Socio-economic impact of ecological agriculture at the territorial level

This deliverable investigates the socio-economic effects of ecological approaches to farming through implementing two participatory approaches, namely Delphi exercise and Q-method, at the level of a case study area (CSA). The focus is on how people and other productive assets are employed and remunerated by ecological approaches to agriculture, particularly those aspects that can influence employment, and drive the prosperity and vitality of local communities and some rural businesses. It is based on the collaborative research on Task 4.2 ‘Socio-economic impact of ecological agriculture at the territorial level’ of the LIFT project between UNIKENT (United Kingdom-UK) (Task Leader), BOKU (Austria), INRAE (France), VetAgro Sup (France), DEMETER (Greece), MTA KRTK (Hungary), UNIBO (Italy), IRWiR PAN (Poland), IAE-AR (Romania), SLU (Sweden), SRUC (UK). Beginning with the Delphi exercise, this deliverable presents qualitative information extracted from stakeholders in the following four steps. First, the researchers build a presentation of differences between ecological and conventional farming approaches in each CSA. Second, stakeholders elaborate on how they understand ecological farming approaches to exist in each CSA. Third, stakeholders develop a scenario of adoption of ecological approaches to farming depending on two factors: pattern (ecological farms forming clusters or randomly spread within the territory) and rate of adoption 10 years in the future. After establishing this scenario across two rounds, the stakeholders explore the socio-economic effects of their adoption scenario. The Q-methodology then presents a Q-set of statements that the Delphi has developed and, through factor analysis,studies the key stakeholder perspectives of the socio-economic effects of the perceived adoption of ecological practices in 10 years in the future. Four key results can be derived from the Delphi exercise and the Q-methodology. First, a higher adoption of ecological farming approaches, especially so at a 50% adoption rate, is mostly thought by stakeholders in the Delphi Exercise to lead to an increase in skill level and quality of life in on-farm employment. This is as a result of an increased diversity of farming enterprises on farms using ecological farming approaches, the interest generated from this, the knowledge of natural processes and biology required, engagement with nature and change in machinery that is coming into the industry. Strongly related to this need for skills is a predicted increase in the number of advisers and civil servants to deal with more complicated farms and incentives as well as monitoring of ecological effects on farm. An increase in required skill level is repeated across all Q-studies. Second, especially where farms are clustered together, Delphi Exercise respondents predict an increase in the trade of inputs such as manure and compost replacing synthetic fertiliser, as well as more sharing of capital and labour. Q-methodology highlights that these clusters may support a stronger social movement, more consumers buying local food and increase collaboration between farmers. Supply chains are expected to become shorter as farmers sell more directly and there are fewer intermediaries upstream of the farming sector. As farmers collaborate more with each other on environmental objectives, trading inputs and sharing best practices, farmer relationships should improve in rural communities. Third, Delphi exercise finds that contracting, machinery purchasers, and machinery traders and dealers could increase, decrease or display no change – the anticipated effects are mixed. Stakeholders are in no doubt that machinery use will change and therefore new skills will need to be learnt, but the wider effect on machinery purchase is uncertain. However, stakeholders conclude that a greater specialisation in machinery will occur leading to changes in farm management as well as the suppliers of this machinery. Q-methodology highlights that ecological practices will not mean the end of machinery and a lot more labour – often machinery will be useful in weeding and reducing physical labour as technology has significantly improved and skills are improving too in order to use these technologies. Fourth, Delphi respondents argued that although rural populations might be little affected by ecological farming, a shift in people moving from urban to rural settlements, and thereby a higher rural population density, seeking a more attractive rural environment, might contribute to higher local consumer demand. The Q-methodology highlights that where there is high adoption, rural areas are expected to become more attractive, as landscapes will have a much greater variety of crops instead of fields of monocrops. This variety of crops may include agroforestry (farmers interested in ecological approaches to farming may also be interested in agroforestry as a way of boosting their yields and protecting crops and livestock from the elements) as well as intercropping

Resilience to food insecurity: theory and empirical evidence from international food assistance programmes in Malawi

This research aims at investigating the impacts of food assistance programmes on the resilience to food insecurity of the beneficiary household under the World Food Programme (WFP) and Oxfam America\u2019s (OA) project \u201cThe R4 Rural Resilience Initiative\u201d implemented in rural and vulnerable areas of Malawi during the period 2015-2016. The empirical analysis uses the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis II (RIMA-II) methodology of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and a reflexive method for impact evaluation. RIMA II analysis reveals positive relationships between programme interventions and higher levels of food security and resilience. The impact analysis shows positive impacts of the R4 rural initiative, demonstrating an improvement of the resilience, food security, access to loans and insurance, and in savings. The final conclusion is that food assistance programmes enhanced the beneficiary households\u2019 resilience to food insecurity

Resilience to food insecurity and households' head gender: insides from food assistance in Malawi

none1noThis research aims at investigating the impact of food assistance programmes on the resilience to food insecurity levels of rural agricultural households headed by females that are beneficiaries of the project “The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative” of the World Food Programme and Oxfam America’s, implemented during the period 2015-2016. During the empirical analysis, first, resilience and food security levels are estimated using the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis II methodology of the Food and Agriculture Organization. Second, a reflective and reflexive method are used for a descriptive performance assessment of female vs male-headed households, before and after the project implementation. Finally, matching and difference-in-difference techniques, with an emphasis on gender, are used for impact evaluation. The performance analysis shows positive and significant effects of the project participation on male and female-headed households, being these effects on male-headed larger than in their counterparts. The impact evaluation shows a negative and significant relationship between female headed households’ programme participation and the variation of the outcome variables, but a positive and significant relationship between program participation and the levels of resilience and food security of female-headed households.openLascano Galarza, Monserrath XimenaLascano Galarza, Monserrath Ximen

Biofuels and Food Security: Future Challenges and Opportunities

The chapter investigate the relations between bio-fuel production and food security in developing countries, analyzing in depth the competition between agriculture for food or energy production and the broad debate around “food vs. fuel”

Analizando programas de M\ue1ster en el \ue1mbito de la cooperaci\uf3n al desarrollo desde la perspectiva del desarrollo humano: exploraci\uf3n y comparaci\uf3n de tres experiencias

La evaluaci\uf3n de la calidad de los programas acad\ue9micos se basa normalmente en criterios objetivos, cuantitativamente medibles, sobre la base de que la educaci\uf3n es esencialmente una inversi\uf3n en el capital humano, en coherencia con una visi\uf3n de la sociedad y la educaci\uf3n centrada en el mercado. En este art\uedculo, sostenemos que los valores fundamentales del Desarrollo Humano (DH) tales como el bienestar, la participaci\uf3n y el empoderamiento, la equidad y la diversidad y la sostenibilidad, son igualmente relevantes, tanto personal como profesionalmente, y deben ser considerados en la evaluaci\uf3n de la calidad de la educaci\uf3n superior, en particular en el caso de los programas de M\ue1ster en Cooperaci\uf3n al Desarrollo. Son dos las preguntas de investigaci\uf3n que queremos abordar: primero, c\uf3mo y en qu\ue9 medida estos programas son eficaces en la transmisi\uf3n de los valores fundamentales del DH; segundo, si y en qu\ue9 medida estos valores son considerados por los propios alumnos relevantes para su vida personal y profesional. En general, el objetivo es el de verificar si el paradigma del DH puede proporcionar una nueva perspectiva para una mejor comprensi\uf3n de lo que caracteriza a un programa de formaci\uf3n de alta calidad. Con este objetivo en mente, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio piloto en tres programas de M\ue1ster en cooperaci\uf3n al desarrollo que guardan ciertas similitudes y est\ue1n ubicados en tres diferentes pa\uedses - Italia, Espa\uf1a y Palestina. Los tres programas tienen como objetivo la formaci\uf3n de profesionales y t\ue9cnicos de la cooperaci\uf3n y el desarrollo; no est\ue1n orientados espec\uedficamente para ofrecer un programa de desarrollo humano pero, cada uno de ellos, dispone de m\uf3dulos espec\uedficos sobre este tema adem\ue1s de compartir una perspectiva pluar sobre enfoques de desarrollo. Somos muy conscientes de que el n\ufamero de programas de M\ue1ster considerados, as\ued como el n\ufamero de observaciones recogidas no son representativos. Y de ninguna manera queremos generalizar los resultados obtenidos. Desde el punto de vista metodol\uf3gico, nuestro objetivo es poner a prueba una metodolog\ueda y obtener resultados preliminares con el fin de abordar nuestras preguntas de investigaci\uf3n. Este trabajo est\ue1 organizado en cinco partes principales, adicionalmente a esta introducci\uf3n. La secci\uf3n 2 describe la justificaci\uf3n del uso de la perspectiva del desarrollo humano para la evaluaci\uf3n de programas de educaci\uf3n superior e introduce el estudio piloto. La secci\uf3n 3 proporciona una visi\uf3n general de los tres programas que se analizan (c\uf3mo est\ue1n estructurados y organizados, su gobernanza, las relaciones con asociaciones, etc.) con el objetivo de resaltar sus similitudes y diferencias. La secci\uf3n 4 describe la encuesta, la muestra y el cuestionario. La secci\uf3n 5 presenta y comenta los principales resultados. Finalmente, la secci\uf3n 6 ilustra lo que aprendemos de este estudio piloto y presenta las conclusiones

Resilience to Food Insecurity: Theory and Empirical Evidence from International Food Assistance in Malawi

This research investigates the impacts of food assistance on resilience to food insecurity of the beneficiary households under the World Food Programme and Oxfam America’s project “The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative” implemented in rural and vulnerable areas of Malawi during the period 2015-2016. The empirical analysis uses three main techniques: the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis II methodology of the Food and Agriculture Organization to measure resilience and food security; a reflexive method for a descriptive performance assessment; matching techniques for impact evaluation. The performance analysis and the impact evaluation reveal positive and significant relationships between programme interventions and resilience to food insecurity, showing also improved household access to loans insurance and savings