Rural producer organizations (RPOs), such as farmers’ organizations or rural cooperatives, offer a means for smallholder farmers in developing countries to sell their crops commercially. RPOs hold particular promise for Sub-Saharan Africa, where small-scale farming is the primary livelihood but commercialization of foodcrops is very limited. Using the experience of smallholders in Ethiopia as a case study, this research monograph identifies the benefits of RPOs for small farmers, as well as the conditions under which such organizations most successfully promote smallholder commercialization.
Smallholders' commercialization through cooperatives
PDF...
Since the early 1980s, Guinea’s agricultural research and development (R&D) has been marked by contracting expenditures, whereas its human resource capacity has remained more or less unchanged. In 2008, the country employed 229 full-time equivalent (FTE) agricultural researchers, and public agricultural R&D expenditures totaled 3.9 billion Guinean francs or 3.2 million PPP dollars (both in constant 2005 prices), which is well below the levels recorded in the 1980s.
PDF file:
guinea-note.pdf(149.9KB)...
In
Africa,
Guinea,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates,
full-time equivalent (FTE) agricultural researchers,
extension services,
research and development (R&D),
goods and services,
English
After three decades of fluctuating but overall diminishing public agricultural research and development (R&D) spending in Zambia, the downward trend of investment accelerated during 2001–08. In 2008, Zambia spent 20 billion kwacha or 8 million PPP dollars on public agricultural R&D, both in 2005 constant prices, compared with 24 billion kwacha or about 10 million PPP dollars in 2001, and 89 billion kwacha or 37 million PPP in 1991. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar values in this note are expressed in purchasing power parity (PPP) prices.
PDF file:
zambia-note.pdf(160.4KB)...
In
Zambia,
Southern Africa,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Prices,
full-time equivalent (FTE) research staff,
agricultural research and development (R&D),
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
goods and services,
English
Agricultural research and development (R&D) in Sierra Leone virtually ceased in the 1990s due to the ravages of civil war. Several researchers were killed by rebels, research facilities and equipment were destroyed or severely damaged, and many research stations were abandoned as staff took refuge in Freetown (Asenso-Okyere et al. 2009). When peace was finally declared in 2002, Sierra Leone embarked on what will be a long road toward reconstructing its agricultural research infrastructure and capacity. As a result, agricultural R&D spending rose rapidly.
PDF file:
sierra-leone-note.pdf(447.6KB)...
In
Sierra Leone,
full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers,
agricultural research capacity,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Prices,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
research and development (R&D),
goods and services,
English
After a period of steady increases throughout the 1990s, public agricultural research and development (R&D) expenditures in Mauritius began to decline from 2002. In 2008, the country invested 336 million Mauritian rupees or 23 million PPP dollars on agricultural R&D, compared with 456 million rupees or 31 million PPP dollars in 2002 (in 2005 prices), representing a decrease of about 25 percent. Note that, unless otherwise stated, all dollar values in this note are based on PPP exchange rates.
PDF file:
mauritius-note.pdf(165KB)...
In
Mauritius,
purchasing power,
full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers,
Southern Africa,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
research and development (R&D),
English
After a period of relative stagnation in the 1990s, agricultural research and development (R&D) spending in Ghana increased dramatically after 2002. In 2008, Ghana spent 352 billion cedis or 95 million PPP dollars on agricultural R&D (both in 2005 constant prices) compared with 151 billion cedis or 41 million dollars in 2002. Unless otherwise stated, all investment data in this note are expressed in purchasing power parity (PPP) prices.
PDF file:
ghana-note.pdf(172.8KB)...
In
ghana,
agricultural research and development,
uneven growth,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Prices,
full-time equivalent (FTE) research staff,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
English
Since the early 1990s, public agricultural research and development (R&D) spending in Kenya has varied considerably from year to year, while agricultural research capacity showed a more stable trend.1 In 2008, Kenya spent 4.5 billion Kenyan shillings or 154 million PPP dollars (both in 2005 constant prices) on agricultural R&D. Unless otherwise stated, all investment data in this note are expressed in purchasing power parity (PPP) prices.
PDF file:
kenya-note.pdf(165.3KB)...
In
kenya,
East Africa,
agricultural research capacity,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Prices,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
research and development (R&D),
goods and services,
English
The Gambia is one of Africa’s smallest countries, so its agricultural research and development (R&D) capacity and investment levels are understandably low compared with most of its neighbors. The country’s total agricultural R&D investment levels have been erratic over the past two decades due to significant fluctuations in government and donor funding. In 2008, The Gambia invested close to 20 billion dalasis or 2.6 million PPP dollars in agricultural R&D, both in 2005 prices. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar values in this note are based on purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates.
PDF file:
gambia-note.pdf(161KB)...
In
Gambia,
full-time equivalent (FTE) research,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates,
research and development (R&D),
goods and services,
English
When Eritrea achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a long war, the country’s economy was in ruins, and public infrastructure and institutions were seriously damaged or destroyed. The new government faced a long process of establishing public-sector organizations to stimulate economic growth and provide basic services. Strengthening national agricultural research and development (R&D) and extension services was high on the list of priorities.
PDF file:
eritrea-note.pdf(152.1KB)...
In
economic growth,
Eritrea,
ERITREA [EAST AFRICA],
public infrastructure,
East Africa,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
KCID,
extension services,
research and development (R&D),
English
Community-based financial organizations (CBFOs) are user-owned and -operated groups that provide mainly saving and lending services but may also offer other financial services such as insurance. These independent organizations are based in local communities, with local governance and management. CBFOs range in size. They can take the form of informal and unregistered groups of five to seven people, usually women, who meet weekly to save small amounts of money that they then lend to each other and possibly to other members of the community.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF...
In
lending,
Insurance,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
Community-based financial organizations (CBFOs),
saving,
IFPRI-1,
English
Many people in the vast rural areas of Africa lack access to financial services, and most commercial banks are not interested in moving into these areas due to their low income levels, lack of scale economies, and poor infrastructure. Also, few banks actually understand the most common economic activity in rural areas: agriculture.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF file:
focus18_04.pdf(318.7KB)...
In
farmers,
supply chain,
agriculture finance,
rural banking,
Agricultural development -- Africa,
Rabobank,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
English
Before the late 1970s, rural dwellers in Ghana had almost no access to institutional credit for farm and nonfarm activities, and in many rural communities, secure, safe, and convenient savings and payment facilities hardly existed. In response to this situation, the Government of Ghana took several measures to increase access to credit in rural areas, including facilitating the establishment of rural and community banks (RCBs). This brief discusses the history of RCBs, their business model, their services, and their financial performance.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF...
In
rural areas,
Credit,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
Financial institutions,
rural and community banks (RCBs),
savings,
rural banking,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
ghana,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
English
Credit for investments that pay back in the medium to long term (three to five years or longer) is in short supply in rural areas. Credit unions and microfinance institutions (MFIs), which generally have better outreach than commercial banks in rural areas, typically provide only short-term credit. Credit available from informal sources (such as moneylenders, family, and friends) is usually both short term and too costly for investment financing.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF file:
focus18_06.pdf(370KB)...
In
developing countries,
assets,
financial leasing,
rural areas,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
Since the establishment of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh in 1976, microfinance has boomed. As of December 31, 2007, 3,552 microcredit institutions had reached 154 million clients worldwide, about 106.6 million of whom were among the poorest when they took their first loan. Such expansion can be at least partly attributed to the widely adopted practice of group lending in microfinance programs. In contrast to individual lending, group lending (or joint liability) grants a loan to a group of borrowers, and the whole group is liable for the debt of any individual member in the group.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in...
In
Asia,
India,
South Asia,
Indira Kranti Patham (IKP) program,
Micro-credit programs.,
self-help groups (SHGs),
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
Over the past three years, payment strategies for emerging markets have been revolutionized by the advent of a simple cell-phone-based payment service in Kenya called M-PESA (“M” for “mobile” and “pesa” for “money”). From a small-scale pilot program in 2006, M-PESA has become an outstanding success in Kenya; customer response has been unprecedented. Currently, more than 9 million Kenyans use M-PESA to perform tens of millions of transactions every month throughout the country. Although this success has led to new opportunities, it has also brought about many unforeseen challenges.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance...
In
M-PESA,
Mobile Phone,
safe money transfers,
small-scale pilot programs,
rural areas,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
rural banking,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
kenya,
East Africa,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
English
I dentity theft is a common crime the world over. In developing countries, the damage caused by identity theft and identity fraud goes far beyond the individual victim, however, and ultimately creates a direct impediment to progress, particularly in credit markets. Recent research reveals that biometric technology can help reduce these problems.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF file:
focus18_09.pdf(319.4KB)...
In
Malawi,
commodities,
conditional cash transfers,
subsidies,
Biometric technology,
rural areas,
Credit,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
Insurance,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
East Africa,
Africa,
IFPRI-1,
English
A griculture is an inherently risky economic activity. A large array of uncontrollable elements can affect output production and prices, resulting in highly variable economic returns to farm households. In developing countries, farmers also lack access to both modern instruments of risk management—such as agricultural insurance, futures contracts, or guarantee funds—and ex post emergency government assistance. Such farmers rely on different “traditional” coping strategies and risk-mitigation techniques, but most of these are inefficient.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor...
In
Risk management,
Rural finance,
agricultural finance,
agriculture finance,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate event associated with warming sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. In years of extreme El Niño events, areas in northern Peru experience catastrophic flooding. As of 2010, it is possible for stakeholders in northern Peru to purchase a new form of insurance that pays out just as flooding begins and stakeholders begin incurring extra costs and consequential losses.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF file:
focus18_11.pdf(321.6KB)...
In
peru,
South America,
flooding,
America,
index insurance,
ENSO insurance,
forecast index,
farmers,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
Poor people in developing countries are vulnerable to a broad range of shocks that affect their livelihoods, including illness, accidents, and death as well as loss of assets such as animals, crops, and machinery. The poor are still predominantly rural, and their vulnerability is even higher than that of their urban peers. Health facilities are less available and less well equipped in rural areas; water, sanitation, roads, and telecommunication are less developed; and people are less educated and not as aware of risk-mitigation mechanisms.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF...
In
Microinsurance,
agricultural development,
rural development policies,
Rural poor,
Rural finance,
rural areas,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
India has nearly 90 million farm households. More than 80 percent of these farmers operate on a small or marginal scale, farming less than two hectares of land. They also usually have one or two buffaloes or cows, reared for milk and dung. Most of these small and marginal farmers fall below the poverty line. To reduce overall poverty in India, it is important to enhance the incomes of small and marginal farmers.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor
PDF file:
focus18_13.pdf(330.7KB)...
In
agricultural extension,
Rural poverty,
BASIX,
Sustainable livelihoods,
Asia,
India,
South Asia,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
IFPRI-1,
English
Agriculture is the largest economic sector in most African countries and remains the best opportunity for economic growth and poverty alleviation on the continent. Yet, sadly, the sector has been in decline over the past 40 years, and poor farmers have largely remained poor. This failure is due to many factors, including collapsed agricultural development banks, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor soils and seeds. It has also occurred because smallholder farmers lack access to critical information, market facilitation, and financial intermediation services.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance
Innovations in Insuring the Poor...
In
Poverty reduction,
Small-scale farmers,
DrumNet,
Supply chain management,
agriculture finance,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
2020 Focus Brief,
economic growth,
IFPRI-1,
English
Most rural households lack access to reliable and affordable finance for agriculture and other livelihood activities. Many small farmers live in remote areas where retail banking is limited and production risks are high. The recent financial crisis has made the provision of credit even tighter and the need to explore innovative approaches to rural and agricultural finance even more urgent.
Innovations in rural and agriculture finance: Overview
Financial literacy
Community-based financial organizations
Rural banking in Africa...
In
Innovation,
financial crisis,
2020 Focus,
Agricultural innovations -- Developing countries,
Rural households,
Small farmers,
Poverty reduction,
Microinsurance,
peru,
South America,
America,
Rural finance,
Malawi,
Asia,
India,
South Asia,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
agriculture finance,
rural banking,
2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment,
2020,
DGO,
Director General's Office,
GRP-4,
kenya,
East Africa,
ghana,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
English
Since the turn of the millennium, total investments in agricultural research and development (R&D) in Benin have been on the increase. In 2008, the country’s expenditures totaled approximately 4.7 billion CFA francs or 21.6 million PPP dollars (both in constant 2005 prices). Unless otherwise stated, all dollar values in this note are based on purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates.
PDF file:
benin-note.pdf(159.3KB)...
In
Benin,
National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin (INRA,
purchasing power parity (PPP),
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
full-time equivalent (FTE) research staff,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
Knowledge, Capacity, and Innovation,
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI),
ASTI Country Brief,
ASTI,
KCID,
research and development (R&D),
English
It is now widely accepted that AIDS in not just a health issue. In the recently developed Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the Malawi people and government designated HIV/AIDS as a crosscutting issue, and the Malawi National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework 2000-2004 calls for “an expanded, multi-sectoral national response to the epidemic.” However the capacity to respond to these calls lags behind. In many sectors, policy making still proceeds as if HIV/AIDS never happened.
PDF file:
renewal_wp1.pdf(238.1KB)...
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is assisting the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR) in facilitating the process of updating Nigeria’s agricultural strategy with inputs from academia, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
PDF file:
nsspworkshopreport16.pdf(420.3KB)...
In
Nigeria,
Strategy,
Agriculture,
GRP-32,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
NSSP Workshop Report,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English
Evidence-based policymaking relies on findings from research and analysis. The availability of information and data is the foundation for sound policy advice, but developing countries lack access to the timely knowledge and data fundamental for drawing reliable conclusions from research. Without a strong information management system, policy arguments are less likely to be effective. Therefore, it’s important to understand the relationship between research findings and decisionmaking.
PDF file:
nssppb21.pdf(358.1KB)...
In
Libraries,
Communications,
agricultural research,
Development Strategy and Governance,
DSGD,
Capacity strengthening,
CD,
NSSP Brief,
Nigeria,
GRP-32,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is assisting the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR) in facilitating the process of updating Nigeria’s agricultural strategy with inputs from academia, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
PDF file:
nsspworkshopreport16.pdf(420.3KB)...
In
Nigeria,
Strategy,
Agriculture,
GRP-32,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
NSSP Workshop Report,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR) is updating Nigeria’s agricultural development strategy document to make it meet the requirement of evidence-based strategy formulation. In line with this goal, the FMAWR in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) organized a retreat to draft an update of the Nation’s Agricultural Strategy, otherwise known as the National Food Security Program Document.
The objectives of this workshop were to:
· provide a background for the agriculture strategy document,
PDF file:
nsspworkshopreport15.pdf(391.8KB)...
In
Nigeria,
Strategy,
Agriculture,
GRP-32,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
NSSP Workshop Report,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the FMAWR, envisions improving its food security by facilitating equitable access, availability and affordability of quality foods to all Nigerian. This vision has become more important as global food prices have risen. Achieving this vision requires deliberate and sustained efforts to improve agricultural productivity growth through strategic investments in the input system: seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation.
PDF file:
nsspworkshopreport13.pdf(479.1KB)...
In
improved seed,
seed,
constraints,
Nigeria,
Agriculture,
GRP-32,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
NSSP Workshop Report,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English
In line with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR)’s vision of ensuring access, availability, and affordability of quality foods to all Nigerians and the objectives of the USAID Global Food Security Response Project of doubling agricultural productivity and removing constraints to movement of staple crops in Nigeria and beyond, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the FMAWR, USAID MARKETS program, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is in the process of identifying development domains for different c
PDF file:
nsspworkshopreport14.pdf(374KB)...
In
GSSP,
development domains,
Nigeria,
Agriculture,
Nigeria Strategy Support Program,
NSSP,
NSSP Workshop Report,
Africa,
West Africa,
IFPRI-1,
AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA,
English