Assessment of Farmer Preferences for Cattle Traits in Cattle Production Systems of Kenya

The urgent need to improve livestock productivity in sub-Saharan Africa in order to keep pace with expected increases in demand for meat and milk is very topical. Breed improvement provides key entry points for increasing productivity in cattle populations. However, there are tendencies for breed improvement programs to focus on single, market driven traits such as milk or meat production in isolation of environmental constraints and broader livestock system functions which cattle assume in developing countries. This potentially leads to genotypes that are not well adapted to the environment and not capable of performing the multiple roles that cattle assume in cattle production systems of developing countries. In developing countries, many important functions of livestock are embedded in non-tradable traits that are neither captured in economic analysis nor considered in livestock improvement programs. This study evaluates preferences of cattle keepers in pastoral and crop- livestock systems of selected sites in Kenya for various cattle traits, focusing attention on trypanotolerance and employing choice modelling techniques. These systems are characterized by low input management, harsh environmental conditions and prevalence of various cattle diseases. Trypanosomosis is a serious disease constraint in these systems. The results indicate that farmer preferences for cattle traits are influenced by various factors including cultural practices, production system characteristics and environmental conditions, especially in relation to disease prevalence and availability of cattle feeds.cattle production system, trait preferences, choice experiment, Kenya, Livestock Production/Industries, D11, C35, Q26,

The economics of agrobiodiversity conservation for food security under climate change

Subsistence-based and natural resource-dependent societies are especially vulnerable to climate change. In such contexts, food security needs to be strengthened by investing in the adaptability of food systems. This paper looks into the role of agrobiodiversity conservation for food security in the face of climate change. It identifies agrobiodiversity as a key public good that delivers necessary services for human wellbeing. We argue that the public values provided by agrobiodiversity conservation need to be demonstrated and captured. We offer an economic perspective of this challenge and highlight ways of capturing at least a subset of the public values of agrobiodiversity to help adapt to and reduce the vulnerability of subsistence based economies to climate changeClimate change, adaptation, agrobiodiversity, economic incentives, resilience, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q18, Q24, Q54,

Economics of animal genetic resources use and conservation

Economic analysis can play an important role in the sustainable management of animal genetic resources (AnGR). The first report on The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (first SoW-AnGR) (FAO, 2007a) included a section on methods for economic evaluation 1 that provided an overview of the various types of value that can be distinguished (direct and indirect use values, option values, bequest values and existence values) and described potential methods and tools for assessing them. It also presented some examples of the use of these methods and tools and the findings obtained. This updated section provides an overview of recent developments in the economics of AnGR use and conservation. The revised title reflects the way in which this field of work has moved beyond just the development and testing of methods

Valuation and sustainable management of crop and livestock biodiversity: a review of applied economics literature

This paper is part of the follow-up to the workshop “Managing Agricultural Biodiversity for Sustainable Development” organized by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) for the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) and hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya (23-25 October, 2003, Nairobi, Kenya)

The economics of managing crop diversity on-farm: Case studies from the genetic resources policy initiative

The purpose of this book is to assess a variety of economic issues as they relate to agro-biodiversity and show how addressing these issues can assist in agro-biodiversity policy-making. This is illustrated using empirical data from some of the countries (Ethiopia, Nepal and Zambia) which are part of the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative. The empirical chapters apply the relevant economic methods, including regression analysis, choice experiments, hedonic pricing, contingent valuation and farm business income analysis. The authors discuss the economics of managing crop diversity on-farm in the context of crop variety attribute preferences, farmers' perception of agro-biodiversity loss, and value addition and marketing of the products of traditional crop varieties. The case studies include detailed analysis of traditional varieties of groundnut, maize, rice, sorghum, and teff. The results are relevant not only to GRPI countries but also to other countries concerned with the sustainable utilization of these resources. Overall, the studies illustrate how genetic resources issues can be integrated into rural development interventions

Gendered differences in crop diversity choices: A case study from Papua New Guinea

Crop choice, including the conservation of traditional crops and the uptake of novel ones, is a central issue in agricultural development. This paper examines differences between male and female farmers motivations for growing diverse crop portfolios in Papua New Guinea, a highly agro-biodiverse context facing rapid social change. Q methodology, a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, is used to examine how alignment with different viewpoints related to crop diversity differs across male and female farmers. We show that, of five distinct types of farmers identified with regards to crop diversity choices, all include both men and women, and three of five groups show no significant gender-related differences. However, there are also some significant gender differences. A large proportion of women farmers associate with being highly motivated by crop marketing, whereas male farmers are more likely to favor agricultural diversity due to tradition or status motivations. Overall, strict gendering of crops does not appear highly salient. The results confirm earlier work in the region on women's roles in marketing but contrast to those on crop gendering. Altogether, they underline the complexity of gender and identity in agricultural choices. The results also have implications for the targeting and implementation of crop conservation and promotion policies and programs, including those aiming for improved nutrition or agricultural development. © 2020 Elsevier LtdMany thanks to Thecla Guaf, Ana Apa, and colleagues at the Papua New Guinea National Agricultural Research Institute for their assistance during the field research, as well as to the farmers who graciously participated in the work. We also thank two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their feedback, which helped improve the manuscript. This work was implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), which is carried out with support from CGIAR Fund Donors and through bilateral funding agreements. For details please visit https://ccafs.cgiar.org/donors. U.P. is supported under the Basque Centre for Climate Change “Unit of Excellence” (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; MDM-2017-0714). The views expressed in this paper cannot be taken to reflect the official opinions of any of these organisations or those with which the authors are affiliated