STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS AND PEANUT MARKET PERFORMANCE IN SENEGAL

The impacts of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) on social welfare are investigated using data from the Senegalese peanut sector. The findings suggest that SAP policies resulted in dramatic decreases in peanut production, undermining the profitability of the peanut processing plants as well. Overall, the Senegalese society suffered net welfare losses.International Development, Production Economics,

TESTING PROTECTION FOR SALE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRIES

This paper tests the Grossman-Helpman Protection for Sale model using panel data from U.S. food processing industries with endogenous protection, import penetration, and political campaign. The results support the key predictions of the model: organized industries are granted higher protection that decreases with import penetration and the price elasticity of imports. Furthermore, the presence of import quotas raises the level of protection substantially. The estimated weight on aggregate welfare is strikingly similar those found by Goldberg and Maggi (1999) and Gawande and Bandopadhyay (2000), implying that protection is not for sale in these industries.Agribusiness,

OPTIMAL TRANSBOUNDARY WATER DIVERSION: THE CASE OF THE SENEGAL RIVER

This paper ascertains the costs and benefits of diverting water from the Senegal River. Two scenarios are compared to the status quo of inaction: the social planner and the competitive scenarios. Although these two scenarios yield positive present values of net benefits, the social planner scenario would use smaller quantities of water while providing the highest net benefits to society. Given that the benefits are one-sided while the costs are spread over several constituencies that share the river, it is possible for the gainers to compensate the losers, especially the farmers of flood recession agriculture identified as the main deprived group.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Estimation du stock de carbone dans les faciès arborés et arbustifs des savanes soudano-guinéennes de Ngaoundéré, Cameroun.

Une des conséquences environnementales de la dégradation forestière est la perte de carbone, qui à son tour contribue indirectement au changement climatique. Dans la perspective d\'évaluer la contribution des savanes de l\'Adamaoua dans le changement climatique, une étude portant sur l\'estimation de stock du carbone a été menée dans les faciès arbustifs et arborés. La quantité de carbone a été estimée dans des parcelles carrées de 100 m2 pour les arbres et les arbustes, de 1 m2 pour le sous-bois et de 0,0625 m2 pour les racines et le sol. Le dispositif expérimental est un bloc complètement randomisé à trois répétitions. Les types de savanes sont des traitements principaux et les parcelles les répétitions. Les résultats montrent que la quantité totale de carbone est de l\'ordre de 81,48 et 118,36 tC/ha respectivement pour la savane arbustive et arborée. Dans la savane arborée, l\'essentiel de carbone est stocké dans la phytomasse des arbres (65,30 tC/ha) et dans le sol (48,37 tC/ha); la contribution des arbustes (3,83t/ha) des herbacées (0,30t/ha), des racines (1,96 tC/ha) et des litières (1,88 tC/ha) est faible, moins de 5% de carbone totale. Par contre, dans la savane arbustive, le sol constitue le principal réservoir de carbone (74,35 tC/ha). Les autres composantes à savoir les arbustes (0,66 tC/ha), les herbacées (3,15 tCha), les racines (1,98 tC/ha) et les litières (1,34 tC/ha) ont une contribution très faible, moins de 9% de la quantité totale de carbone. Les différences observées entre la savane arborée et arbustive sont dues en grande partie à la différence de leur structure et de leur composition floristique. Ces résultats préliminaires contribuent à la compréhension de l\'impact des conversions des savanes sur le changement climatique. Ceci permettra une prise de décision dans la gestion durable des savanes et la protection de l\'environnement.One of the environmental consequences of the modification of savannas is a carbon loss which in turn contributes indirectly to global climate change. In order to evaluate contribution of Adamawa savannas in global climate change, a study on the sequestration of carbon was conducted both in a shrubby and woody savannas of Ngaoundere. The quantity of carbon was estimated in a square plot of 100 m2 for the trees and shrubs, of 1m2 for grass and 0.0625 m2 for the roots and the soils. The experimental design is a randomized complete block with three replicates. The type of savannas are main treatment whereas the plots are replicates. The results show that the total average of carbon is about 81.48 tC/ha in shrubby savannas and 118.36 tC/ha in woody savannas. In the woody savannas, the essential of carbon was stored in the trees (65.30 tC/ha) and in the soil (48.37 tC/ha). Whereas in the shrubby savannas, it is based on in the soil. The contribution of shrubs and grass (0.78 tC/ha), roots (1.96 tC/ha) and litters (1.88 tC/ha) is less than 5% of the global quantity of carbon. Shrubby savannas soil appears to be the main carbon tank (74.35 tC/ha). The other components of shrubby savannas as shrubs, grass, litters and roots contributed for less than 9% in the total amount of carbon. The differences noticed between the type of savannas are due to their floristic structure et composition. These preliminary results contribute to the understanding impacts of savannas conversion to global climate change. This would allow to make decision in sustainable management of savannas and environment protection. Keywords: Phytomass, Carbon storage, soudano-guinea savannas, Ngaoundere, CameroonCameroon Journal of Experimental Biology Vol. 4 (1) 2008: pp. 1-1

Nonprofit Accountability: Effects of Subsector on Online Accountability

Scandals within the nonprofit sector over compensation and management have increased calls for nonprofits to demonstrate accountability. Many organizations have responded by disclosing information online and providing tools that allow web-based interactions with stakeholders. The literature on nonprofits’ online accountability has found that the level of nonprofit online accountability is affected by their size, age, asset, revenue, and location, but hasn’t been examined in terms of how subsector influences online accountability. Through a web-content analysis of fifty-five nonprofits, this research investigated how subsector (arts and culture, education, health, and human services) influences online accountability using a framework of four types of online accountability: financial disclosure, performance disclosure, stakeholder input, and interactive engagement. The findings show that subsectors differ depending on the type of accountability being measured. Except for asset size, previous findings regarding revenue size, personnel size, and location were confirmed. Also, this research found that the arts and culture subsector demonstrated higher online accountability than health nonprofits. Human services nonprofits are more engaged in financial disclosure than organizations in the health subsector. Finally, it was found that as personnel size increases, stakeholder input and interactive engagement increases

Litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics of ten selected tree species in tropical rainforest of Ebom, southwest Cameroon

Litter decomposition processes in tropical rainforests are still poorly understood. Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics of ten contrasting tree species, Entandraphragma utile, Guibourtia tessmannii, Klainedoxa gabonensis, Musanga cecropioides, Panda oleosa, Plagiostyles africana, Pterocarpus soyauxii, Strombosia scheffleri, Vitex grandifolia and Xylopia aethiopica were studied in the tropical rainforest of Ebom, Southwest Cameroon. After 23 weeks of field incubation in litterbags, mass loss of litter samples varied from 24.08% in E. utile to 92.35% in V. grandifolia. Decomposition rate constants (k) ranged from 0.014 in M. cecropioides to 0.165 week-1 in V. grandifolia. The nutrient content in original litter samples also varied widely among species and showed low levels of Na, P and Mg, and high levels of N, Ca and K. Averagenutrient releases was 89.04%, 60.80%, 46.19%, 40.99% and 24.17% of mean initial content for K, Ca, Mg, N and P, respectively. For nutrient-related litter chemistry, correlations with the mass losses at the end of litter incubation were significant (