Between water stewardship and independent global water certification: learning from smallholder rice farmers, Karonga, Malawi

Waterlines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Rochelle H. Holm ◽  
Alice Ngulube Magombo
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Train The Trainer ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Rice Farmers

Cooperation and locally driven water management are at the forefront of food production water management for smallholder farmers in low-income countries. The aim of this paper was to critically reflect on the experiences of 5,819 smallholder rice farmers in Karonga District, Malawi, who were members of a farmers’ organization that achieved improved water stewardship, but could not achieve Alliance for Water Stewardship certification within a three-year project. The data for this paper were obtained through farmer and stakeholder interviews. The partnership attempted to bring together four parties: academics, farmers, local government, and a non-governmental organization. The farmers were trained by combining stewardship and certification topics through a train-the-trainer approach. The farmers’ organization primarily focuses on agribusiness; therefore, they did not have any water-related data or detailed farm boundaries from the large and dispersed group of farmers and could not obtain a collective water permit. Understanding water governance was difficult for many farmers. Furthermore, moving from stewardship to certification presented some financial challenges. Critical thinking and questioning are required, along with a deeper understanding of the local context, logistical hindrances, priorities, alternatives, culture, and science, to evaluate how projects are designed and partially succeed or fail from the perspective of low-income farmers in the Global South.

scholarly journals Living income benchmarking of rural households in low-income countries

Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrie W. J. van de Ven ◽  
Anne de Valença ◽  
Wytze Marinus ◽  
Ilse de Jager ◽  
Katrien K. E. Descheemaeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Living Wage ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Extreme Poverty

Abstract The extreme poverty line is the most commonly used benchmark for poverty, set at US$ 1.90 by the World Bank. Another benchmark, based on the Anker living wage methodology, is the remuneration received for a standard work week necessary for a worker to meet his/her family’s basic needs in a particular place. The living wage concept has been used extensively to address incomes of plantation workers producing agricultural commodities for international markets. More recently intense discussion has emerged concerning the ‘living income’ of smallholder farmers who produce commodities for international supply chains on their own land. In this article we propose a simple method that can be used in all types of development projects to benchmark a rural ‘living income’. We launch the Living Income Methodology, as adapted from the Living Wage Methodology, to estimate the living income for rural households. In any given location this requires about one week of fieldwork. We express it per adult equivalent per day (AE/day) and data collection is focused on rural households and their immediate surroundings. Our three case studies showed that in 2017 in Lushoto District, rural Tanzania, the living income was US$ PPP 4.04/AE/day, in Isingiro District, rural Uganda, 3.82 and in Sidama Zone, rural Ethiopia, 3.60. In all cases, the extreme poverty line of US$ PPP 1.90 per capita per day is insufficient to meet the basic human rights for a decent living in low-income countries. The Living Income Methodology provides a transparent local benchmark that can be used to assess development opportunities of rural households, by employers in rural areas, including farmers hiring in labour, while respecting basic human rights on a decent living. It can be used to reflect on progress of rural households in low-income countries on their aspired path out of poverty. It further provides a meaningful benchmark to measure progress on Sustainable Development Goal 1, eliminating poverty, and 2, zero hunger and sustainable food systems, allowing for consideration of the local context.

Access and Adoption of Hybrid Seeds: Evidence from Uganda

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-235
Author(s):  
Nikolaus Axmann ◽  
Torben Fischer ◽  
Kevin Keller ◽  
Kevin Leiby ◽  
Daniel Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Maize Seeds ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Female Farmers ◽  
Hybrid Seeds ◽  
Plant Hybrid ◽  
Hybrid Maize

Abstract Adoption of hybrid seeds remains low in many low-income countries. We conduct a field-experiment designed to measure the effect of offering hybrid maize seeds for purchase during a time when potential customers have high liquidity. Working with a large buyer of agricultural commodities in Northern Uganda, we randomly offer smallholder farmers the opportunity to purchase certified hybrid maize seeds at the same time as they visit the buyers’ stores to sell crops from a previous harvest. 16% of those offered purchase hybrid seeds, and average adoption of hybrid maize among those offered increases by 8 percentage points compared to a control group who does not receive the offer. Among those who accept the offer, we see an increase in the propensity to plant hybrid maize of 50 percentage points. This effect is more pronounced for female farmers than for their male counterparts. Our findings suggest that providing access to certified agricultural inputs at the place and time of post-harvest sales is a promising strategy to increase input usage.

scholarly journals Scoping Review of Oral Health-Related Birth Cohort Studies: Toward a Global Consortium

2022 ◽  
pp. 002203452110624
Author(s):  
K.G. Peres ◽  
G.G. Nascimento ◽  
A. Gupta ◽  
A. Singh ◽  
L. Schertel Cassiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Health Related

The multidisciplinary nature and long duration of birth cohort studies allow investigation of the relationship between general and oral health and indicate the most appropriate stages in life to intervene. To date, the worldwide distribution of oral health-related birth cohort studies (OHRBCSs) has not been mapped, and a synthesis of information on methodological characteristics and outcomes is not available. We mapped published literature on OHRBCSs, describing their oral health-related data and methodological aspects. A 3-step search strategy was adopted to identify published studies using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and OVID databases. Studies with baseline data collection during pregnancy or within the first year of life or linked future oral health data to exposures during either of these 2 life stages were included. Studies examining only mothers' oral health and specific populations were excluded. In total, 1,721 articles were suitable for initial screening of titles and abstracts, and 528 articles were included in the review, identifying 120 unique OHRBCSs from 34 countries in all continents. The review comprised literature from the mid-1940s to the 21st century. Fifty-four percent of the OHRBCSs started from 2000 onward, and 75% of the cohorts were from high-income and only 2 from low-income countries. The participation rate between the baseline and the last oral health follow-up varied between 7% and 93%. Ten cohorts that included interventions were mostly from 2000 and with fewer than 1,000 participants. Seven data-linkage cohorts focused mostly on upstream characteristics and biological aspects. The most frequent clinical assessment was dental caries, widely presented as decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT/dmft). Periodontal conditions were primarily applied as isolated outcomes or as part of a classification system. Socioeconomic classification, ethnicity, and country- or language-specific assessment tools varied across countries. Harmonizing definitions will allow combining data from different studies, adding considerable strength to data analyses; this will be facilitated by forming a global consortium.

scholarly journals Insect pollination is important in a smallholder bean farming system

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10102
Author(s):  
Filemon Elisante ◽  
Patrick Ndakidemi ◽  
Sarah E.J. Arnold ◽  
Steven R. Belmain ◽  
Geoff M. Gurr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Field Margin ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Flower Visiting

Background Many crops are dependent on pollination by insects. Habitat management in agricultural landscapes can support pollinator services and even augment crop production. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in many low-income countries, particularly so in East Africa. While this crop is autogamous, it is frequently visited by pollinating insects that could improve yields. However, the value of pollination services to common beans (Kariasii) yield is not known. Methods We carried out pollinator-exclusion experiments to determine the contribution of insect pollinators to bean yields. We also carried out a fluorescent-dye experiment to evaluate the role of field margins as refuge for flower-visitors. Results Significantly higher yields, based on pods per plant and seeds per pod, were recorded from open-pollinated and hand-pollinated flowers compared to plants from which pollinators had been excluded indicating that flower visitors contribute significantly to bean yields. Similarly, open and hand-pollinated plants recorded the highest mean seed weight. Extrapolation of yield data to field scale indicated a potential increase per hectare from 681 kg in self-pollinated beans to 1,478 kg in open-pollinated beans indicating that flower visitors contributed significantly to crop yield of beans. Our marking study indicated that flower-visiting insects including bees, flies and lepidopterans moved from the field margin flowers into the bean crop. Overall, these results show that insect pollinators are important for optimising bean yields and an important food security consideration on smallholder farms. Field margin vegetation also provides habitat for flower-visiting insects that pollinate beans. Hence, non-crop habitats merit further research focusing on establishing which field margin species are most important and their capacity to support other ecosystem services such as natural pest regulation or even pests.

scholarly journals Feasibility of Pairing a Low-Cost Positive Displacement Pump With Low-Energy Pressure Compensating Drip Irrigation Emitters for Smallholder Farms in Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiji Engelkemier ◽  
Fiona Grant ◽  
Jordan Landis ◽  
Carolyn Sheline ◽  
Hannah Varner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Control Algorithm ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Physical Relationship ◽  
Positive Displacement ◽  
Effective Manner

Abstract In low income countries, existing drip irrigation systems are cost prohibitive to many smallholder farmers. Companies are working to develop efficient, low-cost irrigation systems by using technologies such as positive displacement (PD) pumps and pressure compensating (PC) emitters. However, these two technologies have not been paired in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Here we describe a proof-of-concept pump control algorithm that demonstrates the feasibility of exploiting the physical relationship between the input electrical power to a PD pump and the hydraulic behavior of a system of PC emitters in order to determine the optimal pump operating point. The development and validation of this control algorithm was conducted in partnership with the Kenya-based irrigation company SunCulture. This control method is expected to reduce cost, improve system efficiency, and increase accessibility of irrigation systems to smallholder farmers.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap in respiratory medicine: How a pulmonologist from other continent can help African children who “can’t breathe?” The story of a European professor and his African trainee

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Abate Yeshidinber Weldetsadik ◽  
Frank Riedel
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Financial Benefit ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Local Institution ◽  
Training Cost ◽  
Pediatric Pulmonology

An European pediatric pulmonologist successfully organized a 2-year in-house pediatric pulmonology training with simultaneous establishment of the first pediatric pulmonary center in Ethiopia. Collaboration of the local institution with a non-governmental organization (NGO) facilitated the realization of the program. Training cost was significantly low compared to the expected out of country training, with extra financial benefit enabling purchase of equipment for the center. Our experience shows that specialists from developed countries can be instrumental to establishing cost-effective training programs and founding of specialized services in low-income countries by training subspecialists in their own setting. NGOs and leading international professional societies can support such programs to relieve the suffering of the child who “can’t breathe” because s/he is born in a low income country.

scholarly journals Perception analysis of climate change and adaptations by smallholder farmers in Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
NP Ghimire ◽  
M Aryal ◽  
PP Regmi ◽  
RB Thapa ◽  
KR Pande ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Negative Impacts

Climate change is posturing warning on present and future food security in low income countries. But, the actual effect of the climate change is still unknown. This study examined the farmer’s perception on climate change and strategies employed to adapt using primary and secondary data collected through household survey and reported by government. Statistical analysis is used for exploring the adaptations by farmers for the negative impact of climate change on domestic production of major cereals crops. The results are discussed at district level empirically and major variables are found statistically significant. This study conclude that there is a need for adaptations strategy by government authority in environmental management and agricultural sustainability in Nepal to come to terms with negative impacts of climate change and likely positive and beneficial response strategies to global warming. The paper suggests some policy measures for improving adaptations and food security situation in the country and open up some areas for further research.

scholarly journals Urban water resilience in Hindu Kush Himalaya: issues, challenges and way forward

Water Policy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Singh ◽  
Anvita Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Resilience ◽  
Hindu Kush ◽  
Key Issues

Abstract The urban population is expected to rise up to 68% by 2050, adding 2.5 billion people to the urban areas of the world. The majority of the rise is expected to be in the low-income countries of Asia and Africa. Several cities/towns in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are expanding at a rapid pace, putting additional pressure on water services and basic amenities for urban dwellers. Selected case studies undertaken by the authors suggest that the demand for water far exceeds municipal supply. Water governance in the HKH region remains a blind spot and challenges pertaining to urban water resilience are poorly understood. The paper is divided into three parts: the first outlines the development of towns and their water infrastructure through selected cases in the HKH, followed by key issues and challenges faced by urban systems and suggested measures to build urban resilience in order to deal with the projected rise in population, governance issues and anticipated changes in climate.

Benchmarking corporate water reporting in emerging economies: the case of Peru

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Annita Bunclark ◽  
Gregory J. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Normative Issues

Purpose This paper aims to develop a framework to examine corporate water reporting (CWR) that considers the context in emerging economies and determine if and how companies are addressing the distinct water-related challenges and opportunities that they face in any given location. Design/methodology/approach This study combines a concise profile of the context of water resources management in Peru with a review of CWR guidelines and thematic content analysis of water information in sustainability reports for 34 companies operating in Peru. These data are then used to inform the development of a CWR typology via the use of a cluster analysis complemented by within-case and cross-case qualitative analysis of companies. Findings This study highlights the incomplete nature of most CWR practices of companies in Peru, with an emphasis on internal firm operations. Where companies do provide information on water risk and stakeholder engagement, there is insufficient detail to provide a clear picture of contributions to sustainable water management at the local level. The main drivers for CWR in Peru appear to be pressure from international markets, regulation and other normative issues. Practical implications The findings indicate that companies need to place more emphasis on the local context when reporting on water risks and activities, which could be achieved through the use of CWR frameworks that integrate both international and sectoral CWR guidelines, along with indicators related to good water governance, water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery and the sustainable development goals, as together they provide a more comprehensive reflection of the broader challenges and opportunities related to corporate water management. Originality/value This paper presents the first framework specifically developed to evaluate CWR practices with consideration of the context of an emerging economy.

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