The effect of climate change adaptation strategies on bean yield in central and northern Uganda

This paper analyses the impact of adaptation to climate change on bean productivity on a micro-scale using instrumental variable techniques in a two-stage econometric model, using data collected from farming households in northern and central Uganda. We employed the bivariate probit technique to model simultaneous and interdependent adoption decisions, and the ordered probit to model the intensity of adaptation. We modelled the impact of adaptation using instrumental variables and the control function approach because of the potential endogeneity of the adaptation decision. The driving forces behind adoption of the two selected adaptation strategies were heterogeneous. Location-specific factors influenced the intensity of adaptation between the two study regions. The effect of adaptation was stronger for households that used a higher number of strategies, evidence that the two adaptation strategies need to be used simultaneously by farmers to maximise the positive impact of adaptation

Gender, social capital and information exchange in rural Uganda:

"Changing agricultural research and extension systems mean that informal mechanisms of information diffusion are often the primary source of information about improved seed and practices for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates the interactions between gender, social capital and information exchange in rural Uganda. Within the framework of farmer-to-farmer models, we conceptualize the informal information diffusion process to comprise social capital accumulation and information exchange. We assume that each agent participates in information exchange with a fixed (predetermined) level of social capital and examine how endowments of social capital influence information exchange, paying close attention to gender differences. A multinomial logit model is used to analyze multiple participation choices of information exchange facing the farmer. Findings demonstrate that social capital is an important factor in information exchange, with men generally having better access to social capital than women. We also find strong evidence in support of group-based technology dissemination systems. " Authors' AbstractGender, Social capital, information exchange, Informal mechanisms, Agricultural research, Seed systems, Agricultural technology, Collective action,

Pulse consumption and demand by different population subgroups in Uganda and Tanzania

In recent years, the strategic importance of pulses in combating malnutrition and addressing health problems associated with overnutrition and obesity has been well acknowledged. However, previous research emphasized the production side and little is known about pulse consumption patterns by different groups of people. This study investigated pulse consumption patterns and demand by different socioeconomic groups in rural and urban localities of Uganda and Tanzania. Using the data compiled in the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) that are nationally representative of urban and rural households in Uganda and Tanzania, the study investigates the economic, temporal and spatial dimensions of pulse consumption and used econometric methods to evaluate the responsiveness of pulse demand to price and income changes. A two-stage censored food demand system was estimated to obtain consistent and unbiased unconditional expenditure and price elasticities for food and several food categories, including common bean in Uganda and pulses in Tanzania. Results indicate that consumption of pulses tend to increase with wealth and during harvesting periods as well as being higher in locations where production is also high. This emphasizes the important role that increased production of pulses could play in boosting consumption. Per capita consumption and contribution of pulses to protein in both countries is high. For example, in Uganda, bean contribute an average of 14.4 g of protein per person per day in rural areas, which is equivalent to 24% of the total daily per capita protein intake. In both countries, the poorer and wealthier households purchase a sizeable share of their consumed pulses. Pulse consumers are price sensitive and there is limited substitution for pulses, which suggests that price increase poses a risk for the nutritional security of the poor. Although projections in demand and supply growth rates indicate that supply might grow faster than demand, exports from both countries are growing faster than supply and this is likely to put pressure on domestic prices and further constrain demand among poorer households. Therefore, it is important to act now to avoid possible reduction in pulse consumption by poorer households that could lead to higher prevalence of malnutrition. Investment in agricultural research will be crucial such that farming households can adapt to a changing climate while increasing pulse productivity

Analyzing the drivers and challenges of feed-in tariff policy in Kenya

A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Public Policy and Management at Strathmore UniversityFeed-in in Tariffs (FITS) policies are used by many developed and developing countries world over as a mechanism to promote renewable energy development across various technologies including hydro, wind, solar PV, geothermal, biomass and biogas. The tariffs are administratively determined and producers of power from renewable energy sources are guaranteed a right to sell the power generated to an off-taker at a fixed tariff for a set period. The research focused on the Kenyan FIT policy which was introduced in 2008 and revised in 2010 and 2012. The research problem was that if the FIT policy for Kenya remains in place electricity prices will not be competitive, project development will delay, it will not attract investment in some technologies and the country’s energy targets will not be met. The general objective was to analyze the drivers and challenges of the FIT policy in Kenya. The study approach was descriptive and qualitative and relied on secondary data sources and primary data collection from key informant interviews (KIIs). A purposive sample of key informants was used. Qualitative data analysis adopted a thematic analysis approach whereby common themes were identified from the KIIs. Findings from the study reveal that the main drivers for the FIT policy were to promote generation of electricity from renewable sources, attract investment and independent power producers (IPPs) to the sector, reduce transaction and administrative costs and the need for conformity with global standards or commitments. Secondly, findings reveal that the key challenges for the FIT policy relate to the unavailability of technical expertise for policy design and inefficiencies in policy implementation. The findings on alternative mechanisms to promote the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources include net metering, mini-grids and auctions or competitive tendering. FIT policies achieved marginal effects with the lack of impact on the energy industry attributed to ineffective implementation of policies and a general misalignment of interests among stakeholders. The main recommendation from this study is that the FIT policy should be revised to address the challenges associated with it and retained for projects below 10MW and the auction mechanism should be introduced for projects above 10MW. In addition, that net metering and mini-grids should be implemented as alternative option

Targeting bean research in the face of drought and climate change

Climate change will cause shifts in the areas suitable for cultivation of a wide range of crops including beans (Jarvis and Lane, 2007). Sub-Saharan Africa will be the region most affected. While annual rainfall is likely to increase in East Africa due to climate change there is less consensus on variability of rainfall between and within seasons (van de Steeg et al, 2008). Nevertheless climate change is predicted to have serious adverse effects on the agriculture of Kenya (Kabubo-Mariara and Karanja, 2006). Drought and floods will increase, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas

Social capital and technology adoption on small farms : the case of banana production technology in Uganda

In recent years, development practitioners and policy makers have increasingly become interested in social capital as an additional instrument for economic development. However, within the applied economics literature on the adoption of agricultural technologies, research on the role of social capital in adoption decision-making is scant. Furthermore, there is a paucity of information regarding the determinants of social capital accumulation among rural households in developing economies. This study examines the nature of the relationship between social capital and crop management decisions of Ugandan banana farmers. This dissertation develops a model of technology adoption that incorporates social capital and offers two explicit mechanisms through which social capital may influence technology adoption. A model of the agricultural household, which considers the effects of incomplete markets in farm production decisions, provided the theoretical framework for an econometric analysis to predict the choice and demand of improved banana management technology. The core theoretical framework was extended by explicitly incorporating social capital as a component of exogenous income and information accumulation processes. Empirical analysis was based on the primary data collected in a survey of 400 banana-producing households in Uganda through face-to-face interviews with the primary production decision makers. The households were selected from the three major banana-producing regions of Uganda using multi-stage random sampling methods. A combination of econometric methods was employed. A Probit model was used to estimate the probability of using an improved banana management practice and participation in an association. The extent of use of improved banana management practices was estimated by two methods, namely, ordinary least squares (OLS) and the Heckman procedure to account for sample selection in some equations. Intensity of participation in associations was estimated with a Poisson model. A negative binomial model that allows for over dispersion in the data was employed to identify the determinants of the intensity of participation in private social networks. The results of the study indicate that different aspects of social capital shape the decision to use and the extent of use of an improved management practice, but the nature of effect is specific to the practice as well as the form of social capital. Participation in associations and the characteristics of those associations are important determinants of banana production management decisions. Participation in associations and private social networks is, in turn, influenced by household wealth, education, institutional environment, and social heterogeneity of the community. Aside from social capital, other factors that are significant in explaining variation in use of improved crop management practices among farmers have been identified. Market incentives and household factor endowments were the most important of these factors in decisions regarding use of improved banana management practices. The existence of separability between consumption and production decisions, a major analytical feature of the model of the agricultural household, also appears to be practice-specific, which suggests that production orientation is associated with the use of practices.Thesis (PhD (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Developmentunrestricte