CTA Policy Briefs / Notes politique
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Item Financing agribusiness and value chain development in the Pacific(Brief, 2019-08) Bovoro, Tukana; Francis, Judith Ann; Neate, Paul J.H.The agriculture sector, a major source of food and livelihood for up to 80% of the population in Pacific Island Countries, is under-funded. Lending to the sector is less than 2%, despite its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). Transforming the Pacific agri-food system to address the major socio-economic challenges – malnutrition, high dependence on imported foods, unemployment and climate change – will require targeted public and private investments. Financial institutions and governments must work together to offer innovative financial instruments that enhance access to banking services, especially in the rural areas. Inclusivity is a win-win strategy.Item From open weather data to accessible weather information services for smallholder farmers(Brief, 2018-03) Msengezi, Chipo; Addison, ChrisWeather data and services derived from weather data have a high potential to enhance support for smallholder farmers in taking operational decisions on farm management. Plant growth is driven by weather variables and therefore agricultural production is directly dependent on weather conditions. Many agricultural activities (e.g. sowing, harvesting, and fertiliser application) are dependent on weather conditions for planning and effectiveness. Given this, all agricultural stakeholders are interested in some form of meteorological data. This Policy Brief outlines the importance and benefits that can be derived from weather data in agriculture and nutrition, the challenges in the weather data value chain and recommendations to address these challenges.Item Financing agriculture for a more profitable rural economy(Brief, 2018-01) Mofolo, LeboFarmers and other actors in agricultural value chains find it difficult to access or provide the financial services the sector needs – services that are critical for the development of agricultural products, and are integral to upstream and downstream processes. At the Brussels Development Briefing Revolutionising finance for agri-value chains, experts considered innovative solutions that could improve the livelihoods of smallholder and rural producers, and promote economic transformation in the poorest countries.Item Leveraging ICT innovations to support farmers and farmers’ organisations(Brief, 2017-12) Boyera, Stéphane; Addison, ChrisThe data revolution is helping us make better decisions in all areas of our lives, and farmers are no exception. However, the smallholder farmer is being left behind as more data applications are developed for commercial farming. There is a need to better empower smallholder farmers to leverage information and communications technology (ICT) innovations for greater productivity and efficiency.Item Youth in agribusiness: Shaping the future of agriculture(Brief, 2017-06) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationMore than 1 billion young people (aged 15–24 years) live in developing countries. Africa’s youth population expected to double to over 830 million by 2050, and 10-12 million youth enter the workforce each year in Africa. However, there are scant employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women and men. Creating jobs for these young people requires urgent government intervention at the policy levelItem Getting drones off the ground in Africa(Brief, 2017) Mbuya, Frederick E.; Rambaldi, Giacomo; Chaham, Hamza R.Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), popularly known as drones, have flown out of the pages of science fiction and arrived in Africa. A rush of recent research, pilot and exploratory activities have evaluated the technology and identified sectors where it can best benefit the people of the continent. Now it is questions of national policy that will determine how far drones will goItem Realising the promise of agriculture for Africa’s transformation(Brief, 2016-10) Mofolo, LeboTransforming Africa’s economic development requires a shift away from its characteristic dependence on commodities and limited domestic production. Broader participation in economic growth is needed to stem rural flight and promote inclusive job creation among youth and women. Agriculture is a proven platform for economic transformation and can be achieved in African countries through policies addressing bottlenecks and constraints to the expansion of agriculture in the economy.Item Enhancing the use of data for agriculture(Brief, 2017-09) Kenou, Christel; Boyera, StéphaneIn recent years, the use of data for agriculture has increased with the development of new information and communication technologies (ICT). However, these new technologies have been insufficiently applied to fulfil the agricultural potential of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. More actions are needed to strengthen the use of data to fight poverty and hunger in ACP regions.Item Going to waste – missed opportunities in the battle to improve food security(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationOne-third of all food produced for human consumption worldwide is lost or wasted. At a Brussels Development Briefing on ‘Addressing Food Waste in Times of Crisis’, held in June 2012, experts called for greater focus on the issue. This CTA Policy Brief looks at solutions to address food loss in the South, including making affordable post-harvest and processing technologies available to producers and adopting a stronger value chain approach. It also highlights options for tackling the needless squandering of food (mainly a problem in the North), such as legislation, engaging with the private sector (supermarkets) and educating consumers.Item Promoting climate-smart agriculture in ACP countries(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationFarmers will have to produce as much food in the next 40 years as they have in the past 8000 to satisfy the needs of the world’s rapidly expanding population. Meeting this challenge will be made all the more difficult by climate change. Even a 2°C rise in temperature by the end of the 21st century will lead to dramatic changes in agricultural productivity and land use. At the Brussels Development Briefing on ‘Climate change, agriculture and food security: proven approaches and new investments’, experts highlighted the policies required to help farmers cope with climate change.Item Building resilience in small island economies: From vulnerabilities to opportunities(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationHome to more than 50 million people, small island nations differ significantly in terms of size, social and economic conditions. Nonetheless, most are extremely vulnerable to environmental and economic shocks. At the Regional Policy Briefing on ‘Building resilience in small island economies: from vulnerabilities to opportunities’, participants focused on new opportunities for small island states to share experiences, best practices and exploit commonalities to enhance their resilience. Opportunities include new developments in technology and communications, favourable international economic conditions and advantageous policy frameworks.Item Protecting and promoting pastoralism in Africa(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationPastoralism supports tens of millions of people, makes the best use of harsh environments and provides many economic and social benefits. At the Brussels Development Briefing on ‘New Challenges and Opportunities for Pastoralism in ACP Countries’, experts highlighted policies to improve the welfare of livestock herding communities. Providing the focus of this CTA Policy Brief, these policies include: protecting rights to land and water and helping pastoralists secure assets; strengthening pastoral economies and encouraging value-adding and diversification; empowering pastoralists and encouraging dialogue with policy-makers; and investing in essential services for pastoralists.Item Coping with food price volatility in ACP countries(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationPrice volatility can lead to rising import costs and local food market disruptions in ACP countries. These tend to hit the poorest households the hardest. Such fluctuations occurred in 2007, exacerbating malnutrition and triggering civil unrest. Yet, when a new period of instability occurred in 2010, experts attending a Brussels Development Briefing were able to recommend measures to limit price swings and mitigate their effects. These ‘Policy Pointers’ are central to this CTA Policy Brief. They include, in the short term: creating or restoring small-scale emergency food reserves, improving information systems on market data and setting up safety nets for vulnerable consumers and producers. In the longer term, it is important to promote increases in productivity, especially among smallholders.Item Increasing rural employment in sub-Saharan Africa(Brief, 2012) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationSub-Saharan Africa faces enormous socio-economic challenges, one of the greatest being the lack of work in rural areas. Already, tens of millions of rural Africans have no work, or not enough to lift themselves out of poverty. At the Brussels Development Briefing on ‘Major Drivers for Rural Transformation in Africa: Job Creation for Rural Growth’, experts proposed a range of measures to increase employment. These ‘Policies for Progress’ – as highlighted in this CTA Policy Brief – include: governments introducing policies which stimulate growth of the rural farm and non-farm sectors; governments increasing investment in education and vocational training in rural areas, especially for young people; and small-scale farmers being encouraged to work together to improve productivity and access to markets. Policies should ensure that women, who represent a major workforce in rural areas, receive the same benefits and support as men.Item The water we eat – tackling scarcity in ACP countries(Brief, 2011) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationThe rate at which we consume water has grown twice as fast as the world population over the last 100 years, and many countries regularly experience water scarcity. The Brussels Development Briefing on ‘The Water We Eat’ highlighted the measures required if future generations are to make sustainable use of finite global water supplies. This CTA Policy Brief covers the following topics: natural resources and environment, economics and policy, and food security. Policy pointers include giving priority to increasing productivity in areas used for rain-fed agriculture, implementing a cross-sectoral approach, promoting the involvement of farmers’ groups to improve water governance and encouraging investment to improve access to water.Item Improving nutrition in ACP countries – the role of agriculture(Brief, 2011) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationAround 1 billion people in the world suffer from hunger, while another 1 billion eat too much of the wrong types of food. The Brussels Development Briefing on ‘Nutrition Security in ACP Countries’ held in June 2011 discussed the measures needed to ensure that agriculture provides the quality and quantity of food required to sustain a healthy population. This CTA Policy Brief covers topics such as food safety and human nutrition, food security, economics and policy. It highlights the need for policy-makers to: learn from the experience of other countries, encourage greater collaboration between the agricultural, health and nutrition sectors, and stimulate small-scale farm production.Item Moving from food crisis to food security in ACP countries(Brief, 2011) Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural CooperationACP countries must not only cope with the current food crisis and corresponding dramatic increases in food prices, but devise policies to ensure food security for future generations in the face of rapid population growth. In the Brussels Development Briefing on ‘The Geopolitics of Food’ experts agreed that there is no miracle solution to the world’s food crisis. Covering topics such as food security, economics and policy, this CTA Policy Brief highlights the need for a significant increase in investment in agricultural and rural development. It also highlights the need for policy-makers to promote intensive forms of green agriculture, strengthen smallholder farmers and farmers’ organisations, and improve food governance.Item Développer la résistance des petites économies insulaires : des vulnérabilités aux opportunités(Brief, 2012) Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole et RuraleAbritant plus de 50 millions d'habitants, les petits États insulaires diffèrent considérablement les uns des autres en termes de taille, de conditions sociales et économiques. Néanmoins, la plupart d'entre eux sont extrêmement vulnérables aux chocs environnementaux et économiques. Lors de la séance d'information de politique régionale sur le thème « Développer la résistance des petites économies insulaires : des vulnérabilités aux opportunités », les participants ont porté leur attention sur les nouvelles opportunités qui existent pour que les petits États insulaires puissent partager leurs expériences, leurs meilleures pratiques et exploiter les points qu'ils ont en commun afin de renforcer leur résistance. Parmi ces opportunités, on compte notamment les nouveaux développements dans les domaines de la technologie et des communications, des conditions économiques internationales favorables et des cadres politiques avantageux.Item Pour une agriculture intelligente face au changement climatique(Brief, 2012) Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole et RuraleLes agriculteurs devront produire autant de nourriture ces 40 prochaines années que durant les 8 000 écoulées afin de répondre aux besoins d’une population mondiale en expansion rapide. Ce défi sera d’autant plus difficile à relever dans un contexte de changement climatique. Même une augmentation de 2°C d’ici la fin du siècle, alors que de nombreuses projections vont jusqu’à suggérer une augmentation de 4°C, nécessitera une évolution drastique de la productivité agricole et de l’utilisation des terres. Lors d’un récent Briefing de Bruxelles sur le développement, des experts ont mis en lumière les politiques nécessaires pour aider les agriculteurs à faire face au changement climatique.Item Gaspillage : occasions manquées dans le combat pour accroître la sécurité alimentaire(Brief, 2012) Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole et RuraleUn tiers de toute la nourriture produite dans le monde entier pour la consommation humaine est perdu ou gaspillé. Lors d'un Briefing de Bruxelles sur le développement qui s'est déroulé en juin 2012 sur le thème « S'attaquer aux déchets alimentaires en temps de crise », les experts ont appelé à mettre davantage l'accent sur la question. Cette note politique du CTA se penche sur les solutions pour remédier aux pertes alimentaires dans le Sud, notamment en rendant abordables pour les producteurs les technologies post-récoltes et de traitement disponibles et en renforçant l'approche de chaîne de valeur adoptée. Elle souligne également les options qui existent pour s'attaquer au gaspillage inutile de la nourriture (un problème surtout présent dans le Nord), telles que la législation, le dialogue avec le secteur privé (les supermarchés) et l'éducation des consommateurs.