Rapid Reconnaissance of Coarse Grain Production and Marketing in the CMDT zone of southern Mali: field work report of the IER-CSA-PROMISAM team December 13-19, 2009

This report presents principal findings of a rapid reconnaissance undertaken in December, 2009 as preparation for more detailed marketing studies to be undertaken in the context of PROMISAM II’s applied research program on promoting food security in Mali. The objective of the reconnaissance was to explore changes in cereal production and marketing patterns as an input to the design of a forthcoming study of changes in the structure, conduct and performance of the coarse grain sector in Mali. To facilitate discussions with farmers and traders an interview guide was prepared. The first section of this report synthesizes the principal findings, while the annex presents detailed field notes from the study together with the interview guide.food security, MALI, food policy, grain, production, marketing, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Marketing, q11, q12, q13, q18,

What Kind of Agricultural Strategies Lead to Broad-Based Growth: Implications For Country-Led Agricultural Investment Programs

Without renewed attention to sustained agricultural productivity growth, most small farms in developing countries will become increasingly unviable economic and social units. Sustained agricultural productivity growth and poverty reduction will require progress on a number of fronts, most importantly increased public goods investments to agriculture; a policy environment that supports private investment in input, output, and financial markets and provision of key support services; a more level global trade policy environment; supportive donor programs; and improved governance. Subsidies, if they are focused, appropriately conceived, effectively implemented, and temporary, can play a complementary role but should not – based on both the Asian and African evidence presented here – be seen as the primary engine of growth. Most of these challenges can be met through country-led agricultural investment strategies that mobilize the political will to adopt the policies and public investments which substantial evidence demonstrates have the greatest chances of 5 driving sustainable pro-poor agricultural growth.Agricultural strategies, investment programs, Feed The Future, Africa, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty,

How Non-Research Investments Affect Research Impact: The Case of Maize Technology Adoption in Southern Mali

Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Measuring the Impact of Public and Private Assets on Household Crop Income in Rural Mozambique, 2002-2005

This brief summarizes detailed analysis of the determinants of household crop income in rural Mozambique from 2002 to 2005. Increased crop income is associated with increases in household land area, use of animal traction, crop diversification into tobacco or cotton, access to market price information, and access to extension agents (for tobacco/cotton growers). Decreases in crop income are associated with drought. Results demonstrate that there are both public and private investments that can enhance farmers’ ability to increase crop income and avoid losses. Priority investments include: development and dissemination of drought-resistant varieties for maize and cassava, conservation farming, animal traction, market information, access to high-value crops and small-scale irrigation.agriculture, africa, mozambique, food security, assets, household, rural, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, q12,

Agricultural Research Impact Assessment: The Case of Maize Technology Adoption in Southern Mali

Adoption of the improved maize package was particularly rapid during the period 1980-86 when an attractive guaranteed price was offered and extension activities were reinforced by a maize project that included the establishment of a seed multiplication program. Following cereal market price liberalization in 1986, maize prices fell and have been subject to considerable variability. Area has continued to expand, but farmers have greatly reduced fertilizer use, switched back to maize-late millet intercropping, and substituted early maturing varieties better suited to their own food security needs. The estimated internal rate of return (IRR) to investment in maize research and extension in southern Mali over the period 1969-90 is 135%. This high rate can be attributed to low research costs (much of the technical package was borrowed from research conducted elsewhere in West Africa), and the high economic value of maize as an import substitute. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the IRR is robust with respect to adverse changes in assumptions concerning overvaluation of the exchange rate, research costs, extension costs, and area of improved maize. It is moderately sensitive to price and yield reductions.food security, food policy, maize, Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Downloads June 2008 - June 2009: 26, R11,

Food Security in Developing Countries

This paper provides a systematic definition of food security, focusing on its different dimensions; examines the nature and magnitude of the different dimensions of food insecurity in developing countries; discusses the difficult tradeoffs that policy makers face in trying to address food security’s multiple dimensions simultaneously; and explores promising new approaches to address food insecurity. The geographic focus is on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the majority of the world’s food insecure people live.food security, hunger, poverty, food policy, economic development, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, O13, O19, Q18,

The Many Paths of Cotton Sector Reform in Eastern and Southern Africa: Lessons from a Decade of Experience

Crop Production/Industries,

USAID Contributes to Building National Capacity to Strengthen Food Security: An Example from Mali

Food Security and Poverty, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 13,