There is a great potential to close the nutrient recycling loop, support a 'circular economy' and improve cost recovery within the waste sector and to create viable businesses via the conversion of waste to organic fertilizers. Successful commercialization of waste-based organic fertilizer businesses however largely depends on a sound market. We used a choice experiment to estimate farmers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for faecal sludge and municipal solid waste-based (FSM) compost in Kampala, Uganda and considered three attributes-fortification, pelletization and certification. Our results reveal that farmers are willing to pay for FSM compost and place a higher value on a 'certified' compost product. They are willing to pay US $0.4 per kg above the current market price for a similar certified product, which is 67 times higher than the cost of providing the attribute. Farmers are willing to pay US $0.127 per kg for 'pelletized' FSM compost, which is lower (0.57 times) than the cost of providing the attribute. On the other hand, farmers require US $0.089 per kg as a compensation to use 'fortified' FSM compost. We suggest that future FSM compost businesses focus on a 'certified and pelletized' FSM product as this product type has the highest production cost-WTP differential and for which future businesses can capture the highest percentage of the consumer surplus. The demand for FSM compost indicates the benefits that can accrue to farmers, businesses and the environment from the recycling of organic waste for agriculture.

Hunger and malnutrition are key global challenges whose understanding is instrumental to their elimination, thus realization of important sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, understanding linkages between farm production diversity (FPD) and household micronutrient intake is important in mapping micronutrient deficiencies and hidden hunger. Such understanding would inform appropriate interventions against malnutrition. Unfortunately, empirical literature is scarce to sufficiently inform such understanding. Using nationally representative panel survey data covering about 3300 households, we study linkages between FPD and nutrition, and associated impact pathways. We analyze data using panel regression models. Results show that at least half of sample was deficient in daily energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin A intake vis-à-vis FAO recommendations. Deficiencies were most severe (85%) with vitamin A. Positive and significant associations (about 1% for each added crop/livestock species) exist between FPD and daily household energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin A intake. FPD impacts energy and micronutrient intake via two main consumption pathways; markets (about 0.01% for each shilling), and own farm production (about 0.1% for each shilling). Therefore, own farm production yields better outcomes. Gender effects also exist. Male-headed households exhibited better nutrition outcomes (energy—11%, iron—8%, and zinc—12%) mostly via markets. Effects on Vitamin A were also positive although insignificant.

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Following the development and dissemination of new climate-smart agricultural technologies to farmers globally, there has been an increase in the number of socio-economic studies on the adoption of climate-smart integrated pests’ management (CS-IPM) technologies over the years. In this study, we review empirical evidence on adoption determinants of CS-IPM technologies and identify possible science–policy interfaces. Generally, our review shows that socioeconomic and institutional factors are influential in shaping CS-IPM adoption decisions of farmers. More specifically, income was found to positively influence the adoption of CS-IPM technologies while land size owned influences CS-IPM adoption negatively. Registered land tenure (registered secure rights) positively influences CS-IPM technologies’ adoption, implying that efficient land markets enable competitive and fair distribution and access to land, more so by the vulnerable but efficient smallholder producers that do indeed increase the adoption of CS-IPMs technologies. Social capital, achieved via farmers’ organizations is also central in fostering CS-IPM technologies’ adoption, just as market reforms that minimize market failures regarding access to credit, labor, and agricultural information, which could indirectly hinder farmers’ use of CS-IPM practices. Functional extension systems that improve farmers’ awareness of CS-IPM do also improve CS-IPM technologies’ adoption. However, the adoption of CS-IPM technologies in Ghana and Benin is slow-paced because of factors like lack of access to farm inputs that facilitate uptake of these technologies, lack of credit facilities, and limited extension services, among others. Interestingly, our review confirms that CS-IPM technologies do indeed reduce and minimize the intensity of pesticide usage and foster ecosystem (environmental and human) health. Therefore, this review unearths strategic determinants of CS-IPM adoption and makes fundamental guidance around climate-smart innovations transfer and environmental policies that should be prioritized to curb environmental pollution and ensure agricultural ecosystems’ sustainability.

Despite the importance of cowpea in Uganda as a leading legume, its production and improvement have not received much attention over the last two decades. Data was obtained on prices of grains of cowpeas on a weekly basis from FIT Uganda between 2008 to 2011 in Soroti, Lira and Kampala. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, particularly, frequencies and the measures of central tendency. Several approaches were used to investigate the degree of cowpea market integration in Uganda: bivariate correlation coefficients, co-integration and Granger-Causality tests were used to account for the complex interactions of prices in different markets. Results from these tests show that cowpea markets as a whole are not integrated. This is not a surprising result since it can be linked to the general lack of market information. Prices in different markets are not equally responsive to changes in the supply of cowpeas. The results obtained will assist in subsequent cowpea variety improvement actions and decisions.

Improved food security and nutrition remain a notable global challenge. Yet, food security and nutrition are areas of strategic importance regarding the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The increasingly weakening global food production systems pose a threat to sustainable improved food security and nutrition. Consequently, a significant population remains chronically hungry and severely malnourished. As a remedy, farm production diversity (FPD) remains a viable pathway through which household nutrition can be improved. However, evidence is mixed, or unavailable on how FPD is associated with key nutrition indicators like household dietary diversity, energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin A (micronutrients). We use the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS) data for rural households to analyze differential associations of sub-components of FPD on dietary diversity, energy, and micronutrient intake. Panel data models reveal that indeed crop species count, and animal species count (sub-components of FPD) are differently associated with household dietary diversity score (HDDS), energy, and vitamin A sourced from markets. Moreover, when volumes of these nutrition outcomes were disaggregated by source (own farm vs. markets), the animal species count was only positively significantly associated with nutrition outcomes sourced from consumption of produce from own farm. Associations were insignificant for nutrition indicators sourced from markets except vitamin A. The crop species count, however, consistently showed a strong positive and significant association with energy, and all studied micronutrients sourced from own farm produce consumption, as well as those sourced from markets except Vitamin A, which was negative but insignificant. Therefore, inclusive, pro-poor, and pro-nutrition rural policy initiatives in the context of rural Uganda and similar ones, could more widely improve household nutrition through prioritizing crop species diversification on own farms because crops fetch wider nutrition gains.

Following the development and dissemination of new climate-smart agricultural technologies to farmers globally, there has been an increase in the number of socio-economic studies on the adoption of climate-smart integrated pests’ management (CS-IPM) technologies over the years. In this study, we review empirical evidence on adoption determinants of CS-IPM technologies and identify possible science-policy interfaces. Generally, our review shows that socioeconomic and institutional factors are influential in shaping CS-IPM adoption decisions of farmers. More specifically, income was found to positively influence the adoption of CS-IPM technologies while land size owned influences CS-IPM adoption negatively. Registered land tenure (registered secure rights) positively influences CS-IPM technologies’ adoption, implying that efficient land markets that enable competitive and fair distribution and access to land, more so by the vulnerable but efficient smallholder producers do indeed increase the adoption of CS-IPMs technologies. Social capital, achieved via farmers’ organizations is also central in fostering CS-IPM technologies’ adoption, just as markets reforms that minimize market failures regarding access to credit, labor, and agricultural information, which could indirectly hinder farmers’ use of CS-IPM practices. Functional extension systems that improve farmers’ awareness of CS-IPM do also improve CS-IPM technologies’ adoption. However, the adoption of CS-IPM technologies in Ghana and Benin is slow-paced because of factors like lack of access to farm inputs that facilitate uptake of these technologies, lack of credit facilities, and limited extension services among others. Interestingly, our review confirms that CS-IPM technologies do indeed reduce and minimize the intensity of pesticide usage and foster ecosystem (environmental and human) health. Therefore, this review unearths strategic determinants of CS-IPM adoption and makes fundamental guidance around climate-smart innovations transfer and environmental policies that should be prioritized to curb environmental pollution and ensure agricultural ecosystems’ sustainability.