121 research outputs found
Why agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa remains low compared to the rest of the world – a historical perspective
Agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa has, in recent times, remained lower than the rest of the world. Many attribute this to factors inherent to Africa and its people, such as climate, soil
quality, slavery and disease. This article traces the role of agriculture through history and argues that these are not the main reasons. Before the arrival of European traders, complex agricultural systems existed, which supported food security, manufacturing and trade.
External interference manipulated these systems in pursuit of export crops. Independence has not fundamentally changed this; resource and wealth extraction continue to inhibit economic development for Africans in Africa
Lessons to be learned from groundwater trading in Australia and the United States
This chapter provides an overview of the issues and challenges facing policy makers intending to establish groundwater markets. It studies in detail two developed countries that have introduced groundwater trading and have some experience in its implementation-Australia and the United States of America- and draws out lessons from these countries that need to be considered for the development of groundwater markets around the world. The key lessons that this chapter stresses are: the importance of establishing institutions and regulations; investing in high quality economic and scientific research; that opportunities arise from crises; and that social concerns are not always the most important considerations to be aware of for efficient and effective groundwater markets.Sarah Ann Wheeler, Karina Schoengold, and Henning Bjornlun
Classifying, clustering and clumping: defining groups of irrigators in Australia's Namoi Valley
[Extract] This paper explores the non-commercial factors influencing farmers' decision making in the context of the recently implemented Water Sharing Plans (WSP) in the Namoi Valley of New South Wales. In line with the governments water reform goals, the WSP were introduced to rectify an over allocation of groundwater resources. The required amount of entitlement reduction varied across the valley, according to the existing amount of over allocation, and has resulted in some licence holders losing up to 94% of their entitlements. To manage this degree of reduction most licence holders have to make some kind of decision about how to deal with it. This could be by purchasing or selling land or water
Lessons to Be Learned from Groundwater Trading in Australia and the United States
This chapter provides an overview of the issues and challenges facing policy makers intending to establish groundwater markets. It studies in detail two developed countries that have introduced groundwater trading and have some experience in its implementation—Australia and the United States of America— and draws out lessons from these countries that need to be considered for the development of groundwater markets around the world. The key lessons that this chapter stresses are: the importance of establishing institutions and regulations; investing in high quality economic and scientific research; that opportunities arise from crises; and that social concerns are not always the most important considerations to be aware of for efficient and effective groundwater markets
Exploring the factors causing the poor performance of most irrigation schemes in post-independence sub-Saharan Africa
This article explores the factors causing the current poor performance
of most government irrigation schemes in sub-Saharan
Africa. The literature review finds that the poor performance is not
primarily caused by socioeconomic and biophysical conditions
inherent to sub-Saharan Africa. African farmers have adapted to
diverse biophysical conditions and expanded or contracted their
area under agricultural water management in response to market
signals. Rather, this poor performance is predominantly linked to
the production systems introduced during colonialism and developments
since independence, such as agricultural policies restraining
rural economic development, unsuitable irrigation technologies
and agricultural practices, and international lending practices and
trade arrangements
Transforming failing smallholder irrigation schemes in Africa: a theory of change
Drawing on the results of the Transforming Irrigation in Southern
Africa project, we assess positive transitions in smallholder irrigation
schemes. The project’s theory of change is evaluated. Soil
monitoring tools and agricultural innovation platforms were introduced
in five irrigation schemes in Mozambique, Tanzania and
Zimbabwe. The synergies between these interventions increased
both crop yields and profitability. This empowered farmers,
improved equity, and accelerated social learning and innovation.
The resulting, iterative cycles of change improved governance,
sustainability and socio-economic outcomes. The challenges of
scaling these interventions up and out are outlined
Identifying leverage points to transition dysfunctional irrigation schemes towards complex adaptive systems
This article explores the value of Ostrom’s socio-ecological systems
framework and Meadows’s leverage point hierarchy, as structured diagnostics, to define systemic problems and avoid approaches based on linear thinking. These frameworks were applied as an ex post analysis of an irrigation scheme in Zimbabwe, drawing on the scheme’s baseline condition and the intervention outcomes. Strong leverage points, particularly those driving feedback mechanisms
and institutional design, interacted with other intervention points, initiating systemic change. This analysis suggests that dysfunctional schemes can be transitioned towards complex adaptive systems by
using agricultural innovation platforms to identify systemic challenges and intervention points
The dynamics between irrigation frequency and soil nutrient management: transitioning smallholder irrigation towards more profitable and sustainable systems in Zimbabwe
Successful irrigated agriculture is underpinned by answering two
critical questions: when and how much to irrigate. This article quantifies
the role of the Chameleon and the Wetting Front Detector,
monitoring tools facilitating decision-making and learning about soilwater-
nutrient dynamics. Farmers retained nutrients in the root zone
by reducing irrigation frequency, number of siphons, and event
duration. Water productivity increased by more than 100% for farmers
both with and without monitoring tools. Transitioning smallholder
irrigation systems into profitable and sustainable schemes
requires investment in technology, farmers and institutions.
Importantly, technologies need embedding in a learning environment
that fosters critical feedback mechanisms, such as market
constraints
The importance of learning processes in transitioning small-scale irrigation schemes
Many small-scale irrigation schemes are dysfunctional, and learning,
innovation and evaluation are required to facilitate sustainable
transitions. Using quantitative and qualitative data from five irrigation
schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, we analyze how learning and
change arose in response to: soil monitoring tools, which triggered
a deep learning cycle; and agricultural innovation platforms, which
helped develop a social learning system. Knowledge generation
and innovation were driven by the incentives of more profitable
farming. Learning and change spread to farmers without the tools,
and learning at different levels resulted in extension and governance
stakeholders facilitating profound institutional change
The welfare enhancing effects of agricultural innovation platforms and soil monitoring tools on farming household outcomes in southeastern Africa
Utilizing survey information obtained from five irrigation schemes in southeastern Africa, we investigated the influence of agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) and monitoring tools on a range of farm and household outcome indicators. Doubly robust estimation was used to measure the effects of these interventions, with a variety of other methods used for robustness checks. Involvement in AIP activities and using monitoring tools was found to be statistically associated with increased on-farm income together with an increased capacity to fund child education. Participation in AIPs also had a significant positive influence on off-farm income and reduced food shortages. Moreover, spillover effects were accounted for in the estimations and statistically significant positive effects were found regarding on-farm income for non-participants. These findings suggest that interventions with strong agricultural innovation system approaches in irrigation schemes in Africa could provide significant societal benefits.Fentahun Abebe, Sarah Ann Wheeler, Alec Zuo, Henning Bjornlun
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