Research and policy issues in adoption of hybrid maize in Zambia; Analytical approach abd methodology; Agriculture in Eastern Province; Characteristics and determinants of hybrid maize adoption; Labor allocation patterns; Food consumption and nutrient intakes; Effects on health and nutritional status;

Divided into four parts, this volume first lays out the importance of maize seed industries and presents a conceptual framework. The second section describes the key products and processes associated with maize seed industries, including varietal development, marketing, and industrial regulation. The third section offers nine country case studies, while the fourth part discusses the likely future course of seed industry development and alternative organizational forms. Paper edition (unseen), $29.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Annotation. As part of the Bank's poverty reduction mandate, the Bank's 1994 Operational Policy on Gender Dimensions of Development aimed to reduce gender disparity and increase the participation of women in the economic development of their countries. This evaluation examines the relevance and results of this policy.

The physical, institutional and policy environment; The determinants and effects of technology adoption; Determinants of other factors influencing technology adoption.

Anthropogenic and natural disturbances to freshwater quantity and quality are a greater issue for society than ever before. To successfully restore water resources requires understanding the interactions between hydrology, climate, land use, water quality, ecology, and social and economic pressures. This Special Issue of Water includes cutting edge research broadly addressing investigative areas related to experimental study designs and modeling, freshwater pollutants of concern, and human dimensions of water use and management. Results demonstrate the immense, globally transferable value of the experimental watershed approach, the relevance and critical importance of current integrated studies of pollutants of concern, and the imperative to include human sociological and economic processes in water resources investigations. In spite of the latest progress, as demonstrated in this Special Issue, managers remain insufficiently informed to make the best water resource decisions amidst combined influences of land use change, rapid ongoing human population growth, and changing environmental conditions. There is, thus, a persistent need for further advancements in integrated and interdisciplinary research to improve the scientific understanding, management, and future sustainability of water resources.

Food Security, Poverty and Nutrition Analysis provides essential insights into the evaluative techniques necessary for creating appropriate and effective policies and programs to address these worldwide issues. Food scientists and nutritionists will use this important information, presented in a conceptual framework and through case studies for exploring representative problems, identifying and implementing appropriate methods of measurement and analysis, understanding examples of policy applications, and gaining valuable insight into the multidisciplinary requirements of successful implementation.This book provides core information in a format that provides not only the concept behind the method, but real-world applications giving the reader valuable, practical knowledge.* Identify proper analysis method, apply to available data, develop appropriate policy* Demonstrates analytical techniques using real-world scenario application to illustrate approaches for accurate evaluation improving understanding of practical application development* Tests reader comprehension of the statistical and analytical understanding vital to the creation of solutions for food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty-related nutrition issues using hands-on exercises

The Role of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Human Nutrition is a component of Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Human health and wellbeing depend strongly on production, quality, and availability of food. Agriculture, or cultivation of the soil, harvesting crops, and raising livestock, which are the main sources of food, has no single origin. At different times and in numerous places, many plants and animals have been domesticated to provide food for humankind. Fishing, like farming, is a form of primary food production. Through food gathering, primitive humans first obtained fish and other aquatic products in the shallow waters of lakes and along the seashore, in areas with ebb tides, and in small streams. The breadth and complexity of the subject matter presented here is vast. This volume traces the extraordinary history of human colonization of the habitable world and is a chronicle of humankind’s early communion with the underlying realities of the earth’s physical environment, the eventual destruction of this harmonious relationship, and efforts to repair the damage. To make it easier for the reader the volume is divided into 7 sections Food and agriculture and the use of natural resources examines the relationship between food production and the resource base and demonstrate how humans have adapted and exploited Nature to feed the burgeoning populations of humans and their domestic animals. History of forestry from ancient times to the present day is analyzed and shows the linkage between forest clearance for agriculture and the rise of human populations, and current global environmental issues. History of Fishing is a saga explained that spans the full range from traditional fishing for subsistence through to the evolution of modern factory fishing fleets Impact of global change on agriculture outlines the impact of climate change, human demographic trends and the sustainability issues that arise. Economics and policy of food production analyzes the global trade in foodstuffs and the regional specializations and land use complexities. Fundamentals of human health and nutrition explains the complexities of providing a balanced and safe diet for humans throughout their life cycle from birth to old age. It explores some of the linkages between human health and the quality and quantity of food provided. Human nutrition: an overview provides, a wide ranging summary of the issues and imperatives associated with providing humans with food of a quality and standard that will ensure healthy lives. In the history of human development from the time of the earliest agricultural activities humans have cleared the natural forests and woodlands to obtain building materials and fuel wood, and to provide lands for domestic animals and crops. It is this aspect that is the main focus of the volume. The authors in this volume have analyzed and reviewed the interactions between the utilization of natural resources and human nutrition. Much attention focuses on the specific contribution by agriculture (including livestock husbandry), forestry and fisheries in meeting human needs. This synoptic overview assesses the pattern of past change in the relationship between humans and the resource base on which their lives depend. Lessons learned, or still to be learned, are teased out and elaborated. The vast breadth of the subject matter covered in this volume has meant that the work has benefited from the input of many individual contributors from vastly different parts of the globe. I am grateful to the contributors and reviewers for their time and effort and the exchange of ideas and the learning experience that I obtained by working with such a diverse and learned group. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the vast "invisible college" of colleagues whose publications that have shed light on some of the most pertinent problems facing humankind today. These four volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Sub—Saharan Africa is one of the poorest regions of the world. Because most Africans work in agriculture, escaping such dire poverty depends on increased agricultural productivity to raise rural incomes, lower food prices, and stimulate growth in other economic sectors. Per capita agricultural production in sub—Saharan Africa has fallen, however, for much of the past half—century. Successes in African Agriculture investigates how to reverse this decline. Instead of cataloging failures, as many past studies have done, this book identifies episodes of successful agricultural growth in Africa and identifies processes, practices, and policies for accelerated growth in the future. The individual studies follow developments in, among other areas, the farming of maize in East and Southern Africa, cassava across the middle belt of Africa, cotton in West Africa, horticulture in Kenya, and dairying in East Africa. Drawing on these case studies and on consultations with agricultural specialists and politicians from across sub—Saharan Africa -- undertaken in collaboration with the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development -- the contributors identify two key determinants of positive agricultural performance: agricultural research to provide more productive and sustainable technologies to farmers and a policy framework that fosters market incentives for increasing production. The contributors discuss how the public and private sectors can best coordinate the convergence of both factors. Given current concerns about global food security, this book provides timely and important resources to policymakers and development specialists concerned with reversing the negative trends in food insecurity and poverty in Africa.

The long-term reduction of hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the great challenges for the international development community. Eliminating hunger and promoting widespread growth in the region inevitably involves agriculture, given its central role in the region’s economies. Over the past 20 years, most African governments have carried out reforms to deregulate agricultural markets and reduce the role of state enterprises. How much has the state actually withdrawn from agricultural markets? Have well-functioning private markets emerged? How successful were these reforms in boosting agricultural production, economic growth, and the incomes of the rural poor? What lessons can we learn from the reform process? The authors of this book address these questions through an analysis based on an extensive review of experiences with reform, focusing on three major agricultural markets: fertilizer, food crops, and export crops. They examine the historical rationales for intervention, the factors contributing to reform, the process of implementation, and the impact of the reforms on farmers and consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors find that reforms have had many favorable results, but that the impact has been muted by partial implementation and structural constraints. They propose a new agenda for promoting the development of agricultural markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifying areas where governments can play a supportive role. They argue that appropriate agricultural marketing policies and investments can improve livelihoods and the economic health of the region.