This paper reviews agricultural and food security performances of developing countries after the ... more This paper reviews agricultural and food security performances of developing countries after the Uruguay Round. In particular, issues and trends relevant to the interests of the low income food deficit and the net food importing countries are examined as the world prepares for further trade negotiations. The paper attempts to answer several questions, including: How has food security in the low income countries been affected over the past ten years? Are agricultural policies evolving in ways that take advantage of emerging trade opportunities? Despite the gains in global and national food availability, food security remains an especially persistent and elusive development problem. The late 1990s food insecurity data are worrisome, with emerging signs of uneven and slowing progress. Most of the recent food security problems are due to food shortages caused by civil unrest, wars and drought ' age old problems that endure today.
Background Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) may narrow gaps between fruit and vegetable product... more Background Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) may narrow gaps between fruit and vegetable production and recommended intake. However, FLW estimates are inconsistent due to varying estimation methods. Objectives Using multiple estimation approaches, we examined the extent and determinants of FLW along tomato supply chains in South India, from farm to retail. We also explored tomato quality assessments. Methods We surveyed 75 farm households and 83 tomato traders in the Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, and 52 vegetable traders and 50 vegetable retailers in Hyderabad, Telangana, on harvest and market days. We calculated declared FLW values using participant-reported losses to estimate the preharvest quality FLW and quantitative FLW values at the farmer, vegetable-trader, and vegetable-retailer stages. We calculated the destination FLW based on counted crates diverted to loss destinations, using participant-reported destinations (animal feed, field discard), to estimate the postharves...
Investments over the past 35 years have created a system of national and international research c... more Investments over the past 35 years have created a system of national and international research centers that has revolutionized the supply of improved cereal varieties to developing country farmers. The newly created scientific ability to exploit genetic resources has been the engine of productivity growth in much of world agriculture. But the success that has been attained in building research institutions has not touched all countries or farmers, nor can it be considered permanent. The financial and political environment of the past decade has halted the expansion of agricultural research capacity and the scarcity of research resources and evolving world intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes complicates the search for stable arrangements for cooperation. This paper examines the current structure and institutional capacity of the international crop breeding systems for rice and wheat. Discussions are presented within the context of a system composed of research functions spann...
Agriculture research knowledge and technology that transcends national borders has played a cruci... more Agriculture research knowledge and technology that transcends national borders has played a crucial role in enhancing developing country productivity growth over the past fifty years. Modern high yield varieties of rice, wheat and the other major staples are the often cited examples of successful application of global science to address the problems of hunger and poverty. While the initial research investments were made by two International Foundations— Ford and Rockefeller Foundations—a coalition of public and private donors called the CGIAR ensured that such global public good research investments were sustained over the long term. Global plant breeding efforts were successfully diffused at the national level in countries that invested in national agriculture research capacity and created the enabling environment for enhancing productivity growth—hence the Green Revolution. The comparative advantage of the CGIAR derives partly from the fact that private firms operating thorough ma...
Background: Recent literature, largely from Africa, shows mixed effects of own-production on diet... more Background: Recent literature, largely from Africa, shows mixed effects of own-production on diet diversity. However, the role of own-production, relative to markets, in influencing food consumption becomes more pronounced as market integration increases. Objective: This paper investigates the relative importance of two factors - production diversity and household market integration - for the intake of a nutritious diet by women and households in rural India. Methods: Data analysis is based on primary data from an extensive agriculture-nutrition survey of 3600 Indian households that was collected in 2017. Dietary diversity scores are constructed for women and households is based on 24-hour and 7-day recall periods. Household market integration is measured as monthly household expenditure on key non-staple food groups. We measure production diversity in two ways - field-level and on-farm production diversity - in order to account for the cereal centric rice-wheat cropping system foun...
The continuing urbanization and industrialization of the provinces nearby Metropolitan Manila and... more The continuing urbanization and industrialization of the provinces nearby Metropolitan Manila and other cities of the Philippines have resulted to the continual decline in productive agricultural land. This was brought about by the massive conversion of agricultural lands to industrial, commercial and residential purposes. In Laguna alone, rice area decreased by more than 50 percent from 1971 to 1992. This was accompanied by a corresponding annual decrease in rice production of about 21 percent. Similar situation occurred in Bulacan but of smaller magnitude. Agricultural lands converted to purposes mentioned above are formerly planted to crops like rice, sugarcane and coconut. For the last five years, almost 30 percent of total land converted to other purposes were concentrated in the two provinces of Laguna and Bulacan. This study was therefore undertaken with the objective of quantifying the effect of land use conversion to agricultural production with particular emphasis on rice
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Scenarios: Findings of the Scenarios Working Group, Dec 14, 2005
Human-driven movement of organisms, deliberate and accidental, is causing a massive alteration of... more Human-driven movement of organisms, deliberate and accidental, is causing a massive alteration of species ranges and contributing to changes in ecosystem function. In some ecosystems, invasions by alien organisms and diseases result in the extinction of native species or a huge loss in ecosystem services. However, introductions of alien species can also be beneficial in terms of human population; most food is produced from introduced plants and animals.
Abstract CONTEXT Mycotoxins and other food safety and preservation challenges are prevalent in sm... more Abstract CONTEXT Mycotoxins and other food safety and preservation challenges are prevalent in smallholder food systems, and communities often lack the knowledge and capacity required to effectively diagnose and address these concerns. Participatory research can facilitate innovation in resource-poor settings by fostering collective identity and leveraging endogenous systems of change, but there are limitations to the scalability and impact of this approach across contexts. Embedding participatory research within a farmer research network (FRN) has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of participatory research by enhancing the flow of knowledge between local and global innovation systems. OBJECTIVE This study proposes a framework for FRN-mediated participatory food safety research and reports on key findings from an application of this approach in six villages in Unnao District, Uttar Pradesh, India. METHODS A cohort of 184 households was organized into a FRN and engaged in a series of participatory research activities. Collective identity was developed within the FRN by reflecting on shared goals and establishing leadership. Participatory context characterization combined with multiple factor analysis (MFA) enabled formation of interest-based affinity groups, which explored potential solutions to a range of local problems. Affinity group deliberations led to the implementation of a FRN-wide hermetic grain storage intervention. Uptake of the technology was evaluated by monitoring continued usage, willingness-to-pay, price elasticity of demand, and retail sales across localities. Efficacy of the FRN approach for participatory food safety research was assessed by monitoring participation, motives, and experiential outcomes among members. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Context characterization revealed distinct needs profiles influenced by the extent of home versus non-home time allocation and economic orientation. Household trials of hermetic sacks were effective in 99% (128/129) of participating households, with 83% continuing use in subsequent seasons. Willingness-to-pay analysis demonstrated substantial demand for hermetic sacks but high price elasticity across hypothetical price points. Despite demonstrable demand and positive reception, actual sales were low ( SIGNIFICANCE This study documents a novel application of the FRN approach to participatory food safety research and constitutes substantial evidence for the potential for FRNs to catalyze local-global knowledge feedback loops. The model outlined is widely adaptable and could be used across contexts in India and elsewhere.
This paper examines the change in the nature of food demand in India in the last twenty years. It... more This paper examines the change in the nature of food demand in India in the last twenty years. It identifies two distinct stages of diet transition associated with the period of economic growth. During the first stage, income-induced diet diversification,
This paper reviews agricultural and food security performances of developing countries after the ... more This paper reviews agricultural and food security performances of developing countries after the Uruguay Round. In particular, issues and trends relevant to the interests of the low income food deficit and the net food importing countries are examined as the world prepares for further trade negotiations. The paper attempts to answer several questions, including: How has food security in the low income countries been affected over the past ten years? Are agricultural policies evolving in ways that take advantage of emerging trade opportunities? Despite the gains in global and national food availability, food security remains an especially persistent and elusive development problem. The late 1990s food insecurity data are worrisome, with emerging signs of uneven and slowing progress. Most of the recent food security problems are due to food shortages caused by civil unrest, wars and drought ' age old problems that endure today.
Background Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) may narrow gaps between fruit and vegetable product... more Background Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) may narrow gaps between fruit and vegetable production and recommended intake. However, FLW estimates are inconsistent due to varying estimation methods. Objectives Using multiple estimation approaches, we examined the extent and determinants of FLW along tomato supply chains in South India, from farm to retail. We also explored tomato quality assessments. Methods We surveyed 75 farm households and 83 tomato traders in the Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, and 52 vegetable traders and 50 vegetable retailers in Hyderabad, Telangana, on harvest and market days. We calculated declared FLW values using participant-reported losses to estimate the preharvest quality FLW and quantitative FLW values at the farmer, vegetable-trader, and vegetable-retailer stages. We calculated the destination FLW based on counted crates diverted to loss destinations, using participant-reported destinations (animal feed, field discard), to estimate the postharves...
Investments over the past 35 years have created a system of national and international research c... more Investments over the past 35 years have created a system of national and international research centers that has revolutionized the supply of improved cereal varieties to developing country farmers. The newly created scientific ability to exploit genetic resources has been the engine of productivity growth in much of world agriculture. But the success that has been attained in building research institutions has not touched all countries or farmers, nor can it be considered permanent. The financial and political environment of the past decade has halted the expansion of agricultural research capacity and the scarcity of research resources and evolving world intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes complicates the search for stable arrangements for cooperation. This paper examines the current structure and institutional capacity of the international crop breeding systems for rice and wheat. Discussions are presented within the context of a system composed of research functions spann...
Agriculture research knowledge and technology that transcends national borders has played a cruci... more Agriculture research knowledge and technology that transcends national borders has played a crucial role in enhancing developing country productivity growth over the past fifty years. Modern high yield varieties of rice, wheat and the other major staples are the often cited examples of successful application of global science to address the problems of hunger and poverty. While the initial research investments were made by two International Foundations— Ford and Rockefeller Foundations—a coalition of public and private donors called the CGIAR ensured that such global public good research investments were sustained over the long term. Global plant breeding efforts were successfully diffused at the national level in countries that invested in national agriculture research capacity and created the enabling environment for enhancing productivity growth—hence the Green Revolution. The comparative advantage of the CGIAR derives partly from the fact that private firms operating thorough ma...
Background: Recent literature, largely from Africa, shows mixed effects of own-production on diet... more Background: Recent literature, largely from Africa, shows mixed effects of own-production on diet diversity. However, the role of own-production, relative to markets, in influencing food consumption becomes more pronounced as market integration increases. Objective: This paper investigates the relative importance of two factors - production diversity and household market integration - for the intake of a nutritious diet by women and households in rural India. Methods: Data analysis is based on primary data from an extensive agriculture-nutrition survey of 3600 Indian households that was collected in 2017. Dietary diversity scores are constructed for women and households is based on 24-hour and 7-day recall periods. Household market integration is measured as monthly household expenditure on key non-staple food groups. We measure production diversity in two ways - field-level and on-farm production diversity - in order to account for the cereal centric rice-wheat cropping system foun...
The continuing urbanization and industrialization of the provinces nearby Metropolitan Manila and... more The continuing urbanization and industrialization of the provinces nearby Metropolitan Manila and other cities of the Philippines have resulted to the continual decline in productive agricultural land. This was brought about by the massive conversion of agricultural lands to industrial, commercial and residential purposes. In Laguna alone, rice area decreased by more than 50 percent from 1971 to 1992. This was accompanied by a corresponding annual decrease in rice production of about 21 percent. Similar situation occurred in Bulacan but of smaller magnitude. Agricultural lands converted to purposes mentioned above are formerly planted to crops like rice, sugarcane and coconut. For the last five years, almost 30 percent of total land converted to other purposes were concentrated in the two provinces of Laguna and Bulacan. This study was therefore undertaken with the objective of quantifying the effect of land use conversion to agricultural production with particular emphasis on rice
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Scenarios: Findings of the Scenarios Working Group, Dec 14, 2005
Human-driven movement of organisms, deliberate and accidental, is causing a massive alteration of... more Human-driven movement of organisms, deliberate and accidental, is causing a massive alteration of species ranges and contributing to changes in ecosystem function. In some ecosystems, invasions by alien organisms and diseases result in the extinction of native species or a huge loss in ecosystem services. However, introductions of alien species can also be beneficial in terms of human population; most food is produced from introduced plants and animals.
Abstract CONTEXT Mycotoxins and other food safety and preservation challenges are prevalent in sm... more Abstract CONTEXT Mycotoxins and other food safety and preservation challenges are prevalent in smallholder food systems, and communities often lack the knowledge and capacity required to effectively diagnose and address these concerns. Participatory research can facilitate innovation in resource-poor settings by fostering collective identity and leveraging endogenous systems of change, but there are limitations to the scalability and impact of this approach across contexts. Embedding participatory research within a farmer research network (FRN) has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of participatory research by enhancing the flow of knowledge between local and global innovation systems. OBJECTIVE This study proposes a framework for FRN-mediated participatory food safety research and reports on key findings from an application of this approach in six villages in Unnao District, Uttar Pradesh, India. METHODS A cohort of 184 households was organized into a FRN and engaged in a series of participatory research activities. Collective identity was developed within the FRN by reflecting on shared goals and establishing leadership. Participatory context characterization combined with multiple factor analysis (MFA) enabled formation of interest-based affinity groups, which explored potential solutions to a range of local problems. Affinity group deliberations led to the implementation of a FRN-wide hermetic grain storage intervention. Uptake of the technology was evaluated by monitoring continued usage, willingness-to-pay, price elasticity of demand, and retail sales across localities. Efficacy of the FRN approach for participatory food safety research was assessed by monitoring participation, motives, and experiential outcomes among members. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Context characterization revealed distinct needs profiles influenced by the extent of home versus non-home time allocation and economic orientation. Household trials of hermetic sacks were effective in 99% (128/129) of participating households, with 83% continuing use in subsequent seasons. Willingness-to-pay analysis demonstrated substantial demand for hermetic sacks but high price elasticity across hypothetical price points. Despite demonstrable demand and positive reception, actual sales were low ( SIGNIFICANCE This study documents a novel application of the FRN approach to participatory food safety research and constitutes substantial evidence for the potential for FRNs to catalyze local-global knowledge feedback loops. The model outlined is widely adaptable and could be used across contexts in India and elsewhere.
This paper examines the change in the nature of food demand in India in the last twenty years. It... more This paper examines the change in the nature of food demand in India in the last twenty years. It identifies two distinct stages of diet transition associated with the period of economic growth. During the first stage, income-induced diet diversification,
Uploads
Papers