High and volatile food prices: Drivers and impacts on food security in Eastern and Central Africa

This paper which draws from several reports and briefs that have been prepared by ReSAKSS in the last three years presents the results and major conclusions and recommendations from the analysis. (Executive summary available)

Third training workshop on research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya, 16-19 July 2018

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Swedish AgriFoSe2030 programme, are implementing an initiative to develop the capacity of recent PhD graduates to undertake policy relevant research and analysis and disseminate their work to the policy-making community in support of agriculture and food security in Kenya. In this regard, ILRI and AgriFose2030 organized the third and the last training workshop titled “Research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya” at ILRI Campus, Nairobi on 16th – 19th July 2018. This report is a record of the proceedings of the workshop and a summary of participants’ evaluation of the series of capacity building workshops

Training workshop on research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya, 19–21 February 2018

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Swedish AgriFoSe2030 program, organized a three-day training workshop titled “Research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya” at ILRI Campus, Nairobi on 19th – 21st February 2018. The workshop targeted Kenyan researchers who recently attained PhD qualifications and are working on agriculture and food security issues. A total of eleven (11) participants (7 men and 4 women) from different Universities and research organizations in Kenya namely: University of Nairobi, University of Eldoret, Embu University, Chuka University and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KARLO) participated in the workshop

Trends of staple food and input prices: Global and regional overview, 2007-2010

This policy brief is the fifth in a series of quarterly briefs that provide updates on the food price situation in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region. The briefs are a follow up of an earlier study on the impact of rising food prices in the ESA region that was carried out by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA) in collaboration with the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System for Eastern and Central Africa (ReSAKSS-ECA) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Alliance. The first update focused on the food price trends in ESA and their relationship with global food prices. The second update discussed policy responses to the food price crisis in ESA region. The third update focused on the relationships between the prices of staple foods and those of non-tradable foods (orphan crops), while the fourth brief discussed the linkages between the prices of agricultural inputs and output. This brief looks at the trend of the staple food prices, both global and national, over the period 2007-2010 and presents the price trends of inputs (fertilizer and fuel) over the same period. It also discusses the status of food prices before and after the food price crisis of 2008. Have the food prices continued to soar after the 2008 food price crisis? What is the effect of the drought in Russia and Thailand and the flooding in Pakistan on global and regional food prices

Second training workshop on research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya, 7–9 May 2018

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Swedish AgriFoSe2030 programme, are implementing an initiative to develop the capacity of recent PhD graduates to undertake policy relevant research and analysis and disseminate their work to the policy-making community in support of agriculture and food security in Kenya. In this regard, ILRI and AgriFose2030 organized the second 3-day training workshop titled “Research to inform agricultural and food security policy and practice in Kenya” at ILRI Campus, Nairobi on 7th – 9th May 2018. The beneficiaries of the capacity development initiative are drawn from public universities and leading research institutions in the country. A total of 12 participants (5 male and 7 female) attended the workshop. The training sessions were facilitated by researchers and professors affiliated to Kenyan institutions and ILRI staff. The training gave participants an opportunity to widen their understanding on the following technical areas: generating and using evidence; engagement in policy processes; policy communication and advocacy; and monitoring and evaluating. The topics covered had been identified by the participants during the first workshop held in February 2018

Nurturing a network of policy analysts for enhanced agricultural development and food and nutrition security in Kenya

ILRI (www.ilri.org) works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centers dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. The AgriFoSe2030 Program was developed by a consortium of scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Lund University, Gothenburg University and Stockholm Environment Institute and hosted by the SLU Global (Agricultural Sciences for Global Development) platform. AgriFose2030 targets the Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 (SDG2) in low-income countries through a science-based approach on local, regional and global scales. SDG2 aims at ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. AgriFoSe2030 contributes to sustainable intensification of agriculture for increased food production on existing agricultural land; the aim is to do so by transforming practices toward more efficient use of human, financial and natural resources. It translates state-of-the–art science for supporting better policies and improved practices within the agricultural sector. This translation is achieved through a set of activities, some of which aim to improve the capacity to synthesize and translate science into information that is directly applicable, and some are about performing this translation per se. This is the final report that covers the period from October 2017 to 31 October 2018

Gender Differentiation in the Analysis of Alternative Farm Mechanization Choices on Small Farms in Kenya

Using multinomial logit we analyze factors that influence the choice of mechanization technologies in Nyanza Province. The results show that farmers are aware of the attributes of the mechanization technologies, and that animal traction is the most commonly used. Gender, formal and informal training of the household head, and technology attributes influence the choice of mechanization technology. This study recommends increased formal and informal training, extension, credit, and tractor hire services to facilitate knowledge transfer, credit, and tractor availability. The study also recommends enactment of laws that increase women's access and control of productive resources.mechanization, technology, gender, choice

Integrating livestock in CAADP framework: Policy analysis using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model for Ethiopia

Researchers and policymakers increasingly recognize that the livestock sector supports the livelihoods of a large proportion of rural households in most African countries and may play an important role in rural poverty reduction strategies. To develop this insight, economy-wide models should capture both the biological, dynamic relationships between the stocks and flows of livestock and economic linkages between this sector and the rest of the economy. This study extends an existing dynamic recursive general equilibrium model for the Ethiopian economy so as to better model the livestock sector. A separate herd dynamics module enables researchers to specify stock-flow relationship, distinguishing between the capital role of livestock and the flow of livestock products. The authors also improved the underlying system of economic accounts to better capture draft power and breeding stocks. They used this model to simulate separate, realistic Total Factor Productivity (TFP) shocks to three agricultural subsectors—cereals, cash crops, and livestock—and compared them to a baseline scenario replicating the 1998–2007 productivity trends, following Dorosh and Thurlow (2009), who examined CAADP productivity scenarios. The results revealed the important role of the livestock sector in increasing various measures of GDP and combating food insecurity. Agricultural GDP and overall GDP growth levels achieved in the livestock TFP shock scenario are very similar to those achieved in the cereal TFP shock scenario, contrary to previous assumptions. Importantly, as factors are dynamically re-allocated between agricultural activities, our analysis highlighted the inefficiency of strategies focusing on cereal sector development alone. Moreover, livestock sector productivity growth led to greater factor income growth, particularly labor income, than in the other simulations. Labor is the predominant asset of poor household; hence, a livestock-led scenario realizes large gains in income and food consumption growth