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Tag: Value chains

Exploring Azolla Farming as a Sustainable Feed Source for Poultry in Murehwa, Zimbabwe

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs, News.

A handful of azolla (Photo: Telma Sibanda, CIMMYT)

Often referred to as “green gold,” Azolla is a small, free-floating and fast-growing aquatic fern with immense potential in driving towards agriculture sustainability. Thriving in waterlogged environments, this hardy plant forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, making it a natural fertilizer for crops like rice. Rich in protein, Azolla is also an affordable, eco-friendly feed for livestock and fish, reducing reliance on commercial alternatives. Its rapid growth and carbon sequestration capabilities contribute to climate resilience and resource efficiency. The water in the pond is enriched with nitrogen and can be used to irrigate plants/crops, increasing its value to farmers. Farmers in low-income regions are embracing Azolla as a game-changer, unlocking opportunities to boost productivity, improve soil health, and transition toward more sustainable farming practices.

Recognizing Azolla’s potential, the CGIAR-funded Transformational Agroecology across Food, Land, and Water Systems Initiative, also known as the Agroecology Initiative (AEI) in Zimbabwe, is integrating it into agroecological approaches in Murehwa. This initiative, which operates through five work packages (WPs), is reimagining farming systems by combining innovative business models (WP3) with agroecological technologies (WP1).

Chicken fowl run in Murehwa, (Photo: Loveness Mudarikwa, CIMMYT)

In one of the districts in Murehwa, AEI Zimbabwe selected poultry business model working in collaboration with Hamara Chicks, focusing on resilient and dual-purpose Sasso chickens. Known for their resistance and ability to free-range, these chickens provide both meat and eggs, offering farmers diversified income streams. Hamara Chicks implemented a two-stage model: first the brooding stage, where farmers raise chicks up to four weeks old and then sell them to other farmers who raise them from juveniles to maturity. While promising, the first cycle faced challenges, including a lack of affordable, nutritious feed, and difficulties in securing a market post-brooding and after maturity. To address these issues, WP1 and WP3 identified Azolla as a potential supplemental or alternative feed to support the poultry business model.

The dilemma of Azolla: Two sides of the coin

Azolla farming offers a compelling mix of benefits for sustainable agriculture. Environmentally friendly and resource-efficient, Azolla farming requires minimal land, water, and inputs, making it particularly suitable for small-scale farmers seeking cost-effective solutions. Its rapid growth is one of its standout attributes; under optimal conditions, Azolla can double its biomass in just 3-5 days. This rapid growth allows farmers to produce significant quantities of forage with limited investment, significantly reducing feed costs and increasing overall profitability. Its ability to be harvested daily ensures a consistent and reliable feed supply.

Source : Azolla Biosystems Ltd – Azolla Biosystems Ltd

Nutritionally, Azolla is a powerhouse. With a protein content of 25-30% (dry weight), it is packed with essential amino acids, vitamins such as A, B12, and beta-carotene, and essential minerals. When incorporated into livestock and poultry diets, Azolla contributes to improved health, faster growth rates, and better production results. For smallholder poultry farmers, these benefits translate into tangible gains in meat and egg production, providing a pathway to higher incomes. Moreover, Azolla’s agricultural utility extends beyond animal feed. Its nitrogen-fixing capability enriches soil fertility, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and supporting sustainable crop production systems.

However, as promising as Azolla is, its cultivation is not without challenges. Water availability is a critical requirement, posing a potential barrier in regions with limited water resources. In Murehwa, Zimbabwe, where the CGIAR-funded Transformational Agroecology Initiative is promoting Azolla, horticulture farmers already have access to reliable water sources, alleviating this concern.

Another challenge is the maintenance of Azolla ponds. To thrive, Azolla requires well-managed conditions, including optimal pH levels and nutrient balance. Poorly maintained ponds can compromise growth and productivity. Recognizing this, farmers participating in the initiative have received extensive hands-on training to effectively manage and sustain these conditions effectively, ensuring that Azolla remains a viable and productive resource.

Empowering farmers through training and capacity building

The initiative partnered with KDV Consultancy to train 70 farmers, including 40 women in Murehwa, equipping them with essential skills for Azolla cultivation. The training sessions focused on pond construction, maintenance, and integration of Azolla into poultry feeding systems. This hands-on approach ensures that farmers can sustainably enhance their poultry value chains.

Training in progress in Murewa (Photo: Dorcas Matangi/CIMMYT)
Training in progress in Murewa (Photo: Dorcas Matangi/CIMMYT)
Training in progress in Murewa (Photo: Dorcas Matangi/CIMMYT)
Training in progress in Murewa (Photo: Dorcas Matangi/CIMMYT)

By co-designing solutions with farmers, the initiative prioritizes their needs and challenges, and promotes practical, farmer-driven outcomes. Empowering farmers with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable practices not only strengthens their resilience but also enhances the long-term sustainability of poultry production in Murehwa. This collaborative effort is laying the groundwork for a more robust and adaptive agricultural future.

The integration of Azolla farming represents a promising step towards achieving a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system in Murehwa. By addressing the feed challenges faced by poultry farmers, Azolla not only enhances poultry production but also contributes to the broader goals of food security and economic stability in the region. As the Transformational Agroecology across Food, Land, and Water Systems project progresses, the positive impacts of innovative practices like Azolla farming continue to support the well-being and livelihoods of farmers in Murehwa.

Boosting groundnut value chains

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in News.

Representatives from various sectors in Tanzania met to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the country’s groundnut value chain, with the aim of establishing a platform for dialogue among stakeholders involved in groundnut production and distribution.

Participants attentively listen to a presentation at the groundnut value chain stakeholders’ meeting in Tanzania. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The meeting was organized by TEMNAR Co. Ltd., and brought together key stakeholders including farmers, government officials, research institutes, NGOs, and partners such as Ruvuma Commercialization and Diversification of Agriculture (RUCODIA), SWISSAID, and Vodacom. All participants affirmed the meeting’s overall impact and significance, acknowledging that the event would help lay a strong foundation for the growth of groundnut farming, particularly in Mtwara and Lindi regions.

The meeting featured presentations from scientists at the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) — who addressed topics such as groundnut agronomy and seed technology — and representatives from TEMNAR, who outlined strategies to facilitate effective collaboration among stakeholders and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Discussions centered on topics such as groundnut varieties, market demands, and the importance of quality and cleanliness throughout the production process. Trust in business relationships was identified as a key factor for success.

Participants at the meeting shared innovative ideas and identified opportunities for strengthening the sector. They highlighted, for example, the need for aggregators to specify their groundnut volume requirements and the application of simple technologies — such as hand push planters and threshing machines — to increase production efficiency. They also emphasized the importance of planting new TARI-bred groundnut varieties to meet market demand, and the establishment of additional seed multiplication farms to increase seed availability.

: A participant examines displayed groundnuts at the groundnut value chain stakeholders’ meeting in Tanzania (Photo: CIMMYT).

Another key component of the meeting was assessing the challenges faced by local groundnut farmers. These include the shortage of good groundnut seed, limited agronomical knowledge, and the labor-intensive nature of planting, harvesting, and picking the crop. To address these challenges, participants suggested making agricultural inputs and tools more accessible to farmers, conducting technology demonstrations, and establishing seed multiplication farms across different districts.

Both farmers and aggregators expressed their commitment to making changes in their farming practices; aggregators are now able to access groundnuts easily through phone calls, while farmers enjoy improved access to markets and better prices. A number of follow-up actions have also been planned as a result of the meeting, such as product buyback initiatives during the harvest season and the establishment of field days to help reach more farmers and aggregators at the local level.

In Ethiopia, workshop brings together stakeholders on climate risk analysis outputs

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in News.

CIMMYT and the Global Center on Adaptation, along with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture’s Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), presented the results of their joint research on climate risks during a two-day workshop held in October in Addis Ababa.

Participants of the workshop in Addis Ababa (Photo: CIMMYT).

For over a year and a half, agricultural experts, academics and scientists worked together under the project Digital Climate Advisory Services for Priority Agricultural Value Chains in Ethiopia, which aimed to analyze the risks posed by climate change on five value chains – wheat, maize, coffee, soybean and livestock – and to offer practical adaptation options. CIMMYT conducted the studies in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and with the sponsorship of GCA. The workshop was attended by experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, the Ethiopian Metrology Agency, the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Green Agro Solutions, among other organizations.

From research outcomes to practical solutions

As a prelude to the two-day discussion, CIMMYT senior scientist, Kindie Tesfaye, expressed his hopes that the research findings will be translated into practical solutions in the field. In turn, GCA Food Security senior program officer Mercy Nyambura invited the guests to share their insights, knowledge and expertise on how the joint research outputs could be put to use.

Highlighting that climate variability and climate extreme events are the main two factors undermining food security in Ethiopia, Keberu Belayneh, FSRP’s head at the Ministry of Agriculture, underlined the need for multi-partnerships to respond and adapt to climate change. He farther shared his hope that the program will contribute to the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure food security in the country.

Offering the perspective of a private sector actor, Green Agro Solutions’ executive director Abrhame Endrias hailed the partnership between his company and CIMMYT in five districts where the company deployed its digital platform LERSHA – “for agriculture” in Amharic. LERSHA provides farmers with vital weather forecasts, as well as other services such as farm inputs, mechanization services, and agro-climate advice. In addition, development agents are bridging the literacy gap between the farmers and the digital services, added Abrhame Endrias. In the five districts where CIMMYT and Green Agro Solutions partnered, LERSHA ‘s adoption rates increased, Abrhame Endrias noted.

Vibrant discussions

The results on the five value chains were presented in five different sessions. The first day of the workshop, Debre Markos University’s Dereje Ademe communicated the findings of the studies on the maize and soybean value chains, while  Abate Mekuriaw, associate professor at the Addis Ababa University, introduced the results on the wheat value chain. They were followed on the second day by  Adama Ndour and Mekdes Woldegiorgis, post-doctoral researchers at CIMMYT-Ethiopia, who discussed with the audience their findings on the current and future climate risks for the coffee and cattle value chains.

Echoing Kindie Tesfaye and Mercy Nyambura’s call, the conversations mainly focused on the potential implementation of the research outcomes, with multiple participants voicing their wishes to see the outputs cascading down to district levels.

Keberu Abayneh, the head of the FSRP in the Ministry of Agriculture, gave a closing remark at the end of the workshop thanking CIMMYT, the technical team that carried out the studies, the Ministry of Agriculture and all stakeholders who took part in it.

Following this, the first Regional Climate Risk Analysis Output Communication Workshop was held in Adama, Ethiopia, from November 13-14, 2023.

As highlighted in the first workshop, the research findings needed to be cascaded down to the regional and district level in order to be implemented successfully. To this end, the second workshop brought together the main representatives from regional agricultural offices in the 11 regional states, who engaged in discussions around the research findings, recommendations, and implementation methods. Researchers, agricultural experts, and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Green Agro Solution, CIMMYT and FSRP also took part in the discussions.

Participants of the workshop in Adama (Photo: CIMMYT).

This workshop, held with the aim of engaging participants from 11 regional states in active discussions and gathering feedbacks, is believed to lay the groundwork for cascading down the research results for implementation.

When representatives from regional states presented on their respective areas, they found more common points than differences. Climate change risk on each of the five value chains is felt across Ethiopia due to extremes and variances in rainfall and temperatures, and many regions are shifting cultivating seasons, forwarded by up to three months because of late-onset of rainfall. These incidents are forcing farmers to change conventional cultivation patterns, with those who stick to the conventional schedule at risk of losing their yields. Some farmers have even changed the types of crops they grow as a result.

Participants noted that the recommended adaptation plans are commendable and implementable in their respective areas, with the proper guidance and resources. In order to ensure tangible impact, they asked for the research documents on the priority value chains to be communicated to a wider range of stakeholders in each regional state.

Creating awareness on the climate risk and the adaptation plans, building capacity to ensure the implementation, piloting and then scaling up implementation across the regional states with consistent monitoring and evaluation can bring effective results, stakeholders agreed.

 

Steering towards success

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

The inaugural Rwanda National Seed Congress, which took place in Kigali on July 31 and August 1, 2023, marked a significant milestone for the country’s seed industry. Themed “Private Sector Strategic Roadmap for the Seed Industry 2030”, the event brought together key stakeholders from the government, public, and private sectors to address challenges and opportunities in the national seed value chain.

Discussions centered around pertinent issues concerning the seed sector in general, with a particular focus on the Rwandan National Seed Strategic Roadmap. This document, which was developed through consultations with various stakeholders, provides a comprehensive plan to steer the industry towards success and sustainable growth.

“Enhancing and managing the seed system is a complex endeavor that requires the collaboration of various stakeholders,” said Chris Ojiewo, CGIAR Seed Equal Initiative lead. “This is where public-private partnerships come in as a valuable tool for nurturing the growth and expansion of the seed industry.”

Chris Ojiewo, CGIAR Seed Equal Initiative lead, presented at the inaugural National Seed Congress in Rwanda. (Photo: NSAR Congress)

During a presentation entitled Public-private Partnership: A Tool for Development and Strengthening of the Seed Sector, Ojiewo highlighted the growing importance of collaboration and partnerships in the current seed system. He emphasized that the processes and elements that shape the seed sector are complex and extensive, making it too much for any one organization—whether public or private—to handle alone.

The way forward

During the congress, several key recommendations were proposed  to increase the potential of the seed industry. The government was encouraged to seek accreditation with major seed industry quality organizations, such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) certification schemes, while adopting International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to establish an improved regulatory environment conducive to industry growth.

The empowerment of the National Seed Association of Rwanda (NSAR) as an advocate and facilitator for the seed industry was also highlighted as an essential measure. The government’s support in enabling the seed association to become increasingly self-regulatory is seen as crucial to the industry’s growth over the next seven years, with private seed industry players developing internal systems to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

Another key recommendation for increasing sustainable improved seed use in Rwanda was the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which will play a critical role in promoting the country as a seed production and trade investment destination.

Ojiewo emphasized the importance of such partnerships, noting that “PPPs have the potential to transform the seed industry by leveraging the strengths of different organizations.” He further highlighted that in addressing the challenges of global food security and sustainable development, the way forward becomes clear through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to advancing agricultural progress through collaborative efforts.

The congress also focused on attracting affordable financing to scale up investments throughout the seed value chain. It was considered essential to involve industry financial players in the development of optimal financing structures to support the expansion of the industry.

As a result of the successful event, plans have already been made for the second National Seed Congress in 2024. Scheduled to take place in Kigali on July 29 and 30, 2024, the next event aims to build on the achievements of the first congress and further drive the growth of Rwanda’s seed industry.

CGIAR’s Seed Equal Initiative helps farmers by providing them with better seeds that are nutritious, preferred in the market, and that can withstand climate change. These varieties have been carefully developed to exhibit significant genetic advancements, ultimately benefiting farmers. It also makes sure that women and other marginalized groups have fair access to these seeds.

Scaling impact of dryland crops research through regional crop improvement networks

Written by Susan Otieno on . Posted in News.

A section of key speakers at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

The formation of regional crop improvement networks took center stage at a meeting held in January 2023 in Accra, Ghana. The meeting convened more than 200 scientists and stakeholders in dryland crops value chains from 28 countries from Africa and across the globe to co-design a network approach.

The meeting followed a series of consultative visits and discussions between three CGIAR research centers — the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) — African National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs), and other common-visioned partners during 2021 and 2022. These earlier discussions gathered insights, brainstormed, and co-designed approaches to empower national programs to deliver impact through their crop improvement programs.

“The idea is to add value to the existing capacities in National Agricultural Research and Extension Services, through networks where the partners agree on the goals and resources needed to achieve desired outcomes. So, it’s really a collaborative model,” said Harish Gandhi, breeding lead for dryland legumes and cereals at CIMMYT. He added that the teams have been learning from and aiming to add value to existing models such as the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), USAID Innovation Labs, and Innovation and plant breeding in West Africa (IAVAO).

Paradigm shift for African National Agricultural Research Institutes

Making the opening remarks, Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director General, Paul Bosu said that at the very least, African countries should aim to feed themselves and transition from net importers to net exporters of food. “Dryland legumes and cereals, especially millet and sorghum, are very well adapted to the continent and offer great opportunity towards achieving food security”, said Bosu. He applauded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners for investing in research on these crops.

Representing West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), Ousmane Ndoye noted that research in dryland legumes and cereals is a valid and needed action amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in different parts of the world. He added that the first and crucial step to increasing food production especially in sub-Saharan Africa is the availability of sufficient quantities of seed.

Director General of Uganda’s National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO), Ambrose Agona observed that a paradigm shift should occur for desired transformation in agriculture. He noted that African governments ought to commit adequate budgets to agriculture and that seed funding should serve to complement and amplify existing national budgets for sustainability.

He commended efforts to consult NARIs in Africa and noted that the quality of ideas exchanged at the meeting strengthen the work. “The NARIs feel happier when they are consulted from the very beginning and contribute to joint planning unlike in some cases where the NARIs in Africa are only called upon to make budgets and are excluded from co-designing projects”, said Agona.

Participants following the proceedings at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

Challenge to deliver effectively

During his remarks at the meeting, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts noted that the focus legume and cereal crops are key to transforming and driving diversification of food systems in Africa. “It is therefore an honor and a privilege to work together with partners to improve cereal and legume systems. We will put forward our experience in breeding and commit to innovative systems approaches towards achieving impact and leverage what we are already good at, to become even better,” said Govaerts.

Referencing his visit with the United States Special Envoy for Global Food Security Cary Fowler to Southern Africa in January 2023, Govaerts narrated witnessing firsthand a food, energy and fertilizer crisis impacting Zambian and Malawian farmers. He challenged the meeting participants to envision the future impact they would like to see their breeding programs have as they design and strategize at the meeting. He pointed out that farmers are more interested in the qualities and characteristics of varieties released than the institutions responsible for the release.

CIMMYT Global Genetic Resources Director and Deputy Director General, Breeding and Genetics, Kevin Pixley also underscored the need to generate more impact through adoption of improved varieties in Africa. Pixley noted that on average, fewer than 30 percent of farmers are using improved varieties of sorghum, millet, and groundnut across the countries with ongoing work.

The meeting heard One CGIAR’s commitment to deliver resilient, nutritious and market preferred varieties as part of its Genetic Innovation Action Area, alongside improving systems and processes for sustainability from CGIAR Senior Director Plant Breeding and Pre-Breeding, John Derera. Speaking in the capacity of IITA’s Breeding Lead, Derera noted the progress made in IITA cowpea breeding program, including its modernization, owing to strong partnerships, cross learning and germplasm exchange between institutions.

PABRA Director & Leader of the Bean Programme at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Jean-Claude Rubyogo, pointed out that despite remarkable achievements, such as those witnessed in the bean research, more effort is needed to tackle the challenges of climate change and also increase understanding of consumers traits.

Commenting on innovative pathways to improve adoption of improved varieties, the Director General of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) in Zaria, Nigeria, Mohammad Ishiyaku observed the tendency for some seed companies to continue selling specific seed varieties for years, even when the productivity of the variety is low. He noted the seed companies always claimed consumer preferences concluding then that amidst investor demands, breeders ought to keenly investigate the expectations of consumers and famers to arrive at the best parameters for breeding choices.

A group photo of over 200 scientists and stakeholders in dryland crops value chains that participated at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

International Year of Millets, 2023

The gathering commemorated the International Year of Millets by listening to a keynote address on “Millets for food and nutritional security and mitigating climate change – #IYM2023” by Lake Chad Research Institute, Nigeria, Research Director, Zakari Turaki. The keynote was followed by statements on the importance of millets for various countries and wider Africa from: Sanogo Moussa Daouda, representing Director General of Mali’s Institut d’Économie Rurale (IER); Ibrahima Sarr, Director of Senegal’s Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles’s Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques; Hamidou Traore, Director of Burkina Faso’s Institut de L’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles; and Ambrose Agona, Director General of NARO, Uganda.

High-level statements on approaches to gender integration in agricultural research and development were delivered by Scovia Adikini, NARO millet breeder, Geoffrey Mkamillo, Director General of Tanzania’s Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Francis Kusi of Ghana’s Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), and Aliou Faye, Director of Senegal’s Regional Center of Excellence on Dry Cereals and Associated Crops (CERAAS).

AVISA Achievements

Finally, this meeting marked the transition from the recently ended Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA) project to align with One CGIAR initiatives under the Genetic Innovation Action Area, with specific focus on dryland crops.

Solomon Gyan Ansah, the Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana, acknowledged the success of AVISA Project and commended the forum’s efforts to build on the gains made by the project in developing the new approach.

“By the end of 2022, AVISA project partners had reached 4.8 million farmers with 30,600 metric tons of seed of improved legume and cereal varieties, covering almost one million hectares of land”, revealed Chris Ojiewo, Strategic Partnerships and Seeds Systems Lead. Other achievements supported by the AVISA Project include upgrading of NARES facilities and building capacities of researchers through short- and long-term trainings.

The meeting was hosted by Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Ghana’s Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), and was organized by CIMMYT, in partnership with IITA and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT (ABC).

From seed to feed

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

In 2022, more than 2,000 households participated in CIMMYT’s Maize Commercial Model program, doubling the number of farmers and area of maize produced compared to data from 2021. (Photo: Aayush Niroula/CIMMYT)

Experts at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) are working with partners to drive self-sufficiency in poultry feed and achieve more sustainable maize systems in Nepal thanks to the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project.

About 3,000 metric tons (t) of poultry feed is used in Nepal every day, with maize making up about half of feed ingredients. The Feed Association of Nepal estimates that more than 80% of maize for animal feed requirements are met through imports, which costs around $100 million a year. Maize imports are estimated to exceed $130 million in 2022.

Through the NSAF project — a project which facilitates sustainable increases in Nepal’s national crop productivity, income and household-level food and nutrition security across 20 districts — CIMMYT scientists have been supporting public private partnerships to increase commercial maize production and strengthen the “seed to feed” chain in the country.

In the Terai region, huge swaths of land lie fallow in the spring season. Experts estimate that enough maize grain could be produced on this land to substitute about 40% of maize imports to the country. Increasing spring maize production in these fallow lands has been one of the goals of the NSAF team, as well as improving coordination between public and private sectors. To do this, the team have designed a multi-stakeholder engagement initiative to strengthen the seed to feed chain.

In December 2020, CIMMYT experts began the initiative to scale up the use of new maize hybrid varieties and improved agronomic practices. In the spring of 2022, CIMMYT researchers partnered with public and private organizations in Banke, Bardiya and Kailali to help commercialize hybrid maize production and strengthen maize value chain coordination in the region. Partners included integrated agriculture and livestock development offices in Bardiya, agriculture knowledge centers in Banke and Kailali, local governments, farmer cooperatives, seed companies, agro-dealers and feed mills.

Working with these partners, CIMMYT scientists also advanced efforts to improve the capacity of actors to increase efficiency in supply chains, production and marketing, provide local employment and strengthen the market for domestically produced maize for poultry feed.

As of September 2022, the following milestones have been achieved:

  • Provincial governments have established multi-stakeholder maize commercial networks at sites where maize actors and stakeholders participate to coordinate commercial maize production, access to support services and to link farmers and grain buyers.
  • In 2022, more than 2,000 households from 19 local government units produced maize on 547 ha in Banke, Bardiya and Kailali. The total maize production increased from 1390t in 2021 to 3,232t in 2022. This was an increase of 61% in the number of farmers and 52% in area. The value of maize sold also tripled from USD 306,900 in 2021 to USD 915,700 in 2022.
  • The farm gate price of maize by 22% and the Government of Nepal invested $2.37 million to support access to quality seed, agriculture machinery and irrigation facilities.
  • Farmers sold 500t maize grains to feed mills in 2022, a huge jump from only 30t in 2021.
  • In partnership with the Government of Nepal, CIMMYT researchers organized training programs for farmers in maize commercial network sites on production, post-harvest, exposure visits and marketing to prepare them to produce maize as per buyers’ requirements. They also guided farmers on how to access credit, crop insurance, and digital advisory services to further improve their production and marketing.
Maize constitutes about half of all poultry feed products in Nepal and maize imports for feed are estimated to be worth around $130 million in 2022. (Photo: Aayush Niroula/CIMMYT)

Next steps

CIMMYT scientists plan to double the number of districts under the maize commercialization model from three to six in 2023. The Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and the local and provincial governments are keen to scale out the model to several maize production regions of Nepal.

In a joint assessment with the Government of Nepal and private sector partners, CIMMYT scientists identified a number of key areas for further development. These include supporting farmers to access high yielding, short duration and stress tolerant maize varieties, as well as best management practices for improving maize production. Other priorities include developing models for contractual arrangements between farmers groups and feed mills, encouraging public and private sector investment in village-level warehouses with drying facilities. Finally, CIMMYT and partners are eager to introduce incentives such as subsidies on grain produced and sold by farmers through cooperatives, develop national maize quality standards and update the 1976 Feed Act.

Going forward, CIMMYT’s research on public private partnership for commercial maize production will focus on drivers of uptake of technology and institutional innovations, the role of aggregation models and contractual arrangements in maize market system coordination and impact assessment on farmers benefits.

Special issue on gender research in agriculture highlights CIMMYT’s work on gender inclusivity

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Publications.

A new special issue on gender research in agriculture highlights nine influential papers published in the past three years on gender research on crop systems including maize.

The virtual special issue, published earlier this month in Outlook on Agriculture, features work by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) scientists on gender inclusivity in maize systems in Africa and South Asia.

In the Global South, women contribute substantial labor to agriculture but continue to face barriers in accessing agricultural resources, tools and technologies and making decisions on farms.

Combatting gender inequality is crucial for increasing agricultural productivity and reducing global hunger and poverty and should be a goal in and of itself. Evidence suggests that if women in the Global South had access to the same productive resources as men, farm yields could rise by up to 30 percent, increasing total agricultural output by up to 4 percent and decreasing the number of hungry people around the world by up to 17 percent.

The latest virtual special issue includes a review of existing research by CIMMYT gender experts, exploring issues and options in supporting gender inclusivity through maize breeding and the current evidence of differences in male and female farmers’ preferences for maize traits and varieties. The team also identified key research priorities to encourage more gender-intentional maize breeding, including innovative methods to assess farmer preferences and increased focus in intrahousehold decision-making dynamics.

The issue also features a study by CIMMYT and Rothamsted Research researchers on differences in preferred maize traits and farming practices among female and male farmers in southern Africa. The team found that female plot managers and household heads were more likely to use different maize varieties and several different farming practices to male plot managers and household heads. Incorporating farming practices used by female farmers into selection by maize breeding teams would provide an immediate entry point for gender-intentionality.

Also included is a recent paper by CIMMYT gender researchers which outlines the evidence base for wheat trait preferences and uptake of new farming technologies among male and female smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and India. The team highlight the need for wheat improvement programs in Ethiopia and India to include more gender-sensitive technology development, evaluation and dissemination, covering gender differences in wheat trait preferences, technology adoption and associated decision-making and land-use changes, as well as economic and nutritional benefits.

In a study carried out in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia, CIMMYT scientists investigated how changes in weed management practices to zero tillage – a method which minimizes soil disturbance – affect gender roles. The team found that switching to zero tillage did not increase the burden of roles and responsibilities to women and saved households valuable time on the farm. The scientists also found that both women and men’s knowledge of weed management practices were balanced, showing that zero tillage has potential as a gender inclusive farming practice for agricultural development.

Also featured in the special issue is a study by CIMMYT experts investigating gender relations across the maize value chain in rural Mozambique. The team found that men were mostly responsible for marketing maize and making decisions at both the farm level and higher levels of the value chain. The researchers also found that cultural restrictions and gender differences in accessing transport excluded women from participating in markets.

Finally, the collection features a study authored by researchers from Tribhuvan University, Nepal and CIMMYT exploring the interaction between labour outmigration, changing gender roles and their effects on maize systems in rural Nepal. The scientists found that the remittance incomes sent home by migrants and raising farm animals increased maize yields. They further found that when women spent more time doing household chores, rearing farm animals and engaging in community activities, maize yields suffered, although any losses were offset by remittance incomes.

Read the study: Virtual Special Issue: Importance of a gender focus in agricultural research for development

Cover photo: Women make up a substantial part of the global agriculture workforce, but their role is often limited. (Credit: Apollo Habtamu/ILRI)

Shifting to quality protein maize diet can provide cost-benefit for the poultry feed industry in Nepal

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

The demand for maize for poultry feed in Nepal has increased dramatically over the years. It constitutes about 60% of the poultry feed and is considered as the principal energy source used in poultry diets. About 70% of the total crop required by the feed industry is imported and such dependence on import could jeopardize its sustainability if any political, natural or health related crisis disrupts the supply chain. In addition to maize, the industry also imports synthetic amino acid to meet the requirements of poultry production since the regular maize grain used by the feed industry is deficient in essential amino acids that helps form proteins.

A recent assessment conducted by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Nepal highlights the prospects of using Quality Protein Maize (QPM) to mitigate protein deficiency found in regular maize. The authors suggest that the poultry feed industry can minimize the average feed cost by 1.5% by substituting regular maize with QPM. This would translate to a daily cost-saving of about US$26,000 for the industry. If this cost saving is shared across the value chain actors including farmers for domestic production of QPM and other biofortified maize vis a vis regular maize, then the dependency on imported maize can be significantly reduced.

The article published in the journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing, estimated least cost diet formulations for broilers and layers of different age groups, and the potential gains to be garnered by the maize seed and grain value chain actors in Nepal.

According to the study, a ton of feed produced using QPM reduces feed cost by at least US$7.1 for the broilers and by US$4.71 for layers. As a result, Nepal’s poultry feed industry can pay a maximum of 4% price premium with the cost saving for QPM.

“Considering the cost reduction potential QPM brings over regular maize, it can be a win-win situation for the poultry feed sector and maize value chain actors if they are strongly linked and operated in an integrated fashion,” explain the authors.

“By building awareness on the cost benefits, the feed industry exhibited a positive perception during the study period to use QPM for feed. Linking the seed companies with the feed mills is essential to leverage the benefits of the product.”

To promote and expand QPM production in Nepal, the authors also recommend provision of seed and fertilizer subsidies by the Government of Nepal to feed producers and cooperatives ensuring a continuous supply of the product to meet the demand.

The GoN has released two varieties of QPM maize but due to lack of effective seed production, extension and marketing programs, the potential of QPM maize remains unutilized. However, the authors firmly believe that appropriate policy focus on QPM seed production and grain marketing including premium price for QPM growers, can change the scenario where the demand for maize for feed industry can be gradually managed with domestic production.

Read the full study: Cost advantage of biofortified maize for the poultry feed industry and its implications for value chain actors in Nepal

Cover photo: Scientists have discovered that Quality Protein Maize (QPM) can mitigate the protein deficiency found in regular maize. (Credit: CIMMYT)

A farmer uses a two-wheel tractor-mounted reaper to harvest wheat in Nepal. (Photo: Timothy J. Krupnik/CIMMYT)

Cereal grain harvesting and post-harvest machinery in Nepal

Written by Emma Orchardson on . Posted in Publications.

In the plains area of Nepal’s Terai and in larger valleys in the hills, many parts of rice and wheat grain production process are nearly 100% mechanized. The second half of wheat and rice harvesting –– threshing and cleaning –– was mechanized as early as the 1960s. By the mid-1990s nearly 100% of wheat in the Terai was being threshed mostly by stand-alone threshers that were powered by 5-8 horsepower (HP) diesel pumpset engines.

Rice threshing began first in the far eastern Terai in early 2000s with similarly small-sized rice threshers with pumpset engines. However, by the 2010s as 4WTs became ubiquitous in the Terai, the larger horsepower tractor power take-off (PTO) driven wheat and rice threshers became prominent

However, one of the main parts of the production process, the field harvesting of grain, is still not yet fully mechanized even though it is has one of the largest labor requirements. Grain harvesting machinery entered Nepal from India in the late 1990s with the introduction of large 90+ horsepower self-propelled combines in central Terai (Parasi, Rupandehi and Kapilvastu Districts), mainly for wheat. Machines for rice harvesting were introduced in the Western Terai by the 2010s.

In the last decade, the types and numbers of powered or mechanized harvest technologies in Nepal has greatly increased in size. With advent of many new machines from China and elsewhere, the market for grain harvest machinery has become very dynamic. Nevertheless, various bottlenecks limit access and usage far below demand.

A new study by researchers from the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), a project led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), provides the results of a study on the value chains of rice, wheat and maize harvesting equipment that are used in Nepal by farmers and service providers. It documents the movement of the various new technologies into the value chain, characterizing the whole harvesting machinery market.

The study also provides a detailed value chain map of the various reaper-harvesters, threshers, shellers and combine harvesters that are now widely available for sale in Nepal with the overall goal of providing recommendations for policy makers and development agencies to promote greater access to and usage of such machinery.

Read the full study: Cereal grain harvesting and post-harvest machinery in Nepal

Pauline Muindi, gender research associate with CIMMYT, at the mock agrodealer shop where she acted as a clerk. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Buying into new seed

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on . Posted in Features.

Mary Nzau enters a mock agrodealer shop set up on a field on the outskirts of Tala town in Machakos County, Kenya. On display are nine 2kg bags of hybrid maize seed. She picks one. By the look of it, her mind is made up. After a quick scan of the shelf, she has in her hand the variety that she has been purchasing for years.

Regina Mbaika Mutua is less lucky. The variety she always buys is not on display in the mock shop. As part of the experiment, the research team has removed from the shelf the variety she indicated she usually buys. The team’s goal is to observe what factors influence her seed purchase decision in the absence of the variety she was expecting to purchase.

“Although I did not find the variety I was looking for, I picked an alternative as I have seen it perform well on a neighboring farm,” Mutua says, adding that she will plant it this season alongside recycled (farm-saved) seed on her one-acre farm.

Michael Mutua passes up the popular variety he has been planting for the previous two years. He picks one that has been advertised extensively on local radio. “I have heard about it severally on radio. I would like to experiment with this new seed and see how it performs on my farm. Should I like the results, I will give it a chance in ensuing seasons,” he says.

Pieter Rutsaert explains the study setup at a mock agrodealer shop. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)
Pieter Rutsaert explains the study setup at a mock agrodealer shop. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)

The big adoption conundrum

The goal of the out-of-stock study is to improve an understanding of how farmers make their maize seed choices, says Pieter Rutsaert, Markets and Value Chain Specialist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

“We do this by inviting farmers to a mock agrodealer store that we set up in their villages and give them a small budget to purchase a bag of seed. However, not all farmers walk into the same store: some will find their preferred variety, others won’t. Some will have access to additional trait information or see some varieties with price promotions while others don’t.”

Rutsaert acknowledges that breeding programs and their partner seed companies have done a great job at giving farmers access to maize hybrids with priority traits such as drought tolerance and high yield. CIMMYT then works closely with local seed companies to get varieties into the hands of farmers. “We want to extend that support by providing insights to companies and public breeding programs on how to get new varieties more quickly into the hands of farmers,” he says.

Pauline Muindi (left), gender research associate with CIMMYT, acts as a mock agrodealer clerk and attends a farmer. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Pauline Muindi (left), gender research associate with CIMMYT, acts as a mock agrodealer clerk and attends a farmer. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The hybrid maize seed sector in Kenya is highly competitive. Amid intensifying competition, new varieties face a daunting task breaking into the market, independent of their quality. While farmers now have more options to pick from, a major challenge has been how to get them to adopt new varieties.

“Moving farmers from something they know to something they don’t is not easy. They tend to stick with what they know and have been growing for years,” Rutsaert says.

Pauline Muindi, gender research associate with CIMMYT, acted as the stand-in clerk at the mock store. She noticed that farmers tend to spend very little time in the shop when their preferred variety is available. However, this all changes in the out-of-stock situation, pushing farmers to step out of their comfort zone and explore new options.

The first step to overcoming this challenge is to entice maize farmers to try a new seed variety, even just once, Rutsaert observes. If it is a good variety, farmers will see that and then the market will work in its favor: farmers will come back to that variety in subsequent years and tell others about it.

“The good news is that many of the varieties we are currently seeing on the market have performed well — that’s why they’re popular. But there are newer varieties that are even better, especially in terms of attributes like drought tolerance. We would like to understand how farmers can be convinced to try out these newer varieties. Is it about the need for more awareness on varietal traits? Can we use price promotions? Or are there other factors?” he says.

A researcher interviews Mary Nzau (right), a farmer from Tala town in Machakos County, after her mock purchase. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)
A researcher interviews Mary Nzau (right), a farmer from Tala town in Machakos County, after her mock purchase. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)

Does seed price matter?

“With today’s climate uncertainty, it is better to stick to a variety that is adapted to such climate rather than banking on a variety one is oblivious of. The risk is not worth it,” Nzau says. She adds that she would rather buy a higher-priced seed packet she knows and trusts than a lower-priced one that she has not used in the past. Radio promotions of new or other varieties have limited sway over her decision to make the switch.

Faith Voni, another farmer, agrees. “It is better to purchase a higher-priced variety whose quality I can vouch for than risk purchasing a lower-priced one that I know little about. I do not wish to take such a risk.” Voni says she would also be more inclined to experiment with another variety that she had seen perform well on a neighbor’s farm.

Michael Mutua holds a different view. “If there is an option of an equally good but new variety that is lower-priced than the variety I prefer, my wallet decides,” he says.

Vivian Hoffmann, an economist at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and collaborator on the study, says price can be key for convincing consumers to try a new product. “Our previous research on maize flour choice found that a provisional 10 percent discount boosted sales tremendously,” Hoffmann says. “Of course, that only gets your foot in the door; after that, a new variety will need to win farmers over based on its merits.”

Hoffmann is interested in the extent to which drawing farmers’ attention to key varietal attributes influences their seed choice. “This information is generally already available on seed packets, but we live in a world of information overload. Promoting certain attributes through in-store signage is an approach that is widely used to help consumers make more healthier food choices. Doing the same for new seed varieties makes a lot of sense.”

Michael Mutua (left) responds to preliminary questions from one of the research team members before proceeding to make his seed selection at the mock agrodealer shop. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)
Michael Mutua (left) responds to preliminary questions from one of the research team members before proceeding to make his seed selection at the mock agrodealer shop. (Photo: Joshua Masinde/CIMMYT)

The value of drought tolerance

Situated on Kenya’s eastern region, Machakos is characterized by persistent water stress. Climate change induced erratic rainfall has pushed traits that can tolerate the unfavorable weather conditions in the favorite’s corner. While other traits such as high yield and disease resistance are equally important, the seed, when planted, must first withstand the effects of droughts or water stress in some seasons and germinate. This is the most crucial step in the long journey to either a decent, bare minimum or no yield. A lot of farmers still plant recycled seed alongside hybrid varieties. But these are no match to water stress conditions, which decimate fields planted with farmer-saved seed.

“If a variety is not climate resilient, I will likely not harvest anything at all,” says Nzau. She has planted a drought-tolerant variety for ten years now. Prior to that, she had planted about three other varieties as well as recycled seed. “The only advantage with recycled seed is that given the right amount of rainfall, they mature fast — typically within two months. This provides my family with an opportunity to eat boiled or roast maize,” she notes.

However, varieties need to do more than just survive harsh weather conditions. Breeders face a daunting task of incorporating as many traits as possible to cater to the overarching and the specific interests of multiple farmers. As Murenga Mwimali, a maize breeder at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and collaborator in this research says, innovations in breeding technologies are making breeding more efficient.

“It is better to have a diversity of product profiles as different market niches are captured within a particular agroecological zones. This is such that farmers may not just benefit from the minimum traits like drought tolerance, but also more specific traits they are looking for,” Mwimali says.

Smallholder farmers continue to play a central role in the seed development process. Capturing what happens at the point of purchase, for instance, at the agrodealer, and understanding how they purchase seed offers valuable insights on the traits that are deemed essential in the breeding process. This work contributes to CIMMYT’s focus on fast-tracking varietal turnover by turning the levers towards a demand-driven seed system.

Cover photo: Pauline Muindi, gender research associate with CIMMYT, at the mock agrodealer shop where she acted as a clerk. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Breaking Ground: Dyutiman Choudhary builds strong agribusinesses for sustainable economic growth

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on . Posted in Features.

Agricultural market systems play a pivotal role in food security, livelihood development and economic growth. However, the agricultural sector in Nepal is constrained by a lack of spatially-explicit technologies and practices related to improved seed and fertilizer. Embracing these challenges, Dyutiman Choudhary, a scientist in market development with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), works to strengthen the seed and fertilizer market systems and value chains, with the ultimate goal to ensure demand-driven, inclusive and market-oriented cereal production.

Nepal’s agricultural sector is dominated by smallholder farmers. As farming is mostly semi-commercial and subsistence in nature, many smallholder farmers are isolated from markets and lack knowledge about the latest farming technologies and inputs. They are unable to upgrade their farms to increase productivity for generating marketable surplus to make profitable income. Agribusiness entities in Nepal — such as seed companies, agrodealers and importers — face market development challenges and lack the commercial and business orientation to develop and deliver new technologies to farmers. Output market linkages are weak and loosely integrated, leading to poor coordination, weak information flow and lower return to actors.

This is where Choudhary’s expertise in agribusiness management fits in to make a difference.

Born and raised in Shillong, a hill station in northeastern India with a distinctive charm, he was enrolled as an engineering student. However, his interest took a sudden turn when he got drawn towards biological sciences and ultimately decided to leave the engineering course by stepping into agribusiness management. “I realized I was walking in the right direction as I was fascinated to learn about the livelihood benefits of agroforestry and the scope of agribusiness in fostering overall economic growth.”

He joined CIMMYT in 2017 as an expert in market development, but his roles and responsibilities transitioned to working as a Lead for the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project within four months of his appointment. His role involves leading an interdisciplinary team of scientists, partners and experts to develop a synergistic market system. The NSAF team fosters public private partnerships, improves access to support services and strengthens inclusive value chains in a supportive policy environment.

Choudhary’s research focuses on assessing crops, seed and fertilizer value chains; developing commercial and inclusive upgrading strategies with businesses and stakeholders; assessing competitiveness of seed companies; lobbying for policies to foster the growth of seed and fertilizer business; and building pathways for public and private sector services to market actors and smallholder farmers.

Dyutiman Choudhary (seventh from left) with seed producers during a field visit. (Photo: Dipak Kafle)
Dyutiman Choudhary (seventh from left) with seed producers during a field visit. (Photo: Dipak Kafle)

A roadmap to innovative market systems

Choudhary introduced the vision of a market system approach and put together a strategic roadmap in collaboration with a team from CIMMYT researchers from the Global Maize program, the Sustainable Intensification program and the Socioeconomics program. The roadmap addressed the concerns of low crop productivity, poor private sector growth and a less supportive policy environment inhibiting agricultural innovations in Nepal.

“Seed and fertilizer market systems in Nepal are uncompetitive and lack influx of new knowledge and innovations that restricts agriculture growth,” Choudhary explained.

Having prior experience as a regional lead for high-value products and value chains for South Asia and an inclusive market-oriented development expert in Eastern and Southern Africa, Choudhary carries unique capabilities for putting together a winning team and working with diverse partners to bring about a change in farming practices and build a strong agribusiness sector in Nepal.

Under his leadership, Nepalese seed companies are implementing innovative and competitive marketing approaches to develop newly acquired hybrid varieties under their brands. The companies are upgrading to build business models that cater to the growth of seed business, meet market demands and offer innovative services to smallholder farmers to build a sustainable national market. Facilitating financing opportunities has enabled these enterprises to produce strategic business plans to leverage $2 million to finance seed business. Improved value chain coordination mechanisms are increasing demand of seed company’s products and enhancing smallholder farmers’ access to output markets.

There is a renewed interest and confidence beaming from the private sector to invest in fertilizer business due to improved knowledge, communication and collaborative methods. The government committed to support balanced soil fertility management and allocated $2.4 million in 2019 to initiate fertilizer blending in Nepal.

The landscape is changing, and policy makers are considering new ideas to strengthen the delivery of targets under the Government of Nepal’s National Seed Vision 2013-2025 and the Agriculture Development Strategy 2015-2035.

Dyutiman Choudhary (left) welcomes the Feed the Future team leader to the CIMMYT office in Nepal. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)
Dyutiman Choudhary (left) welcomes the Feed the Future team leader to the CIMMYT office in Nepal. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)
Dyutiman Choudhary shows a demonstration plot during a field visit with USAID and project partners in Nepal. (Photo: Darbin Joshi)
Dyutiman Choudhary shows a demonstration plot during a field visit with USAID and project partners in Nepal. (Photo: Darbin Joshi)
Dyutiman Choudhary (left) receives a token of appreciation at an International Seed Conference organized in Nepal. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)
Dyutiman Choudhary (left) receives a token of appreciation at an International Seed Conference organized in Nepal. (Photo: Bandana Pradhan/CIMMYT)

Competitiveness fosters productivity

The results of Choudhary’s work have the potential to transform Nepalese agriculture by unleashing new investments, changes in policies and practices, and innovative business management practices. “Despite a huge change in my TOR and the challenges to deliver impactful outcomes, I was able to successfully steer the project to produce exciting results that made the donor to declare it as their flagship project in Nepal,” he explained. “At the end of the day, reflecting upon the work achieved with my team and the stakeholders in co-creating solutions for complex issues brings me immense satisfaction.”

An amiable individual, he feels close to natural science and loves interacting with farmers. “I’ve always enjoyed traveling to biodiversity-rich locations, to understand local cultures and livelihood practices, so as to gauge the drivers of innovation and adaptation to change among diverse rural populations.”

“Keeping up the momentum, I want to continue to support growth in agribusiness management in less favorable regions, helping stakeholders in the farm-to-fork continuum to leverage the potential of innovations in research, development and delivery.”

A researcher from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) demonstrates the use of a farming app in the field. (Photo: C. De Bode/CGIAR)

Taking stock of value chain development

Written by Steven M on . Posted in Features.

In 1967 Albert O. Hirschman, the pioneering development economist, published Development Projects Observed. Based on an analysis of a handful of long-standing World Bank projects, the book was an effort, as Hirschman writes in the preface, “to ‘sing’ the epic adventure of development­ — its challenge, drama, and grandeur.” He sang this epic not in the register of high development theory,­ but rather through the ups and downs and unexpected twists of real-world development projects.

Today, a new group of researchers have taken up a similar challenge. Value Chain Development and the Poor: Promise, delivery, and opportunities for impact at scale, a new book edited by Jason Donovan, Dietmar Stoian and Jon Hellin, surveys over two decades of academic and practical thinking on value chains and value chain development. While value chain development encompasses a broad variety of approaches, it has largely focused on improving the ability of small scale, downstream actors — such as smallholders in agri-food value chains — to capture more value for their products or to engage in value-adding activities. Value chain development approaches have also focused on improving the social and environmental impacts of specific value chains. Donovan, Stoian and Hellin’s book assesses these approaches through careful analysis of real-world cases. The book was published with support from the CGIAR Research Programs on Maize and on Policies, Institutions, and Markets.

Lessons learned

The book takes an unsparing look at what has and hasn’t worked in the field of value chain development. It begins by dissecting the drivers of the high degree of turnover in approaches that characterizes the field. The editors argue that “issue-attention cycles” among project stakeholders, coupled with monitoring and evaluation metrics that are more focused on tracking project implementation rather than producing robust measurements of their social impact, too often lead to the adoption — and abandonment — of approaches based on novelty and buzz.

The unfortunate consequences are that strengths and limitations of any given approach are never fully appreciated and that projects — and even entire approaches — are abandoned before they’ve had a chance to generate deep social impacts. Moreover, the opportunity to really learn from development projects — both in terms of refining and adapting a given approach to local conditions, and of abstracting scalable solutions from real development experiences — is lost.

A recurring theme throughout the book is the tension between the context-sensitivity needed for successful value chain development interventions and the need for approaches that can be scaled and replicated. Programs must develop tools for practitioners on one hand and demonstrate scalability to funders on the other. For example, a chapter on maize diversity and value chain development in Guatemala’s western highlands illustrates how an approach that was successful in Mexico — connecting producers of indigenous maize landraces with niche markets — is ill-suited to the Guatemalan context, where most producers are severely maize deficient. And a chapter reviewing guides for gender-equitable value chain development highlights how — for all their positive impact — such guides often overlook highly context- and culturally-specific gender dynamics. Intra-household bargaining dynamics and local masculinities, for example, can play critical roles in the success or failure of gender-focused value chain development interventions.

This new book takes an unsparing look at what has and hasn’t worked in the field of value chain development.
This new book takes an unsparing look at what has and hasn’t worked in the field of value chain development.

Finally, while lauding the valuable impact many value chain development initiatives have achieved, the editors warn against an exclusive reliance on market-based mechanisms, especially when trying to benefit the poorest and most marginalized of smallholders. In the case of Guatemala’s maize-deficient highland farmers, for example, the development of niche markets for native maize proved to be a poor mechanism for achieving the stated goal of preserving maize biodiversity and farmers’ livelihoods. Non-market solutions are called for. Based on this and similar experiences, the editors note that, while value chain development can be a valuable tool, to truly achieve impact at scale it must be coordinated with broader development efforts.

“The challenge of ensuring that value chain development contributes to a broad set of development goals requires transdisciplinary, multisector collaboration within broader frameworks, such as integrated rural-urban development, food system transformation, and green recovery of the economy in the post COVID-19 era,” write the editors.

This bracing and clear reflection on the promise and limitations of current development approaches is not only timely; it is perhaps more urgent today than in Hirschman’s time. While tremendous gains have been made since the middle of the 20th century, many stubborn challenges remain, and global climate change threatens to undo decades of progress. Projects like Value Chain Development and the Poor and the ongoing Ceres2030 initiative provide development practitioners, researchers, funders and other stakeholders a much needed assessment of what can be built upon and what needs to be rethought as they tackle these gargantuan challenges.

Embracing uncertainty

At the time Development Projects Observed was published, the study and practice of development was already entering a crisis of adolescence, as it were. Having achieved quasi-independence from its parent discipline of economics, it had to settle on an identity of its own.

Hirschman’s book represented one possible way forward — an understanding of development practice as a blend of art and science. The book’s most famous concept, that of the Hiding Hand, illustrates how planners’ optimism could fuel enormously complex and challenging projects — undertakings that might never have been attempted had all the challenges been known beforehand. At the same time, projects’ inevitable failures and shortcomings could spur creative local responses and solutions, thus ensuring their eventual success and rootedness in their specific context.

As Michele Alacevich points out in the Afterword to the book’s most recent reissue, the World Bank’s response to Hirschman’s book demonstrates the road that development research and practice ultimately took. The book was disregarded, and the Bank turned to the growing literature on cost-benefit analysis instead. “Whereas Hirschman’s analysis had placed uncertainty — an unmeasurable dimension — center stage, cost-benefit analysis assimilated it to risk, therefore turning it into something measurable and quantifiable,” Alacevich writes. Faced with a newfound awareness of the limits to the field’s powers and abilities — a rite of passage for all prodigies — development institutions appeared to try to outrun these limitations through ever-increasing technification.

The issue-attention cycles identified by Stoian and Donovan may represent a new, more frenetic and self-defeating iteration of this discomfort with uncertainty. If so, Value Chain Development and the Poor serves as an urgent call for development institutions and practitioners to make peace with the messiness of their vocation. As Hirschman observed decades ago, only by embracing the uncertainty and art inherent in development work can its students and practitioners further the enormously complex scientific understanding of the endeavor, and, crucially, generate broad and lasting social change.

The eBook is available for free (Open Access):
Value Chain Development and the Poor: Promise, delivery, and opportunities for impact at scale

Cover image: A researcher from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) demonstrates the use of a farming app in the field. (Photo: C. De Bode/CGIAR)

A farmer takes maize grain to a local reserve in Bangladesh. (Photo: Fahad Kaizer/FAO)

Critical reflections on COVID-19

Written by AFM Nazmul Alam on . Posted in News.

The COVID-19 global health crisis has disrupted food and agricultural systems around the world, affecting food production, supply chains, trade and markets, as well as people’s livelihoods and nutrition. Following an initial assessment in May 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) joined the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and other CGIAR centers to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Bangladesh’s agri-food system.

The report shares critical reflections and lessons learned, as well as providing detailed quantitative and qualitative information on all disruption pathways and possible recovery strategies.

According to the research team, the major visible impact was the decline of food demand due to the disruption of value chain actors in the food market and income shortages, especially among low- and daily wage-earning populations. This reduced demand lead in turn to reduced prices for agricultural goods, particularly perishable food items like vegetables, livestock and fish products.

Additionally, constraints on the movement of labor led to a disruption in agricultural services, including machinery and extension services, while domestic and international trade disruptions created input shortages and lead to price volatilities which increased production costs. This increase, coupled with reductions in production and output prices, essentially wiped farmer profits.

A farmer takes maize grain to a local reserve in Bangladesh. (Photo: Fahad Kaizer/FAO)
A farmer takes maize grain to a local reserve in Bangladesh. (Photo: Fahad Kaizer/FAO)

Building back a better food system

The latest report was launched at the same time as the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub in Bangladesh, which aims to build local resilience to the effects of the pandemic and support government-led recovery initiatives. At a panel discussion presenting the results of the assessment, researchers emphasized the importance of social safety net mechanisms and food demand creation, as well as the need for strong monitoring of food systems to ensure continued availability and affordability, and early detection of any critical issues.

The discussion centered on the need for public access to trustworthy information in order to raise awareness and instill confidence in the food they consume. One key recommendation which emerged is facilitating the digitalization of farming, which looks to re-connect farmers and consumers and build the food system back better. The accelerated development of digital platforms connecting farmers to markets with contactless delivery systems can ensure the safer flow of inputs and outputs while generating a higher share of consumer money for farmers. There is also a need to explore green growth strategies for reducing food waste — the creation and distribution of improved food storage systems, for instance — and circular nutrient initiatives to better utilize food waste as feed and bio manure.

Read the full report “Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, May – July 2020”

CIMMYT-supported researcher earns doctorate for work on gender, maize value chains and food security

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

Gebre received his doctorate in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Kyushu University, Japan.

On September 25, with financial and academic support from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Girma Gezimu Gebre upgraded his honorific from mister to doctor. Born in Dawuro zone, in southern Ethiopia, Gebre received his doctorate in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Kyushu University, Japan.

His dissertation—Gender Dimensions of the Maize Value Chain and Food Security: The Case of Dawuro Zone in Southern Ethiopia—was supported by CIMMYT through the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) project. Dil Rahut, global program manager of the socioeconomics and sustainable intensification programs at CIMMYT, served on his committee.

Asked about Gebre’s achievement, Rahut alluded to his hard work and dedication. “Desire is the starting point of all achievements while hard work and commitment are the end points of all the high achievements,” he said.

Gebre’s research explores how and to what degree gender plays a role in the adoption of improved maize varieties, maize productivity, maize market participation, and marketing channel choices, as well as food security among smallholder households across the maize value chain. Gebre already boasts published articles on the impact of gender on various dimensions of agriculture and agricultural development as well as various other topics— from the development of sustainable banana value chains in Ethiopia to barriers to farmers’ innovativeness.

At Kyushu University Gebre was awarded the 2020 Graduate School of Bioresources and Bioenvironmental Science “Outstanding Student Prize.” He was also awarded the 2020 Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Prize in recognition of his excellent academic achievements and quality as a role model for other students.

Before pursuing a Ph.D., Gebre received a Master’s degree in Economics (Development Policy Analysis) from Mekelle University, Ethiopia, and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Production Chain Management—Horticulture Chain from Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. He has served as the coordinator of the postgraduate program in Agribusiness and Value Chain Management and as the head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Aksum University, Ethiopia.