Heterogeneous migration flows from the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso: the role of natural and social capital

This paper uses a system of labour supply equations and data from Burkina Faso collected in 2003 to test the conditions underlying two different migratory movements: continental and intercontinental migration. We provide theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence that heterogeneity in migration is related to heterogeneity in rural households. We find that comparatively asset-poor households embark on continental migration, whereas intercontinental migration takes place in comparatively wealthy households in response to opportunities for accumulation of wealth in Europe. We also find that access to religion-specific migrant networks plays a positive and negative role in explaining, respectively, intercontinental and continental migratio

The effects of zero grazing in Ethiopia

In the high lands of Ethiopia, almost every plot of farmland is allotted for crop husbandry, leaving no or only road sides and marginal lands for grazing. However, land is scarce in these areas and this limits the role of crop production in poverty alleviation and it also limits the availability of local off-farm employment. Moreover, with the years, livestock feed has become scarce and crop residues are the major feed source for the animals. This feed problem also potentially affects crop production, if the straw is eaten for example, this affects soil quality negatively. Therefore, a potentially useful innovation against low productivity and limited availability of feed is a zero grazing approach. The aim of this approach is to reduce the number of animals to a level that can be supported by the available resources. This means shifting from the traditional type of livestock husbandry to a system that focuses on the quality and performance of the livestock. An Ethiopian NGO implemented a project that focuses on zero grazing and improved heifer production targeted towards 1,700 farm households in Akaki and Ada’a districts and East Shoa Zone of Oromia National Regional State. In these areas a further motivation to implement the zero grazing is the high potential for dairy production, given that a market (the capital Addis Ababa) is relatively close and accessible. The main goal of this paper is to understand if zero grazing is a way out of poverty and if dairy production is a good and feasible strategy to reduce poverty in Ethiopia

Revolutionizing (robot-assisted) laparoscopic gamma tracing using a drop-in gamma probe technology

Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas

Food System Innovations for Healthier Diets in Low and Middle-Income Countries

Malnutrition in all its forms is a major challenge everywhere in the world, and particularly in low and middle income countries. To reduce malnutrition, innovations in food systems are needed to both provide sufficient options for consumers to obtain diets with adequate nutritional value, and to help consumers make conscious and unconscious choices to choose healthier diets. A potential solution to this challenge is food systems innovations designed to lead to healthier diets. In this paper, we lay out a multidisciplinary framework for both identifying and analyzing innovations in food systems that can lead to improvements in the choices available to consumers and their diets from a health perspective. The framework identifies entry points for the design of potential food systems innovations, highlighting potential synergies, feedback, and tradeoffs within the food system. The paper concludes by providing examples of potential innovations and describes future research that can be developed to support the role of food systems in providing healthier diets