Knowledge Portal

This paper presents a framework to characterize the diversity of existing food systems and classify the food systems in terms of their support by mainstream practices. Results of the framework can be used to focus attention on functioning of the food system components and reveal main barriers and promising elements, and can be used in the exploration of potential transition pathways of food systems. »

This paper analyses the implication of contract farming on gender inequalities, both within and across households, in rural Mozambique. Emerging market opportunities per se do not mean that women will be necessarily included and empowered, or that gender inequalities will be reduced. »

This study aims to enhance knowledge about Crop Receipts (CRs) and provide guidance to stakeholders engaged in agricultural finance in Africa on how CRs might be adapted for and introduced in Africa. A CR is a bond issued by a farmer or farmer organization to deliver a certain amount of farm produce (crop or livestock) or the cash equivalent thereof at a future date. »

This report provides an assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFA) and its management worldwide. BFA is the subset of biodiversity that contributes in one way or another to agriculture and food production. BFA is indispensable to food security. The sustainable use and conservation for BFA call for approaches in which genetic resources, species and ecosystems are managed in an integrated way in the context of production systems and their surroundings. »

This Access to Seeds Index evaluates the performance of the seed industry in taking the lead in reaching smallholder farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa. The index reveals that companies are present in all index countries and investing in local seed sector development, but need more step up efforts to reach more smallholders. East African Seed tops the 2019 Access to Seeds Index for Eastern and Southern Africa. »

This discussion paper evaluates the effectiveness of an information and communication technology (ICT) mediated approach to deliver agricultural information in a field experiment conducted among small-scale maize farmers in eastern Uganda. Results showed that video is effective in delivering information. However, the incremental effects of IVR and SMS technologies were found to be limited. »