Hot Topic - Archive
Fiddling in Rome While the World Burns?
FAC member John Thompson reflects on the 2008 World Food Summit, arguing that any solutions will require the international community to move beyond simple, short-term technical or market ‘fixes’ and address the political economy of food and agriculture.
The Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) recently published an in depth evaluation of the 2006-07 Malawian government subsidy programme for fertilisers. The evaluation, by Andrew Dorward (FAC and University of London) and Ephraim Chirwa (FAC and University of Malawi), assesses the impact and implementation of the Malawi Government Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme (AISP) in order to provide lessons for future interventions in growth and social protection. This follows on from a similar study covering 2005-06 by Blessings Chinsinga (University of Malawi).
Resources:
Evaluation Report:
Evaluation of Malawi Input Subsidy Programme 2006/07
by Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa
Working Paper:
Lessons Learned from the 2005/06 Malawi Input Subsidy Programme
by Blessings Chinsinga
Discussion Paper:
Rethinking Agricultural Input Subsidies in Poor Rural Economies
by Andrew Dorward, Peter Hazell and Colin Poulton
FAC Briefing:
Rethinking Agricultural Input Subsidies in Poor Rural Economies
FAC Briefing:
The Malawi Fertiliser Subsidy Programme: politics and pragmatism
Global assessments have become the focus of considerable international scientific interest and the mobilisation of vast institutional, technical, human and financial resources. They are often presented as transparent, objective exercises where the politics of knowledge and debates about the legitimacy, credibility and salience of different points of view are set aside in favour of building a consensus towards scientifically informed policy making. But what happens if the fundamental differences between conflicting visions of the right course of action remain?
An African Green Revolution? Some personal reflections - October 2007
Momentum for an African Green Revolution is gaining ground. But what, in the words of Kofi Annan, words does a a ‘uniquely African green revolution' mean, and ultimately what should it achieve?
Ethiopian food prices have increased significantly recently, so much so that the consequences are forcing policymakers to rethink their strategies for agricultural development in Ethiopia. But what is the the long-term solution?
Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture: Beyond the Hype? - November 2007
There has been much hype about the prospects of ‘sustainable agriculture’, but little rigour on exactly what we mean by a sustainable agricultural system. The new book 'Self-sufficient Agriculture' by consortium-member Robert Tripp offers case studies that highlight the important interactions between labour, knowledge and technology innovation and adoption.
Seasonality: four seasons, four solutions? - April 2007
Families with undiversified livelihoods must survive all year long on one or two harvests. If a harvest fails, then what? Here Stephen Devereux argues - contrary to current thinking- that popular targeted cash transfers really are the 'fourth best solution'.
Growth linkages in agriculture:
single blueprint or multiple trajectories? - Dec. 2006
Growth it seems is the current development mantra. With agriculture often the dominant sector in the economy, getting agriculture onto a growth path is increasingly the core theme of policy documents whether from donors or from national governments. But Where has this argument come from, and what are its limitations and pitfalls?
Aid modalities to agriculture – the end of the SWAp? - November 2006
What have agricultural SWAp delivered so far? And what is the future for the agricultural SWAp? A Future Agricultures perspective.
Millennium Villages - the solution to African poverty? - June 2006
The Millennium Villages project thinks to have solved the problem of African poverty and hunger. But will this largely technical approach really work?
Will Formalising Property Rights Reduce Poverty? - January 2006
This hot topic looks at the work of the High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor in exploring ways of making property rights the right of all citizens.
Soils and Fertilizers - December
2005
With the 'Fertilizer Summit' organised by the IFDC for
Africa taking place in June 2006, this hot topic asks how access to soil
nutrients can be improved?
