Research on the effect of soil and water management interventions is generally further advanced and N2O reduction potentials of up to 90% have been measured in some instances. Of the currently available technologies, nitrification inhibitors, managing animal diets and fertiliser management show the best potential for reducing emissions in the short-term. However, strategies should always be evaluated in a whole-system context, to ensure that reductions in one part of the system do not stimulate higher emissions elsewhere. Current technologies reviewed here could deliver up to 50% reduction from an animal housing system, but only up to 15% from a grazing-based system. However, given that enteric methane emissions form the majority of emissions from grazing systems, a 15% abatement of N2O is likely to translate to a 2–4% decrease in total GHG emissions at a farm scale. Clearly, further research is needed to develop technologies for improving N cycling and reducing N2O emissions from grazing-based animal production systems.
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Jena, Anannya. "A Study to Compare the Production and Productivity of Rice Crop Between the BGREI Beneficiary Farmers and Non-Beneficiary Farmers in Odisha." International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 10, no. 9 (September 10, 2021): 97–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2021.1009.011.
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India is marching ahead to face the enormous triple challenges of sustainable increased agriculture and allied sector productivity, maintaining environmental sustainability and mitigating poverty. More than 70% rural households depend on agriculture and the contribution of Agriculture and allied sectors to total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is 17%. The agriculture and allied sector not only meet the food and nutritional requirements of 1.3 billion Indian, it contributes significantly to production, employment and demand generation through various backward and forward linkage. To extend the benefit of first green revolution (1966-67) and to reduce the yield gap Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India programme was launched under RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) in 2010-11 comprising seven states namely Bihar, Eastern UP, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Chhatisgarh and West Bengal. There was a need for a second green revolution to feed the growing population. The present study was conducted during 2020-21 in two blocks namely Jamankira and Jujomura in Sambalpur district of Odisha to compare the production and productivity of rice crop between the BGREI beneficiary and non beneficiary farmers. During 2012-13 and 2013-14, the BGREI programme was extended to 22 districts of Odisha and National Rice Research Institute (previously CRRI), Cuttack, Odisha is the nodal agency to guide, supervise, monitor and supervise technical interventions. BGREI consists of the following interventions such as (i) Block demonstration (ii) Asset building (iii) Site specific activities (iv) Marketing support including post harvest management (v) Seed production and distribution (vi) Subsidy on need based inputs (vii) Training programme on cropping system based demonstration etc.
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Espinet, Xavier, and Julie Rozenberg. "Prioritization of Climate Change Adaptation Interventions in a Road Network combining Spatial Socio-Economic Data, Network Criticality Analysis, and Flood Risk Assessments." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2672, no. 2 (August 24, 2018): 44–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0361198118794043.
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Climate change puts at risk all current and future transport projects. Investing proactively in climate adaptation of transport infrastructure is paramount to providing resilience and sustainable transport systems that may promote social and economic growth. Despite the importance of such investments, the financial resources of many road administrations are constrained, creating an urgent need to allocate these resources efficiently to capture the highest social, environmental, and economic benefits. This paper aims to tackle this issue by presenting a methodology to prioritize climate change adaptation interventions based on a set of economic, social, and risk reduction criteria. This method uses a network-wide approach to the road system in order to capture co-benefits, redundancies, and costs of disruption of road segments due to flood events. All underlying data in each of the criteria is part of a geospatial database that includes the location of agriculture, fishery production areas, high poverty, and flood maps. The methodology was developed at the request of the World Bank Africa Team to support the Government of Mozambique to prioritize climate change adaptation intervention in two central provinces, Zambezia and Nampula. After combining criteria for agriculture, fishery, poverty, network criticality, and hazard risk, the results suggest that most roads in the coastal districts of these provinces could be identified as top priority for climate change adaptation interventions.
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Quandt, Amy, and Yunus Antony Kimathi. "Perceptions of the effects of floods and droughts on livelihoods: lessons from arid Kenya." International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management 9, no. 03 (May 15, 2017): 337–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijccsm-11-2014-0132.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how people practicing natural resource-based livelihoods in arid Kenya perceive that their livelihoods are being affected by floods and droughts and how to integrate these local perceptions of impacts into larger-scale climate change adaptation initiatives and policy. Design/methodology/approach In Isiolo County, Kenya, 270 households were surveyed in seven communities, six focus group discussions were held and a document review was conducted. Findings The major livelihood practiced in Isiolo is pastoralism (71 per cent), but agriculture and non-agro-pastoral activities also play an important role, with 53 per cent of the respondents practicing more than one type of livelihood. In Isiolo, floods have a large impact on agriculture (193 respondents out of 270), while droughts impact both agriculture (104 respondents) and livestock (120 respondents), and more specifically, cattle-keeping (70 respondents). Research limitations/implications The research may have implications for the importance of using local perceptions of the effects of climate change on livelihoods for larger-scale interventions. It also provides a case study of local perceptions of the effects of floods and droughts on livelihoods in an arid area with natural resource-dependent livelihoods. Practical implications To understand local perceptions and use local perceptions for larger-scale adaptation interventions and policy. Originality/value This paper provides a specific example of a climate change adaptation initiative integrating local perceptions of the impacts of floods and droughts into livelihood-focused interventions.
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Rector, Colette, Nadhira Nuraini Afifa, Varun Gupta, Abbas Ismail, Dominic Mosha, Leonard K. Katalambula, Said Vuai, et al. "School-Based Nutrition Programs for Adolescents in Dodoma, Tanzania: A Situation Analysis." Food and Nutrition Bulletin 42, no. 3 (June 14, 2021): 378–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03795721211020715.
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Background: Tanzania has a double burden of malnutrition, including a high prevalence of undernutrition and an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Schools present a valuable opportunity to reach a large section of the country’s adolescent population with nutrition-oriented interventions. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the current state of adolescent school nutrition interventions in Dodoma, Tanzania, with emphasis on 3 potential school-based nutrition interventions, school vegetable gardens, school meals, and education (on nutrition, agriculture, and water, sanitation, and hygiene). Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted with several regional and district-level governmental stakeholders, including health, education, and agricultural officers. Ten public secondary schools were visited, and interviews with school administrators, teachers, students, and parents were conducted. Results: All stakeholders interviewed supported interventions to improve school-based nutrition, including school gardens, school feeding, and nutrition education. All 10 schools visited had some experience providing school meals, but parents’ contributions were essential for the program’s sustainability. Most schools visited had land available for a school garden program, but water availability could be challenging during certain times of the year. The teachers interviewed expressed that the curriculum on nutrition education was highly theoretical and did not allow students to practice the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom. Conclusions: The current school-based approach to tackling the double burden of adolescent malnutrition in Dodoma is localized and ad hoc. To leverage the potential of schools as a platform for nutrition interventions, integrated and policy-mandated interventions are needed.
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Levin, Carol E., Julie L. Self, Ellah Kedera, Moses Wamalwa, Jia Hu, Frederick Grant, Amy Webb Girard, Donald C. Cole, and Jan W. Low. "What is the cost of integration? Evidence from an integrated health and agriculture project to improve nutrition outcomes in Western Kenya." Health Policy and Planning 34, no. 9 (August 29, 2019): 646–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz083.
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Abstract Integrated nutrition and agricultural interventions have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in food security and nutrition. This article aimed to estimate the costs of an integrated agriculture and health intervention (Mama SASHA) focused on the promotion of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) production and consumption in Western Kenya. Programme activities included nutrition education and distribution of vouchers for OFSP vines during antenatal care and postnatal care (PNC) visits. We used expenditures and activity-based costing to estimate the financial costs during programme implementation (2011–13). Cost data were collected from monthly expense reports and interviews with staff members from all implementing organizations. Financial costs totalled US$507 809 for the project period. Recruiting and retaining women over the duration of their pregnancy and postpartum period required significant resources. Mama SASHA reached 3281 pregnant women at a cost of US$155 per beneficiary. Including both pregnant women and infants who attended PNC services with their mothers, the cost was US$110 per beneficiary. Joint planning, co-ordination and training across sectors drove 27% of programme costs. This study found that the average cost per beneficiary to implement an integrated agriculture, health and nutrition programme was substantial. Planning and implementing less intensive integrated interventions may be possible, and economies of scale may reduce overall costs. Empirical estimates of costs by components are critical for future planning and scaling up of integrated programmes.
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Heller, Chaia. "Another (Food) World Is Possible." Anthropological Journal of European Cultures 20, no. 1 (March 1, 2011): 89–110. http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/ajec.2011.200106.
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If the post-war industrial model entails a mix of technological and chemical interventions that increase farm productivity, then post-industrial agriculture (emerging in the 1970s) constitutes agricultural surpluses, as well as an array of trade, aid and biotechnology practices that introduce novel foodstuffs (processed and genetically modified) on an unprecedented scale. While industrial agriculture reduces the farming population, the latter gives rise to new sets of actors who question the nature and validity of the industrial model. This essay explores the rise of one set of such actors. Paysans (peasants) from France's second largest union, the Confederation Paysanne, challenge the industrial model's instrumental rationality of agriculture. Reframing food questions in terms of food sovereignty, paysans propose a solidarity-based production rationality which gives hope to those who believe that another post-industrial food system is possible.
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Nkang, Nkang M. "Oil Price Shocks, Agriculture and Household Welfare in Nigeria: Results From an Economy-Wide Model." European Scientific Journal, ESJ 14, no. 31 (November 30, 2018): 158. http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n31p158.
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Following the recent plunge in the price of crude oil in the international market and its attendant implications on oil-exporting countries, this paper simulated the impact of a fifty per cent decline in world oil price on agriculture and household welfare using a general equilibrium model, and data from a social accounting matrix (SAM) for Nigeria. Results show that gross domestic output and supply of composites in the agriculture sectors increased substantially, causing agriculture prices to decline. Furthermore, the shock reduced incomes/expenditure in all household groups except urban-north households that recorded an increase. We therefore conclude that lower oil prices may not necessarily lead to output losses, but could boost output in other sectors, engendering diversification of the export base. Also, targeted interventions would prove more effective in mitigating the negative impact of oil price shocks on households than general palliative measures based on the results of the study.
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Herath, H. M. W. A. "Poverty and Agricultural Productivity Growth Nexus in the Non-Plantation Agriculture in Sri Lanka." Journal of Social and Development Sciences 9, no. 2 (August 29, 2018): 38–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.22610/jsds.v9i2.2380.
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Not only there is a close relationship between poverty and agriculture productivity but also agriculture is considered as a significant means of plummeting poverty in the long-term and in the shortterm. While agriculture may not be central as the driver of economic growth in current global neo-liberal economic context it is generally accepted that the food security and livelihood development aspects for all still warrants developing agriculture, a situation that holds true for Sri Lanka too. Productivity in agriculture is determined by conditions in both the natural, socioeconomic and community factors. The productivity in the country’s agriculture sector is rooted in the farming system, namely, the farm and the farmer/farm operator. These two units are in an interacting whole which makes property of one a quality of another. Small plot size, the existing tenure system, low levels of education and skills of farm operators and behavior of two patrons (government and traders) in the sector are the major backward determinants affecting to place in the farmer into a vicious cycle of poverty. This background does not help to generate a dynamic, risk bearing and enterprising farmers for the economy and this leads to low productivity and then the continuation of poverty of farmers. The lack of attentiveness of overall situation and lack of holistic approach to problems providing appropriate solutions to individuals are constraints in agriculture development. Solution is the hallmark of policies and interventions in agriculture. Present focus is also on subsistence-based model and the approach is piecemeal.
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Meunier, Robert, and Saliha Bayır. "Metagenomics approaches in microbial ecology and research for sustainable agriculture." TATuP - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis 30, no. 2 (July 26, 2021): 24–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.14512/tatup.30.2.24.
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Technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) are transforming research fields at the methodological, conceptual, and organizational level. They open up new possibilities and bring with them new commitments and inherent limitations. We show from a philosophy of science perspective how NGS-based metagenomics has transformed microbial ecology and, with it, parts of agricultural soil science, which integrate ecological approaches with the aim to inform agricultural practices. We reconstruct agricultural science as design science (sensu Niiniluoto) and describe how the possibilities, commitments, and limitations of metagenomics approaches in microbial ecology shape values, situation assessments, and recommendations for interventions of soil microbiology in the context of sustainable agriculture.
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Paudel, Surya P., and Sabnam Shivakoti. "Energy Based Food Security Assessment In Nepal." Journal of Agriculture and Environment 12 (February 5, 2013): 127–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/aej.v12i0.7572.
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The basis of total edible cereal production of the district, the total population and the food requirement (Kcal/person/year) has been the basis for delineating food insecure districts. Many interventions of food security and food aid programs are mostly directed to those districts on this basis. The major objective of this paper is to assess the food security from energy production point of view considering the total energy from cereals, potato, vegetables, milk and meat. The data is based on the publication of MOAC. It was found that Nepal is sufficient in terms of energy adequacy although the situation for Terai, Hills and Mountain are different. Terai, known for its food basket, was not found better than hills in terms of food energy production required for their districts. Although Nepal has been energy adequate, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition shows the need for different intervention. In addition, Nepal suffers from protein energy malnutrition (PEM), which clearly indicates the need for crop diversification. Current food-security assessment methodology needs to be revisited and redefined. The Journal of Agriculture and Environment Vol:12, Jun.2011, Page 127-131 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/aej.v12i0.7572
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Müller, Tanja R. "AIDS mitigation through agriculture-based interventions in rural contexts: Junior farmer field and life schools and future livelihoods in central Mozambique." Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 31, no. 3 (November 2010): 330–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9493.2010.00411.x.
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Mamo, Dejen Ketema, and Dejene Shewakena Bedane. "Modelling the Impacts of Early Intervention on Desert Locust Outbreak Prevention." Journal of Applied Mathematics 2021 (July 21, 2021): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5538300.
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To preserve crop production losses, monitoring of desert locust attacks is a significant feature of agriculture. In this paper, a mathematical model was formulated and analyzed to protect crops against desert locust attack via early intervention tactics. We consider a triple intervention approach, namely, proaction, reaction, and outbreak prevention. The model integrates a stage-structured locust population, logistics-based crop biomass, and blended early intervention via pesticide spray. We assume that the amount of pesticide spray is proportional to the density of the locust population in the infested area. Conventional short residual pesticides within ultralow volume formulation and equipment control operations are considered. The trivial and locust-free equilibrium of the model is unstable, whereas the interior equilibrium is asymptotically stable. Numerical simulations validate the theoretical results of the model. In the absence of intervention measures, desert locust losses are approximately 71% of expected crop production. The model projection shows that effective proactive early intervention on hopper stage locust contained locust infestation and subdued public health and environmental hazards. Relevant and up-to-date combined early interventions control desert locust aggression and crop production losses.
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Gwara, Simon, Edilegnaw Wale, Alfred Odindo, and Chris Buckley. "Attitudes and Perceptions on the Agricultural Use of Human Excreta and Human Excreta Derived Materials: A Scoping Review." Agriculture 11, no. 2 (February 13, 2021): 153. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020153.
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This study explicates the scope of published literature on the influence of attitudes and perceptions on the intention to use human excreta and human excreta derived materials in agriculture. Using a scoping review methodology, search results from Scopus and Web of Science were screened and synthesized using the DistillerSR web-based application. Out of the 1192 studies identified, 22 published articles met the inclusion criteria. Additional studies were identified by keyword enrichment, hand-searching, and snowballing in other electronic data bases. The benefit perception of the soil health, income, and yield was the main driver for positive attitudes. Perceived health risk and socio-cultural factors were reported as the main barriers to the use of human excreta derived materials in agriculture. Limited information, availability, collection, transport, and storage were the other reported perceived barriers. The influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors on farmers’ attitudes and perceptions was inconclusive, which is potentially attributed to contextual and methodological differences. Social and behavior change communication through community mass campaigns and targeting interventions segregated by socioeconomic and demographic contexts is recommended for development interventions. Future empirical studies could focus on the influence of crop types, treatment processes, food preparation and processing on attitudes and perceptions.
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Thebe, Vusilizwe. "THE COMPLEX DYNAMICS OF LAND IN MIGRANT LABOUR SOCIETIES: WHO NEEDS LAND FOR AGRICULTURE?" Journal of Asian Rural Studies 2, no. 2 (July 10, 2018): 132. http://dx.doi.org/10.20956/jars.v2i2.1404.
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The agricultural modernisation narrative has been a central assumption of rural development since the mid-twentieth century, and more recently, the land reforms currently underway in Southern Africa. The narrative emphasises the viable use of land, defined in this case through agricultural productivity and market oriented production. The main contention of this paper is that such a focus undermines the rural socio-economic structure inherent in certain rural societies, which emerge through negotiations and compromises as societies change. It draws on data from studies in Lesotho and rural Zimbabwe that shows that rural households do not only hold land for agricultural purposes, but would hold onto land for security beyond mere agriculture production. It particularly emphasises the complex relationship between households and land, complex land needs and landholding patterns. As way of conclusion, it cautions against enforcing a peasant path on rural society through agriculture-based interventions.
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Glazebrook, Tricia, Samantha Noll, and Emmanuela Opoku. "Gender Matters: Climate Change, Gender Bias, and Women’s Farming in the Global South and North." Agriculture 10, no. 7 (July 3, 2020): 267. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10070267.
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Can investing in women’s agriculture increase productivity? This paper argues that it can. We assess climate and gender bias impacts on women’s production in the global South and North and challenge the male model of agricultural development to argue further that women’s farming approaches can be more sustainable. Level-based analysis (global, regional, local) draws on a literature review, including the authors’ published longitudinal field research in Ghana and the United States. Women farmers are shown to be undervalued and to work harder, with fewer resources, for less compensation; gender bias challenges are shared globally while economic disparities differentiate; breaches of distributive, gender, and intergenerational justices as well as compromise of food sovereignty affect women everywhere. We conclude that investing in women’s agriculture needs more than standard approaches of capital and technology investment. Effective ‘investment’ would include systemic interventions into agricultural policy, governance, education, and industry; be directed at men as well as women; and use gender metrics, for example, quotas, budgets, vulnerability and impacts assessments, to generate assessment reports and track gender parity in agriculture. Increasing women’s access, capacity, and productivity cannot succeed without men’s awareness and proactivity. Systemic change can increase productivity and sustainability.
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Aryeetey, Richmond, and Namukolo Covic. "A Review of Leadership and Capacity Gaps in Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Policies and Strategies for Selected Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia." Food and Nutrition Bulletin 41, no. 3 (September 2020): 380–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0379572120949305.
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Background: Agriculture policies and strategies designed, purposefully, to address malnutrition are considered nutrition-sensitive and are a critical component of global efforts to address malnutrition in all its forms. However, limited evidence exists on extent and how nutrition is being integrated into agriculture sector policies, strategies, and programs. A review was conducted to address 2 questions: How nutrition-sensitive are agriculture policies, plans, and investments in selected Sub-Saharan African (SSA) and Asian countries? and Which capacity and leadership gaps limit scale up of nutrition-sensitive agriculture policy and programs? Methods: The review of existing policies was conducted for 11 selected focus countries (9 in SSA and 2 from Asia) of the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) Collaborative Research Programme on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health led by the IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s 10-point key recommendations for designing nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions was used as an analytical framework. Additionally, a rapid systematic review of published peer-reviewed and grey literature was carried out to identify capacity gaps based on the United Nations Development Program’s capacity assessment framework. Results: We found that there is nutrition sensitivity of the policies and strategies but to varying degrees. There is limited capacity for optimum implementation of these policies, programs, and strategies. For most of the countries, there is capacity to articulate what needs to happen, but there are important capacity limitations to translate the given policy/program instruments into effective action. Conclusions: The gaps identified constitute important evidence to inform capacity strengthening of nutrition-sensitive actions for desired nutrition and health outcomes in Africa and Asia.
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Harris-Fry, Helen, Meghan O'Hearn, Ronali Pradhan, Sneha Krishnan, Nirmala Nair, Suchitra Rath, Shibanand Rath, et al. "How to design a complex behaviour change intervention: experiences from a nutrition-sensitive agriculture trial in rural India." BMJ Global Health 5, no. 6 (June 2020): e002384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002384.
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Many public health interventions aim to promote healthful behaviours, with varying degrees of success. With a lack of existing empirical evidence on the optimal number or combination of behaviours to promote to achieve a given health outcome, a key challenge in intervention design lies in deciding what behaviours to prioritise, and how best to promote them. We describe how key behaviours were selected and promoted within a multisectoral nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention that aimed to address maternal and child undernutrition in rural India. First, we formulated a Theory of Change, which outlined our hypothesised impact pathways. To do this, we used the following inputs: existing conceptual frameworks, published empirical evidence, a feasibility study, formative research and the intervention team’s local knowledge. Then, we selected specific behaviours to address within each impact pathway, based on our formative research, behaviour change models, local knowledge and community feedback. As the intervention progressed, we mapped each of the behaviours against our impact pathways and the transtheoretical model of behaviour change, to monitor the balance of behaviours across pathways and along stages of behaviour change. By collectively agreeing on definitions of complex concepts and hypothesised impact pathways, implementing partners were able to communicate clearly between each other and with intervention participants. Our intervention was iteratively informed by continuous review, by monitoring implementation against targets and by integrating community feedback. Impact and process evaluations will reveal whether these approaches are effective for improving maternal and child nutrition, and what the effects are on each hypothesised impact pathway.
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Rao, Kasina V. "RML: market intelligence in India with mobile SMS intervention." Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies 1, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/20450621111127412.
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Subject area Agriculture knowledge, market intelligence, emerging business model. Study level/applicability It is best suited to teach undergraduates and graduates in the areas of rural marketing, agri-business management, service management and information and communication technology for development. Case overview India is changing with great pace by inclusive growth on espousal of technology into the mainstream. Indian farmers are wholly depending even now on traditional methods for decision making on entire agriculture supply chain. The constant decision making provides middle men with a chance to exploit and empower themselves on the returns produced by farmers. Technology is creating waves providing an opportunity for farmers to benefit by adopting information and technology to solve their basic livelihood problems. The Thomson Reuter group launched a SMS-based mobile information service to support India's 250-million-strong agricultural community. The service, named Reuters Market Light (RML), is trying to provide a missing link by providing required information in the quickest possible time to farmers; user need-based services are critical to this. How far RML services are delivering in this context is quizzed by some analysts. Thomson Reuter's service started with the global climb down in commodity prices, coupled with increased risk of natural disasters as per experts. The competitors providing similar services at price which differ with RML wondered about the success, scalability and sustainability of its venture. Expected learning outcomes This is a practical view of how these interventions can be better looked at and can get into policy for a framework for rural areas' socio-economic development. Supplementary materials Teaching notes.
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Peter Mgeni, Charles, Klaus Müller, and Stefan Sieber. "Reducing Edible Oil Import Dependency in Tanzania: A Computable General Equilibrium CGE Approach." Sustainability 11, no. 16 (August 19, 2019): 4480. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11164480.
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Reducing food imports and promoting domestically produced food commodities are long-standing goals for policymakers and other stakeholders in sub-Saharan African countries. For instance, Tanzania, after a long period of dependency on imported food commodities, such as sugar and edible oils, intends to meet its demand for these commodities through domestic production by transforming its agriculture sector to achieve this goal. Applying a general computable equilibrium (CGE) model, this study determines the multiplier effects of technological progress that is assumed to foster domestic edible oilseed crop production, other crops, and Tanzania’s economy in general. Findings from the model establish an increase in domestic production not only for the edible oilseed crops but also for other commodities from other sectors of the economy. In addition, there is a decrease in prices on domestically produced commodities sold in the domestic market, and an increase in disposable income is predicted for all rural and urban households, as well as government revenues. Based on model results, we recommend that the Tanzanian government invests in technological progress and interventions that increase production in sectors such as agriculture, where it has a comparative advantage. Interventions that increase smallholder farmer’s production, such as the use of improved seed and other modern technologies that reduce costs of production, are critical for reducing food imports and improving food security.
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Dallmann, Diana, Grace Marquis, Esi Colecraft, Roland Kanlisi, and Bridget Aidam. "Maternal Participation in a Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Intervention Matters for Child Diet and Growth Outcomes in Rural Ghana." Current Developments in Nutrition 5, Supplement_2 (June 2021): 638. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab045_020.
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Abstract Objectives Little is known about how level of participation affects nutrition outcomes in rural interventions. This study examined the association between participation level in a nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention (NSA) and children's diet and anthropometric outcomes. Methods The Nutrition Links was a 2016–17 cluster RCT (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01985243) which enrolled caregivers with children < 18 mo in rural Ghana. Women in the intervention communities self-selected to receive poultry layers for egg production as part of a loan package, garden inputs, and nutrition education. Weekly meetings were used for education, for the staff to document egg production, and for the women to repay their loan and purchase feed. After endline, project participation was evaluated with a summative score that reflected 5 criteria: 1) egg productivity 2) timely and complete payment for feed and loan 3) meeting attendance 4) answering questions and making comments during the meetings and 5) attentiveness and helpfulness with the group. The field staff evaluated all criteria – from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent) – for each intervention woman who received poultry. Their participation was classified as high, medium, or low, based on tertiles. The participation of intervention women who never received poultry was ‘none’. Logistic and linear regressions tested the likelihood of consuming eggs and having a minimum diverse diet (MDD) and changes in anthropometric indices for the participation levels compared to those of the controls, who received standard-of-care services. Results In comparison to the control group, only a high participation level was significant for having a MDD (aOR = 3.1, 95% CI [1.1, 8.8]). Both medium and high participation levels were associated with an increased likelihood in egg consumption (aOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.0, 4.1]; aOR = 2.7, 95% CI [1.3, 5.4]), and length-for-age (LAZ)/height-for-age (HAZ) z-scores (β = 0.4, 95% CI [0.2, 0.6]; β = 0.4, 95% CI [0.2, 0.7]), and weight-for-age (WAZ) (β = 0.2, 95% CI [0.0, 0.4]; β = 0.2, 95% CI [0.0, 0.5]), respectively. Conclusions These results show the potential effect of NSA interventions and highlight the importance of facilitating high participation of beneficiaries. Funding Sources Global Affairs Canada, Heifer International, World Vision, McGill University, International Development Research Centre.
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Flora, Cornelia Butler. "Food security in the context of energy and resource depletion: Sustainable agriculture in developing countries." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25, no. 2 (March 25, 2010): 118–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1742170510000177.
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AbstractFood insecurity remains high in most of sub-Saharan African. That insecurity is made even more acute by the increasing scarcity and degradation of natural resources. Low soil fertility is a consistent problem faced by agriculturalists and herders. The dominant international thrust to increase food production has been to stimulate trade, enhanced by technology and its transfer. While international bodies acknowledge the importance of small farmers, they operate as if improving the technologies, trade regimes and value chains that are characteristic of industrial agriculture will have the same results in local ecosystems in developing countries. Price volatility makes access to purchased inputs more risky for smallholders and the governments that subsidize those inputs. The diverse local contexts that serve as the base of African agriculture are thus assumed to be overridden by technology. In contrast, a systems approach that focuses on sustainability of the local ecosystem, social and cultural relationships and economic security can be as, or more productive than industrial agriculture and have a much better opportunity to increase food security in developing countries. Such a systems-based shift in practices, such as the application of conservation agriculture and integrated systemic approaches in Millennium Villages, have potential of addressing household livelihood strategies and production issues in a sustainable, farmer-based way. Resource-conserving agriculture has been shown to increase yields in developing countries. Priority should be given to developing technologies that follow the systems principles of sustainable agriculture, integrating biological and ecological processes (such as nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, soil regeneration and biodiversity) into the production processes; minimizing use of non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers; and making productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers and their collective capacities to work together to solve common problems. A variety of models are on the ground in Africa, and there is political will in the African Union to increase investment in agriculture. What sort of investments, policy interventions and capacity building are more effective in increasing productivity and the well-being of agricultural producers? Are strategies aimed at reducing the number of people involved in farming and herding viable in the context of a stagnant world economy?
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Kumari, Sneha, Nisha Bharti, and K. K. Tripathy. "Strengthening Agriculture Value Chain through Collectives: Comparative Case Analysis." International Journal of Rural Management 17, no. 1_suppl (March 18, 2021): 40S—68S. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0973005221991438.
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Indian agriculture has always been less profitable. Several factors contribute to the low profitability in agriculture, but less value addition, weak value chain system and weak market linkage are some of the most important factors. Producer companies are helping small farmers to emerge in the market. The farmer producer organisations (FPOs) linked with the producer companies are the best example of collective actions. The collective actions for the agriculture value chain (AVC) have resulted in a decrease in the cost and an increase in revenue. FPO and producer company find a good place in the underpinning theory of collective action theory. This study examines various successful examples of strengthening AVC through cooperatives and tried to identify various factors responsible for the success of these collectives. This study has adopted a case study approach. Three successful cases, that is, Vasundhara Agriculture Horticulture Producer Company Ltd: a multi-state FPO, Abhinav Farms Club and Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company have been selected for the case study based on their successful interventions for strengthening the agriculture value chain. Primary and secondary data has been collected through telephonic interviews from the board of directors, chairman and the members of the FPO. Both primary and secondary data have been collected to compare the three cases for AVC models. The data has been analysed using a comparative case study approach. The parameters of AVC have been identified using the Delphi technique. The study has found that collective actions have helped the farmers to strengthen the agriculture value chain. The study also concluded that leadership played an important role in defining the success of the FPOs. The study brings out future directions to excel in AVC through collectives.
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Makundi, Rhodes H., and Apia W. Massawe. "Ecologically based rodent management in Africa: potential and challenges." Wildlife Research 38, no. 7 (2011): 588. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr10147.
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Rodent management in agriculture remains a major challenge in developing countries where resource-poor farmers are ill equipped to deal with pest species. It is compounded by unpredictable outbreaks, late control actions, lack of/or inadequate expert interventions, expensive rodenticides and other factors. Ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) is recommended as the way forward for rodent management in Africa. EBRM relies on understanding the ecology of pest species and formulating this knowledge into management programs. The present paper evaluates the potential for establishing EBRM in Africa and the challenges that have to be overcome to implement it. The major constraints for establishing EBRM in Africa include the absence of key studies on the taxonomy and ecology of rodents, inadequate research on EBRM, lack of knowledge by farmers on available technologies and agricultural policies that are unfavourable. The development of EBRM and its success in Asia is a strong encouragement to African scientists to develop similar management strategies for the most important pest species such as the multimammate rats, Mastomys natalensis. EBRM initiatives such as the Development of Ecologically Based Rodent Management for the Southern Africa Region (ECORAT) project undertook studies on e.g. rodent ecology, taxonomy, knowledge, attitude and practices and rodent–human interactions in rural agricultural communities. Through this project, EBRM interventions were introduced in Tanzania, Swaziland and Namibia to provide solutions to local rodent-pest problems. Intervention actions including community-based intensive trapping of rodents, habitat manipulation and sanitary measures demonstrated that the impacts of rodents on communities could be drastically reduced. EBRM programs in Africa must address how to change attitudes of target communities, building scientific capacity, implanting rodent-management skills by translating the developed technologies and strategies into simple understandable and easy-to-implement actions and influencing policy makers to accept the concepts and practices to be introduced. Further, we need to demonstrate that EBRM is economically feasible and sustainable and that through community participation, EBRM will become deeply rooted in those communities.
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Gava, Oriana, Fabio Bartolini, Francesca Venturi, Gianluca Brunori, and Alberto Pardossi. "Improving Policy Evidence Base for Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security: A Content Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment Research." Sustainability 12, no. 3 (February 1, 2020): 1033. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12031033.
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Life cycle assessment is a widespread method for measuring and monitoring the environmental impacts of production processes, thereby allowing the comparison of business-as-usual with more ecological scenarios. Life cycle assessment research can support evidence-based policy making by comparing and communicating the environmental impacts of agricultural and food systems, informing about the impact of mitigating interventions and monitoring sectoral progress towards sustainable development goals. This article aims at improving the contribution of science to evidence-based policies for agricultural sustainability and food security, while facilitating further research, by delivering a content-analysis based literature review of life cycle assessment research in agricultural and food economics. Results highlight that demand-side and system-level approaches need further development, as policies need to support redesigned agricultural systems and newly conceived dietary guidelines, which combine environmental protection and health benefits, without reducing productivity. Similarly, more research effort towards consequential life cycle assessment and multidimensional assessment may benefit policy makers by considering the rebound effects associated with the large-scale implementation of impact-mitigating interventions. Promising interventions involve the promotion of waste circularization strategies, which could also improve the profitability of agriculture. For effective policy making towards agricultural sustainability and food security worldwide, countries with the greatest expected population growth and raise of urbanization rates need more attention by researchers.
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Domingo, Nina G. G., Srinidhi Balasubramanian, Sumil K. Thakrar, Michael A. Clark, Peter J. Adams, Julian D. Marshall, Nicholas Z. Muller, et al. "Air quality–related health damages of food." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 20 (May 10, 2021): e2013637118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2013637118.
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Agriculture is a major contributor to air pollution, the largest environmental risk factor for mortality in the United States and worldwide. It is largely unknown, however, how individual foods or entire diets affect human health via poor air quality. We show how food production negatively impacts human health by increasing atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and we identify ways to reduce these negative impacts of agriculture. We quantify the air quality–related health damages attributable to 95 agricultural commodities and 67 final food products, which encompass >99% of agricultural production in the United States. Agricultural production in the United States results in 17,900 annual air quality–related deaths, 15,900 of which are from food production. Of those, 80% are attributable to animal-based foods, both directly from animal production and indirectly from growing animal feed. On-farm interventions can reduce PM2.5-related mortality by 50%, including improved livestock waste management and fertilizer application practices that reduce emissions of ammonia, a secondary PM2.5 precursor, and improved crop and animal production practices that reduce primary PM2.5 emissions from tillage, field burning, livestock dust, and machinery. Dietary shifts toward more plant-based foods that maintain protein intake and other nutritional needs could reduce agricultural air quality–related mortality by 68 to 83%. In sum, improved livestock and fertilization practices, and dietary shifts could greatly decrease the health impacts of agriculture caused by its contribution to reduced air quality.
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Scott, Samuel, Shivani Gupta, Neha Kumar, Kalyani Raghunathan, Giang Thai, Agnes Quisumbing, and Purnima Menon. "A Women's Group-Based Nutrition Behavior Change Intervention in India Has Limited Impacts Amidst Implementation Barriers and a Concurrent National Behavior Change Campaign." Current Developments in Nutrition 5, Supplement_2 (June 2021): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab035_087.
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Abstract Objectives Women's self-help groups (SHGs) have become one of the world's largest institutional platforms of the poor, reaching over 70 million Indian women in 2020. Limited evidence exists on effects of nutrition interventions through SHGs on maternal and child nutrition outcomes. Methods The Women Improving Nutrition through Group-based Strategies (WINGS) study was a quasi-experimental impact evaluation, comparing 16 matched blocks where communities were provided support to form SHGs and improve women's livelihoods; 8 blocks (1 in each matched pair) received a 3-year nutrition intervention (NI) with nutrition education, agriculture- and rights-based information, facilitated by a trained female volunteer; the other 8 blocks received standard activities (STD) to support savings & livelihoods. We conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys of mother-child pairs in 2017–18 (n = 1609 pairs) and 2019–20 (n = 1841 pairs). We matched treatment groups over time and applied difference-in-difference (DID) regression models to estimate NI impacts. Outcomes were knowledge domains (nutrition for pregnant women, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, child health), child feeding (e.g., early breastfeeding initiation, dietary diversity, animal source food (ASF) consumption), woman's diets, woman's BMI and child anthropometry. Matching covariates included woman, child, and community characteristics. Results About 40% of women were SHG members. Nutrition intervention exposure was low; only ∼10% of NI women had heard of intervention content at endline. There were large improvements in women's knowledge in both groups. DID estimation revealed a positive NI impact on knowledge of timely introduction of ASFs to children (P < 0.05), but knowledge of nutrition for pregnant women unexpectedly improved more in the STD group (P < 0.05). No impacts were observed for any anthropometry or diet indicators except child ASF consumption (P < 0.01). Conclusions Limited impacts on nutrition outcomes may be due to limited exposure, low motivation or skills of volunteers, and a concurrent national nutrition behavior change program targeting mothers and children in all study areas. Our findings add to a growing literature on SHG-based behavior change interventions and the conditions necessary for their success. Funding Sources Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Hellin, Jon, and Eleanor Fisher. "Climate-Smart Agriculture and Non-Agricultural Livelihood Transformation." Climate 7, no. 4 (March 31, 2019): 48. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cli7040048.
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Agricultural researchers have developed a number of agricultural technologies and practices, known collectively as climate-smart agriculture (CSA), as part of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Development practitioners invest in scaling these to have a wider impact. We use the example of the Western Highlands in Guatemala to illustrate how a focus on the number of farmers adopting CSA can foster a tendency to homogenize farmers, instead of recognizing differentiation within farming populations. Poverty is endemic in the Western Highlands, and inequitable land distribution means that farmers have, on average, access to 0.06 ha per person. For many farmers, agriculture per se does not represent a pathway out of poverty, and they are increasingly reliant on non-agricultural income sources. Ineffective targeting of CSA, hence, ignores small-scale farming households’ different capacities for livelihood transformation, which are linked to the opportunities and constraints afforded by different livelihood pathways, agricultural and non-agricultural. Climate-smart interventions will often require a broader and more radical agenda that includes supporting farm households’ ability to build non-agricultural-based livelihoods. Climate risk management options that include livelihood transformation of both agricultural and non-agricultural livelihoods will require concerted cross-disciplinary research and development that encompasses a broader set of disciplines than has tended to be the case to date within the context of CSA.
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Finkelstein, Julia L., Amy Fothergill, Laura S. Hackl, Jere D. Haas, and Saurabh Mehta. "Iron biofortification interventions to improve iron status and functional outcomes." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 78, no. 02 (January 30, 2019): 197–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0029665118002847.
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This analysis was conducted to evaluate the evidence of the efficacy of iron biofortification interventions on iron status and functional outcomes. Iron deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide, with a disproportionate impact on women and young children, particularly those living in resource-limited settings. Biofortification, or the enhancing of micronutrient content in staple crops, is a promising and sustainable agriculture-based approach to improve nutritional status. Previous randomised efficacy trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated that iron-biofortification interventions improved iron biomarkers; however, no systematic reviews to date have examined the efficacy of biofortification interventions on health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the efficacy of iron-biofortified staple crops on iron status and functional outcomes: cognitive function (e.g. attention, memory) and physical performance. Five studies from three randomised efficacy trials (i.e. rice, pearl millet, beans) conducted in the Philippines, India and Rwanda were identified for inclusion in this review. Iron status (Hb, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, total body iron, α-1-acid glycoprotein) was measured at baseline and endline in each trial; two studies reported cognitive outcomes, and no studies reported other functional outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects methods. Iron-biofortified crop interventions significantly improved cognitive performance in attention and memory domains, compared with conventional crops. There were no significant effects on categorical outcomes such as iron deficiency or anaemia. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of iron-biofortified staple crops on human health, including additional functional outcomes and other high-risk populations.
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Wang, Sonam Wangyel, Woo-Kyun Lee, and Jeong-Gyu Kim. "Assessing Barriers and Opportunities for Ecosystem Based Approach to Adaptation in High Altitude City of Thimphu." Urban Studies and Public Administration 2, no. 1 (December 26, 2018): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/uspa.v2n1p1.
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<p><em>Scientific studies to understand challenges and opportunities for adaptation are crucial for adapting to climate impacts and averting disasters in cities. In this study, we attempt to assess baseline social and environmental conditions, identify challenges and barriers, and recommend ecosystem based opportunities for adaptation. The city’s infrastructure is poorly planned triggering congestion (which leads to increased carbon emission, road rage, etc</em><em>.</em><em>), flooding of sewage systems exposing humans to infections. Majority of the poor who live in informal settlements lack adequate access to basic facilities turn to natural resources thereby depleting the environment around the city. This leads to the loss of ecosystem services and protection against natural hazards such as flash floods, landslides, and forest fires which affects the vulnerable groups disproportionately. To improve socio-ecological resilience to cope with changing climate, the study also identified ecosystem based adaptation interventions such as urban agriculture, agroforestry, greening projects, resettlement of informal settlements, education on coping strategies, and building institutional, technical, and individual capacities to be integrated into climate adaptation strategies into development plans. The study also recommended that the city authority secure adequate funds and build capacity to plan ecosystem based adaptation and implement interventions. </em><em></em></p>
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Reed, Mark S., Pippa J. Chapman, Guy Ziv, Gavin Stewart, Helen Kendall, Amy Taylor, and Dianna Kopansky. "Improving the evidence base for delivery of public goods from public money in agri-environment schemes." Emerald Open Research 2 (September 2, 2020): 57. http://dx.doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13833.1.
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There is growing interest around the world in more effectively linking public payments to the provision of public goods from agriculture. However, published evidence syntheses suggest mixed, weak or uncertain evidence for many agri-environment scheme options. To inform any future “public money for public goods” based policy, further synthesis work is needed to assess the evidence-base for the full range of interventions currently funded under agri-environment schemes. Further empirical research and trials should then focus on interventions for which there is mixed or limited evidence. Furthermore, to ensure the data collected is comparable and can be synthesised effectively, it is necessary to reach agreement on essential variables and methods that can be prioritised by those conducting research and monitoring. Future policy could then prioritise public money for the public goods that can most reliably be delivered, offering better value for taxpayers and improving the provision of ecosystem services from agricultural landscapes.
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Shrestha, Bhaskar, Qinghua Ye, and Nitesh Khadka. "Assessment of Ecosystem Services Value Based on Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Transboundary Karnali River Basin, Central Himalayas." Sustainability 11, no. 11 (June 6, 2019): 3183. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11113183.
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Land use and land cover change (LUCC) and its spatio-temporal characteristics are essential for natural resource management and sustainable development. LUCC is one of the major factors that affect the ecosystem and the services it provides. In this study, we used remote sensing techniques and a geographical information system to extract the land cover categories based on the Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) technique from Landsat TM/ETM/OLI satellite images in the transboundary Karnali River Basin (KRB, China and Nepal) of central Himalayas from 2000 to 2017. Spatio-temporal integrated methodology—Tupu was used to spatially show the LUCC as well as spatial characteristics of the arisen Tupu and shrunken Tupu. In addition, the ecosystem services value (ESV) were obtained and analyzed for each land cover category. In 2017, forest covered the highest area (33.45%) followed by bare area (30.3%), shrub/grassland (18.49%), agriculture (13.12%), snow/ice (4.32%), waterbody (0.3%) and built-up area (0.04%) in the KRB. From 2000 to 2017, the areas of forest, waterbody and snow/ice have decreased by 0.59, 6.14, and 1072.1 km2, respectively. Meanwhile, the areas of shrub/grassland, agriculture, barren land, and built-up categories have increased by 82.21, 1.44, 991.97, and 3.11 km2, respectively. These changes in the land cover have led to an increase in the ESV of the basin, especially the increase in shrub/grassland, agriculture, and water bodies (in the higher elevation). The total ESV of the basin was increased by $1.59 × 106 from 2000 to 2017. Anthropogenic factors together with natural phenomena drive LUCC in the basin and thus the ESV. The findings of this study could facilitate the basin-level policy formulation to guide future conservation and development management interventions.
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Bio N’Goye, Clotilde Gnon, Janvier Egah, and Mohamed Nasser Baco. "Sustainability Analysis in Agricultural Policies in Benin." Journal of Agricultural Studies 9, no. 1 (December 23, 2020): 173. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jas.v9i1.17940.
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Agriculture in Benin is confronted with new problems which require more sustainable and resilient strategies for its development. The question of its sustainability is thus at the center of agricultural policies. This study analyzed how issues of sustainability of farming systems are taken into account in argicultural policies frameworks. An analysis and review of the four main agricultural policy documents adopted over the last thirty years being completed to assess the measures taken to ensure the sustainability of farms. It emerges that agricultural policies do not integrate into their framework the pillars on which the development of sustainable agriculture is based. However, in their implementation, they have been strongly oriented towards the pursuit of economic and social objectives, which is reflected in the will to improve the productivity and attractiveness of the agricultural sector. However, the lack of long-term strategies, the lack of coherence between policies and the dependence on the international political context has not allowed interventions in the agricultural sector to be placed in a sustainable perspective.