Agricultural intensification, technology adoption, and institutions in Ghana
Title | Agricultural intensification, technology adoption, and institutions in Ghana PDF eBook |
Author | Houssou, Nazaire |
Publisher | Intl Food Policy Res Inst |
Total Pages | 4 |
Release | 2016-10-14 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN |
Agricultural intensification has only taken off to a very limited extent in Ghana. Adoption of land productivity-enhancing technology is low, even in areas with proximity to urban markets. Rather, farmers have increasingly been adopting labor-saving technologies such as herbicides and mechanization, for which vibrant private supply channels are emerging. Further efforts to strengthen the private mechanization supply chain would help meet the rising demand for tractor services. Furthermore, mechanization could also help free up agricultural labor to perform other more labor intensive tasks.
Technological Advances to Improve Food Security: Addressing Challenges to Adoption
Title | Technological Advances to Improve Food Security: Addressing Challenges to Adoption PDF eBook |
Author | Paul Weisenfeld |
Publisher | RTI Press |
Total Pages | 8 |
Release | 2015-10-21 |
Genre | Technology & Engineering |
ISBN |
Ensuring a stable and healthful food supply for the world’s growing population has become increasingly urgent, particularly in the face of climate change. In spite of expected increases in food production in developing countries, the number of people at risk of hunger is predicted to grow, especially in the world’s poorest regions. While technology is not a panacea, it is critical to addressing the food production side of the food security equation. The social, economic, and other factors that affect technology adoption are complex and varied, requiring research that combines natural and social sciences to understand how best to influence the uptake and sustained use of effective technologies. Research should focus on four areas where complex combinations of challenges inhibit adoption. Understanding (1) farm-level, (2) economic, and (3) policy barriers would illuminate where promising innovations may be viable. Further, researchers should explore which approaches most effectively drive adoption of (4) combinations of agricultural practices and technologies.
Technological and Institutional Innovations for Marginalized Smallholders in Agricultural Development
Title | Technological and Institutional Innovations for Marginalized Smallholders in Agricultural Development PDF eBook |
Author | Franz W. Gatzweiler |
Publisher | Springer |
Total Pages | 435 |
Release | 2016-02-19 |
Genre | Technology & Engineering |
ISBN | 3319257188 |
The aim of the book is to present contributions in theory, policy and practice to the science and policy of sustainable intensification by means of technological and institutional innovations in agriculture. The research insights re from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The purpose of this book is to be a reference for students, scholars and practitioners inthe field of science and policy for understanding and identifying agricultural productivity growth potentials in marginalized areas.
Boserupian pressure and agricultural mechanization in modern Ghana
Title | Boserupian pressure and agricultural mechanization in modern Ghana PDF eBook |
Author | Cossar, Frances |
Publisher | Intl Food Policy Res Inst |
Total Pages | 32 |
Release | 2016-04-29 |
Genre | Political Science |
ISBN |
The adoption of machinery in agricultural production in Africa south of the Sahara has been far behind the level of mechanization found in Asia and Latin America. However, recent survey data have revealed high levels of machinery use in localized areas of cereal production in northern Ghana. A survey conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, in partnership with the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, found that in some areas more than 80 percent of farmers were using machinery for at least one operation. This paper considers the theoretical drivers of agricultural intensification, as outlined by Boserup, Pingali, and Binswanger, and the extent to which they are able to explain the spatial variation in machinery use found in northern Ghana. Population pressure, market access, and agroecological conditions are considered key drivers that cause farmers to find ways to increase productivity and adopt new technologies. Combining survey data with geospatial datasets, the empirical analysis finds that population growth and travel time to the local urban center explain a significant and large proportion of the variation in machinery use by farmers.
Sustainable Intensification
Title | Sustainable Intensification PDF eBook |
Author | Jules N. Pretty |
Publisher | Routledge |
Total Pages | 292 |
Release | 2012-06-25 |
Genre | Nature |
ISBN | 1136529276 |
Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.
Ghana's Economic and Agricultural Transformation
Title | Ghana's Economic and Agricultural Transformation PDF eBook |
Author | Xinshen Diao |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Total Pages | 310 |
Release | 2019 |
Genre | Business & Economics |
ISBN | 0198845340 |
Using Ghana as a case study, this work integrates economic and political analysis to explore the challenges and opportunities of Africa's growth and transformation.
West African Agriculture and Climate Change
Title | West African Agriculture and Climate Change PDF eBook |
Author | Abdulai Jalloh |
Publisher | Intl Food Policy Res Inst |
Total Pages | 444 |
Release | 2013-01-01 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 0896292045 |
The first of three books in IFPRI's climate change in Africa series, West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis examines the food security threats facing 11 of the countries that make up West Africa -- Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo -- and explores how climate change will increase the efforts needed to achieve sustainable food security throughout the region. West Africa's population is expected to grow at least through mid-century. The region will also see income growth. Both will put increased pressure on the natural resources needed to produce food, and climate change makes the challenges greater. West Africa is already experiencing rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing extreme events. Without attention to adaptation, the poor will suffer. Through the use of hundreds of scenario maps, models, figures, and detailed analysis, the editors and contributors of West African Agriculture and Climate Change present plausible future scenarios that combine economic and biophysical characteristics to explore the possible consequences for agriculture, food security, and resources management to 2050. They also offer recommendations to national governments and regional economic agencies already dealing with the vulnerabilities of climate change and deviations in environment. Decisionmakers and researchers will find West African Agriculture and Climate Change a vital tool for shaping policy and studying the various and likely consequences of climate change.