A new generation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is finding a small foothold among poor, small-scale farmers in developing countries.
... Vea más + Even so, many barriers still prevent poor rural people from accessing, using, and benefiting from new ICT tools and platforms, and those barriers are arguably higher for rural women. The relationship between gender and agriculture has been studied intensively over the years, and many agricultural interventions now include gender as a crosscutting issue or mainstream gender throughout their operations. Studies of the relationship between gender and the use of ICTs in agriculture have started to appear only quite recently, however. The Africa Region of the World Bank views ICTs as potentially transformative technology for rural development and seeks to incorporate the use of ICTs throughout its portfolio of projects. The present study was designed to examine the feasibility of integrating ICTs into two large investment programs: the Irrigation Development and Support Project (IDSP) in Zambia and the Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Project (KAPAP). The specifi c goal was to examine how ICT-based interventions might be designed to strengthen womens participation in commodity value chains under the two projects.
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The Chimborazo Development Investment Project for Ecuador received a satisfactory outcome rating with moderate risk to development outcome. The Bank received a moderately satisfactory performance rating while the Borrower was rated satisfactory.
... Vea más + Two restructurings took place during this project. The first restricting was a level two restructuring that: (i) adjusted Results Framework to better reflect project activities; (ii) adjusted the location of roads rehabilitation segments; reallocated US$790,000 of loan proceeds to reflect actual costs at sub-component level; updated project financing plan; and, changed the name of the Borrower. The second restructuring was also a level two restructuring which extended the closing date by nine months to permit completion of several large irrigation subprojects. For budgetary reason, team leaders withdrew certain road segments targeted for financing under Sub-component 1.2 and substitutes would be needed. Roads eligible for Central Government financing required final technical/feasibility studies. The project generated several lesson including: (1) the project thrived in large part because of a dynamic, well-connected leader who championed its goals, owned the methodology, understood the projects strategic context, saw the longer-term potential for his province of working successfully with the Bank. (2) Successful monitoring and evaluation performance requires complete buy-in to a coherent progression of research/reporting throughout, on the part of both the Borrower and the Bank teams. (3) The indirect benefits of a well-conceived investment operation can be considerable and important. In this case, the strong emphasis on local institutional capacity-building based on standards, rules, rights and responsibilities had a marked impact on reducing conflict among irrigator communities, liberating them to focus on agricultural advancement rather than the constant and corrosive struggle for water. (4) The design, content and delivery including culturally appropriate social mobilization behind and communicating the desirability of change along with reliable, continuous technical and financial support, market intelligence, and productive organization and entrepreneurship, are basic pre-requisites to secure farmer buy-in.
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Informe final de ejecución y resultados ICR3224 JAN 12, 2015
To improve farmer access to quality seeds and fertilizers, West African governments have been working through economic community of West African states (ECOWAS) and other regional organizations to develop harmonized rules for input trade for many years.
... Vea más + After extensive consultations, regional regulations based on advanced international standards have mostly been agreed upon and are already helping to guide quality improvements in some countries. Despite these encouraging signs, most countries do not currently have the physical capacity or institutional structures needed to implement the agreed trade rules which will take considerable time and investment to develop. The analysis, therefore, points to a need for pragmatic solutions that are easy for individual countries or groups of countries to implement in the near term while longer-term progress towards full harmonization continues.
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Documento de trabajo 93630 JAN 01, 2015
Keyser, John C.; Eilitta, Marjatta; Dimithe, Georges; Ayoola, Gbolagade; Sene, Louis
The objective of the Second Agricultural Growth Project for Ethiopia is to increase agricultural productivity and commercialization of small holder farmers targeted by the project.
... Vea más + Negative impacts include: dust, air pollution, water quality, drainage, waste management, soil erosion, noise pollution, and loss of ecology. Mitigation measures include: install drainage ditches or berms on up-hill slope to divert water away from road and into streams; install drainage turnouts at more frequent intervals and check dams to reduce ditch erosion; do not fill the flow line of a watershed. Even in arid areas, occasional rains may create strong water flows in channels. A culvert may not supply adequate capacity for rare high-volume events; design so that filling will not be necessary. Transplant as much vegetation and turf as possible; minimize disturbance of native flora (vegetation) during site clearing and excavation); minimize the amount of clearing. Clear small areas for active work one at a time where possible, remove large plants and turf without destroying them, and preserve them for replanting in temporary nurseries; move earth and remove vegetation only during dry periods; install temporary erosion control features when permanent ones will be delayed; areas with particular biodiversity; protection of most susceptible soil surfaces with mulch; protection of drainage channels with berms, straw or fabric barriers; installation of sedimentation basins, seeding or planting of erodible surfaces as soon as possible; have construction crews and supervisors be alert for buried historic, religious and cultural objects and provide them with procedures to follow if such objects are discovered; and ensure that excavation is accompanied by well-engineered drainage; rout alignments to avoid inherently unstable areas.
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The Second Agricultural Technology Project for Nicaragua received a satisfactory outcome with a moderate risk to development outcome. Both the Banks and the Borrowers performances were satisfactory.
... Vea más + There were four restructurings that took place and include the following changes: (R1) (i) Reallocation of proceeds, and (ii) extension of the closing date of the Credit agreement. (R2) Change in the implementing agency for Component 1.C (b): The provision of sub credits to finance the carrying out of Cooperative Development Plans of the additional financing, from the Rural Credit Fund (FCR) to the newly created Banco Produzcamos (BP). (R3) Include two additional activities under the TF: (i) carry out two post census studies; and (ii) produce and publish dissemination materials on the Census. The changes were financed with the cost savings. (R4) (i) Reallocation of proceeds of the Credit No. 4127-NI, and (ii) Reallocation of proceeds and first extension of the closing date of the IDA Grant. Several lesson were learned from this project and are as follows: (1) A sector wide platform to coordinate donors and public sector institutions can promote efficient sector investment and long-term strategic planning, but brings coordination challenges. (2) On-farm diversification contributes to boosting incomes. (3) When designing a program for certified seeds to increase production, target markets, storage facilities and marketing skills for increased production need to be considered. (4) Well-aligned incentives for rural extension agents are needed to ensure proper delivery of technical assistance. (5) Seed cooperatives selected for credit should have proven ability in both capacity and infrastructure to ensure the most effective use of credit lines.
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Informe final de ejecución y resultados ICR3261 DEC 30, 2014
The Accelerated Food Security Project for Tanzania contributed to higher food production and productivity in targeted areas by improving farmers' access to critical agricultural inputs.
... Vea más + The outcome of the project was rated moderately satisfactory with the Bank performing moderately satisfactory and the Borrower performing moderately unsatisfactory. The overall risk to development was rated substantial. The project had several monitering and evaluation shortcomings. Therefore, data quality is poor. Although only one indicator (maize yield achieved by farmers with subsidized seed and fertilizer) out of the six project developmetn objective level indicators was fully achieved, the project made significant progress on most of its targets. Four key lessons were learned from the implementation of this project. Firstly, successful implementation of emergency operations significantly benefits from careful advance planning, especially procurement. Secondly, mainstreaming projects in line ministries works best when complemented by pragmatic solutions to implementation issues as they arise. Thirdly, agricultural input voucher programs can significantly increase productivity, but remain difficult to administer. Lastly, a final lesson learned is that inclusion of major civil works (e.g., the irrigation infrastructure) without expedited procurement arrangements, while well meaning, may not be best suited for these type of emergency operations. Such longer gestation investments could divert focus and contribute to implementation delays.
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Informe final de ejecución y resultados ICR3242 DEC 23, 2014
The need for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to build more productive, modern, and market-oriented farming sectors is one of our most pressing development challenges.
... Vea más + In coming years, African agriculture will have to increase food production and expand and intensify value chains in order to meet changing demand on the part of a rapidly expanding and urbanizing consumer base. The process of doing this will enable African countries to begin pushing back against their currently growing reliance on food imports. An essential precondition for bringing this transformation to pass is to increase and improve the information on which farmers and agribusinesses base their production and investment decisions, and on which public sector institutions base their policies. The purpose of the Agribusiness Indicators (ABIs) Project is to provide this kind of empirical information in the form of a series of metrics and indicators that can be used to measure change over time and to make direct comparisons between countries, especially policy makers. These indicators will be used to inform policy dialogue, including dialogue between representatives of the private and public sectors. It will provide a common framework of reference with which to communicate their respective concerns, priorities, and intentions. This will facilitate better communication that leads to constructive interaction between public officials, farmers producer organizations, private investors, civil society organizations (CSOs), and others. Ultimately, it will be their decisions that determine the course of agricultural development and commercialization in their respective countries. The Agribusiness Indicators are intended to furnish them with information from sources within both the private and public sectors which can be cross-referenced and correlated. This type of information has generally not been available in the past. Some of the indicators are particularly useful in revealing the attributes of countries with policy portfolios that are supportive of agribusiness investment.
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Otro estudios sobre agricultura 91133 DEC 01, 2014
This paper examines the determinants of agricultural productivity and its link to poverty using nationally representative data from the Nigeria General Household Survey Panel, 2010/11.
... Vea más + The findings indicate an elasticity of poverty reduction with respect to agricultural productivity of between 0.25 to 0.3 percent, implying that a 10 percent increase in agricultural productivity will decrease the likelihood of being poor by between 2.5 and 3 percent. To increase agricultural productivity, land, labor, fertilizer, agricultural advice, and diversification within agriculture are the most important factors. As commonly found in the literature, the results indicate the inverse-land size productivity relationship. More specifically, a 10 percent increase in harvested land size will decrease productivity by 6.6 percent, all else being equal. In a simulation exercise where land quality is assumed to be constant across small and large holdings, the results show that if farms in the top land quintile had half the median yield per hectare of farms in the lowest quintile, production of the top quintile would be 10 times higher. The higher overall values of harvests from larger land sizes are more likely because of cultivation of larger expanses of land, rather than from efficient production. It should be noted that having larger land sizes in itself is not positively correlated with a lower likelihood of being poor. This is not to say that having larger land sizes is not important for farming, but rather it indicates that increasing efficiency is the more important need that could lead to poverty reduction for agricultural households.
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Documento de trabajo sobre investigaciones relativas a políticas WPS7093 NOV 01, 2014
The second phase of the National Agricultural Technology Program (NATP-2) for Bangladesh will increase the agricultural productivity of smallholder farms and improve smallholders' access to markets in selected districts.
... Vea más + The sub-projects proposed to be supported under the NATP-2 involve use of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity) and may have an impact on these natural resources and on the surrounding environment through over exploitation and waste generation. The project affects the environmental baseline of the following sectors: agriculture, livestock and fisheries. This report highlights the key environmental issues in each sector. The climate change impacts and adaptation needs specific to the three sectors are also highlighted. Negative impacts to the agriculture sector include stress on water resources, occurrence of drought, arsenic contamination, nutrient and pest management, post-harvest losses and processing. Negative impacts to the livestock sector include scarcity of fodder, under-utilization of dung, loss of biodiversity, public health risk, air pollution, and poor hygiene. Negative impacts to the fisheries sector include feeding practices, processing, and fish diversity. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change for the reasons it is a low-lying and very flat country which is subject to riverine flooding and vulnerable to sea level rise, and because a large portion of its population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. To mitigate these environmental impacts, the program lists activities that are not supported by sub-projects under the NATP-2. The mitigating factors include: a) activities that involve drainage of wetlands for agricultural use; b) activities that involve pesticides that fall in WHO classes IA, IB and II and pesticides banned by the Government of Bangladesh; c) activities involving significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats; d) activities within Protected Areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks); and d) withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation that contain arsenic higher than national standard (currently 50 ppb).
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The second phase of the National Agricultural Technology Program (NATP-2) for Bangladesh will increase the agricultural productivity of smallholder farms and improve smallholders' access to markets in selected districts.
... Vea más + The sub-projects proposed to be supported under the NATP-2 involve use of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity) and may have an impact on these natural resources and on the surrounding environment through over exploitation and waste generation. The project affects the environmental baseline of the following sectors: agriculture, livestock and fisheries. This report highlights the key environmental issues in each sector. The climate change impacts and adaptation needs specific to the three sectors are also highlighted. Negative impacts to the agriculture sector include stress on water resources, occurrence of drought, arsenic contamination, nutrient and pest management, post-harvest losses and processing. Negative impacts to the livestock sector include scarcity of fodder, under-utilization of dung, loss of biodiversity, public health risk, air pollution, and poor hygiene. Negative impacts to the fisheries sector include feeding practices, processing, and fish diversity. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change for the reasons it is a low-lying and very flat country which is subject to riverine flooding and vulnerable to sea level rise, and because a large portion of its population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. To mitigate these environmental impacts, the program lists activities that are not supported by sub-projects under the NATP-2. The mitigating factors include: a) activities that involve drainage of wetlands for agricultural use; b) activities that involve pesticides that fall in WHO classes IA, IB and II and pesticides banned by the Government of Bangladesh; c) activities involving significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats; d) activities within Protected Areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks); and d) withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation that contain arsenic higher than national standard (currently 50 ppb).
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The second phase of the National Agricultural Technology Program (NATP-2) for Bangladesh will increase the agricultural productivity of smallholder farms and improve smallholders' access to markets in selected districts.
... Vea más + The sub-projects proposed to be supported under the NATP-2 involve use of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity) and may have an impact on these natural resources and on the surrounding environment through over exploitation and waste generation. The project affects the environmental baseline of the following sectors: agriculture, livestock and fisheries. This report highlights the key environmental issues in each sector. The climate change impacts and adaptation needs specific to the three sectors are also highlighted. Negative impacts to the agriculture sector include stress on water resources, occurrence of drought, arsenic contamination, nutrient and pest management, post-harvest losses and processing. Negative impacts to the livestock sector include scarcity of fodder, under-utilization of dung, loss of biodiversity, public health risk, air pollution, and poor hygiene. Negative impacts to the fisheries sector include feeding practices, processing, and fish diversity. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change for the reasons it is a low-lying and very flat country which is subject to riverine flooding and vulnerable to sea level rise, and because a large portion of its population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. To mitigate these environmental impacts, the program lists activities that are not supported by sub-projects under the NATP-2. The mitigating factors include: a) activities that involve drainage of wetlands for agricultural use; b) activities that involve pesticides that fall in WHO classes IA, IB and II and pesticides banned by the Government of Bangladesh; c) activities involving significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats; d) activities within Protected Areas (Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks); and d) withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation that contain arsenic higher than national standard (currently 50 ppb).
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The objective of the Multisectoral Nutrition Project for Uganda is to increase production and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods and utilization of community-based nutrition services in smallholder households in target areas.
... Vea más + The project focus is on promoting short-term changes in high-impact nutrition behaviors and practices that are known to contribute to medium- and long-term stunting reduction. Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: monitoring for the presence of pests and pest damage; establishing the density of pest population, which may be set at zero, that can be tolerated or corrected with a damage level sufficient to warrant treatment of the problem based on health, public safety, economic or aesthetic threshold; and treating pest problems to reduce population below those levels established by damage thresholds using strategies that may include biological, cultural, mechanical and pesticide control methods and that shall consider human health, ecological impact, feasibility and cost effectiveness; establish or strengthen partnerships and mechanisms for technical cooperation between developed countries and developing countries and countries with economies in transition; and ensure access to information on capacity-building for the sound management of chemicals and enhance transparency regarding donor interests and recipient needs.
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Rwanda has made impressive performance in the last decade, particularly in the last five years, in promoting significant economic reforms, rapid growth, and poverty reduction.
... Vea más + The agriculture sectors dominant structure and excellent performance have played a major role in making positive contributions. The third phase of the strategic plan for the transformation of agriculture (PSTA 3) programs strategic objectives are to: (i) intensify, commercialize, and transform the Rwandan agriculture sector to enhance food security and nutrition, reduce poverty, and drive economic growth; and (ii) accelerate sustainable increases and expanded private sector role in production, processing, and value-addition and commercialization of staple crops, export commodities, and livestock products. PSTA 3 comprises four program areas and 24 component subprograms (SPs). The four programs are: (i) agriculture and animal resource intensification; (ii) research, technology transfer and organization of farmers, (iii) private sector-driven value chain development and expanded investments; and (iv) institutional results-focused development and agricultural crosscutting issues.
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This Project Paper seeks the approval of the Executive Directors to provide an additional credit in the amount of US$75 million to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Project.
... Vea más + The Project Development Objective (PDO) and project components under the AF will remain the same as in the first phase of the RPLRP. The proposed AF will expand target intervention areas to include well-defined geographic areas within the Arid and Semi-Arid Lowlands (ASALs) of Ethiopia that have been identified based on country-driven criteria. The AF will also expand the scope of the RPLRP activities to: (i) include Woredas (districts) of the Oromiya and the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNPR) National Regional States bordering Kenya, as well as Woredas in Somali and Afar National Regional States in Eastern Ethiopia; (ii) include some additional interventions under each component specific to conditions in Ethiopia; and (iii) revise performance targets as reflected in the revised Results Framework.
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The development objective of the Agriculture Cluster Development Project for Uganda is to raise productivity, production, and commercialization of selected agricultural commodities in specified clusters of districts across the country.
... Vea más + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) educating and training the farmers to adopt good agricultural practices (GAP); (2) providing adequate and proper storage facilities to the farmers; (3) controlling and supervising pesticide use on farms; (4) identifying all pesticide distributors and resellers interested in providing services and products to farmers under the project; (5) disposing obsolete and unused pesticide; and (6) providing emergency response to pesticide accidents and poisoning.
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The development objective of the Agriculture Cluster Development Project for Uganda is to raise productivity, production, and commercialization of selected agricultural commodities in specified clusters of districts across the country.
... Vea más + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) educating and training the farmers to adopt good agricultural practices (GAP); (2) providing adequate and proper storage facilities to the farmers; (3) controlling and supervising pesticide use on farms; (4) identifying all pesticide distributors and resellers interested in providing services and products to farmers under the project; (5) disposing obsolete and unused pesticide; and (6) providing emergency response to pesticide accidents and poisoning.
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Ratings for the Zoonoses Control Project for Nepal were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was Moderate, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also moderately satisfactory.
... Vea más + Some lessons learned included: Government commitment to the continuation of the investment made through other HPAI projects was a crucial factor in achieving NZCPs PDOs in spite of the very short implementation period (2 years according to PAD. The Contributing factors to this success is the dedication of the Project Manager and his close collaboration with the WBs Team and continuity of the AICP project management and staff; commitment of the GoN and its provision of advance resources to allow for project startup and planning; and the recruitment of capable subject matter consultants specially the M E senior consultant. Centralized and strong M E and Planning Unit is crucial for effective technical support. The centralized system at the PMU level in Kathmandu provided two benefits; reduction of transaction cost and enhancement of intersectoral collaboration; both being crucial for the development of a cost effective OH approach. The KAP survey could be a strategic ME tool. Intersectoral collaboration and high level GoN commitment are crucial for the development and installation of the One Health Approach. Keeping just one agency as the primary implementing partner, which is responsible for streamlining, consolidating and submitting the budgets requests, procurement plans, and audit reports have mitigated many coordination issues and delays. The concluding workshop organized by Massey University in Bhutan played an instrumental role in bringing the key regional stakeholders together and raising high level awareness on OH approach. Similar events are necessary in order to reinforce the need to form and institutionalize the OH approach to address zoonotic diseases.
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Informe final de ejecución y resultados ICR3260 SEP 15, 2014