Studies of improved seed adoption in developing countries are almost always based on household surveys and are premised on the assumption that farmers can accurately self-report their use of improved seed varieties. However, recent studies suggest that farmers' reports of seed varieties planted, or even whether the seed is local or improved, are sometimes inconsistent with the DNA fingerprinting results of those crops. We use household survey data from Tanzania to test the alignment between farmer-reported and DNA-identified maize seed types planted. In the sample, 70% of maize seed observations are correctly reported as local or improved, while 16% are type I errors (falsely reported as improved) and 14% are type II errors (falsely reported as local). Type I errors are more likely to have been sourced from other farmers, rather than formal channels. An analysis of input use,

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Crop diversification is a viable climate risk management strategy to increase crop production and productivity among farm households. We use a panel of farm household and meteorological data collected over ten years to analyze crop diversification trends and the impacts of climate change and variability on crop diversification in small-scale farms in Kenya. Previous studies are inconclusive on what context(s) crop diversification is beneficial to farmers and the influence of climate change and variability on the decision to diversify crop production. Using panel data models, we find small-scale farmers in regions with low rainfall and high temperatures are more likely to diversify crop production. Further findings show that farm size, inorganic fertilizer use, household incomes and access to off-farm livelihood options are predictors of crop diversification. Crop diversification is not a one-size-fits-all strategy and should be adopted in situations where it gives maximum benefits, consistent to existing land use policies and well-known benefits of a specified crop portfolio. A win-win situation will involve land sparing, a balance between specialized and diversified cropping systems and scaling up adoption of the improved technologies among vulnerable farmers in drought risk areas.

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As recognized by the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa – 2024 (STISA-2024), science, technology and innovation (STI) offer many opportunities for addressing the main constraints to embracing transformation in Africa, while important lessons can be learned from successful interventions, including policy and institutional innovations, from those African countries that have already made significant progress towards food system transformation. This chapter identifies opportunities for African countries and the region to take proactive steps to harness the potential of the food and agriculture sector so as to ensure future food and nutrition security by applying STI solutions and by drawing on transformational policy and institutional innovations across the continent. Potential game-changing solutions and innovations for food system transformation serving people and ecology apply to (a) raising production efficiency and restoring and sustainably managing degraded resources; (b) finding innovation in the storage, processing and packaging of foods; (c) improving human nutrition and health; (d) addressing equity and vulnerability at the community and ecosystem levels; and (e) establishing preparedness and accountability systems. To be effective in these areas will require institutional coordination; clear, food safety and health-conscious regulatory environments; greater and timely access to information; and transparent monitoring and accountability systems.