Case Study

This Risk Assessment Study (RAS) provides a comprehensive mapping and assessment of agricultural risks in Uganda through a holistic approach. The report provides stakeholders with data and information on priority risks for Ugandan agriculture in order to develop appropriate policy solutions aimed at improving agricultural risk management (ARM) in the country. The guiding policy framework for this work is the recently developed Agricultural Sector Strategy Paper 2014/15-19/20 (ASSP).

Millions of smallholder coffee growers and coffee trading enterprises daily confront risks. The prevalence of these risks reduce the incentives and willingness of financiers to lend to the sector, and also curbs the interest of coffee sector actors in borrowing to invest in their enterprises. Through 20 case studies taken from a number of coffee-producing countries, the report outlines the major risks and constraints facing the sector, and highlights the opportunities for improving risk management and access to finance.

Niger's wetlands are critical to poverty reduction, food security and biodiversity conservation, especially given the limited the irregular rainfall and the amount of land suitable for agriculture. La Mare de Tabalak, a wetland in the arid zone of Niger, and its inhabitants are already dealing with the cumulative effects of recurring droughts, a trend expected to increase with climate change.

Document: 

IISD SUSTAINABLE WETLAND MANAGEMENT IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE RISKS IN NIGER- THE CASE OF LA MARE DE TABALAK.pdf

Aflatoxins are a naturally occurring carcinogenic byproduct of common fungi on grains and other crops, particularly maize and groundnuts. They pose a significant public health risk in many tropical developing countries and are also a barrier to the growth of domestic and international commercial markets for food and feed. In recent years the aflatoxin problem has garnered greatly increased attention from both policy and donor communities around the globe.

The case study relates to a research project conducted by the Agricultural Research Council on conservation agriculture in a rural village in South Africa

Document: 

ConservationAgriculture.DOCX

The need to ensure that agricultural knowledge and technology from research is effectively disseminated to farmers and end users in sub-Saharan Africa to improve profits and livelihoods cannot be overemphasized.

Farmer Field Fora (FFF) is a participatory and cost-effective tool for empowering farmers to share knowledge amongst themselves using farmer-facilitators. Although less known, FFF is similar to the well-known Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach to human resource development in agriculture, particularly in integrated pest management (IPM) training on environmentally sound practices. The FFF drew strongly from the experience gained from the FFS approach (PRONAF, 2004).

The "Famer-to-Farmer" extension or technology transfer system is one the U.S. international development initiatives that provide opportunities for U.S. experts who are willing to volunteer time and energy to build the capacities of the beneficiaries through technical assistance in targeted areas in developing countries. The F2F is unlike Peace Corps volunteers program introduced in Mali since 1962.

The present document is a follow-up to previous FAO technical assistance efforts in the sustainable development and management of the fishery and aquaculture sector in Georgia. It aims to call attention to and provide evidences of the fact that fisheries and aquaculture have substantial development potentials in Georgia. The country is rich in both marine and inland water resources, but the potentials of the fishery and aquaculture sector are far from being exploited.

Local perceptions of drought include shortages of food and inadequate grazing, as well as low and erratic rainfall; yet the diverse drought coping and risk reduction strategies being promoted in the two districts are mainly based on agriculture and natural resources. While livelihood diversification has increased household income and resilience, badly managed strategies can exacerbate drought risks. Socio-economic factors including HIV/AIDS, land degradation and migration have limited opportunities while food aid has increased dependency.