Near-real-time welfare and livelihood impacts of an active war: Evidence from Ethiopia

Kibrom  Abay Guush Berhane Jordan Chamberlin Mehari Hiluf Abay (2023, [Artículo])

Ethiopia recently experienced a large-scale war that lasted for more than two years. Using unique High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) data, which span several months before and after the outbreak of the war, this paper provides evidence on the immediate impacts of the conflict on households’ food security. We also assess potential mechanisms and evaluate impacts on proximate outcomes, including on livelihood activities and access to food markets. We use difference-in-differences and two-way fixed effects estimation to compare trends across affected and unaffected regions (households) and before and after the outbreak of the war. Seven months into the conflict, we find that the war was associated with a 37 percentage points increase in the probability of moderate to severe food insecurity. Using the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), we show that exposure to an additional battle leads to a 1 percentage point increase in the probability of moderate or severe food insecurity. The conflict was associated with significant reduction in access to food through supply chain disruptions and by curtailing non-farm livelihood activities. Non-farm and wage related activities were affected the most, whereas farming activities were relatively more resilient. Our estimates, which likely underestimate the true average effects on the population, constitute novel evidence on the near-real-time impacts of large-scale conflict. Our work highlights the potential of HFPS to monitor active and large-scale conflicts, especially in contexts where conventional data sources are not immediately available.

Phone Surveys CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA WAR CONFLICTS FOOD SECURITY LIVELIHOODS

User manual: How to use Agvisely to generate climate service advisories for livestock in Bangladesh

T.S Amjath-Babu Timothy Joseph Krupnik (2023, [Libro])

The Agvisely digital service for livestock integrates location-specific meteorological forecasts generated by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) with species specific biological thresholds for weather variables (Temperature, rainfall, and temperature-humidity index (THI). When a biological threshold is to be breached in next five days' forecast, the system automatically generates location-specific management advice for livestock farmers. Advisories are based on a decision tree developed by the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) and CIMMYT. Agvisely is a smart phone app and web-based service developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) CIMMYT with the support of USAID, securing the Food Systems of Asian Mega- Deltas (AMD) for Climate and Livelihood Resilience and the Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) initiatives in collaboration with Bangladesh Dept. of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CLIMATE SERVICES LIVESTOCK DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural value chains in Sudan: an annotated bibliography

Hugo De Groote Paswel Marenya (2023, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS CASH CROPS FOOD CROPS LIVESTOCK SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS GENDER SOCIAL INCLUSION POSTHARVEST LOSSES BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Mapping crop and livestock value chain actors in Mbire and Murehwa districts in Zimbabwe

Hambulo Ngoma Moti Jaleta Frédéric Baudron (2023, [Documento de trabajo])

We conducted a preliminary value chain actors mapping for major crops grown and livestock kept by smallholder farmers in Mbire and Murehwa districts of Zimbabwe. Accordingly, in this report we mapped value chain actors for 11 crops and livestock commodities: namely, sorghum, cotton, sesame, maize, groundnut, sweet-potato, vegetables (tomato and onion), cattle, goats, poultry, and honey/beekeeping. Except sesame from Mbire, most of the crop and livestock commodities are channeled to the main markets in Harare and Marondera for Murehwa. Sesame is smuggled to Mozambique and the market is mainly dependent on middlemen. The Grain Market Board (GMB) is the major actor in sorghum and maize marketing in both districts. Groundnut is sold to both rural and urban consumers after processing it to peanut butter locally within the production zones. Goats and cattle are mostly supplied to the Harare market by middlemen collecting these livestock from village markets and moving door-to-door to buy enough quantity to transport to Harare. Honey production and marketing is still at its initial stage through the support of HELP from Germany and the Zimbabwe Apiculture Trust projects. Long dry season is a challenge in honey production. The Pfumvudza program supported by the Presidential free input scheme helped in introducing and scaling conservation agriculture practices in Zimbabwe. Though there is strong integration of crop-livestock systems at both districts, the level of manure use is gradually decreasing because farmers receive chemical fertilizer support from the Pfumvudza program and applying manure to crop fields is labor-intensive. The input supply system is more competitive in Murehwa district where there are quite several input suppliers in town. The possible interventions that favor agroecological transitions are: (1) honey processing plants and supply of beehives to potential areas, (2) encouraging manure use in crop production, possibly linking it to the basins preparation requirement to be eligible for the presidential input subsidy scheme, (3) support the organic vegetable production initiatives and explore market segments in Harare paying premium prices for certified organic products, (4) Expedite payment systems in sorghum and maize marketing with GMB, and (5) sesame production with agroecologically friendly agronomy and improve markets.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA VALUE CHAINS CROPS LIVESTOCK SMALLHOLDERS SUPPLY CHAINS

Alternative cropping and feeding options to enhance sustainability of mixed crop-livestock farms in Bangladesh

Timothy Joseph Krupnik Jeroen Groot (2024, [Artículo])

We investigated alternative cropping and feeding options for large (>10 cows), medium (5–10 cows) and small (≤4 cows) mixed crop – livestock farm types, to enhance economic and environmental performance in Jhenaidha and Meherpur districts – locations with increasing dairy production – in south western Bangladesh. Following focus group discussions with farmers on constraints and opportunities, we collected baseline data from one representative farm from each farm size class per district (six in total) to parameterize the whole-farm model FarmDESIGN. The six modelled farms were subjected to Pareto-based multi-objective (differential evolution algorithm) optimization to generate alternative dairy farm and fodder configurations. The objectives were to maximize farm profit, soil organic matter balance, and feed self-reliance, in addition to minimizing feed costs and soil nitrogen losses as indicators of sustainability. The cropped areas of the six baseline farms ranged from 0.6 to 4.0 ha and milk production per cow was between 1,640 and 3,560 kg year−1. Feed self-reliance was low (17%–57%) and soil N losses were high (74–342 kg ha−1 year−1). Subsequent trade-off analysis showed that increasing profit and soil organic matter balance was associated with higher risks of N losses. However, we found opportunities to improve economic and environmental performance simultaneously. Feed self-reliance could be increased by intensifying cropping and substituting fallow periods with appropriate fodder crops. For the farm type with the largest opportunity space and room to manoeuvre, we identified four strategies. Three strategies could be economically and environmentally benign, showing different opportunities for farm development with locally available resources.

Ruminant Feed Pareto-Based Optimization Farm Bioeconomic Model CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA RUMINANT FEEDING BIOECONOMIC MODELS MIXED CROPPING FARMS LIVESTOCK

Not raised ‘to make big decisions’: young people’s agency and livelihoods in rural Pakistan

Patti Petesch Lone Badstue Dil Bahadur Rahut Akhter Ali (2022, [Artículo])

Social Norms Qualitative Research CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURE GENDER LIVELIHOODS SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS YOUTH AGENCIES

Análisis cuantitativo con diagrama de precedencias de condiciones productivas actuales de 5 líneas de ensamble de amortiguadores mediante el método de balanceo peso posicional

José Humberto Vergara García (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

En este trabajo de investigación se empleó el método de Helgeson & Birnie para realizar el balanceo por peso posicional de cinco líneas de ensamble modular de amortiguadores de la empresa ZF Suspension Technology Guadalajara S.A. de C.V. La metodología empleada permitió establecer las condiciones actuales de operación de las cinco líneas. Mediante el uso del método mencionado se encontró que en la mayoría de las líneas de ensamble analizadas sus tareas se encuentran correctamente balanceadas y ordenadas, corroborando así el buen trabajo realizado al momento de su instalación y puesta en marcha. Si bien en cualquier proceso de ensamble siempre hay oportunidades de mejora, contar con líneas de ensamble bien balanceadas permite a la empresa tener una base sólida para la producción de este tipo de componentes automotrices.

The Helgeson & Birnie method was employed in this research for balancing, by positional weight, five modular strut assembly production lines at ZF Suspension Technology Guadalajara S.A. De C.V. The proposed methodology allowed to know the current operating conditions of the production lines. It was found that most of the analyzed production lines are correctly balanced suggesting a correct commissioning and start up procedure performed when the lines were initially installed. Although every assembling line always can be improved, having well-balanced assembly lines provides a solid base line for any automotive manufacturing company.

Líneas de ensamble modular Método de Helgeson & Birnie Peso posicional Final assembly lines Helgeson & Birnie method Positional weight INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS

A 'wiring diagram' for sink strength traits impacting wheat yield potential

Gustavo Slafer John Foulkes Matthew Paul Reynolds Erik Murchie A Elizabete Carmo-Silva Simon Griffiths (2023, [Artículo])

Grain Number Grain Weight Yield Physiology CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA BREEDING GRAIN HARVEST INDEX SOURCE SINK RELATIONS YIELD COMPONENTS WHEAT

Impact of adoption of heat-stress tolerant maize hybrid on yield and profitability: evidence from Terai region of Nepal

Atul Kulkarni Keshab Babu Koirala Pervez Zaidi (2023, [Artículo])

Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Heat Tolerant Maize Hybrid Partial Budget CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA HEAT STRESS HEAT TOLERANCE MAIZE HYBRIDS BUDGETS YIELDS

Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: the challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa

Christian Thierfelder Blessing Mhlanga Hambulo Ngoma Paswel Marenya Md Abdul Matin Adane Tufa (2024, [Artículo])

Production and utilization of crop residues as mulch and effective weed management are two central elements in the successful implementation of Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems in southern Africa. Yet, the challenges of crop residue availability for mulch or the difficulties in managing weed proliferation in CA systems are bigger than a micro-level focus on weeds and crop residues themselves. The bottlenecks are symptoms of broader systemic complications that cannot be resolved without appreciating the interactions between the current scientific understanding of CA and its application in smallholder systems, private incentives, social norms, institutions, and government policy. In this paper, we elucidate a series of areas that represent some unquestioned answers about chemical weed control and unanswered questions about how to maintain groundcover demanding more research along the natural and social sciences continuum. In some communities, traditional rules that allow free-range grazing of livestock after harvesting present a barrier in surface crop residue management. On the other hand, many of the communities either burn, remove, or incorporate the residues into the soil thus hindering the near-permanent soil cover required in CA systems. The lack of soil cover also means that weed management through soil mulch is unachievable. Herbicides are often a successful stopgap solution to weed control, but they are costly, and most farmers do not use them as recommended, which reduces efficacy. Besides, the use of herbicides can cause environmental hazards and may affect human health. Here, we suggest further assessment of the manipulation of crop competition, the use of vigorously growing cover crops, exploration of allelopathy, and use of microorganisms in managing weeds and reducing seed production to deplete the soil weed seed bank. We also suggest in situ production of plant biomass, use of unpalatable species for mulch generation and change of grazing by-laws towards a holistic management of pastures to reduce the competition for crop residues. However, these depend on the socio-economic status dynamics at farmer and community level.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS CROP RESIDUES ZERO TILLAGE SOCIAL NORMS SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION WEED CONTROL