Nutrition-sensitive value chains: A guide for project design

A first-of-its-kind, this new Guide from IFAD presents practical, step-by-step guidance for shaping value chain projects to improve nutrition. The Guide highlights challenges and opportunities in establishing nutrition-sensitive value chains (NSVCs) and looks at how they can produce positive outcomes, not only in terms of generating income but also for improving nutrition for smallholder producers. The Guide was developed using an in-depth participatory and consultative approach. Beginning from available evidence, the NSVC framework was developed, field tested and then validated by national and international experts. The Guide is relevant not only for IFAD but also for others that recognize the critical importance of incorporating nutrition and improving diets through value chain projects. Governments, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, and other institutions and development agencies working in agriculture, food systems, nutrition and rural development will find the Guide useful

International Consultation on the NARS Vision of International Agricultural Research

Declaration, conclusions, and recommendations of a consultation among representatives of national agricultural research systems (NARS) in developing countries convened by IFAD in Rome in December 1994. The NARS representatives identified six areas in which improvements were required to improve the functioning of both national and international agricultural research. These were setting the research agenda, developing partnerships, improving capacity building, developing participatory governance between NARS and the CGIAR, exploring funding support, and sustaining momentum.The document was distributed at the CGIAR Ministerial-level Meeting in February 1995 and discussed at TAC 66 in March 1995

Report of the Preparatory Meeting for the Global Forum on the NARS-CGIAR Partnership Initiative

A meeting of regional associations of NARS and many others involved in international agricultural research was held in Jakarta, May 17 and 18, 1996 just prior to the convening of MTM96, in preparation for a global meeting of NARS scheduled in connection with ICW96 This report of the preparatory meeting was presented to MTM96.The meeting discussed the results of four regional fora conducted according to the Outline Action Plan written by a NARS Working Group and endorsed by ICW95. These actions were intended as steps toward realization of the NARS-CGIAR partnership initiative called for at the Lucerne Ministerial-level Meeting in February 1995. It was expected that the global NARS meeting in October 1996 would be followed by an initial meeting of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research at some future time.Agenda document, CGIAR Mid Term Meeting, May 1996

Strengthening National Wheat and Rice Research Systems

Report of an international consultation on 'Strengthening National Agricultural Research Systems to Assume an International Role in Specific Areas of Wheat and Rice Research and Training' held in Rome January 26-28, 1987. The forward is by Idriss Jazairy, President of IFAD, which sponsored the meeting. It was cosponsored by IDRC, SAREC, GTZ and the Rockefeller Foundation. Participants and observers were mainly drawn from CGIAR donors, centers, and national research systems.The purpose of the meeting was to explore how national research institutions could be strengthened by sharing research responsibilities with IARCs. The report included several papers on the status and priorities of research in rice and wheat, looking at the roles of IARCs and some of the stronger national systems, and the relationships among them. Also an overall summary of the discussions, reports from working groups on wheat and rice, and a list of participants and observers.Agenda document, CGIAR meeting, May 1987

Proceedings of the Validation Forum on the Global Cassava Development Strategy, Rome, 26-28 April 2000 : A review of cassava in Asia with country case studies on Thailand and Viet Nam, Volume 3

Volume also available in the librar

Supplemental Materials: Scalability Assessment Tools and Resources

INCLUDED: USAID/MSI (United States Agency for International Development/Management Systems International), Agricultural Scalability Assessment Tool (ASAT) Step 1: Decision tree Step 2: Evaluate scalability using a worksheet/matrix Detailed ASAT criteria PPP Lab Food & Water and CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) The Scaling Scan – A practical tool to determine strengths and weaknesses of a scaling ambition IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Questions on scaling up to be considered when designing an IFAD project to reach greater impact The phases of scaling u

The Impact of Drought on Sub?Saharan African Economies

Summary Drought shocks can have potentially large, but highly differentiated economy?wide impacts, depending on the structure and resource endowments of an economy. Counter?intuitively, drought shocks have the greatest economy?wide impact in countries at intermediate rather than early stages of development. This has important policy implications for the appropriateness of various drought relief and mitigation measures in different economies. Resumé L'impact de la sécheresse sur les économies sous?sahariennes de l'Afrique Potentiellement, l'impact de peut répercuter dans de domaines nombreux la sécheresse mais hautement différentiés de l'économie, en fonction des structures et des ressources dont l'économie en question est dotée. Contrairement à ce que l'on pourrait croire, l'impact de la sécheresse est le plus répandu et le plus généralisé dans les pays en stade intermédiaire de leur développement, et non dans les stades initiaux. Les implications de ce phénomène sont importantes: surtout en termes des politiques qu'il serait approprié, au sein des différentes économies, de mettre en vigueur dans les diverses actions pour le soulagement de la sécheresse et pour l'atténuation de ses effets. Resumen El impacto de la sequía en las economías del Africa sub?Sahariana La sequía puede tener un impacto potencialmente grande aunque altamente diferenciado en la economía, dependiendo de la estructura y recursos de ésta. Los choques o sequías repentinas tienen su impacto más grande en los países en una fase intermedia de desarrollo, y no en los países en las primeras etapas del mismo. Esto trae implicaciones políticas importantes al decidir en la eficacia de las distintas medidas de socorro y mitigación en diferentes situaciones económicas

Youth and agriculture: Key challenges and concrete solutions

With older farmers less likely to adopt new technologies, the need to re-engage youth in agriculture is vital if productivity is to be increased sustainably. This publication provides real-life examples of how this can be done. It shows how tailor-made educational programmes can provide rural youth with the skills necessary to engage in farming and adopt environmentally friendly production methods. Clearly laid out, with numerous case studies, photos and examples, topics covered also include accessing land and finance, connecting to markets and ‘green’ jobs

Study on appropriate warehousing and collateral management systems in sub-Saharan Africa - Volume 3 - Review of applicable laws

Farmers throughout the developing world face considerable challenges in accessing finance, and this can often influence their decision-making. These challenges must be addressed with financing solutions tailored to the different actors of the agricultural value chain. Warehouse receipt financing enables the post-harvest part of the value chain to function more efficiently and is a potentially useful tool for helping farmers access to funding. This is the core subject of this report

Study on appropriate warehousing and collateral management systems in sub-Saharan Africa - Volume 2 – Technical country reports

Farmers throughout the developing world face considerable challenges in accessing finance, and this can often influence their decision-making. These challenges must be addressed with financing solutions tailored to the different actors of the agricultural value chain. Warehouse receipt financing enables the post-harvest part of the value chain to function more efficiently and is a potentially useful tool for helping farmers access to funding. This is the core subject of this report