Biofuels, poverty, and growth: A computable general equilibrium analysis of Mozambique

"Large private investments in biofuels are presently underway in Mozambique. This paper uses an economywide model to assess the implications of these investments for growth and income distribution. Our results indicate that biofuels provide an opportunity to enhance growth and poverty reduction. Overall, the proposed biofuel investments increase Mozambique's annual economic growth by 0.6 percentage points and reduce the incidence of poverty by about six percentage points over the 12-year phase-in period. However, the benefits depend on production technology. Our results indicate that an outgrower approach to producing biofuels is more pro-poor, due to the greater use of unskilled labor and accrual of land rents to smallholders in this system, compared with the more capital-intensive plantation approach. Moreover, the expected benefits of outgrower schemes will be further enhanced if they result in technology spillovers to other crops." from authors' abstractBiofuels, economic growth, Poverty, Developing countries,

Orange-Flesh Sweet Potato - Promising Partnerships for Assuring the Integration of Nutritional Concerns into Agricultural Research and Extension

Research Results from the Department of Policy Analysis MARD-Directorate of Economicsfood security, food policy, Mozambique, sweet potato, malnutrition, Crop Production/Industries, Food Security and Poverty, Q18,

Batata Doce de Polpa Cor Alaranjada - Parcerias Prometedoras para Assegurar a Integração dos Aspectos Nutricionais na Investigação e Extensão Agrícola

Resultados das Investigações do Departamento de Análise de Políticas MADER-Direcção de Economíafood security, food policy, Mozambique, sweet potato, malnutrition, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18,

Impact of improved maize varieties on food security in Eastern Zambia : A doubly robust analysis

This study investigates the impact of improved maize varieties on household food security in eastern Zambia using household survey data from a sample of over 800 rural households. Since treatment effect estimates are often prone to misspecification in either the treatment or outcome equation, we use the doubly robust inverse probability weighted regression adjustment method, complemented with propensity score matching on six different food security measures to obtain reliable impact estimates. Generally, we find a positive impact of improved maize adoption on food security across the two econometric approaches. Maize being the most important food staple in Zambia has a great bearing on the food security status of farm households. It is therefore imperative that a conducive environment is created that promotes the adoption of maize yield improving technologies.</p

Women's access to agricultural technologies in rice production and processing hubs: A comparative analysis of Ethiopia, Madagascar and Tanzania

This study presents results from a farmer survey conducted with 560 rice farmers from 27 villages spread over five hubs (concentration areas of rice production and processing) in three different countries in Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania and Madagascar). The main research objective was to assess women’s access to rice technologies and constraints to adoption of technologies. Constraints were analyzed over five different categories: (1) institutional (2) access to agricultural inputs, (3) technology-contextual, (4) household and socio-cultural and (5) extension. Key providers of extension were public (government), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and international organizations. Our study identifies that the overarching constraints to technology adoption are institutional and cultural impediments and related to the mode of delivery of extension services. Furthermore, the Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with the women, revealed that empowerment of women in decision making at the household level can enhance women’s access and engagement in better farming practices suggested under extension advisory services. This is specifically true where women are able to overcome the hurdles of acquisition of extension training and access to the improved technologies

The Economic Impacts of Introducing Bt Technology in Smallholder Cotton Production Systems of West Africa : A Case Study from Mali

Africa has been slow to respond to biotechnology even as its pest management grows increasingly obsolete and insects remain a major adversary of its farming. Opponents of biotechnology cite concerns over the scientific boundaries and potential North-South domination that transgenic crops could bring. This paper reports on the positive aspects of introducing biotechnology in Africa. An economic model was developed to predict the economic impacts to consumers and producers from the introduction of Bt crops in the smallholder cotton farms of Mali. Since farmers rotate cotton and maize in three-year rotations, the analysis considered the introduction of both Bt cotton and Bt maize. Results from an economic model indicate that the potential economic impacts to West African consumers and producers would be significant, potentially reaching $89 million in an average year. For Bt cotton, the benefits would primarily accrue to producers. At a technology premium of$60 per hectare, where seed company revenue is maximized, Malian producer would capture 74% of the benefits and the seed company would capture the other 26%. The model found that the adoption of Bt maize was weaker than Bt cotton. If Malian maize producers were charged the same technology premium as South African producers, the model found that adoption would be less than 10%. The introduction of Bt maize in the region is likely to require complementary changes in maize markets and technology in order to boost profitability.Includes bibliographical reference

Introduction of New Agricultural Technologies and Marketing Strategies in Central Mozambique

This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the potential farmers’ benefits from increases in the productivity of the agricultural sector combined with the introduction of new marketing strategies. The analysis is based on farm-programming models designed to capture the important structural features of farm household decision making in Mozambique. The model explicitly incorporates the harvest income target and satisfaction of household caloric demand through home-consumption of own production before maximizing cash revenues through marketed goods

Introdução de Novas Tecnologias Agrícolas e Estratégias de Comercialização no Centro de Moçambique.

This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the potential farmers’ benefits from increases in the productivity of the agricultural sector combined with the introduction of new marketing strategies. The analysis is based on farm-programming models designed to capture the important structural features of farm household decision making in Mozambique. The model explicitly incorporates the harvest income target and satisfaction of household caloric demand through home-consumption of own production before maximizing cash revenues through marketed goods