Uncovering the economic value of natural enemies and true costs of chemical insecticides to cotton farmers in China
Natural enemies are economically valuable to cotton farmers. Excessive insecticide use undermines profitability. Little empirical evidence on economic value of biological control of pests at farm level is available to improve economic decision-making…
Reducing mineral and vitamin deficiencies through biofortification: Progress under HarvestPlus
HarvestPlus estimates that 20 million farmers and consumers presently grow and consume biofortified crops in 8 target countries. The final and major challenge is to mainstream biofortification into the fabric of “business-as-usual” of a range of…
Food systems for healthier diets in Ethiopia: Toward a research agenda
In this paper, we identify research streams to support the operationalizing of such food systems approaches in Ethiopia. To this end, we engaged with stakeholders, reviewed the literature, and applied a food systems framework to research priorities in…
The role of plant-breeding R&D in tractor adoptions among smallholders in Asia: Insights from Nepal Terai
Combining agricultural census data from Nepal from 2001 and 2011 with various spatial agroclimatic data, we show that increase in yield potentials due to the introduction of high-yield technologies (particularly improved seed varieties) plays an…
Unpacking the ‘black box’ of public expenditure data in Africa: Quantification of agricultural spending using Mozambique’s budget reports
This paper undertakes a detailed examination of the availability and quality of data on public expenditures in agriculture in Africa. We consider the case of Mozambique, a country characterised by low income and low administrative capacity, but also…
Ghana Strategy Support Program (GSSP)
Ghana must continue to invest in agriculture and promote transformation, by facilitating the development of agro-industries to diversify agriculture, increase productivity, & boost economic growth.
Agricultural mechanization in the dry zone
This research highlight evaluates the extent of agricultural mechanization in four townships in Myanmar’s Dry Zone. It provides evidence that rapid mechanization is underway. Mechanical land preparation is now commonplace, due to thriving machine…
Community perceptions of the impacts of climate change on agriculture in Myanmar’s central dry zone
Findings highlight the need for greater attention to the challenges posed to agriculture in the CDZ by a changing climate, but they also show that farmers and the communities of which they are part are capable of adapting to these pressures. To…