Indian agriculture perpetuates – and therefore must reckon with – numerous threats to ecological, economic and social sustainability. These arise for the most part from the commodification of nature and the reliance on external inputs into increasingly industrialized forms of agriculture. Low external input agriculture like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, and the like, are viable alternatives that are more likely to deliver outcomes suitable to the structure of Indian agriculture. However, they too depend on the commodification of nature as the sole source of economic framing. An alternate framing, the Stewardship Economy, would build on stewardship, a ‘duty of care’ that values monetized and non-monetised products and services within the framing of rewards, framed as stewardship dividends, to farmers and other stewards of land and landscapes. Developing a stewardship economy as the framework for Indian agriculture would lead to a more resilient, equitable and optimistic future for Indian agriculture.
Tag: agriculture
Does Agricultural Commercialisation Increase Asset and Livestock Accumulation on Smallholder Farms in Ethiopia?
The transition of farmers from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture is meant to reduce hunger, increase wellbeing and accelerate rural economic progress. While an impressive extant literature has analysed agricultural commercialisation effects on welfare from an income, expenditure and consumption perspective, authors place less attention on the implications on asset holdings, which is a more robust long-term measure of welfare. Using chickpea production in Ethiopia as a case, we assess the effects of chickpea commercialisation on household asset ownership and livestock holdings of smallholder farmers. We employ a household fixed-effects estimator to control for time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity and account for possible endogeneity using an instrumental variable approach. For comparison purposes, we also evaluate the income effects of chickpea and examine impact heterogeneity using quantile regressions. Our results indicate a positive impact of agricultural commercialisation on assets, livestock ownership and income. We found commercialisation to benefit all farmers in terms of impact heterogeneity, though with higher gains for asset-rich households. Despite this rising asset inequality, we conclude that increased agricultural commercialisation can contribute to economic development of households and reduce rural poverty.
Measuring Soil Quality Indicators under Different Climate-Smart Land Uses across East African Climate-Smart Villages
The present study assessed soil physical-chemical characteristics as reliable soil health indicators in six climate-smart land use types; agroforestry, community forest, cropland with soil and water conservation (SWC), crop land without SWC, grassland and control across climate-smart villages (CSVs) in Lushoto (Tanzania), Hoima (Uganda), Wote and Nyando (Kenya). Soils were sampled at three depths; 0–15 cm, 15–45 cm and 45–100 cm and then analyzed for bulk density (BD), pH, exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K, Na), extractable Fe, Mn, Zn, exchangeable acidity (ExAc), Electrical conductivity (EC), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Land use types and sampling depths significantly affected soil properties (p < 0.05), High bulk density (BD) was measured at 45–100 cm depth in grassland (1.47 g/cm3) and crop land (1.50 g/cm3) in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. BD in Ugandan grasslands was statistically lower (p < 0.05) than BD in other land use types at all depths. Soil pH of surface soil (0–15 cm) ranged from 6.67 ± 0.67 (agroforestry) to 6.27 ± 0.85 (grassland). Ex. bases (Ca, Mg, K and Na) and extractable Fe, Mn, Zn, ExAc, EC, TC, TN and CEC were significantly affected by land uses (p ≤ 0.05). Soil properties were significantly correlated, a positive correlation between silt % (p < 0.01) and pH, sand and Ca (p < 0.05). EC and pH, exchangeable Ca, exchangeable bases, exchangeable K and C: N ratio was observed. There was a negative correlation (p < 0.05) between pH and clay. The study has shown that improving soil properties using land use systems leads to an increase in soil nutrients.
Co-production, uptake of weather and climate services, and welfare impacts on farmers in Senegal: A panel data approach
Climate change and variability have been identified as major threats to key sectors such as agriculture that drive economic growth and sustainable development in developing countries. The provision of tailored weather and climate information services (WCIS) that meet users’ expectations can play an important role in helping decision makers adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change and climate However, the evidence base showing the benefits of WCIS is still thin. This study analyzes the impact of uptake of tailored seasonal and daily weather forecasts that are mediated by a multidisciplinary working group (MWG) on crop productivity and household income of smallholder farmers in Senegal. A two-season balanced dataset in combination with panel econometrics was used to explore the impact of uptake of weather and climate information on crop income for farmers in Senegal. The data were complemented by participatory surveys that provide richer contextual information to explain the causal pathways that link farmers’ uptake with increased crop income for farmers with access to the MWG. Results show that the use of weather and climate information increased the value of crop produce by between 10 and 25% for farmers with access to an MWG. Coordinated platforms that involve diverse stakeholders like the MWGs play a critical role in co-producing weather and climate information that are more usable to farmers, thereby improving uptake and livelihoods. The impact pathways and implications for policy are discussed. This study expands the limited evidence base on the role of weather and climate services in improving the livelihoods of smallholder by (i) going beyond the use of cross-sectional and using longitudinal data, (ii) analyzing causal impacts on farmer’s livelihoods, i.e., crop yields and household income and (iii) using participatory approaches to better explain the causal impact pathways.
The Farmland Biodiversity Score for consistent monitoring of biodiversity based on the measurement of trees on farms
Trees on farms are a critical tool in managing agriculture to support biodiverse landscapes and will play an important part in complementing protected areas as a means of reaching biodiversity targets. A lack of systematic data for the biodiversity in agricultural land means monitoring global targets is difficult. There is an unmet need for repeated, consistent and low cost indicators of agricultural biodiversity, applicable at wide scale and across different landscapes. Here we present the proof of concept for an indicator of the biodiversity value of agricultural landscapes through assessing properties of their trees. Using freely available satellite data products to estimate wooded area, structural diversity and spectral diversity of agricultural lands, landscapes are scored on the biodiversity value. The outputs of which can be mapped at national scales. Qualitative validation shows promising results in four case studies in a variety of agricultural contexts, with the scores reflecting what we expect from photointerpretation of sites across the case study areas. This tool has the potential to be a useful and much needed indicator, and with further development could be a critical metric for the post-2020 agenda for measuring and monitoring agricultural biodiversity.
Partnerships for scaling Gender and Nutrition Sensitive Climate-Smart Agriculture: Science for Impact 2015-2021
P4S is a cross-institution program led by World Agroforestry (ICRAF) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in collaboration with other CGIAR centers, development, government and private sector partners. P4S supports scaling up and out of CSA by working in close collaboration with partners to generate credible, relevant and legitimate evidence.
Assessing the Performance of Agricultural Development Investments A Practical Guide using the SIPmath™ Standard
The global community must make significant investments to address climate change and build resilience in agricultural systems. Within climate-smart agriculture investment portfolios, all sizable projects face uncertainty and risk and must be adaptively managed to achieve success.[1]–[4]. This paper presents notes for calibrating a user-friendly tool to screen and compare investment options: The Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP) Cost Benefit-Analysis (CBA) Tool. The CSAIP-CBA models a 20-year period following investment implementation and uses a probabilistic approach to account for uncertainty in project costs and benefits subject to risks and adoption barriers. The model includes measures for number of beneficiaries, adoption rates, estimated impacts, and budget and costs while also considering risks and GHG emissions. Implementation examples of the CSAIP-CBA tool are drawn from investment portfolios prepared for Ghana and Burkina Faso; these suggest that carbon pricing and adoption rate assumptions should be considered when prioritizing investments.
Designing a modular approach towards innovation (Example: Developing and scaling Climate-Information Services)
Food system transformations will require a new approach towards innovation to be able to deliver impacts at scale. Innovations need to be context-specific and respond to myriads of different famers’ needs. Modular design is a ‘new’ way to design, bundle and scale innovations. This Info Note outlines the main principles and phases of modular design, with the example of Climate Information Services (CIS). Special attention would need to be given to aspects of inclusion, data ownership and a potential misuse of the approach to scale unsustainable practices.
Expanding Opportunities: A Framework for Gender and Socially-Inclusive Climate Resilient Agriculture
Limiting global warming to the 2°C target that countries have committed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, will require large-scale expansion of climate-resilient approaches in agriculture and food systems. In order to achieve the scale of change required, coordinated action is needed from global to local levels, from research to policy and investment, and across private, public, and civil society sectors. But at the same time, differential approaches are needed to address gender equality and women’s concerns in climate-resilient agriculture. This article sets out a conceptual framework for scaling up climate resilient agriculture (CRA) approaches that are gender and socially inclusive by taking into account these constraints and inequalities across wider areas and different aspects of CRA. It builds on gender and climate-resilient agriculture research and project experience to argue that the additional integration of women’s empowerment approaches and dimensions into this scaling framework provides the opportunity to promote gender equality while scaling up. It also identifies gaps and areas for further analysis and research. The intention is to identify potential pathways for developing a gender- and socially-inclusive set of options and strategies, in four key dimensions: climate resilient technologies and practices; climate information services that reach under-reached groups; inclusive finance mechanisms; and promoting leadership in decision-making. Copyright © 2021 Huyer, Simelton, Chanana, Mulema and Marty.
Learning pathway: Course flows & blueprint
This course is a pivotal contribution to FAO’s vision of fostering a Better Environment, particularly focusing on Biodiversity for food and agriculture. Aligned with FAO’s strategic initiatives, the course is fortified by the approval of the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Agricultural Sectors and the 2021-23 Action Plan, emphasizing the importance of targeted policies and practices for sustainable use, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems.