Economics of Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management and Poverty in Eastern Africa : The Extent, Drivers, Costs and Impacts

Land degradation – defined by the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) initiative as a “reduction in the economic value of ecosystem services and goods derived from land” – is a serious impediment to improving rural livelihoods and food security of millions of people in the Eastern Africa region. The objectives of this study are fourfold: to identify the state, extent and patterns of land degradation in Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania), to estimate and compare the costs and benefits of action versus inaction against land degradation; to assess simultaneously the proximate and underlying drivers of land degradation and the determinants of adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM); and to assess the causal effects of land degradation on households welfare. More recently, satellite–based imagery and remote sensing have been utilized to identify the magnitude and processes of land degradation at global, regional and national levels. This involves the use of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and the use of high quality satellite data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Results based on NDVI measures show that land degradation occurred in about 51%, 41%, 23% and 22% of the terrestrial areas in Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively between the 1982-2006 periods. To ensure accuracy of the NDVI observations, ground-truthing was carried out in Tanzania and Ethiopia through focused group discussions (FGDs). Following the Total Economic Value (TEV) framework, the annual cost of land degradation between 2001-2009 periods is about 248 million USD in Malawi, 1.3 billion USD in Kenya, 2.3 billion USD in Tanzania, and 4.4 billion USD in Ethiopia – representing about 5%, 7%, 14% and 23% of GDP in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Ethiopia respectively. Taking action against land degradation is more favorable than inaction in both short-term (6 year) and a long-term (30 year) periods. During the 30-year period, for every dollar spent on taking action against land degradation is expected to return about $4. The study uses nationally representative household surveys and robust analytical techniques to capture a wide spectrum of heterogeneous contexts. Findings show that the key proximate drivers of land degradation include temperature, terrain, topography and agro-ecological zonal classification. Important underlying drivers of land degradation include factors such as land ownership, distance from the plot to the market, size of the plot, access to and amount of credit, and household assets. The adoption of sustainable land management practices is critical in addressing land degradation. Secure land tenure, access to extension services and market access are significant determinants incentivizing SLM adoption. This implies that policies and strategies that facilitate secure land tenure and access to SLM information are likely to incentivize investments in SLM. Local institutions providing credit services, inputs such as seed and fertilizers, and extension services must also not be ignored in the development policies. Evidence from Simultaneous Equation Model with panel data shows significant causality between land degradation (EVI decline) and poverty. On one hand, land degradation significantly decreases household consumption per-capita and increases poverty. On the other hand, household poverty increases the likelihood of land degradation

Awareness and use of m-banking services in agriculture: The case of smallholder farmers in Kenya

Smallholder farmer access to agricultural finance has been a major constraint to agricultural commercialization in developing countries. The ICT revolution in Africa has however brought an opportunity to ease this constraint. The mobile phone-based banking services that started in Kenya urban centers have spread to rural areas and even other countries. Using these services farmers could receive funds invest in agriculture finance transactions. This study examines the awareness and use of m-banking services among rural farmers in Kenya. It also assesses the factors conditioning the use of such services. The study finds high awareness of m-banking services among the smallholder farmers. It also finds that education, distance to a commercial bank, membership to farmer organizations, distance to the m-banking agents, and endowment with physical and financial assets affect the use of m-banking services. It discusses the implications of these findings for policy and practice.Mobile phones, m-banking services, awareness and use, smallholder farmers, Kenya, Financial Economics,

Linking Household Food Security and Food Value Chains in North West Mt. Kenya

Smallholder farmers and pastoralists produce the largest proportion of food consumed in sub-Saharan Africa. However, they remain among the food insecure populations. This paper explores the food (in)security among smallholder farmers and pastoralists using a sample of 175 households in three agro-food value chains of wheat, dairy, and beef in the north-west Mt. Kenya region. The study seeks to answer if a farmer’s participation in a particular agro-food value chain determines his/her food security situation. We use the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and two Poisson regression models, parsimonious and full, to assess the household food security status and determinants of food security among the smallholder farmers and pastoralists. The results show that 61% of the households were either mildly, moderately, or severely food insecure. Households in the beef value chain experienced relatively higher incidences of food insecurity compared to households in the wheat and dairy value chains. The HFIAS scores revealed a wide gap between households with minimum and maximum score. Household size, income and income-related variables (ability to save and borrow to meet family needs), transport assets, membership in farmers’ associations, and household energy were significant in determining household food security, while access to credit and to extension services was not. Strategies that focus on boosting smallholder farmers’ incomes, building strong and resilient farmers associations to improve inclusive and equitable value chains have the potential to get smallholder farmers out of recurrent food insecurity.ISSN:2071-105

The architecture of the Sudanese agricultural sector and its contribution to the economy between 1990 and 2021

The paper reviews the performance of the Sudanese agricultural sector over the last three decades (1990 through 2021) and examines the drivers of that performance. Key findings show that the sector’s contribution to gross domestic product was greater during the 1990–1999 period than during the other two decades; agricultural productivity as well was higher in that decade than in the subsequent two decades. The sector has remained a major source of employment and livelihood. During the last decade reviewed (2010–2021), the sector regained its leading position as a generator of foreign currency. Public investment in agriculture and government spending allocated to the sector were lower than in other countries in the region. Political elites have generally lacked commitment to development plans in the sector. Political developments in Sudan have disrupted more recent efforts to revitalize the sector. Climate change, as manifested in rising temperature, declining rainfall, and drought, is a substantial determinant currently affecting the sector. The paper discusses some broad recommendations for improving the performance of the Sudanese agricultural sector

Social Safety Nets for Food and Nutritional Security in India

This paper brings together existing literature on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRGEA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, offering a narrative review of the evidence on impacts on food security, health and nutrition of beneficiaries. Both programs operate on a large scale and have the capacity to impact the factors leading to undernutrition. It is evident that despite the deficiencies in implementation, both the MGNREGA and the PDS are inclusive and reach the poor and the marginalized who are likely to also experience greater undernutrition and poor health. Data challenges have however prevented researchers from conducting studies that assess the ultimate impact of these two large-scale programs on health and nutrition. The evidence that exists suggests largely positive impacts indicating a clear potential to make these programs more nutrition sensitive not just by incorporating elements that would explicitly address nutritional concerns but also by directing specific attention to innovations that strengthen critical complementarities and synergies that exist between the two programs

Skills development for value chain actors in African agriculture

This chapter highlights policies and interventions related to skills development and training for agricultural and food value chain development in Africa. The opening section provides the background and context for the study. The section that follows is dedicated to describing skills gaps and the training needs of various agrifood value chain actors in Africa. The next section describes skills development and training provision for agrifood value chain actors. It provides an overview of continental policies and interventions that characterize skills development for agricultural value chain actors, discusses some examples of significant agricultural technical and vocational education and training (ATVET) initiatives in selected countries in Africa, mulls participation of the private sector in skills development and training, and discusses the prospects of a “dual system” of skills development in African agriculture. The final section concludes the chapter with a summary of main findings and some policy implications.PRIFPRI4; ReSAKSSAF