Consulta: creatorFacets:"Smale,   Melinda"
Registros recuperados: 71
Data/hora: 09/06/2024 03:44:52

Maize Revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Byerlee,   Derek R.; Jayne,   Thomas S.
There have been numerous episodes of widespread adoption of improved seed and long-term achievements in the development of the maize seed industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. This summary takes a circumspect view of technical change in maize production. Adoption of improved seed has continued to rise gradually, now representing an estimated 44 percent of maize area in Eastern and Southern Africa (outside South Africa), and 60 percent of maize area in West and Central Africa. Use of fertilizer and restorative crop management practices remains relatively low and inefficient. An array of extension models has been tested and a combination of approaches will be needed to reach maize producers in heterogeneous agricultural environments. Yield growth overall has been...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Sub-Saharan Africa; Maize; Seed; Agricultural and Food Policy; Production Economics.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/113651

Organization and Performance of National Maize Seed Industries: A New Institutionalist Perspective
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Morris,   Michael L.; Smale,   Melinda.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 1997
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7698

Local Markets, Local Varieties: Rising Food Prices and Small Farmers' Access to Seed
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Cohen,   Marc J.; Nagarajan,   Latha.
In-depth field research—undertaken by IFPRI with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners in India, Kenya, and Mali—brings to light new evidence about farmers’ access to seed and the role of village markets in supplying it, with a focus on semi-arid environments.1 The findings point to several policy options aimed at improving the effectiveness of these markets, which can be crucial for reducing the potential negative impacts of high food prices. Such options might be considered in tandem with those recommended for more favorable environments, where seed systems already function more effectively. This brief introduces the issues that drove this research project, relevant concepts, and methods. The accompanying...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/49998

Breeder Demand for and Utilisation of Wheat Genetic Resources in Australia
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Brennan,   John P.; Godden,   David P.; Smale,   Melinda; Meng,   Erika C.H.
As part of an ACIAR-funded project on genetic diversity in wheat in Australia and China, Australian wheat breeders were surveyed to assess the importance of genetic diversity to breeders. This paper reports the findings of that survey, and identifies the key issues that concern wheat breeders. The issues addressed include the breeders’ attitude to diversity and the diversity available in their current gene pool. The sources of materials that breeders use to maintain and/or increase diversity in their programs are identified, and ways in which diversity influences breeding decisions are also examined. More importantly from the policy view point, survey responses identify changes over time in the environment in which breeders operate that affect the extent...
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Genetic/diversity/wheat/breeder/survey; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123776

Using Ecological Indices and Economics to Explain Diversity in a Wheat Crop: Examples from Australia and China
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Meng,   Erika C.H.; Brennan,   John P.; Hu,   Ruifa.
Spatial diversity indicators may serve policymakers as they seek to manage crop genetic diversity and externalities associated with diffusion of some genetically modified crops. This paper adapts ecological indices of spatial diversity to area distributions of modern wheat varieties in contrasting production systems of Australia and China. The variation in three concepts of spatial diversity—richness, abundance, and evenness—is explained using Zellner’s seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). Determinants of wheat diversity differ by concept, but include variety traits other than yield potential, environmental factors, and policies affecting the supply of varieties, research spill-ins, and market liberalization.
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2000
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123732

DETERMINANTS OF CEREAL DIVERSITY IN COMMUNITIES AND ON HOUSEHOLD FARMS OF THE NORTHERN ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Benin,   Samuel; Gebremedhin,   Berhanu; Smale,   Melinda; Pender,   John L.; Ehui,   Simeon K.
On farm conservation of crop diversity poses obvious policy challenges in terms of the design of appropriate incentive mechanisms and possible trade-offs between conservation and productivity. This paper compares factors explaining the inter-specific diversity (diversity among species) and infra-specific diversity (diversity among varieties within a species) of cereal crops grown in communities and on individual farms in the northern Ethiopian highlands.  Using named varieties and ecological indices of spatial diversity (richness, evenness, and inverse dominance), we find that a combination of factors related to the agro-ecology of a community, its access to markets, and the characteristics of its households and farms significantly affect both the inter-...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Household Farms; Communities; Ethiopia; Agrobiodiversity; On Farm Conservation; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16101

INTRODUCTION: A TAXONOMY OF GENEBANK VALUE
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Koo,   Bonwoo.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16482

Combining revealed and stated preference methods to assess the private value of agrobiodiversity in Hungarian home gardens
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Birol,   Ekin; Kontoleon,   Andreas; Smale,   Melinda.
Hungarian home gardens are small-scale farms managed by farm households using traditional management practices and family labor. They generate private benefits for farmers by enhancing diet quality and providing food when costs of transacting in local markets are high. Home gardens also generate public benefits for society by supporting long-term productivity advances in agriculture. In this paper, we estimate the private value to farmers of agrobiodiversity in home gardens. Building on the approach presented in EPTD Discussion Paper 117 (2004), we combine a stated preference approach (a choice experiment model) and a revealed preference approach (a discrete-choice, farm household model). Both models are based on random utility theory. To combine the...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Home gardens; Small-scale farmers; Diet quality; Agricultural productivity; Agrobiodiversity; Household surveys; Private value; Choice experiment model; Farm household model; Revealed and stated preference methods; Biodiversity; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/55415

SEARCH STRATEGIES AND THE VALUE OF A LARGE COLLECTION
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gollin,   Douglas; Smale,   Melinda; Skovmand,   Bent.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16481

Wheat Diversity and Productivity in Indian Punjab After the Green Revolution
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Singh,   Joginder; Di Falco,   Salvatore; Zambrano,   Patricia.
The Punjab of India is an historical source of key wheat genetic resources in national and global plant breeding, and a focus of concerns about the abandonment of local varieties during the Green Revolution. Much of the wheat area in Punjab was already planted with earlier products of modern plant breeding programs when the Green Revolution began. These cultivars were more genetically similar and less productive than the semi-dwarf wheat varieties that succeeded them. We define, summarize and test indices of variety change and genetic diversity for the modern wheat varieties released and grown in Indian Punjab during the post-Green Revolution period. The first is the area-weighted average of varieties grown, which measures the rate of variety change,...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Wheat; Genetic diversity; Indian Punjab; Productivity; Crop Production/Industries; Q12; Q57.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25794

Sources of Productivity Growth in Wheat: A Review of Recent Performance and Medium- to Long-Term Prospects
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Rejesus,   Roderick M.; Heisey,   Paul W.; Smale,   Melinda.
Sources of yield growth in wheat are investigated based on a stylized framework of technical change. Evidence suggests that the relative contribution of input intensification to yield growth has diminished in recent years and is likely to continue to decline in the future. One potential source of yield growth in wheat during the medium to long term is improved efficiency of input use, rather than input intensification, through sustainable wheat production practices rather than pure input increases. Other large gains could be made with continuous adoption of newer and better modern varieties based on advances in wheat breeding. Wide crossing and biotechnology could improve the stability of wheat yields in the intermediate term; their long-term impact on...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7693

SEARCHING A GENE BANK: THE CASE OF WHEAT
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gollin,   Douglas; Smale,   Melinda; Skovmand,   Bent.
Using data on the distributions of disease and pest resistance among wheat varieties, this paper reports theoretical and empirical findings concerning the efficient management of a gene bank and the optimal size of a collection.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/20879

A Regional Analysis of Maize Biological Diversity in Southeastern Guanajuato, Mexico
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gomez,   Jose Alfonso Aguirre; Bellon,   Mauricio R.; Smale,   Melinda.
Four environments with contrasting potential for agricultural productivity and infrastructure development were identified in Guanajuato State, Mexico, to test hypotheses about the relationship of maize biological diversity to the region's potential for agricultural productivity and infrastructure development. Samples of all types of maize grown by a random sample of farmers were collected from each environment. The maize samples were classified by race, racial mixture, or type of 'creolized' or improved variety. Landraces were the dominant maize class in all four environments; the use of improved varieties was negligible. Several diversity indices were calculated, and no statistically significant differences were apparent between the environments with the...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7671

AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES IN A TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY: THE VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY IN HUNGARIAN HOME GARDENS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Birol,   Ekin; Smale,   Melinda; Gyovai,   Agnes.
Agricultural biodiversity is an environmental resource. Much of the agricultural biodiversity remaining in situ today is found on the semi-subsistence farms of poorer countries and the small-scale farms or home gardens of more industrialized nations. The traditional small farms of Hungary are labelled "home gardens" as a reflection of their institutional identity during the collectivisation period. Homesteads managed with family labor, they continue to serve essential food security and diet quality functions during economic transition. Home gardens contribute to the preservation of rural settlements and cultural heritage, and they contain relatively high levels of several components of agricultural biodiversity. The role of home gardens in the...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Agricultural biodiversity; In situ conservation; Choice experiment method; Hungary; Home garden; Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Environmental Economics and Policy.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/60331

The impact of participation in Diversity Field Fora on farmer management of millet and sorghum varieties in Mali
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Diakite,   Lamissa; Sidibe,   Amadou; Grum,   Mikkel; Jones,   Hannah; Traore,   Issa Seni; Guindo,   Hamidou.
Malian farmers have been cultivating millet and sorghum for millennia, but they are slow to adopt and develop modern varieties because it is difficult to observe the difference in yields in their fields, given the challenging local growing conditions. Farmer participatory approaches are therefore recommended. This paper applies an instrumental variables method to survey data from Mali to evaluate the impacts of Diversity Field Fora, a type of farmer field school which aims to boost millet and sorghum yields by showing farmers how to manage diverse varieties. Impact indicators are expected and recalled millet and sorghum yields, the total number of unique attributes of millet and sorghum varieties stocked as seed, and the relative deprivation of the...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Farmer field school; Sorghum; Millet; Landraces; Participatory crop improvement; Mali; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/93879

Farmers' Use of Improved Seed Selection Practices in Mexican Maize: Evidence and Issues from the Sierra de Santa Marta
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Rice,   Elizabeth; Smale,   Melinda; Blanco,   Jose-Luis.
The principal advantage of in situ conservation is that it allows adaptive evolutionary processes to continue in the species that are being conserved. For a cultivated crop species, in situ conservation involves farmers' management of their own genetic resources even as the farmers themselves adapt to a changing environment. Improved seed selection practices and other on-farm breeding strategies have been proposed as a means of providing economic incentives for farmers to continue growing traditional varieties or landraces identified as important for conservation. This paper describes a pilot study among a group of indigenous farmers in the Sierra de Santa Marta, Veracruz, Mexico, who have collaborated in such efforts. The findings raise key issues about...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1997
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7690

Variety Choice by Australian Wheat Growers and Implications for Genetic Diversity
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Brennan,   John P.; Godden,   David P.; Smale,   Melinda; Meng,   Erika C.H.
Genetic diversity in agricultural systems relies on both the supply of diversity through varieties produced by breeding programs, and the demand for that diversity, through farmers' usage of varieties. Variety choice by farmers is demonstrated through the mix of varieties that is grown in a given region. In this paper, the conceptual issues relating to the supply of and demand for genetic diversity are explored. An empirical analysis of the varietal demand, based on the varieties grown in the Temora Shire in southern NSW over the post-War period, is undertaken. Changes over time in the choice of varieties by farmers are analysed, and some implications for genetic diversity are discussed.
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Genetic/diversity/wheat/variety/demand/growers; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123785

USING A CHOICE EXPERIMENT TO ESTIMATE THE DEMAND OF HUNGARIAN FARMERS FOR FOOD SECURITY AND AGROBIODIVERSITY DURING ECONOMIC TRANSITION
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Birol,   Ekin; Kontoleon,   Andreas; Smale,   Melinda.
Hungarian home gardens are small farms that are repositories of agrobiodiversity and provide food security during economic transition. We use a choice experiment to test the hypothesis that farmer demand for home gardens will decrease as markets develop with European Union accession. Data represent 22 communities with varying levels of market and social infrastructure. We find that farmers located in more economically developed communities choose to be less dependent on small farms for food and prefer lower levels of agrobiodiversity. Findings indicate that the survival of small farms is jeopardized by economic change, but point to some conservation policy options.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Food security; Agrobiodiversity; Home gardens; Choice experiment; Multi-functional agriculture; Agricultural and Food Policy; Demand and Price Analysis; Food Security and Poverty; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/31937

Local Seed Markets and the Determinants of Crop Variety Diversity in Marginal Environments: The Case of Millet in Semi-Arid India
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Nagarajan,   Latha; Smale,   Melinda; Glewwe,   Paul.
The purpose of the research paper is to characterize biological diversity related to millets in the semi-arid regions of India at various spatial scales of analysis (e.g., farm household versus community levels) and place that evidence in a broader seed systems (includes both formal and informal) context.  An important finding of this research is that producer access to millet genetic resources is affected by the extent to which seed is traded via formal markets or through other social institutions, along with farm and household characteristics. Findings also underscore the need for an enhanced theoretical understanding of local seed markets in analyzing crop variety choices and the diversity of materials grown in less favored environments.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/19445

THE DETERMINANTS OF CEREAL CROP DIVERSITY ON FARMS IN THE ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Benin,   Samuel; Smale,   Melinda; Gebremedhin,   Berhanu; Pender,   John L.; Ehui,   Simeon K.
On farm conservation of crop diversity entails policy challenges, especially when the diversity of crops maintained on farms has both inter-specific (among crops) and infra-specific (within a crop) components. Survey data is used to compare the determinants of inter- and infra-specific diversity on household farms in the highlands of northern Ethiopia.  Physical features of the farm, and household characteristics such as livestock assets and the proportion of adults that are men, have large and significant effects on both the diversity among and within cereal crops grown, varying among crops. Demographic aspects such as age of household head and adult education levels affect only infra-specific diversity of cereals. Though there are no apparent trade-offs...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25833

VARIETY DEMAND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF AN AGRICULTURAL HOUSEHOLD MODEL WITH ATTRIBUTES: THE CASE OF BANANAS IN UGANDA
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Edmeades,   Svetlana; Smale,   Melinda; Renkow,   Mitch; Phaneuf,   Daniel J.
Ugandan smallholder farmers produce the nation's major food crop using numerous banana varieties with distinctive attributes, while coping with important biotic constraints and imperfect markets. This empirical context motivates a trait-based model of the agricultural household that establishes the economic association between household preferences for specific variety attributes (yield, disease and pest resistance, and taste), among other exogenous factors, and variety demand, or the extent of cultivation. Six variety demands are estimated in reduced form, each in terms of both plant counts ("absolute" or levels demand) and plant shares ("relative" demand). Two salient findings emerge from the analysis: 1) the determinants of both absolute and relative...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Variety demand; Variety attributes; Agricultural household model; Bananas; Uganda; Crop Production/Industries; Food Security and Poverty.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/60323

Local Seed Systems and Village-Level Determinants of Millet Crop Diversity in Marginal Environments of India
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Nagarajan,   Latha; Smale,   Melinda.
In the subsistence-oriented, semi-arid production systems of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India, the environment is marginal for crop growth and often there is no substitute for millet crops. Across communities, farmers grow thirteen different combinations of pearl millet, sorghum, finger millet, little millet, and foxtail millet varieties, but individual farmers grow an average of only two to three millet varieties per season. The notion of the seed system includes all channels through which farmers acquire genetic materials, outside or in interaction with the commercial seed industry. Data are compiled through household surveys and interviews with traders and dealers in village and district markets. Based on the concept of the seed lot, several...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Seed systems; Millet diversity; Variety change; Seed users; Crop diversity; Seed industry and trade; Genetic variation; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/59229

VARIETY DEMAND IN AN INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL HOUSEHOLD MODEL WITH ATTRIBUTES: IMPLICATIONS FOR EMERGING CROP BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Edmeades,   Svetlana; Phaneuf,   Daniel J.; Smale,   Melinda; Renkow,   Mitch.
In this paper we consider the role of variety attributes in an agricultural household model of variety planting decisions. In an application to banana production in Uganda we derive a system of derived demands for a set of available banana varieties. Our empirical model uses a hudle/count data framework to examine simaltaneously the likelihood a household has experience with a given variety, and the amount of the  variety that is planted. We find that production, consumption, and pest resistance attributes  significantly influence planting decisions. These findings have implications for emerging crop biotechnologies.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/20318

THE DEMAND FOR CROP GENETIC RESOURCES FROM INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Fowler,   Cary; Smale,   Melinda; Gaiji,   Samy.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16480

THE MARGINAL VALUE OF AN ACCESSION
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zohrabian,   Armineh; Traxler,   Greg; Caudill,   Steve; Smale,   Melinda.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16476

Demand for Maize Hybrids, Seed Subsidies, and Seed Decisionmakers in Zambia.
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Mason,   Nicole M.
The successful development and diffusion of improved maize seed in Zambia during the 1970s–80s was a major achievement of African agriculture but was predicated on a government commitment to parastatal grain and seed marketing, the provision of services to maize growers, and a pan-territorial pricing scheme that was fiscally unsustainable. Declining maize output when this system was dismantled contributed to the reinstatement in 2002 of subsidies for maize seed and fertilizer through the Fertilizer and Farmer Input Support Programs (FISP). In the meantime, seed liberalization has led to an array of new, improved maize varieties, most of which are hybrids. This analysis explores the determinants of demand for first-generation (F1) hybrid maize seed in...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Zambia; Maize; Seed subsidies; Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Security and Poverty.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123555

Seed Value Chains for Sorghum and Millet in Mali: A State-Based System in Transition
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Diakite,   Lamissa; Sidibe,   Amadou; Smale,   Melinda; Grum,   Mikkel.
This paper reviews the structure and performance of the sorghum and millet seed sector in Mali. The Sahel is the origin of pearl millet and sorghum, seed selection and management of these crops is embedded in local cultures, and most producers of these crops are subsistence oriented. Despite seed sector reform, no certified seed of these crops is sold in local markets and farmers prefer to rely on themselves or each other for seed. The dominant source of certified seed is the national seed service. Certified seed is multiplied by contracted farmers and seed producer groups, and supplied to farmers through farmers’ associations, development organizations, and extension services. The informal sector supplies farmers with non-certified seed directly and...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Seed; Formal sector; Informal sector; Millet; Sorghum; Mali; Agribusiness; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42348

Comparing Farm and Village-Level Determinant of Millet Diversity in Marginal Environments of India: The Context of Seed Systems
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Nagarajan,   Latha; Smale,   Melinda; Glewwe,   Paul.
The purpose of the research paper is to characterize biological diversity related to millets in the semi-arid regions of India at various spatial scales of analysis (e.g., farm household versus community levels) and place that evidence in a broader seed systems (includes both formal and informal) context. An important finding of this research is that producer access to millet genetic resources is affected by the extent to which seed is traded via formal markets or through other social institutions, along with farm and household characteristics. Findings also underscore the need for an enhanced theoretical understanding of local seed markets in analyzing crop variety choices and the diversity of materials grown in less favored environments.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Millet diversity; Seed systems; Local markets; Crop diversity; Biological diversity; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/59235

PRIVATE PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION IN NIGERIA AND BENIN: DETERMINING THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR INFORMATION
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Horna,   J. Daniela; Smale,   Melinda; von Oppen,   Matthias.
A typical private good is defined by its excludability and rivalry characteristics. Information might not generate rivalry among its users.  By contrast, excludability is certainly a characteristic of information and its delivery can generate incentives for private participation. This study examines farmers'’ preferences for seed of new rice varieties and their willingness to pay for related information in villages of Nigeria and Benin. Conjoint analysis is used to estimate the structure of farmers'’ preferences for rice seed given a set of alternatives. Farmers are considered to be maximizers of utility rather than profit, preferring one variety over another based on the utility they obtain from its attributes, which depends on their own social and...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: WTP for information; Conjoint analysis; Rice attributes; Farmers'’ preferences; Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession; O3; O33; C35.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/19401

THE COST OF WHEAT DIVERSITY IN CHINA
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Meng,   Erika C.H.; Smale,   Melinda; Rozelle,   Scott; Ruifa,   Hu; Huang,   Jikun.
Initial efforts to estimate the effects on productivity of diversity among modern varieties in a production function framework have been unsatisfactory in at least two respects.  First, the conventional primal approach estimates the marginal effects of diversity on technical efficiency but is unable to examine issues of allocative efficiency since it does not explicitly address producer behavior with respect to prices.  Second, measures of genetic diversity used in previous studies may not have fully represented the diversity present in the crop.  The development and incorporation of a biologically meaningful index of crop genetic diversity into an economic decision-making model is not straightforward.  Previous studies have most often used diversity...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries; Productivity Analysis.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/21580

Marketing Underutilized Plant Species for the Poor
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gruere,   Guillaume P.; Smale,   Melinda; Giuliani,   Alessandra.
Underutilized plant species are defined as agricultural or non-timber forest species that are locally abundant in developing countries but globally rare. Scientific information about them is scant and their use is currently limited relative to their economic potential. Some are potentially high-value crops and they all contribute to agricultural biodiversity and the livelihood of the poor. Despite a growing body of scientific literature on underutilized species, to our knowledge, agricultural economics literature has contributed little to the understanding of how to commercialize these crops of plant products successfully. In this paper we first define what economic factors characterize underutilized plant species. Our classification of species is based...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Agricultural marketing; Agricultural biodiversity; Economic development; Crop Production/Industries; Q13; O13; Q56.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25742

Local seed systems for millet crops in marginal environments of India: industry and policy perspectives
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Nagarajan,   Latha; Pardey,   Philip G.; Smale,   Melinda.
Changes in India’s seed regulations during the 1990s favored the growth of privately- as compared to publicly-funded sectors. Most advances have been made in the major millet crops, sorghum and pearl millet, as compared to finger millet and other minor millet crops, which in many ways dependent on local markets for seed purposes. In this study, we have analyzed the evolving interactions between formal systems related to the delivery of modern varieties and informal systems for maintaining traditional seeds in the semi-arid regions of India. It is evident that in these marginal environments, crop and variety use decisions, and the crop biodiversity levels take place within the context of local seed markets and a national seed industry. The outcome of the...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Seed systems; Seed industry and trade; Seed markets; Biodiversity; Local markets; Formal seed sector; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/55420

Marketing underutilized plant species for the benefit of the poor: a conceptual framework
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gruere,   Guillaume P.; Giuliani,   Alessandra; Smale,   Melinda.
Modern crop production is based on only a few plant species. Particularly in marginal environments of developing agricultural economies, many less well-known agricultural or non-timber forest species, continue to be grown, managed or collected, thus contributing to the livelihood of the poor and to agricultural biodiversity. Some of these species, called underutilized plant species, are characterized by the fact that they are locally in developing countries but globally rare, that scientific information and knowledge about them is scant, and that their current use is limited relative to their economic potential. In this paper, we first identify the economic factors that cause these plants to be ‘underutilized’. Based on this analysis, we propose a...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Underutilized species; Agricultural biodiversity; Agricultural marketing; Agricultural development; Niche markets; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/55418

Farmer Willingness to Pay for Seed-Related Information: Rice Varieties in Nigeria and Benin
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Horna,   J. Daniela; Smale,   Melinda; von Oppen,   Matthias.
A typical private good is defined by its excludability and rivalry characteristics. Information embodied in a technology might not generate rivalry among its users. By contrast, excludability is certainly a characteristic of this kind of information and its delivery can generate incentives for private participation. This study examines farmers’ preferences for seed of new rice varieties and their willingness to pay for seed-related information in villages of Nigeria and Benin. Conjoint analysis is used to estimate the structure of farmers’ preferences for rice seed given a set of alternatives. Farmers are considered to be consumers of seed as a production input, preferring one variety over another based on the utility they obtain from its attributes, which...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Seed-related information; Conjoint analysis; Rice attributes; Farmers’ preferences; Technology; Seed markets; Willingness to pay (WTP); Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/58587

Using Economics to Explain Spatial Diversity in a Wheat Crop: Examples from Australia and China
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Meng,   Erika C.H.; Brennan,   John P.; Hu,   Ruifa.
Spatial diversity indicators may serve an important function for policymakers as they seek to manage crop genetic diversity and potential externalities associated with diffusion of some types of genetically improved crops. This paper adapts spatial diversity indices employed by ecologists in the study of species diversity to area distributions of modern wheat varieties in contrasting production systems of Australia and China. The variation in three interrelated concepts of diversity "richness, abundance, and evenness" is explained by factors related to the demand and supply of varieties, agroecology, and policies using the econometric method of Zellner's seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). Results suggest that in addition to expected yield and...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7697

Farmer Preferences for Milpa Diversity and Genetically Modified Maize in Mexico:  A Latent Class Approach
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Birol,   Ekin; Villalba,   Eric Rayn; Smale,   Melinda.
Maize, the second most globally important staple crop after wheat, originated in Mexico, where it is typically grown as part of a set of associated crops and practices called the milpa system. This ancient mode of production is practiced today in ways that vary by cultural context and agro-environment. Milpas generate private economic value, in terms of food security, diet quality and livelihoods, for the two-million farm households who manage them. Furthermore, milpas generate public economic value by conserving agrobiodiversity, especially that of maize landraces, which have the potential to contribute unique traits needed by plant breeders for future crop improvement. In this way, milpas contribute to global food security in maize. However, the...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Mexico; Maize; Genetically modified crops; Conservation; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42373

Measurement of Crop Genetic Diversity in Economic Analysis
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Meng,   Erika C.H.; Smale,   Melinda; Ruifa,   Hu; Brennan,   John P.; Godden,   David P.
In recent years, output on genetic diversity in the economic literature has included conceptual pieces on the definition and measurement of crop genetic diversity, methodologies for estimating its value, and efforts to analyze its contribution to productivity and stability. However, because biological diversity refers in general to a broad area of scientific inquiry, the growing quantity of literature has also generated some confusion over the definition, measurement, and interpretation of genetic diversity in the context of economic analysis. This paper addresses some of the measurement issues encountered in incorporating genetic diversity into economic analysis by presenting a synthesis of several of the relevant concepts and tools. Using data collected...
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Genetic/diversity/wheat/variety/measurement; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/124089

Optimal Search in Ex situ Collections of Wheat Genetic Resources
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gollin,   Douglas; Smale,   Melinda; Skovmand,   Bent.
This paper develops a theoretical model for analyzing gene bank management decisions regarding the search for traits of economic value in ex situ collections of wheat. The model is applied to data on the probability of finding useful sources of resistance to Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) and septoria tritici leaf blotch, using Monte Carlo simulations for sampling distributions, simulations of varietal diffusion paths, and actual cost data from searches. Three specific questions are posed and answered: (1) what is the optimal size of search among genetic resources of a given type for a trait of economic value? (2) what is the value of specialized knowledge about which genetic resources are most likely to display resistance? and (3) how should search...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7695

THE DEMAND FOR CROP GENETIC RESOURCES: INTERNATIONAL USE OF THE U.S. NATIONAL PLANT GERMPLASM SYSTEM
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Day-Rubenstein,   Kelly A.; Zohrabian,   Armineh; Hodgkin,   T.
In contrast to a perception that ex situ collections of germplasm are rarely used, this empirical case study reveals large quantities of germplasm samples distributed by the U.S. National Germplasm System to many types of scientific institutions located in numerous countries around the world. Distributions favor developing countries in several ways including the numbers of samples shipped, utilization rates in crop breeding programs, and the secondary benefits brought about through sharing this germplasm with other scientists. Expected future demand is also greater among scientists in developing countries. These findings underscore the importance to global science and technology of retaining such resources in the public domain.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Developing countries; Crop genetic resources; Plant breeding; Germplasm collection; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2001
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16086

The Private and Public Characteristics of Maize Land Races and the Area Allocation Decisions of Farmers in a Center of Crop Diversity
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Bellon,   Mauricio R.; Gomez,   Jose Alfonso Aguirre.
This study uses an approach derived from models of the private and public characteristics of goods to illustrate (1) the overriding importance of variety attributes in farmers' decisions to allocate area among varieties of maize landraces and (2) the significance of farmers' perceptions of changes in the maize germplasm base in the surrounding community in their choices. Diversity indices and the concept of 'scale', as understood in ecology, are adapted and employed to test hypotheses empirically. Though a case study of maize farmers in Southeastern Guanajuato, the research raises methodological issues for models of variety choice and has policy implications for the potential to conserve maize genetic diversity on farms in Mexico.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7669

Is Older Better? Maize Hybrid Change on Household Farms in Kenya
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Olwande,   John.
Kenya has been recognized globally as maize success story since the 1970s. Released on the eve of independence, Kenya’s first maize hybrid diffused faster than did hybrids in the U.S Corn Belt during the 1930s-1940s. In recent decades, policy researchers have lamented that earlier gains in maize productivity have not lived up to their potential. Claims of stagnating yields and stagnating adoption are offset here, at least in part, by longitudinal survey data showing rising yields and adoption rates on farms. Tegemeo survey data confirm that Kenya has reached its adoption ceiling years ago in the major maize producing zones of the country, and is near to doing so in other zones. Data show adoption rates topping 80% of farmers.
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Maize; Kenya; Africa; Household farms; Agricultural and Food Policy.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/118474

The Economic Impact and the Distribution of Benefits and Risk from the Adoption of Insect Resistant (Bt)  Cotton in West Africa
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Horna,   J. Daniela; Smale,   Melinda.
Cotton is the largest source of export receipts of several West African countries. Statistics however show a decreasing tendency in cotton yields and an increasing tendency in pesticide use. Under this circumstances there appear to be potential payoffs from the use of biotechnology products in the farming systems of the region. In this study we estimate different scenarios for the potential deployment of insect resistant cotton in selected countries in West Africa (WA). We use an economic surplus model augmented with a more rigorous sensitivity analysis of model parameters. Hypothetical scenarios of Bt cotton adoption in WA are simulated and single point values of model parameters are substituted with probability distributions. The scenarios include: no...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Bt cotton; West Africa; Economic surplus; Risk; Probability distributions; Impact assessment; Net benefits; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42395

On Farm Conservation of Rice Biodiversity in Nepal: A Simultaneous Estimation Approach
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gauchan,   Devendra; Van Dusen,   M. Eric; Smale,   Melinda.
This paper presents an empirical case study about farmer management of rice genetic resources in two communities of Nepal, drawing on interdisciplinary, participatory research that involved farmers, rice geneticists, and social scientists. The decision-making process of farm households is modelled and estimated in order to provide information for the design of community-based conservation programs. A bivariate model with sample selection treats the simultaneous process of whether farmers decide to plant landraces or modern varieties, and whether the landraces they choose to plant constitute genetic diversity of interest for future crop improvement. Findings show that the two landrace choices are affected by different social and economic factors. The...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Genetic resources; Rice; Farmers; Nepal; Landraces; Crop diversity; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/58589

SUSTAINABLE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF CROP GENETIC RESOURCES: LANDRACES ON HUNGARIAN SMALL FARMS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Birol,   Ekin; Smale,   Melinda; Gyovai,   Agnes.
Crop genetic resources are natural assets that are necessary for future crop improvement. In isolated, marginal production environments where markets function imperfectly, farm families depend on them directly for food. In recognition of their importance, international agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture encourage national governments to support their sustainable use and management, on farms and in gene bank collections. Hungary is a signatory to these international agreements. The aim of this study is to contribute research-based information to support the design of efficient and equitable conservation programmes for socially valuable crop landraces...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop genetic resources; Landraces; Farm household model; Poisson Hurdle model; Sustainable use and management; Crop Production/Industries; Environmental Economics and Policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/31935

THE DEMAND FOR CROP GENETIC RESOURCES FROM A NATIONAL COLLECTION
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Day-Rubenstein,   Kelly A.; Smale,   Melinda.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16475

IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE GERMPLASM FOR PARTICIPATORY BREEDING: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEYS OF OAXACA, MEXICO
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bellon,   Mauricio R.; Smale,   Melinda; Aguirre,   Alfonso; Taba,   Suketoshi; Aragon,   Flavio; Diaz,   Jaime; Castro,   Humberto.
Identifying the appropriate germplasm to be improved is a key component of any participatory breeding effort because of its implications for impacts on social welfare and genetic diversity. This paper describes a method developed to select a subset of 17 populations for a participatory breeding project from a set of 152 maize landraces. The larger set of landraces was collected in order to characterize, for conservation purposes, the maize diversity present in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. The method combines data representing the perspectives of both men and women members of farm households and those of genetic resources specialists, including professional plant breeders, gene bank managers, and social scientists. The different perspectives...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Mexico; Oaxaca; Maize; Zea mays; Land race; Germplasm conservation; Plant breeding; Selecting; Innovation adoption; Social welfare; Welfare economics; On farm research; Participatory research; Farm Management.
Ano: 2000
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/46524

The Contribution of Genetic Resources and Diversity to Wheat Productivity: A Case from the Punjab of Pakistan
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Hartell,   Jason G.; Smale,   Melinda; Heisey,   Paul W.; Senauer,   Benjamin.
This study makes use of data on wheat production in the Punjab of Pakistan from 1979 to 1985 to 1) examine patterns of varietal diversity in farmers' fields both at the regional and district levels and 2) identify how and in what ways genetic resources have contributed to wheat productivity and yield stability-important considerations to farmers and national authorities where wheat is a staple food crop. Five indicators are used to describe the system of wheat genetic resource use and diversity in farmers' fields. The contribution of farmers' previous selections is expressed as the number of different landraces appearing in the pedigree of a cultivar . The contribution of scientific breeding efforts is expressed as the number of parental combination...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1997
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7673

Gender, Social Capital and Information Exchange in Rural Uganda
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Katungi,   Enid; Smale,   Melinda.
Changing agricultural research and extension systems mean that informal mechanisms of information diffusion are often the primary source of information about improved seed and practices for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates the interactions between gender, social capital and information exchange in rural Uganda. Within the framework of farmer-to-farmer models, we conceptualize the informal information diffusion process to comprise social capital accumulation and information exchange. We assume that each agent participates in information exchange with a fixed (predetermined) level of social capital and examine how endowments of social capital influence information exchange, paying close attention to gender differences. A multinomial...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Gender; Social capital; Information exchange; Informal mechanisms; Uganda; Labor and Human Capital.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/50070

Income and Poverty Impacts of USAID-Funded Programs to Promote Maize, Horticulture, and Dairy Enterprises in Kenya, 2004-2010
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Mathenge,   Mary K.; Jayne,   Thomas S.; Magalhaes,   Eduardo Castelo; Olwande,   John; Kirimi,   Lilian; Kamau,   Mercy W.; Githuku,   James.
Since 2002, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded programs to promote maize, dairy, and horticulture enterprises among smallholder farmers in Kenya under the Strategic Objective 7 of Increased Rural Household Incomes. On behalf of USAID, Tegemeo Institute has conducted household surveys to help track key indicators that monitor progress in the implementation of these programs. The first survey was conducted in 2004. Subsequent surveys were conducted every two years (i.e., 2006, 2008, and 2010). The sample comprises households participating and those not participating in the programs. The programs monitored include the Kenya Maize Development Program (KMDP), the Kenya Horticulture Development Project (KHDP), and the Kenya...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Kenya; Income; Poverty; Household surveys; International Development; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/121864

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF GENETIC RESOURCES, THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OWNERSHIP: THE CASE OF THE U.S. NATIONAL PLANT GERMPLASM SYSTEM
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Day-Rubenstein,   Kelly A.; Smale,   Melinda.
Changing perceptions of resource ownership have altered international exchange of genetic resources. After summarizing the role of genebanks and issues related to property regimes, this paper presents an empirical study of one of the largest national genebanks, the U.S. National Germplasm System. The demand for its genetic resources appears to be substantial, both domestically and internationally. Utilization rates are higher than suggested by past studies. The role of information in enhancing the usefulness of NPGS resources is explored with an econometric model that indicates that accompanying data make germplasm more useful. U.S. requestors account for most of the germplasm demanded, but developing countries appear to make greater use of these...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop genetic resources; Genebanks; Germplasm collection; Genetic resource management; Developing countries; International Relations/Trade.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/60332

Institutional Change and Discontinuities in Farmers' Use of Hybrid Maize Seed and Fertilizer in Malawi: Findings from the 1996-97 CIMMYT/ MoALD Survey
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Phiri,   Alexander.
This study records the use of hybrid maize seed and fertilizer by small-scale farmers in Malawi, as well as their opinions about these inputs, from 1989-90 through 1996-97. Its main purpose is to determine whether the principal constraint to smallholders’ use of maize hybrids is the acceptability of the hybrid maize germplasm or the institutional reforms and policies affecting its use. The study also provides information about a practice that has implications for the impact of seed technologies and seed industries — the recycling of nonconventional hybrids (i.e., saving seed of an F1 hybrid to plant in subsequent seasons). Findings of the most recent farmer survey in 1996-97 demonstrate that the grain quality or yield characteristics of maize hybrids no...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7674

TO REACH THE POOR: RESULTS FROM THE ISNAR-IFPRI NEXT HARVEST STUDY ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS, PUBLIC RESEARCH, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Atanassov,   Atannas; Bahieldin,   Ahmed; Brink,   Johan; Burachik,   Moises; Cohen,   Joel I.; Dhawan,   Vibha; Ebora,   Reynaldo V.; Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Herrera-Estrella,   Luis; Komen,   John; Low,   Fee Chon; Omaliko,   Emeka; Odhiambo,   Benjamin; Quemada,   Hector; Peng,   Yufa; Sampaio,   Maria Jose; Sithole-Niang,   Idah; Sittenfeld,   Ana; Smale,   Melinda; Sutrisno; Valyasevi,   Ruud; Zafar,   Yusuf; Zambrano,   Patricia.
Local farming communities throughout the world face productivity constraints, environmental concerns, and diverse nutritional needs. Developing countries address these challenges in a number of ways. One way is public research that produces genetically modified (GM) crops and recognize biotechnology as a part of the solution. To reach these communities, GM crops, after receiving biosafety agreement, must be approved for evaluation under local conditions. However, gaps between approvals in the developed and developing world grow larger, as the process of advancing GM crops in developing countries becomes increasingly difficult. In several countries, only insect resistant cotton has successfully moved from small, confined experimental trials to larger, open...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Biosafety; Regulation; Biotechnology; Genetic modification; Public research; Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16065

Betting on cotton: Potential payoffs and economic risks of adopting transgenic cotton in West Africa
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Horna,   J. Daniela; Smale,   Melinda.
Cotton is the largest source of export receipts in several West African nations where yields are declining and pesticide use is rising. Although there may be payoffs to introducing genetically modified Bt (Bacillus thurigiensis) cotton, limited information is available to predict its potential economic impact and there is uncertainty about its performance. Recognizing these constraints, we use an economic surplus model augmented with stochastic simulation to estimate ex ante the impact and distribution of benefits from Bt cotton. We consider the effects of adoption on both yields and abating crop damage, and offer scenarios depicting the policy options faced by West African stakeholders. The findings indicate that although the total net benefits of...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Crop biotechnology; Bt cotton; Economic surplus model; West Africa; Agricultural development; Risk; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/56962

The Economic Impact in Developing Countries of Leaf Rust Resistance Breeding in CIMMYT-Related Spring Bread Wheat
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Marasas,   C.N.; Smale,   Melinda; Singh,   R.P.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/48768

Determinants of social capital formation in rural Uganda: Implications for group-based agricultural extension approaches
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Katungi,   Enid; Machethe,   Charles Lepepeule; Smale,   Melinda.
Although social capital is a potentially important asset for poverty reduction in developing economies, there has been little analysis of factors affecting its formation in developing countries such as Uganda. This paper analyzes what influences households to join local organizations and the intensity of social networks in central Uganda. Social networks were disaggregated by major activity to gain insight into household access, and the interaction between local organizations and social networks was examined. Probit and ordered probit models were estimated to identify what led households to participate in organizations and the intensity of participation. A negative binomial model was applied to analyze the household intensity of social networks. The...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Social capital; Group based extension approaches; Uganda; Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/57016

Measuring the Economic Impacts of Transgenic Crops in Developing Agriculture during the First Decade: Approaches, Findings, and Future Directions
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Zambrano,   Patricia; Gruere,   Guillaume P.; Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Matuschke,   Ira; Horna,   J. Daniela; Nagarajan,   Latha; Yerramareddy,   Indira; Jones,   Hannah.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Transgenic Plants; Developing Countries; Research; Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/50413

Farmers' Seed Selection Practices and Maize Variety Characteristics in a Traditionally-Based Mexican Community
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Louette,   Dominique; Smale,   Melinda.
Experimental results and farmer surveys in a Mexican community indicate that farmers’ seed selection practices protect the phenological integrity of their maize varieties as they define them, despite numerous factors contributing to genetic instability. Analysis of morphological and genetic data suggests that when subjected to significant gene flow through cross-pollination, ear characteristics are maintained through farmers’ selection even though other characteristics may continue to evolve genetically. Because the effects of farmers’ selection practices are confined largely to ear characteristics and plant characteristics that are linked to them, their practices appear to offer only limited scope for improving varieties. Farmers’ expectations of what...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7667

On farm conservation of rice biodiversity in Nepal
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Van Dusen,   M. Eric; Gauchan,   Devendra; Smale,   Melinda.
This paper presents an empirical case study about farmer management of rice genetic resources in two communities of Nepal, drawing on interdisciplinary, participatory research that involved farmers, plant breeders, and social scientists.  The decision-making process of farm households is modeled and estimated in order to provide information for the design of community-based conservation programs. A bivariate model with sample selection treats the simultaneous process of whether farmers decide to plant landraces or modern varieties, and whether the landraces they choose to plant constitute genetic diversity of interest for future crop improvement. Findings show that the two landrace choices are affected by different social and economic factors, indicating...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Farm Management.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/19210

Farmer Management of Maize Diversity in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico: CIMMYT/INIFAP 1998 Baseline Socioeconomic Survey
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Aguirre,   Alfonso; Bellon,   Mauricio R.; Mendoza,   Jorge; Rosas,   Irma Manuel.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1999
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7689

VARIETY CHARACTERISTICS AND THE LAND ALLOCATION DECISIONS OF FARMERS IN A CENTER OF MAIZE DIVERSITY
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Bellon,   Mauricio R.; Aguirre,   Alfonso.
There is emerging interest in the prospects for enhancing farmers' management of genetic resources as a complementary strategy to ex situ conservation.  Using a framework that combines a characteristics model with the notion of impure public goods, we investigate farmers' incentives to grow the varieties identified as important genetic resources.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Land Economics/Use; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/20831

Parables: applied economics literature about the impact of genetically engineered crop varieties in developing economies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Zambrano,   Patricia; Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Gruere,   Guillaume P.
A vast literature has accumulated since crop varieties with transgenic resistance to insects and herbicide tolerance were released to farmers in 1996 and 1997. A comparatively minor segment of this literature consists of studies conducted by agricultural economists to measure the farm-level impact of transgenic crop varieties, the size and distribution of the economic benefits from adopting them, consumer attitudes toward GE products, and implications for international trade. This paper focuses only on the applied economics literature about the impact of transgenic crop varieties in non-industrialized agricultural systems, with an emphasis on methods. A number of studies have surveyed the findings for both industrialized and non-industrialized agriculture,...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Genetically engineered crops; Economic impacts; Technology adoption; Developing economies; Economics methods; Best practices; Biotechnology; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/55412

Cultural Endowments, Institutional Renovation and Technical Innovation: The "Groupements Naam" of Yatenga, Burkina Faso
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Ruttan,   Vernon W.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Institutional and Behavioral Economics.
Ano: 1994
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/12983

Trading Millet and Sorghum Genetic Resources: Women Vendors in the Village Fairs of San and Douentza, Mali
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Diakite,   Lamissa; Dembele,   Brahima; Traore,   Issa Seni; Guindo,   Oumar; Konta,   Bourema.
In Mali, liberalization of seed markets for sorghum and millet, the staple food crops, has not advanced at the same rate or with the same measurable success as liberalization of grain markets. Most seed of these crops is uncertified and continues to be supplied to farmers by farmers, according to clan and ethno-linguistic group. After poor harvests or when replanting after a dry spell, farmers rely on local markets for grain as sources of seed. This paper summarizes the findings of a vendor survey conducted in two marketsheds during weekly fairs. No certified seed is sold. Almost all vendors are women who are also farmers. Variety integrity is maintained particularly for millet seed in the marketshed of the Sahelian zone, where the range of variety...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Agricultural development; Informal sector; Seed markets; Traders; Landraces; Millet; Sorghum; Women; Mali; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42352

Does Household Headship Affect Demand for Hybrid Maize Seed in Kenya? An Exploratory Analysis Based on 2010 Survey Data
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda.
Women are central to food production and maize is a dominant food staple in Sub-Saharan Africa, but published gender analyses of hybrid seed use in Sub-Saharan Africa are uncommon. Building on previous work, this paper tests the effects of headship definitions on hybrid seed use and explores the variation between male- and female-headed households and among female-headed households in Kenya. Analysis is based on survey data collected by Tegemeo Institute of Egerton College during the 2009-10 cropping season.
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Maize; Seed; Kenya; Household headship; Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Crop Production/Industries; Food Security and Poverty.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/118475

Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Di Falco,   Salvatore; Chavas,   Jean-Paul; Smale,   Melinda.
This paper investigates the effects of wheat genetic diversity and land degradation on risk and agricultural productivity in less favored production environments of a developing agricultural economy. Drawing production data from household survey conducted in the highlands of Ethiopia, we estimate a stochastic production function to evaluate the effects of variety richness, land degradation, and their interaction on the mean and the variance of wheat yield. Ethiopia is a centre of diversity for durum wheat and farmers manage complex variety mixtures on multiple plots. Econometric evidence shows that variety richness increases farm productivity. Variety richness also reduces yield variability but only for high levels of genetic diversity. Simulations with...
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Land degradation; Wheat production; Productivity; Risk; Genetic diversity; Household surveys; Biodiversity; Stochastic analysis; Crop Production/Industries; Risk and Uncertainty.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/55417

Vegetable Production and Pesticide Use in Ghana: Would GM Varieties Have an Impact at the Farm Level?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Horna,   J. Daniela; Timpo,   Samuel E.; Al-Hassan,   Ramatu M.; Smale,   Melinda; Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin.
The objective of this study is to evaluate pesticide use as an important factor affecting potential adoption and farm level impact of genetically modified (GM) vegetable varieties in Ghana. Tomato is the most consumed vegetable and a food security crop. Cabbage is a vegetable of growing importance but limited cultivation and is produced in urban areas. Garden egg is a native African crop of wide consumption and importance for rural economies. Farm level information was collected in randomly selected sites in southern and central regions of Ghana. Partial budget analysis shows that investments in pesticides are rather low, especially for tomato and garden egg. Analysis of production using an abatement framework shows that insecticide amounts are significant...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Farm; Genetically Modified; Ghana; Tomato; Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Environmental Economics and Policy; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty; Health Economics and Policy; International Relations/Trade; Marketing; Productivity Analysis; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52182

Seed Provision and Dryland Crops in the Semiarid Regions of Eastern Kenya
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Nagarajan,   Latha; Audi,   Patrick; Jones,   Richard; Smale,   Melinda.
Over the last two decades, several seed-related programs have been initiated in eastern Kenya to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds of dryland cereals and legumes. They are provided during two occasions, regular and emergency times. But very often, the formal supply mechanisms limit their role in provision of seeds other than maize. In the absence of any formalized systems of seed provision for other dryland crops, such as sorghum and pigeon pea, farmers have preferred local markets for their seed needs, especially during distress periods. Here we have examined the role of various seed-intervention programs in eastern Kenya, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each program. We have also underscored the importance of local markets and their...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Seed interventions; Local markets; Seed systems; Dry lands; Seed access; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42361

CROP BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR AFRICA: WHO WILL GAIN FROM BT MAIZE IN KENYA?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Owuor,   George; Smale,   Melinda; De Groote,   Hugo.
Bt maize in Kenya is promising biotechnology innovation for poor households.  Econometric prediction from a trait-based model of variety adoption indicates that the choice of host variety has equity and efficiency implications related to heterogeneity in maize growing environments and pest pressures, as well as the differences among farm households in terms of wealth, income, and market access.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Maize; Bt; Adoption; Area allocation; Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/20379

Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Horna,   J. Daniela; Smale,   Melinda; Al-Hassan,   Ramatu M.; Falck-Zepeda,   Jose Benjamin; Timpo,   Samuel E.
Tomato, cabbage and garden egg (African eggplant, or Solanum Aethiopicum) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. Genetic modification (GM) has the potential to alleviate poverty through combating yield losses from pests and diseases in these crops, while reducing health risks from application of hazardous chemicals. This ex-ante study uses farm survey data to gauge the potential for adoption of genetically-engineered varieties, estimate the potential impact of adoption on farm profits, and highlight economic differences among the three crops. Farmer's expenditures on insecticides are below the economic optimum in all three crops, and the estimated function for damage abatement shows that...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/6506

Understanding Global Trends in the Use of Wheat Diversity and International Flows of Wheat Genetic Resources
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda.
This paper discusses the centers of origin and diversity for bread wheat; sketches historical patterns in the sources and use of wheat genetic resources in modern plant breeding; identifies and compares indicators of genetic diversity used by social and biological scientists; reviews the relationship of wheat genetic diversity to yield stability and vulnerability to disease; develops a profile of the structure of genetic variation in wheat in the developing world today; and investigates how scientific plant breeding has influenced the structure of genetic variation among the major bread wheats grown in developing countries. Modern plant breeding appears to have contributed to genetic variation in several ways. The number of different landraces in pedigrees...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 1996
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7670

MAIZE IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: "SEEDS" OF SUCCESS IN RETROSPECT
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Smale,   Melinda; Jayne,   Thomas S.
This synthesis revisits the "maize success story" in Sub-Saharan Africa, drawing selectively from an extensive published literature about maize seed technical change and related policies. The review focuses on the countries of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, where maize is most important in the food economy, and refers to the period when maize became a dominant food crop through the 1990s. The term "success" is equivocal in this case, both because of the difficult of establishing the appropriate counterfactual and because some of the policies that contributed to success in one period later led to decline. While the "seeds" themselves were the result of innovative, successful maize breeding, boom periods in maize production were episodic and the public...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Maize; Seed technical change; Sub-Saharan Africa; Food policies; Crop Production/Industries.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/16081