753 research outputs found
A Roadmap for Integrating Human Rights Into the World Bank Group
Offers a framework for linking effective international development and poverty reduction with human rights, including empowering communities to use the World Bank Group's grievance mechanisms. Outlines accomplishments, shortfalls, and recommendations
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Small-holder credit in Zimbabwe: Roles of farmers, government and the private sector. Report of field work conducted in Zimbabwe during October and November 1998
The research reported here was conducted as part of project whose purpose is to examine credit delivery models, where the commercial sector has been willing to provide credit to small-holders for production inputs. Such schemes usually link credit repayment to crop purchase. The initial research comprised a review of credit delivery schemes in the cotton sectors of Uganda and Zimbabwe, where private sector companies have taken the lead in providing credit to cotton small-holders. The intention is to identify key conditions for success, such that the models (or an adaptation) may be applied to other crops or situations. Stakeholder workshops are to be held in both countries in early 1999, to review the research results, and identify additional applications and priorities for further work on input supply and credit
Responsible Mining: The Key to Profitable Resource Development
Better mining corporations want to adopt “Responsible Mining”. This paper outlines the essentials of responsible mining and offers a guide to corporations who want become responsible. Eight principles are discussed: (1) Social and environmental assessment, (2) Transparency, (3) Acceptance by stakeholders, (4) Food production trumps questionable mining, (5) Compliance with international standards, (6) Corporate prequalification, (7) Insurance and performance bonds, and (8) Royalties, taxes and fees. These principles are followed by a discussion of No-Go Zones to mining: why some types of sites should be off-limits to all mining. The Annex on Compensatory Offsets suggests that, on occasion, there may be exceptions to a No-Go Zone
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Community access to marketing opportunities: options for remote areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Literature review (NRI report no. 2459)
The goal of this project is "to provide guidance for policy makers by establishing a complete picture of market access related issues and the options available, with special emphasis on institutional issues." There is general recognition of the role that improved market access can play in enhancing rural development and poverty reduction, though there is limited information on the extent and nature of the problem and of options for developing appropriate mechanisms to enable rural communities to take advantage of market opportunities. The focus of the project is on remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa, though experiences from around the world will be drawn upon to deepen understanding and provide approaches to overcoming constraints. This first activity of the project aims to identify the key issues and experiences relating to community access to market opportunities by way of literature review. A draft of the report was produced in August 1998 as the first project output. The current version incorporates comments received on the draft plus some additional references obtained prior and during project work in Malawi, Mali, and Uganda
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The use of purchased inputs by small-holders in Uganda
The Natural Resources Institute has been conducting preliminary research on experiences with private sector provision of credit to small-holders for production inputs. The initial research focused on the cotton sectors in Uganda and Zimbabwe, where input credit different systems are in operation. The intention is to distil key conditions from these experiences with a view to identifying potential applications in other sectors.
The research has highlighted the extremely low input/low output nature of most farming systems in Uganda, and very low use of even the most fundamental components of improved technology ie., improved varieties (either open-pollinated or hybrid seed) and fertiliser. There are a number of factors influencing this which can be categorised under four broad headings: affordability, physical access, awareness and commercial context. Access to credit influences affordability and can certainly play a role, but it is clear that other factors are equally important. Box 1 lists some of the issues which impinge on the use of purchased inputs
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