Farm-level Economic Analysis - Is Conservation Agriculture Helping the Poor?

Lalani, Baqir; Dorward, Peter; Holloway, Garth

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.05.033

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…First, the well-recognized fact that smallholders in SSA are a very heterogeneous group, with different resources and capabilities ( Glover et al, 2019 ; Tittonell et al, 2010 ), incentives and aspirations ( Dorward et al, 2009 ; Mausch et al, 2018 ) and that farm-level technologies need to be designed accordingly if farmers are expected to adopt them. Second, that farm-level technologies that are effective for improving food security are not necessarily as effective in reducing poverty or vice versa ( Dorward et al, 2004 ; Harris, 2019 ; Lalani et al, 2017 ; Renkow and Byerlee, 2010 ). The two groups of farming households – those that have limited incentives and resources and those with the potential and incentives to effectively invest in increased production – should be treated as separate groups.…”

Section: The (Agriculture For) Development Debate Over the Past Decadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Poverty eradication and food security through agriculture in Africa: Rethinking objectives and entry points

et al. 2019

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Agriculture in Africa is expected to meet the dual objectives of providing food and helping people to escape poverty. African agriculture is dominated by smallholdings and donors generally target their agricultural support at the smallholder sector. The expectation is that if the gap between actual and potential yields can be closed, smallholders will grow sufficient crops to feed their families, with a surplus to sell, thus meeting food security needs and bringing in an income to move them out of poverty. In practice, this is often not possible. While technologies already exist that can raise smallholder farmers’ yields 3 or 4 times, even under rainfed conditions, the small size of land available to them limits how much can be grown and the per capita income from agriculture is insufficient to allow people to move above the current World Bank-defined poverty line of US$1.90 per day. We link this finding with farmer typologies to further explain that there are large differences between individual farming households themselves in terms of their investment incentives and capability to benefit from field-level technologies that are aimed at increasing farm productivity. We argue for more differentiated policies for agricultural development in Africa and suggest that policymakers should be much more aware of the heterogeneity of farms and target interventions accordingly. It is important to understand where and for whom agriculture will have the main purpose of ensuring food and nutritional security and where and for whom there is the potential for significant increases in incomes and a contribution to wider economic growth. Let us recognize the distinctiveness of these targets and underlying target groups and work towards solutions that address the underlying needs.

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Section: The (Agriculture For) Development Debate Over the Past Decadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Poverty eradication and food security through agriculture in Africa: Rethinking objectives and entry points

et al. 2019

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“…In Brazil, an FAO study that considered CA an improved cropland management technology reported an increase in average productivity and farm net income for maize, beans, bananas, and cassava in 2010 because of CA (Branca et al, 2011). A study in Mozambique found that CA provided better crop returns to smallholder farmers, especially the poorest, when intercropping was also integrated (Lalani, Dorward, and Holloway, 2017). Numerous studies comparing conventional tillage with CA in South Africa showed better maize yields under CA (Sithole, Magwaza, and Mafongoya, 2016).…”

Section: Benefits Of Camentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mulimbi¹,

Nalley²,

Dixon³

et al. 2019

J. Agric. Appl. Econ.

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Empowering farmers to increase productivity by educating them on conservation agriculture (CA) could contribute to reducing vulnerability, alleviating food insecurity, and fighting poverty while being ecologically sustainable in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study assesses the effect of a CA-promotion agriculture program. Findings suggest that location of the farm, training, having accessed credit, belonging to a farmers' group, and being a vulnerable female all drove adoption to varying degrees and directions. Results also suggest that policy makers and CA practitioners should emphasize the ability that CA has to increase income and food security, which could widen CA adoption.

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“…At the level of individual farms, one of the main drivers for the adoption of CA is higher profits, resulting from lower labour costs and higher productivity (Knowler and Bradshaw, 2007). These benefits accrue for large-scale farms (Friedrich, Derpsch and Kassam, 2017;Pannell, Llewellyn and Corbeels, 2014), and there is emerging evidence that they can also benefit smallholder and family farms (Johansen et al, 2012;Lalani, Dorward and Holloway, 2017;Pannell, Llewellyn and Corbeels, 2014).…”

Section: The Agricultural Sector Needs To Reduce Environmental Degradmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employment and the role of workers and employers in a green economy

Montt¹,

Capaldo²,

Esposito³

et al. 2018

World Employ Soc Outlook

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Many jobs can be created by achieving sustainability in the energy sector. Limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius by 2100 will 24 million jobs in construction, electrical machinery manufacturing, copper mining, renewable energy production and biomass crop cultivation. 6 million jobs can be created by adopting the circular economy. Promoting sustainability in agriculture will change rural economies. Workers and employers are key actors in the transition towards environmental sustainability.

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Farm-level Economic Analysis - Is Conservation Agriculture Helping the Poor?

Cited by 25 publications

References 43 publications

Poverty eradication and food security through agriculture in Africa: Rethinking objectives and entry points

Poverty eradication and food security through agriculture in Africa: Rethinking objectives and entry points

Factors Influencing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Employment and the role of workers and employers in a green economy

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