Nutrition-sensitive value chains: A guide for project design

A first-of-its-kind, this new Guide from IFAD presents practical, step-by-step guidance for shaping value chain projects to improve nutrition. The Guide highlights challenges and opportunities in establishing nutrition-sensitive value chains (NSVCs) and looks at how they can produce positive outcomes, not only in terms of generating income but also for improving nutrition for smallholder producers. The Guide was developed using an in-depth participatory and consultative approach. Beginning from available evidence, the NSVC framework was developed, field tested and then validated by national and international experts. The Guide is relevant not only for IFAD but also for others that recognize the critical importance of incorporating nutrition and improving diets through value chain projects. Governments, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, and other institutions and development agencies working in agriculture, food systems, nutrition and rural development will find the Guide useful

Strengthening National Wheat and Rice Research Systems

Report of an international consultation on 'Strengthening National Agricultural Research Systems to Assume an International Role in Specific Areas of Wheat and Rice Research and Training' held in Rome January 26-28, 1987. The forward is by Idriss Jazairy, President of IFAD, which sponsored the meeting. It was cosponsored by IDRC, SAREC, GTZ and the Rockefeller Foundation. Participants and observers were mainly drawn from CGIAR donors, centers, and national research systems.The purpose of the meeting was to explore how national research institutions could be strengthened by sharing research responsibilities with IARCs. The report included several papers on the status and priorities of research in rice and wheat, looking at the roles of IARCs and some of the stronger national systems, and the relationships among them. Also an overall summary of the discussions, reports from working groups on wheat and rice, and a list of participants and observers.Agenda document, CGIAR meeting, May 1987

International Consultation on the NARS Vision of International Agricultural Research

Declaration, conclusions, and recommendations of a consultation among representatives of national agricultural research systems (NARS) in developing countries convened by IFAD in Rome in December 1994. The NARS representatives identified six areas in which improvements were required to improve the functioning of both national and international agricultural research. These were setting the research agenda, developing partnerships, improving capacity building, developing participatory governance between NARS and the CGIAR, exploring funding support, and sustaining momentum.The document was distributed at the CGIAR Ministerial-level Meeting in February 1995 and discussed at TAC 66 in March 1995

Report of the Preparatory Meeting for the Global Forum on the NARS-CGIAR Partnership Initiative

A meeting of regional associations of NARS and many others involved in international agricultural research was held in Jakarta, May 17 and 18, 1996 just prior to the convening of MTM96, in preparation for a global meeting of NARS scheduled in connection with ICW96 This report of the preparatory meeting was presented to MTM96.The meeting discussed the results of four regional fora conducted according to the Outline Action Plan written by a NARS Working Group and endorsed by ICW95. These actions were intended as steps toward realization of the NARS-CGIAR partnership initiative called for at the Lucerne Ministerial-level Meeting in February 1995. It was expected that the global NARS meeting in October 1996 would be followed by an initial meeting of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research at some future time.Agenda document, CGIAR Mid Term Meeting, May 1996

FIT for purpose – the new FLARE Index to Treaties

The FLARE Index to Treaties which was launched in March 2009 on the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies web server, was conceived to fill a gap in the range of information finding tools available on the internet for the international lawyer. It is a fully searchable database indexing and listing over 1,500 of the most significant multilateral treaties concluded from 1856 onwards. This article describes the background to the development, the various ways in which the service can be used and technical issues in its construction and use.Preprint of an article by Dr Peter Clinch, Senior Subject Librarian for Law, Cardiff University, Wales, UK and Steven Whittle, Information Systems Manager, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London published online by LLRX.co

Mboga za Watu wa Pwani: Kilifi Utamaduni Conservation Group

Vegetables of the Coast People of Kenya No region in Kenya boasts of a greater variety of vegetables than the coastal area. Over 100 species are used by the nine linguistically-related groups living here, the Mijikenda. Just as rich is the knowledge associated with these vegetables as seen in the variety of mixtures that may be formed in a single preparation and the delicate art of balancing the quantities of each. This book makes available information on this rich vegetable culture. It provides local names of the vegetables in the different dialects (Mijikenda groups), scientific names, ecological and production information, method of preparation and mixtures involved. Eight plates with over 100 photographs as well as over 60 illustrations are provided for easy identification of the species. This book will be valuable for people interested in Mijikenda vegetables and traditions, scientists, development workers as well as extension agents working in the field of agriculture, anthropology, food and nutrition and ethnobotany, among several others. Maelezo Mboga za Watu wa Pwani Hamna sehemu ya Kenya inayojivunia aina nyingi za mboga kuliko Pwani. Zaidi ya aina mia moja hutumiwa na wakaaji wa sehemu hii waitwao WaMijikenda. Vile kuna wingi wa aina za mboga, ndivyo pia kuna wingi wa ujuzi unaoambatana na hizi mboga. Huu ujuzi tunaushuhudia wakati mboga aina tofauti zinapochangnywa kwa umakini na kupikwa pamoja. Kitabu hiki kinasimulia utamaduni wa kipekee wa mboga za Wamijikenda. Kinaelezea maumbile ya hizi mboga, majina ya mboga kwa lugha za waMijikenda na ya kisayanzi, mazingira ambamo mboga inamea, ukuzaji, utayarishaji na ‘visanganyo’ vinavyotumiwa. Kwa jumla, zimo kurasa nane zilio na zaidi ya picha mia moja na pia kuna zaidi ya michoro sitini, ili kumsaidia msomaji kuzitambua hizi mboga kwa urahisi. Hiki kitabu kitakuwa cha manufaa kwa wale wanaotaka kufahamu utamaduni wa waMijikenda kuhusu mboga, na pia kwa wanasayanzi na wanaoendeleza miradi vijijini hasa katika nyanja za kilimo, mila na desturi, lishe bora pamoja na wanaosoma manufaa ya mimea kwa binadamu na wengine

Youth and agriculture: Key challenges and concrete solutions

With older farmers less likely to adopt new technologies, the need to re-engage youth in agriculture is vital if productivity is to be increased sustainably. This publication provides real-life examples of how this can be done. It shows how tailor-made educational programmes can provide rural youth with the skills necessary to engage in farming and adopt environmentally friendly production methods. Clearly laid out, with numerous case studies, photos and examples, topics covered also include accessing land and finance, connecting to markets and ‘green’ jobs

Poverty-Centred Rural Road Funds Sharing in Sub-Saharan Africa

Poverty-centred allocation of funds for rural roads and their systematic prioritisation are important to enhance sustainability, provide equality of transport opportunities and mitigate poverty. The aim of this work was to investigate and develop new approaches with specific emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, given that the existing decision systems do not appropriately consider social impacts and poverty. An understanding of rural road funds allocation and road scheme prioritisation to alleviate poverty is important as road transport is by far the most predominant form of transport in Africa. This study developed new allocation and prioritisation processes for rural roads based on expert opinion surveys and empirical evidence, which were then applied to analyse allocation and road scheme selection processes used in Uganda and Ghana. The study found that the multi-dimensional poverty index is the most highly prioritised factor in rural road scheme selection and, for regional rural road funds sharing, poverty is equally weighted with the rural accessibility index. A goal programming model, based on expert opinion weightings, is recommended for poverty alleviation

Joint statement for the ECOSOC side event on “Innovation Systems for Family Farming”

CGIAR, FAO, GFAR and IFAD, by convening this side event on “Innovation Systems for Family Farming” during the High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC Substantive Session 2013, wish to draw the attention of the ECOSOC members to the crucial importance of innovation in family farming and of agricultural innovation systems

Distributional impacts of cash allowances for children: A microsimulation analysis for Russia and Europe

This article analyses programmes of cash allowances for children and compares their effectiveness in combating child poverty in Russia and four European Union (EU) countries representing alternative family policy models – Sweden, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Using microsimulation models, this article estimates the potential gains if the Russian system were re-designed along the policy parameters of these countries and vice versa. The results confirm that the poverty impact of the programme design is smaller than that of the level of spending. Other conditions being equal, the best distributional outcomes for children are achieved by applying the mix of universal and means-tested child benefits, such as those employed by the United Kingdom and Belgium. At the same time, the Russian design of child allowances does not appear to be less effective in terms of its impact on child poverty when transferred to European countries in place of their current arrangements