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Mid Term Review Future Agricultures Consortium
Mid Term Review Future Agricultures Consortium
November 1, 2007 / Miscellaneous
The Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) is a project funded by the Renewable NaturalResources and Agriculture (RNRA) Team of DFID’s Policy Division. It is a project that has the aim to improve the quality of public policy towards agriculture in low

FAC Meetings Series, Autumn 2007
October 31, 2007 / Workshop Publications
Early in the new century a consensus on agricultural and rural development emerged that provided renewed impetus to efforts to boost both agricultural development and the rural non-farm economy, in a context of ever closer rural-urban linkages and globalisation. Both

FAC Meetings Series, Autumn 2007
FAC Meetings Series, Autumn 2007
October 1, 2007 / Miscellaneous
{jathumbnail off}Early in the new century a consensus on agricultural and rural development emerged that provided renewed impetus to efforts to boost both agricultural development and the rural non-farm economy, in a context of ever closer rural-urban linkages and globalisation.

Synthesis Report for Theme III. Growth and Social Protection
Synthesis Report for Theme III. Growth and Social Protection
October 1, 2007 / Miscellaneous
By Rachel Sabates-Wheeler, Andrew Dorward, John Omiti, Stephen Devereux, Amdissa Teshome, Ephraim ChirwaOctober 2007 This report describes the main activities and outputs of the Future Agriculture Consortium(FAC) under the theme of Growth and Social Protection for Phase I. Core work

Les commercialisations agricoles: les conditions égales pour les petits exploitants agricoles ?
October 1, 2007 / Briefings politiques / Policy briefs in French
La croissance accélérée de l’agriculture est considérée par beaucoup comme déterminante pour répondre aux OMD en Afrique. Pour de nombreux gouvernements nationaux et associations internationales de développement, l’intensification et la commercialisation de l’agriculture paysanne jouent un rôle déterminant dans la

Agricultural Commercialisations – A Level Playing Field for Smallholders?
October 1, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 17 By Jennifer Leavy and Colin Poulton Accelerated growth in agriculture is seen by many as critical to meeting MDGs in Africa. Many national governments and international development agencies see intensification and commercialisation of smallholder agriculture playing a

Agricultural Commercialisations
Agricultural Commercialisations
September 24, 2007 / Miscellaneous
{jathumbnail off}Accelerated growth in agriculture is seen by many as critical to meeting MDGs in Africa. Many national governments and international development agencies see intensification and commercialisation of smallholder agriculture playing a central role in achieving poverty reduction. The potential

Commercialisations in Agriculture
September 24, 2007 / Research Papers
By Jennifer Leavy and Colin Poulton Accelerated growth in agriculture is seen by many as critical if the MDGs are to be met in Africa. Although there are debates about the future viability of small farms (Hazell et al. 2007),

The Social Protection Policy in Malawi: Processes, Politics and Challenges
September 2, 2007 / Discussion Papers
By Blessings ChinsingaSeptember 2007 This paper is based on a study undertaken to critically understand the dynamics of policy-making and processes under the auspices of the Future Agricultures Consortium’s (FAC) sub-theme on politics and policy processes hosted by the Institute

Rethinking Agricultural Input Subsidies in Poor Rural Economies
September 2, 2007 / Discussion Papers
By Andrew Dorward, Peter Hazell and Colin Poulton Agricultural input subsidies were a common element in agricultural development in poor rural economies in the 1960s and 70s, and were a common element of successful green revolutions. Although they have continued

The Social Protection Policy in Malawi: Processes, Politics and Challenges
The Social Protection Policy in Malawi: Processes, Politics and Challenges
September 1, 2007 / Discussion Papers
By Blessings ChinsingaSeptember 2007   This paper is based on a study undertaken to critically understand the dynamics of policy-making and processes under the auspices of the Future Agricultures Consortiums. (FAC) sub-theme on politics and policy processes hosted by the

Rethinking Agricultural Input in poor Rural Economies
Rethinking Agricultural Input in poor Rural Economies
September 1, 2007 / Discussion Papers
By Andrew Dorward, Peter Hazell and Colin PoultonSeptember 2007 As part of discussions on the future of pastoral production systems in East Africa there have been a number of recent interventions arguing that something urgently needs to be done to

Resurrecting the Vestiges of a Developmental State in Malawi? Reflections and Lessons
August 22, 2007 / Research Papers
Blessings Chinsinga August 2007 Malawi has experienced two distinct phases of development (although sub-phases can between be distinguished, especially in the second phase). The first phase spanned from the attainment of independence in July 1964 to the end of the

Synthesis Report for Theme III. Growth and Social Protection
Synthesis Report for Theme III. Growth and Social Protection
August 12, 2007 / Miscelleanous
By Rachel Sabates-Wheeler, Andrew Dorward, John Omiti, Stephen Devereux, Amdissa Teshome, Ephraim ChirwaOctober 2007 This report describes the main activities and outputs of the Future Agriculture Consortium(FAC) under the theme of Growth and Social Protection for Phase I. Core work

Using Social Protection Policies to Reduce Vulnerability and Promote Economic Growth in Kenya
Using Social Protection Policies to Reduce Vulnerability and Promote Economic Growth in Kenya
August 1, 2007 / Discussion Papers
By John Omiti and Timothy NyanambaAugust 2007 Vulnerability and human suffering are major challenges facing large sections of Kenyan society who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Policy reforms have failed to adequately address social protection issues afflicting particularly the

Lessons from Malawi’s 2005/2006 Fertilizer Subsidy Programme
Lessons from Malawi’s 2005/2006 Fertilizer Subsidy Programme
July 1, 2007 / Miscellaneous
{jathumbnail off}This paper is based on research work carried out the under auspices of the Politics and Policy Processes theme of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC). It demonstrates that political context matters in agricultural development policy issues, using as illustration

Bottom Up Policy Process: An agenda for Future Agricultures in Ethiopia
June 23, 2007 / Media
A number of observers have described the policy making process in Ethiopia asstrongly influenced by a long history of centralised, hierarchical systems of control under Imperial rule and nearly two decades of military rule by the Derg. The present government

Bottom Up Policy Process: An agenda for Future Agricultures in Ethiopia
June 23, 2007 / Media
By Amdissa Teshome A number of observers have described the policy making process in Ethiopia as strongly influenced by a long history of centralised, hierarchical systems of control under Imperial rule and nearly two decades of military rule by the

Policy Making in a Federal Context: Views from the Regions on the Future of Agricultures in Ethiopia
June 7, 2007 / News
By Amdissa Teshome & Stephen Devereux 7-9 June 2007 Ethiopian Economic Association, Fifth International Conference on the Ethiopian Economy Addis Ababa

Kenynote: An Overview of Issues and Activities
June 7, 2007 / News
An Overview of Issues and Activities Ethiopian Economics Association Fifth International Conference on the Ethiopian Economy  Addis Ababa – 7-9 June 2007

Commercialisation in Ethiopia: Which pathways?
June 7, 2007 / News
Kay Sharp, Eva LudiOverseas Development Institute Commercialisation in Ethiopia: Which pathways?

Commercialisation in Ethiopia: Which pathways? II
June 7, 2007 / News
Kay Sharp, Eva Ludi Overseas Development Institute

The Fall and Rise of Smallholder Agriculture?
June 7, 2007 / News
By Blessings Chinsinga The Fall and Rise of Smallholder Agriculture? Reflections and Debates about the Future of Agriculture in Malawi.

Policy and Process In Kenya
June 1, 2007 / News
Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture: 2004-2014 Need Competitive Sectors Require Best Services Focus Government Vs Private Sector Roles 1. Legal and Regulatory Reform 2. Reform of Parastatals and Govt Departments 3. Reform of Agricultural Research and Extension 4. Agricultural Inputs and

Commercialisations in Smallholder Agriculture: A General Framework
June 1, 2007 / News
By Jennifer Leavy,IDS Sussex and Colin Poulton, Imperial College London Commercialisations in Smallholder Agriculture:  A General Framework.

Livestock R&D In East And Southern Africa
June 1, 2007 / News
By Norman Clark of the African Centre of Technology Studies (ACTS), James Smith at the University of Edinburgh, and Maija Hirvonen at the University of Edinburgh The concept of ‘innovation system’ is used increasingly in current science policydiscourse as a metaphor to

Cashing in or Crashing Out? Pastoralist Livelihoods in Somali Region, Ethiopia
March 26, 2007 / News
Cashing in or Crashing Out? Pastoralist Livelihoods in Somali Region, Ethiopia Presentation by Stephen Devereux. Institute of Development Studies, Sussex

Donor Policy Narratives: What Role for Agriculture?
March 3, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 16 By Lidia Cabral and Ian Scoones How do international agencies concerned with agricultural development see the role of agriculture? What is the role for the market and the state? This briefing examines four recent statements from major

Politics and the Future of Ministries of Agriculture: Rethinking Roles and Transforming Agendas
March 2, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 15 By Lidia Cabral and Steve Wiggins What form should a contemporary Ministry of Agriculture take, and how should it function? The answers to these questions depend on three major issues set within the context of agriculture. The

The Limits of Success: The Case of the Dairy Sector in Kenya
March 1, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 14 By Rosemary Atieno By most accounts the dairy sector in Kenya has been a long-term success story. In many respects it can be viewed as a classic ‘new’ agriculture case. It is smallholder based, integrated with the

Reclaiming Policy Space: Lessons from Malawi’s Fertiliser Subsidy Programme
February 1, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief By Blessings Chinsinga This case study argues that political context matters in agricultural development issues. No matter what the technical or economic arguments for or against particular policy positions are, it is ultimately the configuration of political interests

Promoting Agriculture for Social Protection or Social Protection for Agriculture? (ii) Policy
January 2, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 12 By Andrew Dorward, Rachel Sabates Wheeler, Ian MacAuslan, Chris Penrose Buckley, Jonathan Kydd, and Ephraim Chirwa Risk and vulnerability play important roles in keeping poor rural people poor. Both agricultural and social protection policies can help growth

The Future of Pastoralism in Ethiopia
January 1, 2007 / News
Ethiopian representatives and leading international thinkers deliberate over the state f pastoralism, making a new analysis of potential futures. Ethiopia has Africa’s largest livestock population. Over 60% of its land area is semi-arid lowland, dominated by the livestock economy. Today

Promoting Agriculture for Social Protection or Social Protection for Agriculture? (i)Concepts/Frame
January 1, 2007 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 11 By Andrew Dorward, Rachel Sabates Wheeler, Ian MacAuslan, Chris Penrose Buckley, Jonathan Kydd, and Ephraim Chirwa Agriculture’s major role in pro-poor economic growth in countries with large, poor rural sectors is increasingly recognised. There is also a

Too many people, too few livestock: the crisis affecting pastoralists in the Greater Horn of Africa
January 1, 2007 / E-debates
The crisis in the Horn of Africa In April 2006 OXFAM, writing of this year’s drought in the pastoral areas of Kenya said, “the recovery process could take 15 years.” Alas, without a substantial change in attitudes and approach, that

Pastoral Policy Seminar for the Government of Ethiopia (AGENDA)
December 4, 2006 / Workshop Publications
Introduction to Pastoral Policy and Policy Process Policy Process in Ethiopia Vulnerability; The Human Development Framework; Markets and Livelihoods Democracy and Citizenship; Animal Health Services Security and Development Governance and Revenue; Decentralisation Decentralisation; Trade DecemberPastoral Ecology; Policy Scenarios Policy Scenarios

Pastoral Policy Seminar for the Government of Ethiopia: Agenda
December 4, 2006 / Workshop Publications
 SEMINAR AGENDA University of Sussex Brighton, England December 4-15, 2006 

What is the difference between Archiving and Trashing an Article?
October 11, 2006 / African Green Revolution
How can Africa's farmers, scientists, development practitioners, private entrepreneurs and public officials spark a "uniquely" Green Revolution in Africa, one that responds to the region's unique social, political and ecological conditions? The aim of this moderated e-Discussion is to focus

What Role for Ministries of Agriculture in the 21st Century?
September 1, 2006 / Policy Briefs
Policy Brief 10 By Lídia Cabral and Ian Scoones September 2006 Different ‘narratives’ – or storylines – about agricultural policies are being pushed by different actors in the policy process, each envisages a different kind of ministry of agriculture. Three

Promoting Agriculture for Social Protection
Promoting Agriculture for Social Protection
August 1, 2006 / Discussion Papers
By Andrew Dorward, Rachel Sabates Wheeler, Ian MacAuslan, Chris Penrose Buckley, Jonathan Kydd, Ephraim Chirwa August 2006 It is increasingly recognised that agriculture must play a role in pro-poor economic growth incountries with large, poor rural sectors. There is also

Promoting Agriculture for Social Protection or Social Protection for Agriculture
August 1, 2006 / Discussion Papers
By Andrew Dorward, Rachel Sabates Wheeler, Ian MacAuslan, Chris Penrose Buckley,Jonathan Kydd, Ephraim Chirwa It is increasingly recognised that agriculture must play a role in pro-poor economic growth in countries with large, poor rural sectors. There is also a major

Too Much Inequality or Too Little, Inequality and Stagnation in Ethiopian Agriculture
Too Much Inequality or Too Little, Inequality and Stagnation in Ethiopian Agriculture
July 2, 2006 / Miscellaneous
The agricultural sector remains our Achilles heel and source of vulnerability …Nonetheless, were main convinced that agricultural based development remains the only source of hope for Ethiopia. (PrimeMinister Meles Zenawi 2000). A powerful strand of thinking about the causes of

Agricultural Policy in Kenya: Issues and Processes
July 2, 2006 / Miscelleanous
Agriculture remains the backbone of the Kenyan economy. It is the single most important sector in the economy, contributing approximately 25% of the GDP, and employing 75% of the national labour force (Republic of Kenya 2005). Over 80% of the

Reforming agricultural policy: lessons from four countries
July 1, 2006 / Working Papers
By Lidia Cabral, Colin Poulton. Steve Wiggins, Linxiu Zhang July 2006 Comparing reform of agricultural policy in Bangladesh,Chile, China and New Zealand, this paper derives lessons for countries contemplating reform. In all cases reforms to farm policy were undertaken as

Reforming Agricultural Policy: Lessons from four countries SUMMARY
Reforming Agricultural Policy: Lessons from four countries SUMMARY
July 1, 2006 / Research Papers
{jathumbnail off}Comparing reform of agricultural policy in Bangladesh, Chile, China and New Zealand, this paper derives lessons for countries contemplating reform. In all cases reforms to farm policy wereundertaken as part of overall reforms across the whole economy, started in

Reforming Agricultural Policy: lessons from four countries SUMMARY
July 1, 2006 / Working Papers
Comparing reform of agricultural policy in Bangladesh, Chile, China and New Zealand, this paper derives lessons for countries contemplating reform. In all cases reforms to farm policy were undertaken as part of overall reforms across the whole economy, started in

Livelihood Dynamics: Rural Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe
June 1, 2006 / News
By SLSA Team IDS Bulletin Vol 34 No 3 2003 Rural people in southern Africa make a living in diverse ways, often in harsh physical and economic environments. Such contexts are fast-changing, requiring shifts in livelihood strategies and mixes of

Stakeholder Consultation Workshops on the Agriculture Sector in Malawi
May 1, 2006 / Malawi
Three consultative workshops were organized between 7th March 2006 and 10th March 2006. The first consultative workshop was held on 7th March 2006 at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre with stakeholders in the tea sector and government officials. The second

Narratives of Agricultural Policy in Africa: What Role for Ministries of Agriculture
Narratives of Agricultural Policy in Africa: What Role for Ministries of Agriculture
March 20, 2006 / Miscellaneous
{jathumbnail off}Much policy research on African agriculture has focused more on ‘what policy’ type of questions,rather than on the processes by which policy is made and implemented (Omamo, 2004). The focus has been on ‘policy fixes’, based often on idealised