Legislation has been proposed that would change the European Union (EU) agricultural supply chain, including targeted reductions in the use of agricultural inputs. Our results indicate that reducing those inputs (fertilizer, pesticides, land, and antimicrobials) could lead to a reduction in the EU agricultural production by 12%, less competitiveness in export markets, and negative impacts to consumer budgets and societal welfare. If the EU were to implement technological improvements, the impacts would be lessened; however, the necessary improvement in technology will require additional investment in research and development. Based on historical trends, these improvements are projected to take up to 27 years.

Policies that restrict the use of agricultural inputs have been shown to reduce output, farmers' incomes, and increase food prices, which could ultimately lead to more food insecurity. In this paper, we consider the EU Farm to Fork Strategy's proposed reductions of agricultural inputs on food security in 77 low‐ and middle‐income countries under two implementation scenarios: EU‐only and Global. Our findings indicate that compared with the status quo, each scenario results in a net increase in food insecurity, which ranges from 30 million (EU‐only) to 171 million (Global) by 2030.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield and financial returns are often low for smallholder farmers in Ghana.  Additionally, aflatoxin concentration in foods derived from peanut can be high enough to adversely affect human health.  Eight experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in northern Ghana to compare yield, financial returns, pest reaction, and aflatoxin contamination at harvest with traditional farmer versus improved practices.  Relative to the farmer practice, the improved practice consisted of weeding one extra time, applying local potassium-based soaps to suppress arthropods and pathogens, and application of either homogenized oyster shells or a commercial blend of fertilizer containing calcium.  Each of these field treatments were followed by either drying peanut on the soil surface and storing in traditional poly bags or drying peanut on tarps and storing in hermetically-sealed bags for 4 months.  Peanut yield and financial returns were significantly greater when a commercial blend of fertilizer or oyster shells were applied compared to the farmer practice of not applying any fertilizer.  Yield and financial returns were greater when a commercial fertilizer blend was applied compared with oyster shells.  Severity of early leaf spot [caused by <em>Passalora arachidicola</em> (Hori) U. Braun] and late leaf spot [caused by <em>Nothopassalora personata</em> (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) U. Braun, C. Nakash., Videira & Crous], scarring and penetration of pods by arthropods, and the number of arthropods at harvest were higher for the farmer practice than for either fertility treatment; no difference was noted when comparing across fertility treatments.  Less aflatoxin was observed for both improved practices in the field compared with the farmer practice.  Drying peanut on tarps resulted in less aflatoxin compared to drying peanut on the ground regardless of treatments in the field.  Aflatoxin concentration after storage was similar when comparing post-harvest treatments of drying on soil surface and storing in poly bags vs. drying on tarps and storing in hermetically-sealed bags. These results demonstrate that substantial financial gain can be realized when management in the field is increased compared with the traditional farmer practice.

This study examines the adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of groundnut by smallholders in eastern Uganda. The primary focus of this work is the analysis of the sustainability of impacts from a regional farmer-led HYV dissemination and multiplication program. Data collected in 2014 is used to determine the lasting impact of the program conducted a decade prior, from 2001 to 2004. The structure of the data, which includes a treatment and 2-part control group, is critical to the identification of project impacts, measured as groundnut land allocation to groundnut HYVs (%). Fractional regression, propensity score matching and instrumental variable techniques are utilized to address potential bias from model specification, selection, and endogeneity. We find that, on average, participating households allocated 21% more of their land in groundnuts to HYVs relative to controls. Diffusion of program benefits through spillover is revealed by statistically significant differences in mean adoption between neighbor and non-neighbor controls, such that benefits are transferred from participants to their neighbors but not to the non-neighbor control group. We also find that, because of seed saving practices, the average yield for HYVs decreased over time to levels below those obtained from landrace varieties. Thus, the program effectively aided in information dissemination and technology transfer within rural communities. However, additional knowledge transfer is critical to the sustainability of food security outcomes among participant farmers.

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This study examines the productivity of smallholder groundnut farmers in North-eastern Mozambique using data for 2016 from two provinces with high total production of said crop. The model used is a Cobb-Douglas True Fixed Effects stochastic production frontier, controlling for geographical heterogeneity, and standard errors clustered at the village level. Our analysis reveals a mean total factor productivity index and technical efficiency score of 0.34 and 0.68 respectively. Seeding rates are found to have major potential for increasing output. This work provides new information to support ongoing efforts to generate greater resilience and robustness in domestic food systems.

Mirror clauses have recently been discussed as a way of setting a level playing field for EU farmers in terms of the proposed European Green Deal (EGD) and the proposed reduction in usage of agricultural inputs. This study builds a Nash equilibrium model to determine if regions would implement these reductions to maintain open trade with the European Union. We find that more regions joining the EGD dampen the negative market impacts to the European Union, but we also find that major agricultural producers do not join the European Union in implementing the EGD.

Aflatoxin in peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) and other crops can negatively affect human health, especially in countries where regulatory agencies do not have limits on aflatoxin entering the food supply chain. While considerable research has been conducted addressing aflatoxin contamination in peanut at individual steps in the supply chain, studies that quantify aflatoxin contamination following combinations of interventions of crop management, drying, and storage are limited. Research was conducted during 2016 and 2017 in two villages in southern Ghana to follow aflatoxin contamination along the supply chain and to compare improved practices with traditional farmer practices used by smallholders. The farmer practice of only a single weeding was compared with improved practices during the growing season up to harvest that included applying local soaps to suppress aphids ( Aphis gossypii Golver) that transmit peanut rosette virus disease ( Umbravirus: Tombusviridae e), one additional weeding, and calcium applied at pegging. The improved practice for drying included placing pods removed from plants onto tarps compared with the traditional practice of drying on the ground. Storing peanut for four months in hermetically-sealed bags was the improved practice compared with storing in traditional poly bags. All improved practices individually resulted in less aflatoxin contamination as compared to the farmer practices. While aflatoxin levels were found to be very low (<1 µg/g) at harvest, the levels increased significantly during drying and storage, with the improved methods resulting in lower levels. Greater estimated financial returns were noted when at least one improved practice along the supply chain was implemented through either increased yield or maintenance of quality kernels. Results from this research demonstrate progression of aflatoxin contamination at pre- and especially post-harvest in villages in Ghana. Future research needs to consider the effects of improved practices as components of packages that farmers can consider, and not just as individual interventions.