Participatory production of a new animal science text book `Livestock and wealth creation: improving the husbandry of animals kept by resource-poor people in developing countries’

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 27-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Owen ◽  
A.J. Kitalyi ◽  
M.C.N. Jayasuriya ◽  
T. Smith ◽  
J.I. Richards

This text book was conceived in January 2002, in Tanzania, during a DFID Livestock Production Programme (LPP) workshop. Perceived justifications for such a book were: (1) to improve the preparation of animal science students to address livestock issues faced by resource-poor subsistence farmers in developing countries; the majority of livestock text-books are either a) authored in the ‘north’ and based on temperate, large-scale, commercial systems or b) based on a single species and technology ‘fix’ approach, with insufficient focus on the systems under which livestock are kept by the resource-poor, or on improving livestock survival and productivity and understanding the contribution they make to livelihoods; (2) to address the UN Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people living in absolute poverty by 2015 through `training teachers’ using appropriate information. Three quarters of poor people live in rural areas and keep livestock; (3) to respond to the large demand for meat and milk over the next 20 years foreseen by the burgeoning ‘Livestock Revolution’ and the consequent opportunities for resource-poor livestock keepers to move from subsistence to a market-oriented economy. The LPP agreed to commission the book provided that consultation with stakeholders confirmed a demand for it and that a broad electorate of stakeholders participated in the book’s design and production. Two editors (E. Owen and T Smith) were appointed to undertake the consultations and subsequent production of the book in collaboration with the Manager of LPP (J.I. Richards).

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
P. Nagarajan

Finance has become an essential part of an economy for development of the society as well as economy of nation. World leaders are embracing nancial inclusion at an accelerating pace, because they know that an inclusive nancial system that responsibly reaches all citizens is an important ingredient for social and economic progress for emerging markets and developing countries. Despite the political tailwind, half of the working-age adults globally – 2.5 billion people – remain excluded from formal nancial services. Instead, they have to rely on the age-old informal mechanisms of the moneylender or pawnbroker for credit or the rotating savings club and vulnerable livestock for savings. The pandemic has had a momentous impact on economies and societies around the world. At the same time, it has shown that, with the right approach, it is possible to protect and safeguard the economy. . Through Financial inclusion we can achieve equitable and inclusive growth of the nation. Financial inclusion stands for delivery of appropriate nancial services at an affordable cost, on timely basis to vulnerable groups such as low income groups and weaker section who lack access to even the most basic banking services. It helps in economic development as it widens the resource base of the nancial system by developing a culture of savings among large segment of rural population. Further, nancial inclusion protects their nancial wealth and other resources in exigent circumstances by bringing low income groups within the perimeter of formal banking sector. Financial inclusion engages in including poor people in the formal banking industry with the intention of securing their minimal nances for future purposes. Micronance has become a medium of extending nancial services to unbanked sections of population. Micronance is banking the unbankables, bringing credit, savings and other essential nancial services within the reach of millions of people who are too poor to be served by regular banks, in most cases because they are unable to offer sufcient collateral. In a country like India with almost 30% (more than 360 million) people still below poverty line and according to latest census gures, more than 70% or 840 million people living in rural areas with little or no access to formal banking and other nancial services, micronance has a big role to play in order to bridge this gap. The Micro Finance Institutions occupies key position in nancial inclusion through micro nance where the exclusion. In developing countries, the growth of micronance institutions (MFIs) which specically target low income individuals are viewed as potentially useful for promotion of nancial inclusion. Even though MFIs at present, mainly offer only credit products; as they grow, they are likely to expand their product range to include other nancial services.


Author(s):  
Edmore Mahembe ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo

Abstract This paper aims to analyses the trends and dynamics of extreme poverty in developing countries. The study attempts to answer one critical question: has the world achieved its number one Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015? The methodology used in this study mainly involves a descriptive data analysis during the period 1981-2015. The study used the World Bank’s US$1.90 a day line (popularly known as $1 a day line) in 2011 prices to measure the level of absolute poverty. In order to analyze the dynamics of poverty across different regions, the study grouped countries into five regions: i) sub-Saharan Africa; ii) East Asia and the Pacific; iii) South Asia; iv) Europe and Central Asia; and v) Latin America and the Caribbean. The study found that in 1990, there were around 1.9 billion people living below US$1.90 a day (constituting 36.9 percent of the world population) and this number is estimated to have reduced to around 700 million people in 2015, with an estimated global poverty rate of 9.6 percent. The world met the MDG target in 2010, which is five years ahead of schedule. However, extreme poverty is becoming increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA), where its depth and breadth remain a challenge. SSA remains the poorest region, with more than 35 percent of its citizens living on less than US$1.90 a day. Half of the world’s extremely poor people now live in SSA, and it is the only region which has not met its MDG target.


1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Bowonder ◽  
S. S. R. Prasad ◽  
N. V. M. Unni

Whereas it used to be supposed rather widely that fuel-wood was used mainly in rural areas, large-scale migration of rural people to urban areas, and the consequent mushrooming growth of squatter settlements in urban areas (cf. Fig. 4), have increased the consumption of fuel-wood in those areas. The shortage of fuel-wood coupled with the increase in demand, has caused steep rises in the price of fuel-wood in urban areas. Although a large number of studies on deforestation have appeared, the actual forces behind deforestation have been very poorly understood in most of the developing countries (Hadley & Lanly, 1983), while information of where fuel-wood is actually consumed is not widely available. If deforestation is really to be arrested, comprehensive studies on the demand and supply of fuel-wood will have to be generated and concomitant action ensured.


Author(s):  
Arjan Verschoor ◽  
Ben D’Exelle

AbstractProbability weighting is a marked feature of decision-making under risk. For poor people in rural areas of developing countries, how probabilities are evaluated matters for livelihoods decisions, especially the probabilities associated with losses. Previous studies of risky choice among poor people in developing countries seldom consider losses and do not offer a refined tracking of the probability-weighting function (PWF). We investigate probability weighting among smallholder farmers in Uganda, separately for losses and for gains, using a method (common consequence ladders) that allows refined tracking of the PWF for a population with low levels of literacy. For losses, we find marked probability weighting near zero, which is in line with evidence found in Western labs. For gains, the absence of probability weighting is remarkable, particularly its absence near 100%. We also find marked differences in probability weighting for traditional farmers which are in line with the observed livelihoods strategies in the study area.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Louis Bago ◽  
Aude E. A. Koutaba ◽  
Aristide B. Valéa

Improved crops are advocated to meet the dual challenge of food security and the fight against poverty in developing countries. As most poor people in developing countries live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood, an important key to get them out of poverty is to increase agricultural productivity by using technologies such as improved crops. However, the rate of improved crops adoption remains surprisingly low in Niger, one of the world poorest countries. In this paper, we examine the factors affecting adoption of improved crops by rural farmers focusing on Niger. Using the 2014’s National Survey on Households Living Conditions and Agriculture, we investigate the effect of farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, the farm’s quality, the geographic location, the production system, the access to improved seeds and the land tenure on the probability to use improved crops rather than local crops. Our results suggest that the ownership of a government land title is the most important driver in the adoption of improved crops by rural farmers. In addition, being a female, educated, practicing polyculture, having access to improved seed increase the probability to adopt improved crops. In contrast, household size, operating on the parcel for a long period and the parcel size reduces the probability to use improved crops. These determinants of improved crops adoption should be considered in Niger’s agricultural policy to succeed in the dissemination of improved crops among rural farmers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 105-115
Author(s):  
T. Aliev

To properly assess the extent of poverty in Kazakhstan it is important to understand the methodology of its definition and measurement. There are three basic concepts of measuring poverty. Absolute poverty is based on the establishment of a living wage or poverty line. The position of the World Bank is dominant in the world in the assessment of absolute poverty. The WB experts use multiple criteria income. An internationally accepted poverty line was established in 2005 at US$ 1.25 (PPP) per person per day. They also used less “hard” indicator of US$ 2 per day (in constant 2005 prices) which is the median poverty line for all developing countries. For the transitional economies WB applies poverty line based on the differential absolute poverty equal to US$ 4.3 (before 1999 – US$ 4), for developed economies – US$ 11. According to a relative concept, the category of poor includes individuals and households with income clearly insufficient to live on prevailing community standards of consumption. This approach is used primarily for the developed countries. For example, in the EU the relative poverty is defined at the level of 60% of the median per capita income. Subjective approach (developed by Leiden University, Netherlands) takes into account people’s own estimates of their welfare status. In terms of Kazakhstan, the author states that any one-dimensional approach will fail to estimate the real extent of poverty and deprivation of the population. International and national statistics fail to provide an accurate picture of the number of poor in the country and the dynamics of poverty. According to national and WB statistics, in recent decades Kazakhstan showed substantial progress in reducing poverty. However, this was achieved largely due to maintaining rather low official levels of subsistence and cost of minimum food basket. Establishment of these indicators is mainly determined by political considerations, thus it lacks objectivity. For a country aiming to improve competitiveness of its economy and to achieve the level and quality of life comparable to developed countries the focus on a poverty criteria that is close to the standards of the poorest developing countries is not acceptable. Actually, the poverty situation in Kazakhstan continues to be a serious challenge. This is evidenced by the materials of international statistics based on criteria of poverty for countries in transition; by a quite high proportion of household spending on food and the relatively low (as compared to many Eastern European countries) national poverty line. It is concluded that a large-scale poverty still persists in Kazakhstan despite high rates of economic growth.


2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 81-86
Author(s):  
Ľ. Bartová

Transitional process in Central and Eastern European countries has been affected by globalisation. Evaluation of poverty and inequality become an integral part of economic thinking a few years ago. The importance of this topic is documented in the 2000 World Bank Report. In comparison with living standards of developing countries (especially Africa, South Asia, partially Latin America), Slovakia does not belong to the group of countries with the highest absolute poverty and according to the World Bank Report, the Slovak Republic is one of the countries with the lowest level of inequality. The paper presents an assessment of poverty and inequality in the Slovak Republic and a comparative analysis of indicators of selected countries. From 1992 the poverty in the Slovak Republic was evident, lasting and befalling more and more inhabitants. Household living costs were affected by price liberalisation. Inequality increased too. In 1996, inequality was correlated with the size of settlements and reached the highest level in settlements with over 50 thousand inhabitants. The share of population under poverty line has been increasing as well. Poverty assessment depends on the poverty line, which changes over time and across the regions. Distribution of household income in the Slovak Republic by the size of settlements (Microcenzus 1996) is shallow and densely concentrated around the poverty line. Therefore high sensitivity of poverty incidence, its depth and severity is observed. Contrary to the situation in developing countries, where the highest share of poor is observed in rural areas, the share of the Slovak Republic population under the poverty line was the highest in the settlements with 5 thousand to 10 thousand inhabitants in 1996.


Author(s):  
Isabelle Musanganya ◽  
Chantal Nyinawumuntu ◽  
Pauline Nyirahagenimana

Many researchers consider microfinance as a tool for poverty reduction. Even more, especially in post-conflict African countries, micro-financial institutions are seen as an opportunity of reconciliation. Lending from microfinance institutions to that from traditional banks and examine their respective effects upon economic growth has been practiced in some sub-Saharan countries. Considerable progress in research has been found that microfinance loans raise growth comparatively to that of traditional banks. A lot of number of researches carried out in sub-Saharan countries even in other developing countries outside of Africa did not find strong evidence that bank loans raise growth. There is, however, some evidence that bank loans do increase investment, whereas microfinance loans do not appear to do so. Differently, other researchers highlighted clearly that microfinance can provide its contribution on poverty reduction and better access to finance needed for startup micro-entrepreneurs along the world. These results suggest that microfinance loans are not primarily invested as physical capital in developing countries, but could still augment total factor productivity, whereas banks may have been financing non-productive investments. Herein, we highlighted the impact of microfinance banks on developing countries economic growth. We also indicate how microfinances system incorporated in rural areas boosted the lifestyle of poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Novotny

Until the 1950s most farming was carried out on smaller family farms that used organic fertilizers and essentially their waste production was easily assimilated by soils and receiving water bodies. The period post 1950 has seen a worldwide shift to larger monocultural, intensively operated farm units. The farm yields have increased dramatically, however, to sustain the increasing yields and productivity farms are using large quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. At the same time, deforestation has occurred on a large scale since the 1950s and the deforested land has been converted to agricultural (mostly in developing countries) and urban (both developed and undeveloped countries) land uses. Also, a massive shift of population from rural areas to the cities has occurred in developing countries since the 1950s. Surface and groundwater quality degradation due to agricultural practices and conversion of land to agriculture can be categorized as follows: a) degradation due to land use conversion from native lands to agriculture; b) increased erosion and soil loss due to agricultural practices; c) chemical pollution by fertilizers and pesticides; and d) pollution from animal operations. Abatement of agricultural diffuse sources of pollution can and must be conducted in the context of moving toward sustainable agriculture. Some trends toward sustainable agriculture are already emerging in the US and Europe.


1976 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisue Pickering ◽  
William R. Dopheide

This report deals with an effort to begin the process of effectively identifying children in rural areas with speech and language problems using existing school personnel. A two-day competency-based workshop for the purpose of training aides to conduct a large-scale screening of speech and language problems in elementary-school-age children is described. Training strategies, implementation, and evaluation procedures are discussed.


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