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Papers by Ruth Haug

Project description Lack of timely information is one of the constraints on small-scale agricultu... more Project description Lack of timely information is one of the constraints on small-scale agricultural production and natural resource exploitation -a sector that provides livelihood for 70–80 percent of Africa's population (Jensen, 2003). In Tanzania, agricultural information is mainly disseminated through agricultural extension officers and farmer-to-farmer extension. However, the growth of extension staff in most areas has not matched the number of farmers that need the service. The country has only 3,833 extension staff while the demand stands at 12,000 (Ministerial Budget Speech, 2007). Modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can help to fast track improvement of extension service delivery together with conventional ICTs such as radio and television. According to Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) (2011) there were a total of 25.7 million mobile phone subscr...

Food Security, 2013

ABSTRACT Monitoring of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicates that a large number o... more ABSTRACT Monitoring of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicates that a large number of countries are not on track to reach the hunger targets set out in Goal 1 (MDG1, Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger by 2015). The purpose of this paper is to assess the appropriateness of three underlying factors identified by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), misguided policies, failing markets and weak institutions, in explaining food insecurity in Tanzania. Our analysis basically supports UNDP’s emphasis on the importance of policy, institutions and market access when seeking to improve food security and reach MDG1, but underlining the importance of empowering people to hold the Government accountable for failing to deliver on their policies and plans. The main finding is that the Tanzanian Government is struggling with the difficulty of addressing the twin goals of balancing national food availability with affordable food prices for urban and rural consumers.

The agriculture sector is the mainstay of the Tanzanian economy as it contributes 26% of Gross Do... more The agriculture sector is the mainstay of the Tanzanian economy as it contributes 26% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 30 percent of export earnings and provides the bulk of raw materials for local industries. The agriculture sector provides employment to about 75 percent of the total labor force. Access to agricultural information and knowledge is timely, completeness and quality manner is very challenging in developing countries like Tanzania. Farmers in particular, require accurate, quality and timely agricultural information and knowledge regarding farming operations and practices, post harvest processing, marketing and weather forecast (to mention a few) in order to make an informed decision.Traditional practice for delivering agricultural information in Tanzania is through farmer-tofarmer and extension officers. The practice forces extension officers to visit farmers in order to give some advisory services. Thus due to the few number of extension officers the system is overstretched in Tanzania which necessitate the urgent requirement to find alternative method to improve the extension services. This paper presents a prototype of Web-based Farmers' Advisory Information System (FAIS) aimed at improving the coverage of extension services in Tanzania. Thus with the help of FAIS the few extension officers who are present in Tanzania they can serve many farmers at the same time.

Forum for Development Studies, 1995

AGRIS record. Record number, NO9700555. Titles, Measuring household food security: Aparticipatory... more AGRIS record. Record number, NO9700555. Titles, Measuring household food security: Aparticipatory process approach. ... Publication Date, 1995. AGRIS Subj. Cat. Agricultural economics and policies;Home economics, industries and crafts;Development economics and policies. ...

Forum for Development Studies, 2006

Books by Ruth Haug

Humanitarian crises appear dramatic, overwhelming and sudden, with aid required immediately to sa... more Humanitarian crises appear dramatic, overwhelming and sudden, with aid required immediately to save lives. Whereas climate change is about changing hazard patterns and crises are in reality rarely unexpected, with academic researchers and humanitarian and development organisations warning about possible risks for months before they take place. While humanitarian organisations deal directly with vulnerable populations, interventions are part of global politics and development pathways that are simultaneously generating climate change, inequities and vulnerability. So what is the level of convergence between humanitarian interventions and efforts to support adaptation to climate change, and what lessons can be drawn from current experience on the prospects for reducing the risk of climate change causing increased burdens on humanitarian interventions in the future?

This IDS Bulletin is a call for increasing engagement between humanitarian aid and adaptation interventions to support deliberate transformation of development pathways. Based on studies from the ‘Courting Catastrophe’ project, contributors argue that humanitarian interventions offer opportunities for a common agenda to drive transformational adaptation. Changes in political and financial frameworks are needed to facilitate longer-term actions where demands move from delivering expert advice and solutions to vulnerable populations to taking up multiple vulnerability knowledges and making space for contestation of current development thinking. Yet while the humanitarian system could drive transformative adaptation, it should not bear responsibility alone.

In this issue, alternative pathways and practical ways to support local alternatives and critical debates around these are illustrated, to demonstrate where humanitarian actions can most usefully contribute to transformation.