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Health Research Policy and Systems, 2011
Background This paper discusses the practices of organisations that cross the boundary between re... more Background This paper discusses the practices of organisations that cross the boundary between research and politics, to promote evidence-based policies and programmes. Methods It uses the experience of a network of organisations in Africa to describe the methodology, challenges and successes of efforts to promote utilisation of research on the inter-connections between HIV/AIDS, food security and nutrition in South Africa. It emphasises that crossing the boundary between science and politics can be done systematically and is inevitable for any attempt that seeks influence policy making. Results The paper reveals the complexity of the research-policy making interface and identifies key lessons for the practice of networking and engaging policy and decision-makers. Conclusion The concept of boundary organisation is a helpful means to understand the methodological underpinnings of efforts to get research into policy and practice and to understand the ‘messy’ process of doing so.
Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2008
Agricultural research managers and scientists are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the ef... more Agricultural research managers and scientists are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the efficient and socially-effective use of funds spent on agricultural R&D. These pressures stem from heightened expectations of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, as well as from the growing demand for evidence of impact on target social groups and environmental services. Finally, advances in agricultural biotechnology research and the ensuing dialogue about the desirability of using biotechnology tools for increasing food production in developing countries have highlighted the need to assess the impacts of international agricultural research in the US, the developing countries, and the international agricultural research centers (IARCs). The US-Egypt ATUT project, funding involves collaborative research among plant breeders, molecular geneticists, and other agricultural scientists in the US, Egypt and IRRI. ATUT rice research accelerated the utilization of three methods for improving the speed and reliability of the screening and evaluation process for identifying salt resistant varieties: shuttle breeding, anther culture and marker-assisted selection. ATUT initiated the application of Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) technology for screening Egyptian rice germplasm. Other ATUT rice technologies in the pipeline have various levels of AATUTness in their research and development. Some of the varieties to be released starting 2003 such as short duration HYVs, will have benefitted less directly from ATUT funding and scientific collaboration. Others- such as hybrid rice varieties will have been very significantly shaped by ATUT. The DREAM model under IFPRI's Global and Regional Program on Agricultural Science and Technology Policy, is used to assess the potential economic benefit of technology outputs for rice, under a range of likely adoption, market and trade scenarios. The simulation model, based on economic surplus theory, uses data and parameters from interviews with scientists, policy makers on the impact and adoption of technology. For this study, ex-ante simulations of the most likely range of outcomes with and without the innovations from ATUT investments. Analyzing the impact of technical change (a simulation over a specified number of years) has provided year-by year estimates of changes in: prices, quantities produced, consumed and traded, levels of adoption, economic benefits to consumers, economic benefits to adopters or losses (non-adopters) to producers. For US and IRRI benefits: Enhanced germplasm pool, stock of knowledge and facilities, and better informed scientists. US scientists in California and Arkansas benefit More integrated into the international rice research community. Gross benefits are estimated for governorates, by producers and consumers, by saline and normal soils, for 1997 to 2017 (end of GoE's current strategic horizon) discounted to 1997 US$. Producers in normal soils derive higher benefits than those in saline soils, some governorates reap more of the producer benefits than others; rural consumers benefit more than urban consumers. Consumer benefits are also estimated for importers of Egyptian rice such as Turkey, Sudan and aggregated Arabian countries. Cost of rice R&D and technology transfer will be measured to derive the IRR and B/C ratios.
This chapter summarizes the main messages discussed in this volume on global changes affecting wa... more This chapter summarizes the main messages discussed in this volume on global changes affecting water and food security, draws conclusions, and identifies areas for future research and policy reform to help ensure water and food security now and in the future. The chapter attempts to provide partial answers to the key questions posed at the beginning of the volume. It examines, on the one hand, the impacts of key factors driving water and food security and the livelihoods of the poor and, on the other hand, how these processes of change can be used so as to improve water and food security for the poor. Key factors include population and economic growth, market integration, technological change, climate change and energy policy. Important processes to redress rising inequalities under global change include investments in pro-poor agricultural research, support of increased trade liberalization, while reducing non-tariff barriers for smallholder farmers and fishermen and women; payment for environmental services to help farmers internalize environmental externalities such as carbon or water pollution; and mechanisms to enhance knowledge transfers across borders, including enhanced South-to-South transfer. Moreover, support to local capital markets to support local financing of key water-for-food investments and multilateral investments in storage and water control facilities will also be important. Virtual water trade, while not a panacea to resolve the water crisis does move the cost of financing water to the exporter - generally developed countries - that are better placed to bear these costs. Finally, securing water access requires analysis and management of water resources taking into account policies within and outside of the water sector.
Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2011
Low crop productivity is a general problem facing most farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA... more Low crop productivity is a general problem facing most farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These low yields are pronounced in grain legumes and are often associated with declining soil fertility and reduced N2-fixation due to biological and environmental factors. Unfortunately, the majority of African small farmers are now unable to afford the high mineral fertilizer prices. More than 75% of the fertilizers used in Africa are imported, putting pressure on foreign exchange. Low cost and sustainable technical solutions compatible with the socioeconomic conditions of small farmers are needed to solve soil fertility problems. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), a key source of N for farmers using little or no fertilizer, constitutes one of the potential solutions and plays a key role in sustainable grain legumes (e.g., soybean) production. Given the high cost of fertilizer in Africa and the limited market infrastructure for farm inputs, current research and extension efforts have been directed to integrated nutrient management, in which legumes play a crucial role. Inoculation with compatible and appropriate rhizobia may be necessary where a low population of native rhizobial strains predominates and is one of the solutions which grain legume farmers can use to optimize yields. It is critical for sustained yield in farmlands deficient in native rhizobia and where N supply limits production. Research on use of Rhizobium inoculants for production of grain legumes showed it is a cheaper and usually more effective agronomic practice for ensuring adequate N nutrition of legumes, compared with the application of N fertilizer. Here, we review past and ongoing interventions in Rhizobium inoculation (with special reference to soybean) in the farming systems of SSA with a view to understanding the best way to effectively advise on future investments to enhance production and adoption of BNF and inoculant technologies in SSA. The major findings are: (1) complete absence of or very weak institutions, policy and budgetary support for biotechnology research and lack of its integration into wider agricultural and overall development objectives in SSA, (2) limited knowledge of inoculation responses of both promiscuous and specifically nodulating soybean varieties as well as the other factors that inhibit BNF, hence a weak basis for decision-making on biotechnology issues in SSA, (3) limited capacity and lack of sustainable investment, (4) poorly developed marketing channels and infrastructure, and limited involvement of the private sector in the distribution of inoculants, and (5) limited farmer awareness about and access to (much more than price) inoculants. The lessons learned include the need: (1) to increase investment in Rhizobium inoculation technology development, and strengthen policy and institutional support, (2) for public private partnership in the development, deployment and dissemination of BNF technologies, (3) to develop effective BNF dissemination strategies (including participatory approach) to reach farmers, (4) for greater emphasis on capacity building along the BNF value chain, and (5) for partnership between universities in SSA and those in the North on BNF research.
Page 1. Smallholder Innovation in Ethiopia: Concepts, Tools, and Empirical Findings by Kristin E.... more Page 1. Smallholder Innovation in Ethiopia: Concepts, Tools, and Empirical Findings by Kristin E. Davis § International Food Policy Research Institute PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; k.davis@cgiar.org David J. Spielman ...
Agriculture and Human Values, 2011
Ethiopian agriculture is changing as new actors, relationships, and policies influence the ways i... more Ethiopian agriculture is changing as new actors, relationships, and policies influence the ways in which small-scale, resource-poor farmers access and use information and knowledge in their agricultural production decisions. Although these changes suggest new opportunities for smallholders, too little is known about how changes will ultimately improve the wellbeing of smallholders in Ethiopia. Thus, we examine whether these changes are improving the ability of smallholders to innovate and thus improve their own welfare. In doing so, we analyze interactions between smallholders and other actors to provide new perspectives on the role played by smallholder innovation networks in the agricultural sector by drawing on data from community case studies conducted in 10 localities. Findings suggest that public extension and administration exert a strong influence over smallholder networks, potentially crowding out market-based and civil society actors, and thus limiting beneficial innovation processes. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest the need to further explore policies and programs that create more space for market and civil society to participate in smallholder innovation networks and improve welfare. From a conceptual and methodological perspective, our findings suggest the need to incorporate rigorous applications of social network analysis into the application of innovation systems theory.
About 75 percent of the world's poor people live in rural areas, and most of them are involv... more About 75 percent of the world's poor people live in rural areas, and most of them are involved in farming. Agricultural development in these areas is often constrained by issues of access to appropriate technologies; immense institutional weaknesses1; and deep problems with ...
Health Research Policy and Systems, 2011
Background This paper discusses the practices of organisations that cross the boundary between re... more Background This paper discusses the practices of organisations that cross the boundary between research and politics, to promote evidence-based policies and programmes. Methods It uses the experience of a network of organisations in Africa to describe the methodology, challenges and successes of efforts to promote utilisation of research on the inter-connections between HIV/AIDS, food security and nutrition in South Africa. It emphasises that crossing the boundary between science and politics can be done systematically and is inevitable for any attempt that seeks influence policy making. Results The paper reveals the complexity of the research-policy making interface and identifies key lessons for the practice of networking and engaging policy and decision-makers. Conclusion The concept of boundary organisation is a helpful means to understand the methodological underpinnings of efforts to get research into policy and practice and to understand the ‘messy’ process of doing so.
Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2008
Agricultural research managers and scientists are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the ef... more Agricultural research managers and scientists are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the efficient and socially-effective use of funds spent on agricultural R&D. These pressures stem from heightened expectations of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, as well as from the growing demand for evidence of impact on target social groups and environmental services. Finally, advances in agricultural biotechnology research and the ensuing dialogue about the desirability of using biotechnology tools for increasing food production in developing countries have highlighted the need to assess the impacts of international agricultural research in the US, the developing countries, and the international agricultural research centers (IARCs). The US-Egypt ATUT project, funding involves collaborative research among plant breeders, molecular geneticists, and other agricultural scientists in the US, Egypt and IRRI. ATUT rice research accelerated the utilization of three methods for improving the speed and reliability of the screening and evaluation process for identifying salt resistant varieties: shuttle breeding, anther culture and marker-assisted selection. ATUT initiated the application of Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) technology for screening Egyptian rice germplasm. Other ATUT rice technologies in the pipeline have various levels of AATUTness in their research and development. Some of the varieties to be released starting 2003 such as short duration HYVs, will have benefitted less directly from ATUT funding and scientific collaboration. Others- such as hybrid rice varieties will have been very significantly shaped by ATUT. The DREAM model under IFPRI's Global and Regional Program on Agricultural Science and Technology Policy, is used to assess the potential economic benefit of technology outputs for rice, under a range of likely adoption, market and trade scenarios. The simulation model, based on economic surplus theory, uses data and parameters from interviews with scientists, policy makers on the impact and adoption of technology. For this study, ex-ante simulations of the most likely range of outcomes with and without the innovations from ATUT investments. Analyzing the impact of technical change (a simulation over a specified number of years) has provided year-by year estimates of changes in: prices, quantities produced, consumed and traded, levels of adoption, economic benefits to consumers, economic benefits to adopters or losses (non-adopters) to producers. For US and IRRI benefits: Enhanced germplasm pool, stock of knowledge and facilities, and better informed scientists. US scientists in California and Arkansas benefit More integrated into the international rice research community. Gross benefits are estimated for governorates, by producers and consumers, by saline and normal soils, for 1997 to 2017 (end of GoE's current strategic horizon) discounted to 1997 US$. Producers in normal soils derive higher benefits than those in saline soils, some governorates reap more of the producer benefits than others; rural consumers benefit more than urban consumers. Consumer benefits are also estimated for importers of Egyptian rice such as Turkey, Sudan and aggregated Arabian countries. Cost of rice R&D and technology transfer will be measured to derive the IRR and B/C ratios.
This chapter summarizes the main messages discussed in this volume on global changes affecting wa... more This chapter summarizes the main messages discussed in this volume on global changes affecting water and food security, draws conclusions, and identifies areas for future research and policy reform to help ensure water and food security now and in the future. The chapter attempts to provide partial answers to the key questions posed at the beginning of the volume. It examines, on the one hand, the impacts of key factors driving water and food security and the livelihoods of the poor and, on the other hand, how these processes of change can be used so as to improve water and food security for the poor. Key factors include population and economic growth, market integration, technological change, climate change and energy policy. Important processes to redress rising inequalities under global change include investments in pro-poor agricultural research, support of increased trade liberalization, while reducing non-tariff barriers for smallholder farmers and fishermen and women; payment for environmental services to help farmers internalize environmental externalities such as carbon or water pollution; and mechanisms to enhance knowledge transfers across borders, including enhanced South-to-South transfer. Moreover, support to local capital markets to support local financing of key water-for-food investments and multilateral investments in storage and water control facilities will also be important. Virtual water trade, while not a panacea to resolve the water crisis does move the cost of financing water to the exporter - generally developed countries - that are better placed to bear these costs. Finally, securing water access requires analysis and management of water resources taking into account policies within and outside of the water sector.
Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2011
Low crop productivity is a general problem facing most farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA... more Low crop productivity is a general problem facing most farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These low yields are pronounced in grain legumes and are often associated with declining soil fertility and reduced N2-fixation due to biological and environmental factors. Unfortunately, the majority of African small farmers are now unable to afford the high mineral fertilizer prices. More than 75% of the fertilizers used in Africa are imported, putting pressure on foreign exchange. Low cost and sustainable technical solutions compatible with the socioeconomic conditions of small farmers are needed to solve soil fertility problems. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), a key source of N for farmers using little or no fertilizer, constitutes one of the potential solutions and plays a key role in sustainable grain legumes (e.g., soybean) production. Given the high cost of fertilizer in Africa and the limited market infrastructure for farm inputs, current research and extension efforts have been directed to integrated nutrient management, in which legumes play a crucial role. Inoculation with compatible and appropriate rhizobia may be necessary where a low population of native rhizobial strains predominates and is one of the solutions which grain legume farmers can use to optimize yields. It is critical for sustained yield in farmlands deficient in native rhizobia and where N supply limits production. Research on use of Rhizobium inoculants for production of grain legumes showed it is a cheaper and usually more effective agronomic practice for ensuring adequate N nutrition of legumes, compared with the application of N fertilizer. Here, we review past and ongoing interventions in Rhizobium inoculation (with special reference to soybean) in the farming systems of SSA with a view to understanding the best way to effectively advise on future investments to enhance production and adoption of BNF and inoculant technologies in SSA. The major findings are: (1) complete absence of or very weak institutions, policy and budgetary support for biotechnology research and lack of its integration into wider agricultural and overall development objectives in SSA, (2) limited knowledge of inoculation responses of both promiscuous and specifically nodulating soybean varieties as well as the other factors that inhibit BNF, hence a weak basis for decision-making on biotechnology issues in SSA, (3) limited capacity and lack of sustainable investment, (4) poorly developed marketing channels and infrastructure, and limited involvement of the private sector in the distribution of inoculants, and (5) limited farmer awareness about and access to (much more than price) inoculants. The lessons learned include the need: (1) to increase investment in Rhizobium inoculation technology development, and strengthen policy and institutional support, (2) for public private partnership in the development, deployment and dissemination of BNF technologies, (3) to develop effective BNF dissemination strategies (including participatory approach) to reach farmers, (4) for greater emphasis on capacity building along the BNF value chain, and (5) for partnership between universities in SSA and those in the North on BNF research.
Page 1. Smallholder Innovation in Ethiopia: Concepts, Tools, and Empirical Findings by Kristin E.... more Page 1. Smallholder Innovation in Ethiopia: Concepts, Tools, and Empirical Findings by Kristin E. Davis § International Food Policy Research Institute PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; k.davis@cgiar.org David J. Spielman ...
Agriculture and Human Values, 2011
Ethiopian agriculture is changing as new actors, relationships, and policies influence the ways i... more Ethiopian agriculture is changing as new actors, relationships, and policies influence the ways in which small-scale, resource-poor farmers access and use information and knowledge in their agricultural production decisions. Although these changes suggest new opportunities for smallholders, too little is known about how changes will ultimately improve the wellbeing of smallholders in Ethiopia. Thus, we examine whether these changes are improving the ability of smallholders to innovate and thus improve their own welfare. In doing so, we analyze interactions between smallholders and other actors to provide new perspectives on the role played by smallholder innovation networks in the agricultural sector by drawing on data from community case studies conducted in 10 localities. Findings suggest that public extension and administration exert a strong influence over smallholder networks, potentially crowding out market-based and civil society actors, and thus limiting beneficial innovation processes. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest the need to further explore policies and programs that create more space for market and civil society to participate in smallholder innovation networks and improve welfare. From a conceptual and methodological perspective, our findings suggest the need to incorporate rigorous applications of social network analysis into the application of innovation systems theory.
About 75 percent of the world's poor people live in rural areas, and most of them are involv... more About 75 percent of the world's poor people live in rural areas, and most of them are involved in farming. Agricultural development in these areas is often constrained by issues of access to appropriate technologies; immense institutional weaknesses1; and deep problems with ...