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Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
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Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
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Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
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Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
Page 5 of 11
Use these filters to specify your search
Page 5 of 11
Working Paper 53: The Political Economy of the Cocoa Value Chain in Ghana
Written by, Joseph Kofi Teye and Ebenezer Nikoi. The cocoa sector has, historically, been the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. Many households depend directly on the cocoa sector for livelihoods, and aspects of the cocoa industry, such as input supplies to farmers and cocoa pricing, have historically featured prominently in national and local politics. This… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
March 31, 2021
Frontier politics in Zimbabwe: the Chilonga case
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Chilonga, a small settlement in a dry communal area in Chiredzi district, has been all over the news in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks. A huge controversy over a major new land investment has blown up, with rights groups up in arms. There have been high-profile visits from politicians of all… Read more »
March 28, 2021
Agricultural livelihood paths and their determinants: the role of smallholder farmer commercialisation in central Malawi
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 50, the APRA researcher Mirriam Matita explores the results of a recent study into the role of smallholder agricultural commercialisation in livelihood trajectories in central Malawi, and examines the longer-term policy implications of such findings.
March 25, 2021
East Africa Rice Conference 2021
18 – 20 May Africa holds great potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, and economic growth through innovative science, sustainable agri-food systems, and transformative partnerships. As rice becomes a potentially strategic commodity in Africa, many countries have embarked on different programs to boost domestic rice production along with continental initiatives. The East Africa… Read more »
Tags: APRA
Challenges to commercialisation of the rice and cocoa value chains in Nigeria
In this blog summarising his research in the newly published in APRA Working Paper 52, APRA researcher Emmanuel Remi Aiyede highlights the challenges facing the rice and cocoa sector in Nigeria. He outlines the findings from the paper, how COVID-19 has impacted the value chains, and provides policy advice on how Nigerian governments can improve the outlook for these two core agricultural crops.
Tags: COVID19
March 22, 2021
Sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania: Everybody benefits but with social difference
In this blog, based on research shown in the newly published APRA Working Paper 49, the authors explore the social impacts of sunflower commercialisation in Tanzania. They highlight the key findings from their research, and outline changing livelihoods are affecting different actors in the sunflower value chain. They then offer policy advice to the government and development partners on the most sustainable way forward.
March 18, 2021
APRA Ghana team to present findings in dissemination workshop
The findings of a recent APRA Ghana research project will be shared with a range of stakeholders at a forthcoming event. This workshop will include a discussion of the team’s research, the implications of these findings. The outcome of discussions will be incorporated into subsequent analyses and reports on the APRA project, and contribute to… Read more »
Tags: APRA
March 15, 2021
The political economy of rice value chain in Ethiopia: actors, performance, and discourses
This blog summarises APRA Working Paper 51, which shows the importance of rice in Ethiopia since its introduction the 1970s covering trends in terms of actors engaged, domestic consumption and policy attention. The authors identify the key challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, along with suggestions on how to promote its commercialisation. They also look at how COVID-19 has affected the sector.
Working Paper 51: The Political Economy of the Rice Value Chain in Ethiopia: Actors, Performance, and Discourses
Written by, Dawit Alemu and Abebaw Assaye. The goal of this working paper is to identify the core challenges that have contributed to the poor performance of Ethiopia’s rice sector, and highlight approaches to successfully promote the commercialisation of the rice value chain. The authors achieve this by emphasising the underlying political economy dynamics of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Working Paper 50: Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Trajectories: Evidence from Rural Malawi
Written by, Mirriam Matita, Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa, Stevier Kaiyatsa, Jacob Mazalale, Masautso Chimombo, Loveness Msofi Mgalamadzi and Blessings Chinsinga. The authors of this paper attempt use quantitative methods to determine the different factors of livelihood trajectories in the context of agricultural commercialisation. To do this, they draw on primary evidence from household surveys conducted over… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
Working Paper 49: The Political Economy of Sunflower In Tanzania: A Case of Singida Region
Written by, Aida C. Isinika and John Jeckoniah. This paper looks at the challenges and shortcomings facing the sunflower sub-sector in Tanzania. It showcases the political economy of sunflower based on analyses of the performance of the sector over a 30-year period since the early 1990s, also studying the relations between the importers of edible… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Working Paper
Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. If you didn’t know already, vaccines are political. And in southern Africa perhaps particularly so as the Chinese, Russians, Indians and the so-called international community through the COVAX facility jostle for position, each trying to show their benevolence towards Africa, reaping soft power diplomatic benefits in return. In… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Journal Article: Old Tractors, New Policies and Induced Technological Transformation: Agricultural Mechanisation, Class Formation and Market Liberalisation in Ghana
This article examines the recent uptake of tractor ploughing services in northern Ghana. It examines the historical continuities in mechanisation and the emergence of a class of medium-scale commercial farmers. In the light of this, it questions the thesis that the recent uptake of mechanisation and emergence of medium-scale farmers reflects the successes of market liberalisation. It is critical of neoclassical theories of agricultural transformation rooted in theories of induced innovation and argues for a political economy approach that links agricultural transformation to processes of social differentiation and the historical role of the state in promoting agricultural commercialisation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 14, 2021
Journal Article: Of Zinc Roofs and Mango Trees: Tractors, the State and Agrarian Dualism in Mozambique
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures. Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that are seen as potentially driving the modernisation of the peasantry. State-sponsored and privately-run service centres, featuring zinc roofed warehouses, are the government’s preferred route to modernisation, yet failing to reach the average farmer and understanding the motives and predicaments of private managers. Emerging small to medium farmers, who keep tractors under shady mango trees in their backyards, are also offering mechanisation services to their peers, which are instrumental to stepping up their production and commercial activities. The state’s push for mechanisation feeds uneven patterns of accumulation and social differentiation.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
March 11, 2021
Cocoa farming: Experiences beyond the Osun River bank, Ogun State, Nigeria
In this blog, the APRA Nigeria Work Stream 2 team examined the different types of land ownership (leasing and borrowing), and the impact of a new generation of young farmers beyond the Osun river bank. They also investigated the effect structured marketing systems, labour arrangements for the large force of migrant workers, and challenges to cocoa production in the area. The APRA team also gave their thoughts on the field trip.
March 8, 2021
The politics of medium-scale A2 farms in Zimbabwe
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. The findings of our recent open access Journal of Modern African Studies paper, shared in the last blog, show that A2 farmers are not one uniform group. They vary a lot both between and within sites. They are not universally the standard caricature of a party-linked ‘crony’ who… Read more »
The political economy of land use land cover change in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, 1984—2018
In this blog summarising APRA Working Paper 48, the authors explore the effects of variable rainfall and the land reforms of 2000 alongside other political and economic factors, to determine how land use land cover in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe has changed between 1984 and 2018. The study complements the longitudinal analysis of agricultural commercialisation in APRA Working Paper 35.
March 4, 2021
Emerging dynamics as result of COVID-19 in Mngeta Division in Morogoro, Tanzania
This blog uses data from recent APRA surveys to examine the changing situation among farmers resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The authors look at how the farmers are responding to such changes, how their livelihoods have altered, and what the government and development partners can do to help.
Tags: COVID19
March 1, 2021
Working Paper 48: The Political Economy of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Mvurwi Area Zimbabwe, 1984–2018
Written by, Caleb Maguranyanga, Keen Marozva, Ian Scoones and Toendepi Shonhe. An analysis of the variations in land use and land cover over the past four decades in the Mvurwi area, Mazowe district, Zimbabwe illustrates how socio-economic dynamics and natural factors combine to shape environmental change. Land use and cover changes (LULCC) were assessed using… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
The triple drivers of rice commercialisation in Fumbisi Valley, northern Ghana (2)
This blog looks at how the triple drivers of mechanisation, weedicide/herbicides and improved seeds play an integral role in rice commercialisation in northern Ghana. The author explores how, and why, they are so important, alongside other factors such as market demand, roads and other infrastructure, state policy, and land availability.
February 25, 2021
Rising farm sizes in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana (1)
In our new two-part series on agricultural commercialism in the Fumbisi Valley of northern Ghana, this blog looks at the growing farm sizes, why rice is so popular, and details the different categories of farms. Part two, available on 25 February, assess the triple drivers of rice commercialisation in the area.
February 22, 2021
Medium-scale commercial farming in Zimbabwe: how has it fared since land reform?
This blog was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. We have a new open access paper out in the Journal of Modern African Studies – “Medium-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe: The experience of A2 resettlement farms”. Contrary to assertions that A2 medium-scale farms allocated during the land reform are largely occupied by ‘cronies’ and that they are unproductive… Read more »
Added challenges for the rice sector in Ethiopia caused by COVID-19
This blog uses new APRA research to explain how COVID-19 has increased the pressure on the Ethiopian rice sector. The authors provide details the APRA study, the impact on rice production, before examining the decline in household rice production and looking at the way forward for the industry.
Tags: COVID19
February 18, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on food systems and rural livelihoods in south-western Ghana
This blog highlights the findings of a recent study that seeks to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights based on household-level and key informant data gathered in the first and second rounds of three expected surveys.
Tags: COVID19
February 15, 2021
COVID-19 preventative measures disrupt small-scale farmer production, marketing and livelihoods in Zambia
This blog highlights how COVID-19 preventative measures have affected small-scale farmers surrounding the Mkushi farm block in Zambia, focusing particularly how such measures have disrupted production, marketing and livelihoods. The authors then look at how the government and cooperating partners can help to make life easier.
Tags: COVID19
February 11, 2021
Can South Africa help find a way out of Zimbabwe’s on-going crises?
I don’t know how many times this blog has commented on the worsening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe. It seems to be never-ending and still getting worse. The misplaced expectations that the ‘new dispensation’ would provide an escape route following the 2017 ‘coup’ were short-lived. If anything, things have got worse.
February 1, 2021
Journal Article: The Resurgence of Agricultural Mechanisation in Ethiopia: Rhetoric or Real Commitment?
Ethiopia’s agricultural development strategies bypassed smallholder mechanisation for decades. Mechanisation returned to the policy agenda in 2013 but recent pro-mechanisation rhetoric lacks operational commitments. Based on primary and secondary data, this paper traces the policies and policy narratives that have led to low mechanisation, and finds that mechanisation was deprioritised on the grounds that Ethiopia is labour- and land-abundant, but short of capital. With policy encouraging multiple cropping, but farming vulnerable to climate change, the paper argues for the development of a market for mechanisation, including mechanisation service provision through private and cooperative agents, to enhance smallholder access to mechanisation and unleash human energy.
Tags: APRA, Journal Articles, journals, other
January 31, 2021
‘The land is the economy, the economy is the land’, but does this include young people? Reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. There has been a flurry of studies on young people and agriculture in recent years, including in Zimbabwe. The wider critical literature has challenged the standard narratives around youth specific policy measures – such as narratives that youth are innovative, entrepreneurial, tech-savvy and so the future of agriculture… Read more »
January 18, 2021
COVID-19 and price uncertainties in grain marketing in Malawi
In the third and final blog of the series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researcher Stevier Kaiyatsa looks at the contributing effects of COVID-19 on grain price instability, the implication of this, and what the Malawian government can do to tackle the problem. Part one examined the role played by small-scale traders in the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
January 14, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zambia – Round 1 Report
Written by, Chrispin Matenga and Munguzwe Hichaambwa. To assess the impact of COVID-19 on local food systems and livelihoods, a total of 115 small-scale farming households (102 male- and 13 female headed) were interviewed from five communities (Lilanda, Luang (Mankanda), Masansa, Nshinso and Miloso (Tazara Corridor) surrounding the Mkushi Farm Block in the Central Province… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID-19, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 11, 2021
How small-scale traders exploit farmers in Malawi
In the second of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the methods used by some small-scale traders are taking advantage of farmers who produce a market surplus, and what the government should do to help. Part one looked more closely at the vital role… Read more »
Lockdown politics: reflections from Zimbabwe
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. Last week, the blog looked at the COVID-19 situation in Zimbabwe. The situation continues to get worse. On 9 January, there were 20499 reported cases and 483 deaths – 6000 more cases and over 100 more deaths in just a week. It looks like the South African ‘new… Read more »
Understanding small-scale grain traders in Malawi
In the first of a three-part blog series on grain marketing in Malawi, APRA researchers Stevier Kaiyatsa and Mphatso Susuwele examine the vital role played by small-scale traders in Malawi in the grain supply chains, how they are classified, and why understanding them is key for any kind of programme intervention that aims to improve… Read more »
January 7, 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Malawi – Round 2 Report
Written by, Mirriam Matita and Masautso Chimombo. COVID-19 continues to impact households and economies worldwide. For this reason, in June 2020 APRA started assessing its likely effects on food systems and livelihoods in Malawi. This report presents insights from the second round (R2) of data collection in October 2020. Data was collected from a stratified… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
January 4, 2021
Can Zimbabwe survive a second wave of COVID-19?
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. On January 2nd, Vice-President and Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga, announced another strict lockdown on the whole country. As in March, non-essential businesses are shut, travel is restricted and schools are closed. Everyone is urged to stay at home. In the last week, there have been… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Zimbabwe -Round 2 Report
Written by, Vine Mutyasira. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe enforced a nationwide lockdown on 30 March 2020, closing most sectors of the economy, including informal markets. However, with limited cases, lockdown movement restrictions were eased and supermarkets, restaurants and vegetable markets allowed to reopen. Between 3-13 October 2020, a second-round (R2) of… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
December 18, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania – Round 2 Report
Written by, Gideon Boniface and C.G. Magomba. On 8 June 2020, the Government of Tanzania officially declared the country to be free of COVID-19 and all restrictions have since been lifted. As of 3 December 2020, Tanzania had only 509 confirmed cases of the virus and 21 deaths. Nevertheless, neighbouring countries are still facing the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Kenya – Round 2 Report
Written by, John Olwande and Miltone Ayieko. Since 12 March 2020, when Kenya reported the first COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 45,076 cases and 839 deaths, as of 19 October.1 Despite the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed infections and deaths in Kenya during the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, the… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Ghana – Round 2 Report
Written by, Louis Hodey and Fred Dzanku. This study seeks to assess the continuing impact of COVID-19 on food systems and livelihoods in south-western Ghana and provides insights obtained from household-level and key informant data in the second of three surveys conducted during October/November 2020. This second round (R2) survey involved 107 households of oil… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Fogera Plain, Ethiopia – Round 2 Report
Written by, Abebaw Assaye and Dawit Alemu. This report presents an assessment of the changes in effects of COVID-19 on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and poverty and well-being in rural Ethiopia by comparing the results of a baseline household survey (R1) in late June 2020 with a follow-up survey (R2)… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria – Round 2 Report
Written by, Adebayo B. Aromolaran and Milu Muyanga. This study provides insights from a second survey assessing COVID-19 impacts on agricultural commercialisation, food and nutrition security, labour and employment, and well-being in rural Nigeria. Data for round 2 (R2) were collected between September and October 2020, from 109 households that were interviewed in mid-July (R1).… Read more »
Tags: APRA, COVID19, Impact Studies, other
Armed conflicts, land expansion and resilience: evidence from Nigeria
In this blog, APRA researchers Adesoji Adelaja and Justin George summarise their two latest working papers on the role of resilience factors in mitigating the negative effects of conflict on land expansion, and how conflicts affect land expansion by smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They condense the findings from both studies and offer policy recommendations on… Read more »
December 17, 2020
Zimbabweland’s 2020 wrap-up
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. 2020 has been quite a year in Zimbabwe and across the world. The blog has had two major series of posts, and this wrap-up features both – now with the links all working. One series has followed the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe, and particularly the consequences… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Drivers of market orientation among farm households in Nigeria
APRA academics Adebayo Aromolaran, Milu Muyanga and Thomas Jayne summarise their latest working paper to look the drivers of market-orientated land use decisions among farm households in Nigeria, with particular focus on Ogun and Kaduna states. The authors then suggest possible government interventions in order to increase access to input and output markets. This blog… Read more »
December 14, 2020
APRA showcase COVID-19 research at key conference in Tanzania
Following APRA Tanzania’s recent report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania in October, the team has presented further evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains in Africa. Researchers Aida Isinika, Ntengua Mdoe, Gideon Boniface, Gilead Mlay, Devotha Kilave, Christopher Magomba and John Jeckoniah attended the… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
December 10, 2020
Rice value chain: has life returned to normal after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania? (2)
In part two of this blog series, APRA Tanzania researchers Ntengua Mdoe, Gilead Mlay and Gideon Boniface use data from follow-up interviews with raw rice traders and the hospitality business in Morogoro and Mbeye regions, before drawing a conclusion on the way forward. For the first blog on their interviews with farmers, processors and input… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
Working Paper 47: How Conflicts Affect Land Expansion by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Nigeria
Written by, Adesoji Adelaja, Justin George, Thomas Jayne, Milu Muyanga, Titus Awokuse, Adebayo Aromolaran and Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie. The expansion of smallholder farms into larger farm sizes is a key strategy for growing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy could simultaneously expand farm incomes while addressing poverty since the majority of farms in sub-Saharan… Read more »
Tags: APRA, Working Paper
December 7, 2020
COVID-19 reinforces pre-existing market risks for pastoralists in northern Kenya
Following his blog on the winners and losers in livestock commercialisation in northern Kenya and the accompanying working paper, researcher, pastoral development and dryland management specialist Guyo Roba examines the impact of COVID-19 market risks, explaining how strengthening their resilience is a key priority. Access this previous blog, and Working Paper 39, here. This blog… Read more »
Tags: COVID19
APRA Nigeria training for data collection field work
The APRA Nigeria Work Stream 1 team have been busy in recent weeks, returning to the field to collect the second round of panel data for their research on the pace at which farm size distributions are changing in Nigeria. The research has a particular focus on the rise of medium-scale farms and their influence… Read more »
Unequal land, unequal societies
This post was written by Ian Scoones and first appeared on Zimbabweland. A really important report from the International Land Coalition and Oxfam is just out called ‘Uneven Ground: Land Inequality at the Heart of Unequal Societies’, along with 17 supporting papers. Through new analysis it shows that land inequality is even larger than previously thought, and that this… Read more »
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