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Book (series)Working paperOn the costs of being small: Case evidence from Kenyan family farms 2017
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No results found.We analyze allocative efficiency of major input factors for farmers in Kenya. Marginal value products are estimated for land, labor, inorganic fertilizer and seeds, at the farm household level and compared with marginal costs as approximated by their prevailing market prices. Price efficient and inefficient farmers are identified and equivalent value losses are computed as shares of household income, per hectare and for the society. A very high proportion of farmers are characterized as allocati vely inefficient and substantial equivalent value losses are estimated for all factors. In the case of labor, losses are sufficiently high that if labor is paid the market wage rate instead, income from agriculture would double. Among other factors, inefficiency levels are correlated with farm size; as farm size increases, losses as share of household income decline for labor but increase for land, fertilizer and seeds. Losses per hectare for all inputs decline with farm size. Finally the correl ates of inefficiency levels are explored systematically. Overall, lack of access to resources is the major reason that some inputs are underemployed. On the other hand, lack of alternative opportunities is a basic reason that factors are overused. -
Book (series)Policy briefIs crop diversification a panacea for climate resilience in Africa? Welfare implications for heterogeneous households
FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief 2
2017Also available in:
No results found.Crop diversification is often promoted as a strategy to achieve climate resilience. However, the benefits to crop diversification may vary depending on household resource endowments. For farm households with few resources, as shown by studies of Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia, crop diversification is likely to be an important strategy for managing production and price risk. However, for larger, better capitalized farms, diversification may not be welfare enhancing, because returns to specializa tion may be higher for these households. -
ProjectFactsheetEnhancing Households’ and Pupils’ Access to Nutritionally Adequate Diets and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Madagascar - GCP/MAG/093/JPN 2024
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No results found.Madagascar loses between 7 percent and 14.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) each year because of chronic malnutrition and hunger, critically affecting the optimal development of the child as well as the development of the country. In this context, there are key challenges, such as diets that are not balanced or diversified and school meals that do not provide enough nutrition. In addition, the neglect of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices is directly linked to a high percentage of child mortality and is one of the key causes for high stunting levels in Madagascar. The project was implemented in Amoron’i Mania region to contribute to reducing chronic malnutrition among its population. It also aimed to improve community access to healthy and nutrient-rich food and WASH services and enhance infrastructure at community, school, health centre and community site levels.
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Book (stand-alone)Corporate general interestUltra-processed foods, diet quality and human health 2019
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No results found.The significance of industrial processing for the nature of food and the state of human health - and in particular the techniques and ingredients developed by modern food science and technology - is generally underestimated. This is evident in both national and international policies and strategies designed to improve populations' nutrition and health. Until recently it has also been neglected in epidemiological and experimental studies concerning diet, nutrition and health. This report seeks to assess the impact of ultra-processed food on diet quality and health, based on NOVA, a food classification system developed by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. -
Book (stand-alone)Technical bookTracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2025 2025The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the 2030 Agenda is now more crucial than ever, as the target date draws near and many goals are still far from being achieved. Countries across the globe are grappling with an array of complex and interconnected challenges, including ongoing conflicts, health crises, biodiversity loss, the escalating impacts of climate change, and political and economic tensions. FAO is the custodian agency for 22 SDG indicators spanning Goals 2, 5, 6, 12, 14 and 15. Among its key responsibilities as a custodian agency is to curate the indicator methodologies, collect, harmonize and compile data from countries, as well as disseminate and analyse data at global level. This report provides an analysis of regional and global figures and trends for the 22 SDG indicators under FAO's responsibility, thus fulfilling one of FAO’s key roles as custodian agency. The world is at a moderate distance from achieving roughly half of the food and agriculture-related SDG indicators under FAO custodianship; one-quarter of the indicators are close to being achieved, whereas another quarter remains far or very far from being achieved. Meanwhile, progress since 2015 has deteriorated on over three-fifths of the indicators; one indicator has stagnated; whereas only the remaining one-third of indicators have registered an improvement or slight improvement.
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ArticleJournal articleNurturing Soil Life through Agroforestry – The Roles of Trees in the Ecological Intensification of Agriculture 2023
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No results found.Soil resources constitute the very foundation of agriculture, so sustainable agriculture is inherently dependent on soil health. Soil health reflects the capacity of soil to respond beneficially to agricultural management, maintaining both agricultural production and the provision of varying ecosystem services, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity conservation in the long term. Soil health depends on the physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the soil that are required for plant growth and development. Ecological intensification differs from current strategies for agricultural intensification by embracing agroecological transitions to more sustainable agriculture and food systems. This chapter discusses the pivotal role that trees play in building and maintaining the soil health and functional resilience that are required for the ecological intensification of agriculture. It summarizes the current knowledge about functions and impacts of trees on soil health, and highlights the tree/soil biodiversity interactions that drive these functions.