Small ruminant production under pressure: The example of goats in southeast Nigeria

Presents preliminary assessment of animals' performance under a free-roaming and movement-restricted production system and farmers' responses to changed husbandry practices in southeast Nigeria; with particular reference to flock dynamics & male to female ratio; reproductive performance; growth rate; mortality; and farmers management & breeding strategy

Economic analysis of alley farming with small ruminants

Evaluates alley farming models with small ruminants based on field and experimental data from southwest Nigeria, and compares them to basic alley cropping and to fallow systems. Describes the basic fallow model, the basic alley cropping model without animals, the alley farming model with goats, as well as with sheep

Consuming cassava as a staple food places children 2-5 years old at risk for inadequate protein intake, an observational study in Kenya and Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inadequate protein intake is known to be deleterious in animals. Using WHO consensus documents for human nutrient requirements, the protein:energy ratio (P:E) of an adequate diet is > 5%. Cassava has a very low protein content. This study tested the hypothesis that Nigerian and Kenyan children consuming cassava as their staple food are at greater risk for inadequate dietary protein intake than those children who consume less cassava.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A 24 hour dietary recall was used to determine the food and nutrient intake of 656 Nigerian and 449 Kenyan children aged 2-5 years residing in areas where cassava is a staple food. Anthropometric measurements were conducted. Diets were scored for diversity using a 12 point score. Pearson's Correlation Coefficients were calculated to relate the fraction of dietary energy obtained from cassava with protein intake, P:E, and dietary diversity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The fraction of dietary energy obtained from cassava was > 25% in 35% of Nigerian children and 89% of Kenyan children. The mean dietary diversity score was 4.0 in Nigerian children and 4.5 in Kenyan children, although the mean number of different foods consumed on the survey day in Nigeria was greater than Kenya, 7.0 compared to 4.6. 13% of Nigerian and 53% of Kenyan children surveyed had inadequate protein intake. The fraction of dietary energy derived from cassava was negatively correlated with protein intake, P:E, and dietary diversity. Height-for age z score was directly associated with protein intake and negatively associated with cassava consumption using regression modeling that controlled for energy and zinc intake.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Inadequate protein intake was found in the diets of Nigerian and Kenyan children consuming cassava as a staple food. Inadequate dietary protein intake is associated with stunting in this population. Interventions to increase protein intake in this vulnerable population should be the focus of future work.</p

Using social reproduction theory to understand unfree labour

Most scholarship within social reproduction theory focuses on women’s paid and unpaid care and domestic work, typically within the global North. Rarely has social reproduction theory grappled with unfree labour in commodity supply chains, particularly in the global South. However, these labour relations also involve gendered power relations that cut across the productive and reproductive realms of the economy, which can be illuminated by social reproduction theory analysis. In this article, we reflect on how social reproduction theory can be used to make sense of unfree labour’s role in global supply chains, expanding its geographical scope and the forms of labour exploitation encompassed within it. Conceptually, we harness the insights of social reproduction theory, and Jeffrey Harrod and Robert W Cox’s work on ‘unprotected work’ in the global economy to examine how gendered power relations shape patterns of unfree labour. Empirically, we analyse interview and survey data collected among cocoa workers in Ghana through LeBaron’s Global Business of Forced Labour project. We argue that social reproduction theory can move global supply chain scholarship beyond its presently economistic emphasis on the productive sphere and can shed light into the overlaps between social oppression, economic exploitation, and social reproduction

New Agendas for Agricultural Research in Developing Countries: Policy Analysis and Institutional Implications

This article argues that the goals of agricultural research in poor countries have changed substantially over the last four decades. In particular they have broadened from the early (and narrow) emphasis on food production to a much wider agenda that includes poverty alleviation, environmental degradation, and social inclusion. Conversely, agricultural research systems have proved remarkably resistant to the concomitant need for changes in research focus. As a result many, at both the national and international level, are under great strain. In terms of public policy the article goes on to suggest that shortcomings of existing conceptual approaches to technology development could be supplemented by adopting analytical principles that view innovation in systemic terms. An approach where flows of knowledge between institutional nodes is a key to innovative performance (the “National Systems of Innovation” approach) is suggested as one such conceptual framework that might help supplement conventional policy analysis. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a workshop “New Policy Agendas for Agricultural Research: Implications for Institutional Arrangements” held on 28 March 2000 at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India. The workshop was supported by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) Crop Post-Harvest Programme as an output of the project “Optimising Institutional Arrangements.

Socio-economic information for ILCA's small ruminant programme in the Badeku and Eruwa areas, Oyo state, Nigeria

Summarizes information on small ruminant production in Nigeria & analyzes the farming system in the Badeku & Eruwa areas of the Oyo State in Nigeria, estimating household size, farm size, crop distribution, degree of involvment in the cash economy, farm income & importance of non-farm income. Relates these parameters to the number of types of small ruminants kept per household so as to estimate the contribution of small ruminants to household meat consumption & total cash sales of agricultural products in the ILCA surveyed areas. Indicates some of the socio-economic constraints set to intensive small ruminant production, considering labour, capital, infrastructure, marketing facilities & cultural preferences

A review of results of breeding for milk production in the tropics and application of these results to Nigerian conditions

Small ruminants production in Nigeria was examined to determine their socio-economic contribution. Data on household size, farm size, crop distribution, degree of involvement in the cash economy, farm income and importance of non-farm income; in relation to the number of types of small ruminants kept per household so as to estimate the contribution of small ruminants to household meat consumption and total cash sales of agricultural products in the ILCA surveyed areas included. Some of the socio-economic constraints to intensive small ruminant production, considering labour, capital, infrastructure, marketing facilities and cultural preferences indicated

Issues in the design of technology and projects for livestock producers in Africa

Highlights the relationship between types of technology and the involvement of different categories of producers in the Development process. Emphasizes the need to base improvements or changes on existing systems where small livestock/farm systems are the focus. Suggests that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) might have a role to play in facilitating communication between researchers and farmers. Adresses channels for improving communications to adress the wider policy framework