Sara Delaney | University of Maine (original) (raw)

books by Sara Delaney

You may re-use the content in this publication (not including the UKCDS and other departmental or... more You may re-use the content in this publication (not including the UKCDS and other departmental or agency logos) free of charge in any format for research, private study or internal circulation within an organisation.

Papers by Sara Delaney

Environment and society, Aug 31, 2023

South African Journal of International Affairs, Nov 16, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 6, 2014

A last-minute campus visit helped Valerie Busch '20 find her ideal college home at Dickinson.... more A last-minute campus visit helped Valerie Busch '20 find her ideal college home at Dickinson. Now she's an IB&M major and former law intern with an interest in the intersection of business and psych.

Elem Sci Anth

Flowering plants once drove a global shift in insect–plant–animal relationships and supported an ... more Flowering plants once drove a global shift in insect–plant–animal relationships and supported an increase in biodiversity, energy flux, and productivity throughout terrestrial ecosystems. We argue here that angiosperms could once again contribute to biodiversity within landscapes, if agroecosystems, and the plants within them, can be managed for multifunctional benefits. The potential for farmland to support biological diversity is understood and well-argued in the literature. We take this long-standing conversation and frame it within a longer evolutionary context, bringing attention to how modification in 2 key areas of our current food production system could support this goal. First, a move toward crop and grazing landscapes that more closely align with regional food webs can lead to observable improvements in community wildlife abundance. Second, we can re-expand the genetic base of our food, fodder, and cover crops, in particular by using crop wild relatives, through the use o...

1 Copyright of the paper is reserved by IFAD. The paper may not be reproduced in part or in full ... more 1 Copyright of the paper is reserved by IFAD. The paper may not be reproduced in part or in full and in any form without written permission of the Conference Organisers at IFAD (SUMMARY This paper provides an overview of agricultural and economic characteristics of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), in comparison with other developing regions and the opportunities which the medium-term outlook holds for SSA's small holder farmers. Seizing these opportunities will depend on shifting from extensive to intensive production systems. The paper reiterates a key conclusion of IFAD's 2011 Rural Poverty Report: the ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is constrained by their capacity to manage the risk-return trade-offs in moving towards intensified agriculture. Risks are often specific to different types of supply chains. Generally speaking, smallholders in disbursed supply chains (cereals, rice) are exposed to a larger number of business r...

... Table 7.1 Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability ... book is written in a clear and acce... more ... Table 7.1 Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability ... book is written in a clear and accessible way and will go a long way in demystifying the view ... Recent challenges, such as rising food prices, are focusing international attention on the importance of increasing investment in ...

South African Journal of International Affairs, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage

South African Journal of International Affairs, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage the risk-return trade-offs in moving towards intensified agriculture. While stakeholders are increasing their investments to assist smallholders in SSA to participate in integrated supply chains, the returns in terms of technical and financial results from these investments are generally lower than in other developing regions. This paper suggests that this is, at least in part, a consequence of problems associated with the role of spatial and temporal coordination in program delivery. Hence, much more focus needs to be devoted to delivering goods and services for smallholders at the right place and the right time, and this should be better monitored and evaluated in the context of development programs.

You may re-use the content in this publication (not including the UKCDS and other departmental or... more You may re-use the content in this publication (not including the UKCDS and other departmental or agency logos) free of charge in any format for research, private study or internal circulation within an organisation.

Environment and society, Aug 31, 2023

South African Journal of International Affairs, Nov 16, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage

Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 6, 2014

A last-minute campus visit helped Valerie Busch '20 find her ideal college home at Dickinson.... more A last-minute campus visit helped Valerie Busch '20 find her ideal college home at Dickinson. Now she's an IB&M major and former law intern with an interest in the intersection of business and psych.

Elem Sci Anth

Flowering plants once drove a global shift in insect–plant–animal relationships and supported an ... more Flowering plants once drove a global shift in insect–plant–animal relationships and supported an increase in biodiversity, energy flux, and productivity throughout terrestrial ecosystems. We argue here that angiosperms could once again contribute to biodiversity within landscapes, if agroecosystems, and the plants within them, can be managed for multifunctional benefits. The potential for farmland to support biological diversity is understood and well-argued in the literature. We take this long-standing conversation and frame it within a longer evolutionary context, bringing attention to how modification in 2 key areas of our current food production system could support this goal. First, a move toward crop and grazing landscapes that more closely align with regional food webs can lead to observable improvements in community wildlife abundance. Second, we can re-expand the genetic base of our food, fodder, and cover crops, in particular by using crop wild relatives, through the use o...

1 Copyright of the paper is reserved by IFAD. The paper may not be reproduced in part or in full ... more 1 Copyright of the paper is reserved by IFAD. The paper may not be reproduced in part or in full and in any form without written permission of the Conference Organisers at IFAD (SUMMARY This paper provides an overview of agricultural and economic characteristics of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), in comparison with other developing regions and the opportunities which the medium-term outlook holds for SSA's small holder farmers. Seizing these opportunities will depend on shifting from extensive to intensive production systems. The paper reiterates a key conclusion of IFAD's 2011 Rural Poverty Report: the ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is constrained by their capacity to manage the risk-return trade-offs in moving towards intensified agriculture. Risks are often specific to different types of supply chains. Generally speaking, smallholders in disbursed supply chains (cereals, rice) are exposed to a larger number of business r...

... Table 7.1 Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability ... book is written in a clear and acce... more ... Table 7.1 Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability ... book is written in a clear and accessible way and will go a long way in demystifying the view ... Recent challenges, such as rising food prices, are focusing international attention on the importance of increasing investment in ...

South African Journal of International Affairs, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage

South African Journal of International Affairs, 2011

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize... more This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage the risk-return trade-offs in moving towards intensified agriculture. While stakeholders are increasing their investments to assist smallholders in SSA to participate in integrated supply chains, the returns in terms of technical and financial results from these investments are generally lower than in other developing regions. This paper suggests that this is, at least in part, a consequence of problems associated with the role of spatial and temporal coordination in program delivery. Hence, much more focus needs to be devoted to delivering goods and services for smallholders at the right place and the right time, and this should be better monitored and evaluated in the context of development programs.