Despite a rapidly growing enthusiasm around applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to smallholder agriculture in developing countries, there are still many questions on the effectiveness of ICT-based approaches. This study assesses the effects of videomediated agricultural extension service provision on farmers’ knowledge and adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices in Ethiopia. The study focuses on a program piloted by the Government of Ethiopia and Digital Green and poses three questions. First, to what extent does video-mediated extension lead to increased uptake of improved agricultural technologies and practices by smallholder farmers? Second, is video-mediated extension targeted at both spouses of the household more effective than when only targeted at the (typically male) household head? Third, how cost-effective is a video-mediated approach to extension provision? The study explores these questions with a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the video-mediated approach as applied to three priority crops (teff, wheat, maize) and three technologies (row planting, precise seeding rates, and urea dressing). The trial was implemented in 347 kebeles (village clusters) during the 2017 meher (rainy) season in Ethiopia’s four most agriculturally important regional states. Analysis of data from our surveys of 2,422 households and 896 extension agents indicates that the video-mediated approach is more effective than the conventional approach in achieving several key outcomes. Specifically, we find that videomediated extension reaches a wider audience than the conventional approach and leads to higher levels of agricultural knowledge and uptake of technologies in those kebeles randomly assigned to the program. While our results do point to greater participation and greater knowledge of female spouses in kebeles where both male and female spouses were targeted by the program, we do not find clear evidence that the more inclusive approach translated into higher uptake of the subject technologies and practices. Finally, we find that the video-mediated approach becomes less costly as the scale of operation increases.

For the half of the world's population still dependent on wood and other traditional fuels for basic cooking and heating needs, a serious supply crisis is emerging: forests are disappearing and population pressure on other energy sources is mounting. This book analyzes the energy problems of those caught in the trap of rural subsistence and explores the role energy might play in the transition away from subsistence. It includes eight specially commissioned studies of different developing countries and a review of the small-scale energy technologies presently available for rural use.

In 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General will convene the Food Systems Summit to advance dialogue and action towards transforming the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food guided by the overarching vision of a fairer, more sustainable world. The Secretary-General will also convene the High-Level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) to promote the implementation of the energy-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given the inextricable linkages between the energy and agriculture sectors, integrating the nexus perspective within the FSS and the HLDE is crucial to formulate a joint vision of actions to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. In this context, IRENA and FAO have decided to jointly develop a report on the role of renewable energy used in food chain to advance energy and food security as well as climate action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. While energy has a key enabling role in food system transformation and innovation in agriculture, its current use is unsustainable because of the high dependence on fossil fuels and frequent access to energy in developing countries. The challenge is to disconnect fossil fuel use from food system transformation without hampering food security. The use of renewable energy in food systems offers vast opportunities to address this challenge and help food systems meet their energy needs while advancing rural development while contributing to rural development and climate action.

In today's context of intricate global challenges, encompassing climate crises, resource scarcity, and social disparities, the imperative for sustainable development has never been more pressing. While academic scholars and researchers are instrumental in crafting solutions, they often grapple with the intricate balance between theoretical concepts and practical implementation. This gap impedes the transformation of innovative ideas into tangible societal progress, leaving a void where effective real-world strategies for cross-industry sustainability should flourish. "Fostering Cross-Industry Sustainability With Intelligent Technologies" seeks to bridge this divide. This book is more than just a collection of pages; it serves as a roadmap for those determined to make a tangible impact. It brings together a diverse group of esteemed experts from various disciplines, offering a comprehensive spectrum of actionable insights, all grounded in the ethical imperatives of inclusivity and environmental responsibility. Anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this volume serves as a guiding star, channeling theoretical expertise into practical solutions. For academic scholars, scientists, innovators, and students alike, Fostering Cross-Industry Sustainability With Intelligent Technologies is the definitive guidepost. It fosters a profound understanding of the real-world implications of research, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations that transcend conventional boundaries. This comprehensive book presents a wealth of sustainable science and intelligent technology applications, all while emphasizing the importance of ethics and societal impact. With visionary insights woven throughout its pages, it calls upon humanity to envision a future where challenges transform into opportunities, and sustainable development becomes an attainable reality.

This book examines the role of agriculture in the economic transformation of developing low- and middle-income countries and explores means for accelerating agricultural growth and poverty reduction. In this volume, Mellor measures by household class the employment impact of alternative agricultural growth rates and land tenure systems, and impact on cereal consumption and food security. The book provides detailed analysis of each element of agricultural modernization, emphasizing the central role of government in accelerated growth in private sector dominated agriculture. The book differs from the bulk of current conventional wisdom in its placement of the non-poor small commercial farmer at the center of growth, and explains how growth translates into poverty reduction. This new book is a follow up to Mellor’s classic, prize-winning text, The Economics of Agricultural Development. Listed as a Best Books of 2017: Economics by Financial Times.

A joint FAO and World Bank study which shows how the farming systems approach can be used to identify priorities for the reduction of hunger and poverty in the main farming systems of the six major developing regions of the world.