This paper presents an overview of current opportunities and challenges facing efforts to increase the impact of rural and agricultural extension. The starting point for this analysis is in recognition that the days when agricultural extension was synonymous with the work of public sector agencies are over.
The purpose of this article is to investigate effective reformism: strategies that innovation networks deploy to create changes in their environment in order to establish a more conducive context for the realization and durable embedding of their innovation projects. Using a case study approach, effective reformism efforts are analyzed in a technological innovation trajectory related to the implementation of a new poultry husbandry system and an organizational innovation trajectory concerning new ways of co-operation among individual farms to establish economies of scale.
This study examines the role of public–private partnerships in international agricultural research. It is intended to provide policymakers, researchers, and business decisionmakers with an understanding of how such partnerships operate, how they promote the exchange of knowledge and technology, and how they contribute to poverty reduction.
Livelihoods, food security, and development processes in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly dependent on land management practices to generate natural ecosystem goods and services. Out of a total population of about 717 million people, almost 60 percent depend for their livelihood on agriculture, hunting, fishing, or forestry. However, unsustainable land management already is leading to large-scale land degradation trends, which pose a threat to food security and poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change threatens to exacerbate and add to the existing vulnerabilities.
Agricultural marketing is the main driving force for economic growth. But it is poorly developed in most developing countries. The main cause for the poor development of the agricultural production is the poor development of the agricultural marketing. To overcome this problem the government of Ethiopia has developed a master plan to enhance market oriented production. To realize this plan different projects have been developed and implemented in different parts of the country.
Commercial Villages Stores (CVS) Programme has been developed and is being implemented by Farm Concern International (FCI) with financial support from USAID/COMPETE (the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program) in Kenya and Uganda. The programme, which commenced in September 2009, is aimed at graduating smallholder farmers from subsistent farming to market-oriented production as active and reliable agri-commodity value chain players.
The USAID COMPETE (the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program) funded Commercial Village Stores (CVS) project implemented in Kenya, Meru region in Eastern Province and Eastern Uganda (Jinja) has continued to educate the target communities on post harvest solutions at the village level. Quarter 4 (July-Sept 2010) activities sought to build on strengthening the Meru sites collective action in post harvest handling and storage at the village level with an outreach to more than 10000 farmers in Igoji, Tigania East, Tigania West and Tharaka Districts.
The Commercial Village Stores (CVS) project funded by USAID COMPETE (the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program) implemented in Kenya, Meru region in Eastern Province and Western Uganda Bushenyi district has continued to benefit under the project.
Building Agribusiness Capacity in East Timor (BACET) directly contributes to USAID/Timor-Leste’s agriculture and workforce development strategies for economic growth. Though categorized as a capacity building and workforce development activity, many of the key activities of BACET have included infrastructure improvements, which are longer-term in nature. Similarly, teacher training and changed teaching methods have long-term impact.
Building Agribusiness Capacity in East Timor (BACET) directly contributes to USAID/Timor-Leste’s agriculture and workforce development strategies for economic growth. Though categorized as a capacity building and workforce development activity, many of the key activities of BACET have included infrastructure improvements, which are longer-term in nature. Similarly, teacher training and changed teaching methods have long-term impact.