Effects of agricultural commercialization on land tenure, household resource allocation, and nutrition in the Philippines:

Agriculture Economic aspects Philippines., Produce trade Philippines., Land tenure Philippines., Households Philippines., Nutrition Philippines.,

A food demand system based on demand for characteristics

A food demand system is proposed, based on demand for energy, variety, and tastes of foods. By specifying utility as an explicit function of these characteristics, the entire matrix of demand elasticities can be derived for n foods and one nonfood from prior specification of just four elasticities, while avoiding any assumption of separability between foods. This framework can explain why poorest groups often are most price-responsive, but also can account for highest price-responsiveness by middle income groups. The system is applied to published food consumption data for urban and rural populations in Pakistan. Elasticities are compared with those obtained in a published Pakistan study applying an almost ideal demand system (AIDS).Food consumption Pakistan ,mathematical models ,Elasticity (Economics) ,

Agricultural technology and food policy to combat iron deficiency in developing countries

Breeding for food-staple plant varieties that load high amounts of iron and zinc in their seeds holds great promise for making a significant, low-cost, and sustainable contribution to reducing iron and zinc deficiencies in humans in developing countries. This strategy also may well have important spinoff effects for increasing farm productivity in developing countries in an environmentally-beneficial way. Understanding how household incomes, food prices, and culturally-based preference patterns interact to drive food consumption and nutrient intake patterns can provide crucial background information for designing effective nutrition intervention programs. This paper presents findings from a project titled "Food Policy and Agricultural Technology to Improve Diet Quality and Nutrition," organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), implemented by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and other collaborating organizations, and funded by the Office of Health and Nutrition of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One strategy is to enhance the micronutrient content of edible portions of crops through plant breeding. Plant breeding, which in this context may be viewed as a form of fortification, has tremendous potential for improving micronutrient intakes. This strategy is discussed in the paper, which summarizes one aspect of the discussion and fcnddp presented at an initial organizational workshop for the project held in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A., January 10-12, 1994.Developing countries ,food policies ,human nutrition ,technology ,Agricultural policies ,Minerals in human nutrition ,

Gender equality and investments in adolescents in the rural Philippines:

"...Many studies have looked at the way resources are distributed to men, women, and especially to small children, but one age group within the family has been largely ignored: the adolescents. Adolescence is a crucial period in that teenagers can make major contributions to their families' welfare through their labor and earnings, in and outside the household, but may sacrifice their own wishes and future well-being in the process if such contributions come at the expense of investments in their education. The research methodology in this report, combining regression analysis with ethnography, provides a lesson in how complementarities between methodological approaches can be exploited...The research finds that parents are not unduly influenced by short-term needs and are ready to make substantial sacrifices in terms of current consumption in order to invest in their children's future. The research also concludes that boys and girls in this rural area of the Philippines are generally treated equally, provid ing a contrast with other Asian settings where discrimination by gender is common." (Forward by Per Pinstrup- Andersen)Teenagers Philippines Social conditions., Rural families Philippines., Gender, Health and nutrition, Education Economic aspects Philippines., Household resource allocation, Health.,

The CGIAR’s Challenge Program Experiences: A Critical Analysis

This document has been prepared by staff of the four Challenge Programs (CPs) established by the CGIAR in 2002-2004 as a contribution to the first meeting of the Consortium Planning Team (CPT) with the Alliance Executive and Deputy Executive (17-20 February 2009)

Multiplying the efficiency and impact of biofortification through metabolic engineering

Ending all forms of hunger by 2030, as set forward in the UN-Sustainable Development Goal 2 (UN-SDG2), is a daunting but essential task, given the limited timeline ahead and the negative global health and socio-economic impact of hunger. Malnutrition or hidden hunger due to micronutrient deficiencies affects about one third of the world population and severely jeopardizes economic development. Staple crop biofortification through gene stacking, using a rational combination of conventional breeding and metabolic engineering strategies, should enable a leap forward within the coming decade. A number of specific actions and policy interventions are proposed to reach this goal