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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Erick Boy

researcher spotlight

Erick Boy

Erick Boy is the Chief Nutritionist in the HarvestPlus section of the Innovation Policy and Scaling Unit. As head of nutrition for the HarvestPlus Program since 2008, he has led research that has generated scientific evidence on biofortified staple crops as efficacious and effective interventions to help address iron, vitamin A, and zinc deficiency in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Natural Resources and Resilience

Edward Kato

Senior Research Analyst

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Bio

Edward Kato is a Senior Research Analyst with the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, and is based at IFPRI-Kampala.

Publications

Publications

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Working Paper

How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda

2024Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Birner, Regina
Details

How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda

While video extension is a recognized means to overcome the challenges posed by traditional agricultural advisory services, adoption has been limited. This paper presents two case studies conducted in Kenya and Uganda that explore the potential of video extension for promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. In Kenya, videos were rolled out by GROOTS Kenya, which predominantly serves women farmers. In Uganda, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries’ Agricultural Extension Services implemented the video rollout, focusing on both women and men farmers. We used qualitative research linked to both video rollouts to understand the benefits and challenges linked to the intervention. We also compared the implementation strategies used in the two countries to evaluate the suitability of videos as a “best fit” advisory provision tool. Both women and men farmers enjoyed watching the videos. They improved farmers’ access to information, resulting in increased knowledge and adoption of CSA practices. Costs involved in some practices affected their adoption as did lack of intrahousehold decision-making power, particularly for women. In some cases, infrastructural challenges complicated the video showings. The findings underscore the importance of complementing traditional agricultural extension with interactive and context-specific video content without replacing and neglecting other modes of extension, as well as the need for political support to ensure the scalability and long-term success of video extension initiatives.

Year published

2024

Authors

Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Birner, Regina

Citation

Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; and Birner, Regina. 2024. How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2276. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152283

Country/Region

Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Extension; Climate-smart Agriculture; Decision Making; Farmers; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

Impact of farmer-managed natural regeneration on resilience and welfare in Mali

2024Nkonya, Ephraim M.; Kato, Edward; Kabore, Carolyn
Details

Impact of farmer-managed natural regeneration on resilience and welfare in Mali

Climate change, poverty, and low environmental education have contributed to increasing vulnerability of poor farmers in Mali. This study was done to determine the impact of low-cost adaptation strategies on resilience and welfare. We analyzed the impact of a World Vision project which promoted climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices in Mali from 2016-2019. We identified the impact using a two-stage weighted regression (2SWR). Results show that the World Vision Project significantly increased the adoption of Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) practice and eventually crop yield. These intermediate impacts were translated into a significant reduction in food and nutrition insecurity and an increase in household income. The impacts of the project on child health were especially greater for farmers who participated in the project for a longer time. However, the project did not have a significant impact on the adoption of a combination of CSA practices – which could have enhanced the effectiveness of the FMNR practice. The results suggest the need for future interventions to emphasize the promotion of complementary CSA practices, which significantly increases returns to farmer investments.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nkonya, Ephraim M.; Kato, Edward; Kabore, Carolyn

Citation

Nkonya, Ephraim; Kato, Edward; and Kabore, Carolyn. 2024. Impact of farmer-managed natural regeneration on resilience and welfare in Mali. Green and Low-Carbon Economy 2(1): 14-27. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewGLCE3202698

Country/Region

Mali

Keywords

Western Africa; Child Health; Climate Change; Environment; Farmers; Households; Income; Poverty; Vulnerability; Capacity Development

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewglce3202698 Source record

Project

Climate Resilience

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Do informational videos impact awareness, knowledge, and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices? Insights from rural Uganda

2023Kato, Edward; Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Kamusiime, Herbert; Sufian, Farha D.; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Do informational videos impact awareness, knowledge, and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices? Insights from rural Uganda

Uganda is highly vulnerable to adverse impacts from climate change, including erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and increased frequency of pests and diseases. While many climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices have been identified, a gender gap in access to and adoption of these practices persists. This study tested par ticipatory video-based extension to reach underserved women and men farmers in parts of central Uganda and assessed its impacts on gendered awareness, knowledge, and adoption of CSA practices as well as women’s empowerment. We find limited impacts on awareness and knowledge and significant impacts for the adoption of several CSA practices. We also find some improvement in women’s decision-making but a decline in their group membership. We propose strategies to strengthen the uptake of CSA practices that can be implemented along side participatory video-based extension.

Year published

2023

Authors

Kato, Edward; Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Kamusiime, Herbert; Sufian, Farha D.; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Kato, Edward; Rwamigisa, Patience B.; Kamusiime, Herbert; Sufian, Farha; and Ringler, Claudia. 2023. Do informational videos impact awareness, knowledge, and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices? Insights from rural Uganda. Reaching Women Farmers With CSA Policy Note 10. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137054.

Country/Region

Uganda

Keywords

Eastern Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Africa; Gender; Women’s Empowerment; Farmers; Agriculture; Drought; Climate Change

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137054 Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

UN Desertification and Drought Day 2025: Linking soil health, gender equity, and sustainable land management
IFPRI Blog
 | 
June 16, 2025

UN Desertification and Drought Day 2025: Linking soil health, gender equity, and sustainable land management

By Claudia Ringler, Edward Kato, and Geoffrey Kiguli

Lessons from Uganda

Strengthening Uganda’s solar pump subsidy program: Key challenges and solutions
IFPRI Blog
 | 
December 27, 2024

Strengthening Uganda’s solar pump subsidy program: Key challenges and solutions

By Edward Kato, Claudia Ringler, Geoffrey Kiguli, George Sentumbwe, Dennis Tiishekwa, Abdul Nsereko, and Jennifer Alinaitwe

Helping smallholders build water security.

Events

Performance of Uganda UgIFT micro scale irrigation program
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

June 11, 2025, 8:00 – 2:00 pm

Performance of Uganda UgIFT micro scale irrigation program

IFPRI researchers Kato Edward and Claudia Ringler presented findings from a performance evaluation of a matching grant subsidy program supporting smallholder farmers in acquiring micro-scale irrigation solar equipment in 66 districts of the 146 districts in Uganda. The micro irrigation program funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture had already […]