Gender analysis of sweetpotato value chains: The impact of introducing orange-fleshed varieties to industrial buyers in Homa Bay and Bungoma, Kenya.

Under the auspices of the CIP‐led Scaling Up Sweetpotato through Agriculture and Nutrition project (SUSTAIN), the study reported here sought to understand how the introduction and commercialization of orange-fleshed sweetpotato has affected opportunities and constraints for smallholder sweetpotato farmers, particularly women. A social relations approach was used for the study which included surveys, in‐depth interviews, focal groups discussions, and analysis of existing data. Data collection was carried out in March 2018

Closing the gaps in customs laws and regulations to boost trade capacity : will Uganda's ratification of the trade facilitation agreement offer the remedy?

The last few years have witnessed countries making every effort to prioritise enhancement of international trade. While there has been great and significant success in those efforts, one major concern still prevails and that is the need to ensure efficient Customs management which presents an impediment to effective participation in international trade. Accordingly, the main supply constraint that has hampered Uganda?s participation in international trade has mainly been sloppy customs- related legislation which allows for inefficient, slow and unreliable customs clearance procedures. This mini-dissertation sets out to study the gaps in the law relating to customs management in Uganda as one of the major supply-side constraints limiting her the trade capacity and whether the ratification of Trade Facilitation Agreement under the WTO framework would open the space for enactment of appropriate laws or amendment of the existing ones with the main aim of closing the current gaps and ultimately up scaling Uganda?s trade capacity and unleashing her potential for international trade and economic growth.tm2017Centre for Human RightsLLMUnrestricte

Scaling up sweetpotato through agriculture and nutrition (SUSTAIN): M&E system review

The primary objectives of this monitoring and evaluation review exercise were: to assess whether the design of the SMILER forms and processes is adequate to generate reliable and quality monitoring data: this included a review of data to do spot checks on quality, consistency, and timeliness; to assess whether we have used these forms and processes consistently, and what constraints we have faced in trying to do so; to collect project managers’ views on the practicality and weaknesses of our Simple Measurement of Indicators for Learning and Evidence‐based Reporting (SMILER) system, and their recommendation for improving it; and to get project managers’ views on how to improve data handling and storage

The impact of school nutritional campaigns on OFSP adoption and food security among smallholder farming households in Tigray region, Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, the International Potato Center (CIP) and regional partners piloted a 2-year project that promoted production and consumption of vitamin A-rich OFSP as part of diversified diets. The project adopted school-based nutritional campaigns wherein school gardens and school feeding were piloted in 11 schools between 2011 to 2013. The schools served centres for the dissemination of planting material (vines) and transfer of information on benefits of OFSP and its production practices to parents

Incentives and disincentives to investment in orange-fleshed sweetpotato - The case of a pro-poor public-private partnership in Rwanda. Technical assessment of orange-fleshed sweetpotato value chain in Rwanda.

Value chain development that involves smallholder farmers has become a key focus for donors, government and development agencies to reduce poverty. However, these value chains face various challenges, in part due to smallholders’ inability to take risks required to invest. This calls for creation of incentives to propel the development of such value chains and attract private investors. The aim of this study was to document the incentives created along the implementation pathway of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) value chain development in Rwanda. The study used qualitative data collected through key informant interviews (KIIs) among purposely selected value chain actors and gender segregated focus group discussions (FGDs). Quantitative data collected as part of routine project monitoring has been used to corroborate and further explain trends reported in the qualitative data. The results show that, through pro-poor public-private partnerships in rural Rwanda, an OFSP value chain that links smallholder farmers to formal markets has been established. Various incentives that were created during development of the chain are highlighted. Challenges and possible uncertainties as value chain actors expand their operations have been identified

Tracing Uganda’s global primary organic pineapple value chain

The organic sector is one of the fastest growing sectors globally. The sector provides an opportunity for developing countries to export high value products in the global market. One such opportunity for Uganda is the export of organic pineapples. The organic pineapple enterprise is relatively new, having existed for approximately 10 years. This paper traces the organic pineapple value chain, characterises and explains the functions of the actors in the chain. The study used the Global Value Chain Analysis Framework, using data obtained from 140 organic farmers, 10 exporters and 3 support institutions in Uganda. It is clear from the study that the chain is private- sector-driven, has relatively young smallholder farmers, and comprises of 10 small scale export companies. Only 45% of the organic pineapples produced by farmers reach the organic consumers. Reasons for this included limited processing capacity of exporters, competition from conventional buyers and the few local organic consumers. Other reasons were declining soil fertility, limited regulative institutional support and poor infrastructure. We recommend increased use of soil amendments, favourable legislations and investment environment, increased horizontal coordination among exporters and increasing the range of the organic export products in order to increase organic pineapple sales.Keywords: Certification, organic consumer value strea

Micro and meso-level issues affecting potato production and marketing in the tropical highlands of Sub-Saharan Africa: The known and the unknowns

This study uses ecological system theory to examine the micro and meso level factors that affect and are affected potato production in Sub-Sahara Africa. It focuses on gender, environmental factors, food security. The data and information used were collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study finds that gender use within the households is changing. It also finds that dwindling land sizes and soil fertility are encouraging the migration potato plots to fragile margins while increased pest and disease pressure is encouraging greater reliance on pesticide -- resulting into increased incidences of pesticide poisoning, all of which have definite effects on the environment and sustainability of potato production and agriculture in general. It concludes that farm household (micro-level) decisions on potato production are driving and being driven by the environmental/ physical (meso) level ecology. The study discusses the implications of its findings for policy and sustainability of agricultur

Risk factors for road traffic accidents in Gulu municipality, Uganda

Background: Currently Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) are ranked tenth among the leading causes of death and ninth among all leading causes of disability worldwide. There has been no published study on RTA in Gulu municipality. There is a high frequency of RTA in Gulu municipality with poor road design and inadequate knowledge on road safety precaution among road users.Objectives: To establish the causes of Road Traffic Accidents (RTA), establish the safety measures in place to protect road users to avoid RTA and establish people mostly involved and the mechanism of RTA.Design: A cross-sectional studySettings:Four divisions of Gulu Municipality; Layibi, Laroo, Pece and Bardege.Subjects: Two hundred and forty two participants including pedestrians, drivers of different categories of vehicles, motorcyclists and bicyclists locally known as bodaboda and the police were interviewed.Results: Most respondents reported RTA as a problem in Gulu municipality (96%), causing death (48%), financial constraint due to medical treatment (41%) and disability (11%). The following causes of RTA were identified; reckless driving and riding (49%), poor road design (24%), drug abuse (15%) and over loading (12%). According to police records of January to September 2009 RTA involved pedestrians (36.34%), passengers (25.80%), motorcyclists (24.88%), pedal cyclists (11.52%) and drivers (3.68%).Conclusion: RTAs is a substantial burden in Gulu municipality in Northern Uganda with reckless driving or riding, poor road design, overloading, double parking, inadequate road safety signs and knowledge, were major risk factors. Efforts to reduce RTA in Gulu municipality should aim at addressing these problems

Assessment of Striga hermonthica infestation and effectiveness of current management strategies in maize-based cropping systems in eastern Uganda

Striga is a major constraint to cereal production in the tropics, particularly on soils of low fertility. Striga causes 30 to 80% cereal crop losses in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to assess farmers’ perception of level of infestation and efficacy of current management options of Striga (Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth) in maize-based cropping systems in eastern Uganda. A survey was conducted in Iganga district in eastern Uganda, involving 360 households. On the basis of the survey outputs, on-farm trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of a herbicide seed-coating technology, imazapyr herbicide resistant maize (IR-maize) variety, either as a sole crop or intercropped with soybean (Glycine max) or common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L). The study revealed that S. hermonthica caused more than 50% maize (Zea mays) yield loss and farmers were dissatisfied with the existing control practices. Farmers’ knowledge about Striga was mainly sourced from agricultural extension service providers. The on-farm trials revealed that IR-maize provided effective protection against S. hermonthica infestation. Also, intercropping Longe 6H maize variety with either soybean or common beans significantly reduced Striga infestation in farmers’ fields. Longe 6H-soybean intercropping reduced Striga infestation by 32%; while Longe 6H-common bean intercropping reduced Striga infestation by 14%. Intercropping either IR-maize or Longe 6H hybrid (farmer-preferred) with the aforementioned legumes, reduced S. hermonthica infestation (30–50%) and improved maize yield parameters (20-30%). For effective management of S. hermonthica in the maize-based cropping systems in eastern Uganda, farmers should be encouraged to adopt the improved IR-maize and intercrop farmer-preferred maize varieties with legumes in order to improve maize yields

Effect of agriculture-nutrition education and extension services on early adoption and diffusion of biofortfied crops: The case of orange-fleshed sweetpotato in Kenya

Biofortification of crops as part of the effort to combat micronutrient deficiencies especially in developing countries gaining global recognition. Recent award of world food price to biofortification of staple crops has further energized efforts to promote the cultivation and consumption of biofortified crops. As part of the promotion efforts, some projects use intensive agriculture-nutrition education and extension to increase adoption of such crops by vulnerable households and their diffusion in local communities. This study used discrete choice regression analysis and data collected from households targeted by a project with one of the most intense agriculture-nutrition education and extension program to test the effect of such education and extension program on the adoption and diffusion of biofortfied crops. The study was conducted in western Kenya and involved 537 households with children under 5 years, a pregnant or lactating women. The study finds that intensive agriculture-nutrition education and extension programs adopted by some of the biofortification projects indeed increases the likelihood of adoption and diffusion of biofortified crops. It specifically finds that participation in events that offer practical education on the agronomy and preparation of foods from such crops, participation in mother-to-mother nutrition support platforms and nutrition-focused health talks affect adoption and diffusion of biofortified crops, but with varying degrees of importance. Among control factors, ability to conserve the planting material over dry period and household assets-endowments are important in both adoption and diffusion of biofortified crops. The paper discusses the implications of these findings