THE RESPONSE OF CEREALS TRADERS TO AGRICULTURAL MARKET REFORM IN MALI

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze how Malian traders of coarse grains (millet, maize, and sorghum) have reacted to the cereals market reforms since 1981. The focus is on the coarse grains trade because these cereals historically have comprised the majority of the cereals consumed by Malians and because the response of the rice sector to the reforms is discussed elsewhere in this book (Diarra and Staatz 1999; Dimithè 1999). Dioné (this volume) discusses coarse-grain farmers' response to the reforms, so that topic is only discussed briefly here. The chapter draws heavily on a large body of research carried out by Malian, North American and European researchers since 1985 and on a recent evaluation of the PRMC in which the authors participated (Dembélé, Traoré, and Staatz 1999; Shields, Staatz, and Dembélé 1999; Egg, 1999).Marketing,

THE IMPACT OF MARKET REFORM ON AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION IN MALI

The purpose of this paper is to review the Malian experience with cereals market reforms over the past 18 years and evaluate its contribution to agricultural transformation in Mali. We especially emphasize the importance of the interaction between sectoral reforms, macroeconomic reforms, and technological change in influencing farmers' and traders' incentives to make the investments necessary for agricultural and food system transformation. The paper draws heavily on a large body of research carried out by Malian, North American and European researchers since 1985 (see, for example, Dioné forthcoming; Dembélé and Staatz forthcoming; Diarra et al. forthcoming) and on a recent evaluation of the PRMC in which the authors participated (Dembélé, Traoré, and Staatz 1999; Shields, Staatz, and Dembélé 1999; Egg, 1999).Agricultural and Food Policy, Marketing,

Mali’s Food Security Challenges: An Overview

Mali has a high incidence of malnutrition. The fourth Demographic and Health survey reports that in 2006 the incidence of wasting, stunting and underweight children under 5 years of age was 13.8%, 37.9% and 24.5% respectively in rural areas, and 12%, 24% and 25% respectively in urban areas. While malnutrition is found in all regions of Mali, the regions of Timbuktu and Sikasso have higher than average levels for all three indicators, while the region of Kidal has high levels of wasting. For a detailed analysis of food security indicators see Ward (2010).Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty,

Evaluating the Impact on Market Performance of Investments in Market Information Systems: Methodological Challenges

Evaluating the impact on market performance of investments in agricultural market information systems (MIS) face several methodological challenges. These fall into two broad categories: (a) defining the dimensions of market performance to measure (which is a function of whom the MIS is designed to serve) and identifying reliable indicators of those performance dimensions, and (b) identifying the causal effects of the MIS. The determination of causal effects in turn requires establishing a credible baseline, measuring “treatment effects” (i.e., the effects on economic behavior of receiving improved information from an MIS), dealing with problems of endogenous placement of treatment, and interpreting the validity of stakeholders’ statements and governments’ revealed preferences regarding the utility of MIS. Many of these challenges arise because improved market information can affect the welfare of market actors through improved market polices and increased competition even if those actors do not have direct access to that information. The paper discusses these challenges and identifies approaches that may be useful in developing a “convergence of evidence” concerning whether investment in a given MIS is socially worthwhile.market information services, impact assessment, market transparency, food policies, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Marketing, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C81, D80, H43, N57, 013, Q13,

Achieving Food Security in Mali: Key Issues and Investment Needs

A key role for USAID and its partners is to identify how their resources can best contribute to increasing the capacity of the private and public sectors in Mali to scale up their investments, and increase the impact of those investments, in relation to the food security dimensions of availability, access, utilization and stability. To fulfill this role will involve identifying opportunities presented in the Malian agricultural sector investment plan (PNISA) to address critical needs in each of these dimensions, the types of investment that will best address the needs, and the set of resources and skills that will enable Malian organizations and entrepreneurs to implement those investments successfully and at scale. Even with increased resources, however, it is critically important that the USAID mission make strategic choices about where to focus resources. The scale and depth of rural poverty, and the complex nature of malnutrition, means that resources must be focused to have measureable impacts. The question is for whom, where and how should those resources be focused in the context of Mali’s CAADP compact and investment plan? To stimulate discussion of these questions we first highlight some key challenges and the nature of choices about resource allocation priorities, and then highlight the central role of information to achieve food and nutrition security objectives. We conclude with thoughts on two specific issues: graduating from fertilizer subsidies to free up resources for other investments, and the implications of smallholder heterogeneity for development strategies.Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Development,

Agricultural Globalization in Reverse: The Impact of the Food Crisis in West Africa

Background paper for the Geneva Trade and Development Forum Crans-Montana, Switzerland September 17-20, 2008Africa, globalization, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Q11,

The MSU Food Security Project in Mali: 14 Years of Partnership between Mali-MSU-USAID

Food Security and Poverty, Downloads July 2008-June 2009: 10,

More and Better Teachers for Quality Education for All

This book aims to promote a more holistic approach to teacher policy development, by juxtaposing qualitative, narrative studies that provide insights into the lived experience of male and female teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, with studies focused at the systems level. Besides the introductory and concluding chapter, it contains eight further chapters. Taken together, these chapters convincingly show that effective policy development to ensure an adequate supply of competent teachers requires attention to the connections and relationships between the ‘private’ lives and experiences of teachers and the ‘public’ systems and policy development processes that govern their recruitment, preparation, deployment, conditions of service, working conditions and professional development. The book thus maps out the intersections and relationships between what we can learn from in-depth investigations of the lived experiences of teachers and macro-level processes of systems and policy development. It also provides critical building blocks in the development of more teacher-centred policies, and especially so in the critical contexts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States, and South and West Asia, where the need for new teachers is the most intense

THE REFORM OF RICE MILLING AND MARKETING IN THE OFFICE DU NIGER: CATALYST FOR AN AGRICULTURAL SUCCESS STORY IN MALI

This chapter focuses on how changes in the rules regarding who could compete in rice milling in the ON combined with technological change in rice production and new macro-economic policies (particularly the CFA franc devaluation) to lead to a transformation of rice production and marketing in the ON. The chapter also pays particular attention to the synergies between technological changes in rice production, the introduction of new marketing and macroeconomic policies, and the evolution of institutions governing rice production in the ON on the transformation of agriculture in this region of Mali.Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Compte Rendu de la Reunion du Comite Technique de Coordination des Politiques de Securite Alimentaire

PRESIDENCE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, REPUBLIQUE DU MALI UN PEUPLE UN BUT UNE FOI, COMMISSARIAT A LA SECURITE ALIMENTAIRE; COMITE TECHNIQUE DE COORDINATION DES POLITIQUES DE SECURITE ALIMENTAIRE; SECRETARIAT TECHNIQUEfood security, food policy, Mali, Food Security and Poverty, Q18,