International Agriculture and Development

After the Hiatus

2012-01-17T09:27:00.002-05:00

The break is over and I'm back in NYC after a wonderful time in Milwaukee and Nicaragua. So after this winter break Agdes has a lot of catching up to do. I'll be writing about my visit to Growing Power in Milwaukee; some of the work I did in Nicaragua; and a paper I wrote about the new push for integrated rural development. I will also continue compiling the Grains and Leaves series: a

Reading List for the Cold Days Ahead

2011-12-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

Looking for a good read for your winter break? Check this list of development books shamelessly copied from by Chris Blattman awesome blog on international development. Also check out a similar list put together by the Guardian. Enjoy 1. The Anti-Politics Machine, James Ferguson. (“Sometimes markets don’t exist for a reason.”) 2. Peasants into Frenchmen, Eugen Weber (“Do not forget that

Promising Trends in the African Continent

2011-12-07T22:18:00.001-05:00

Le Grand Marche Lome. (C) Rafael Merchan 2008 In a time where developed countries continue to shrink their development aid portfolios, exciting things are happening in Africa that may hold the answer to solve the continent's chronic poverty. The news comes from South Africa's Standard Bank with the publication of an excellent series of reports about Africa's unprecedented potential to catch

A New Report on Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America

2011-11-30T22:43:00.001-05:00

For those of you interested in CCT, make sure to check out this report just published by ECLA, the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, on Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America. The report sums up the experience with in Latin America and the Caribbean, over more than 15 years. During this period, CCTs have spread through the region’s various countries as a tool of

ICT in Agriculture Sourcebook and M-PESA

2011-11-30T18:43:00.001-05:00

Finals are coming up and this blog is suffering from lack of updates -sorry for that folks. I promise to catch up with my weekly 'Seeds and Leaves' list of resources and links. I will also be writing about the Integrated Rural Development Projects of the 60' and 70's and more recent efforts for integrated interventions such as the Millennium Villages and others. Also, tomorrow I will be

Prabhu Pingali Talks About Gates Ag Agenda

2011-11-19T17:09:00.001-05:00

Last week I attended a presentation on Feeding the World organized by the Chemistry Heritage Foundation. The keynote addresses was be given by Calestous Juma, Harvard University who just published a book title: The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa. You can download a PDF copy HERE. Other panelist included Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times, who maintain the awesome NYTimes blog

Renewed Prosperity, Enhanced Security: The Case for Sustained American Leadership in Global Agricultural Development

2011-11-17T10:06:00.001-05:00

THE CHALLENGE: Feeding the WorldWorld population reached 7 billion on Monday, October 31. It is expected to exceed 9.5 billion by 2050. Today, while much of our attention is rightly focused on the glaring needs at home, another crisis is quietly brewing: the growing global demand for food and the deep poverty and hunger of 925 million people threaten the basic human condition and America’s

Signs of Hope in Senegal

2011-10-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

The picture in this post was taken back in 2008, when traveling around Dogon country in central plateau region of Mali. The mud hut, called Maison des Regles, is used to house women when they are menstruating. Gender roles are very rigid in Dogon Country, with men preventing women from participating in communal meetings or taking any leadership or decision-making roles in the affairs of their

Food Security in Colombian Indigenous Communities

2011-10-13T14:46:00.000-04:00

Although I usually question the scalability of concepts such as food sovereignty or food autonomy, it's feasible to make exceptions when dealing with indigenous population in which cultural values play a central role in their life. This video, produced by IPS, shows how indigenous communities of the Colombian Andean regions are ensuring food security by diversifying the crops they grow.

Grains and Leaves: Weekly Ag-Related News, Events, and Others

2011-10-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

Here is this week's edition of Grains and Leaves; Mark your calendars: 2011 Borlaug Dialogue. The Next Generation: Confronting the Hunger Challenges of Tomorrow: October 12-14, 2011 – Des Moines, Iowa Andris Piebalgs, EU's Commissioner for Development, outlines challenges and EU's policy to achieve food security for all Danielle Nierenberg, of Huffington Post, on World Food Prize Recognizes

Columbia's MPA in Development Practice

2011-10-12T09:28:00.003-04:00

Check this short video about Columbia's MPA in Development Practice. I'm currently enrolled and I love it. Email if you have any questions about it. Also, here is a brochure that describes the program's main components. Columbia University - Masters in Public Administration - Development Practice from Field Studio on Vimeo.

Development Studies Books

2011-10-04T14:28:00.000-04:00

Below is a good list of must reads for students interested in development studies. The list was compiled by The Guardian which also has other resources for students interested in development: • Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy • Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way To Fight Global Poverty • Jagdish

Bringing Nutrition to the Forefront of Agriculture

2011-09-26T15:27:00.002-04:00

From the folks at the Infant & Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) Project and the Alliance to End Hunger, here is a great list of resources on Bringing nutrition to the forefront of agriculture: A forum for agriculture project designers. Please click on the links below to view presentations and download resources from the event. Presentations: Review of Experience: Agriculture, Food Security,

Grains and Leaves: Weekly Ag-Related News, Events, and Others

2011-09-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

Agricultural and rural development news and other relevant information: week of September 26th World Bank publishes its 2012 World Development Report: Gender Equality and Development, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, publishes its World Disasters Report 2011- Focus on hunger and malnutrition On the Journal Nature, Jason Clay, senior vice-president of

Gordon Conway on the Legacy of Chambers and a must have Practicioner Guide

2011-09-25T22:42:00.003-04:00

One of my many class assignments of my masters program, is a paper on a rural development theme. I decided to take a closer look to the issue of integrated development and its many semantic variations one comes across when reviewing the literature. I'm particularly interested in researching how the integrated approach to development has evolved since the post-war era. Some questions I want to

Somalia and the Need for Agricultural Investments

2011-09-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

The crisis continues to unravel in the Horn of Africa. A recent NY Times piece, argues that 750,000 people could perish in the famine, and there seems to little resources, commitment, and coordination in the international community to prevent the crisis from reaching catastrophic proportions. In an excellent commentary from Project Syndicate, Sam Dryden, the Director of the Agricultural

Rice, That's What's for Dinner: Columbia University Hosts Bob Zeigler to Discuss Global Food trends and the Importance of Rice and Agricultural Research in Addressing World Hunger

2011-09-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

On Friday September 9th 2011, SIPA and the Earth Institute kicked off the beginning of the semester with an enlightening presentation by Dr. Bob Zeigler, Director of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the world’s leading center for the study of rice. The presentation marked this fall’s first of a series of weekly Development Practitioner Seminars organized by SIPA’s MPA in

Food Prices and What to do About it

2011-09-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

Indigenous Corn: Guatemala 2006. R. Merchan The World Bank's Food Price Watch continues to show that global food prices remain significantly higher than last year -about 25% for all commodities and 36% for grains-. There are many factors that can explain these increases, some are fundamental changes in global demand and others are the result of panic-motivated international markets and

Farming for Women Victims of Rape in DR Congo

2011-09-09T17:21:00.000-04:00

Check this short documentary produced by Al Jazeera Engligh about women victims of rape in DR Congo and how through agriculture they can get back in their feet. Field of Hope - Witness - Al Jazeera English

Article: The New Geopolitics of Food

2011-05-10T17:51:00.000-04:00

Check out Lester's Brown article on the Foreign Policy: The New Geopolitics of Food - By Lester R. Brown | Foreign Policy

Gates Foundation Challenge: Small Farmers are the Answer

2011-05-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

Today, Bill Gates announced a challenge: let’s help the world understand how helping small farmers in the developing world grow more and sell more is the solution to reducing hunger and poverty. Read his blog post about the challenge. Join the challenge! Use your creativity and imagination to help the world understand why investing in small farmers in the developing world is so important.

New Resources for Agriculture Project Designers

2011-03-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

USAID's Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project recently launched a set of resources to help agriculture project designers maximize nutritional benefits for women, children, and other vulnerable groups. IYCN’s Tom Schaetzel shared the new materials at the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health Conference in New Delhi, India,

Excellent Special Report on Feeding the World

2011-03-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

A must read from The Economist: The 9 billion-people question There are plenty of reasons to worry about food: uncertain politics, volatile prices, hunger amid plenty. Yet when all is said and done, the world is at the start of a new agricultural revolution that could, for the first time ever, feed all mankind adequately. The genomes of most major crops have been sequenced and the benefits

McGovern Remarks on Food Security

2011-03-01T22:18:00.000-05:00

Below are some powerful remarks from Congressman Jim McGovern (a key player in the establishment USDA Food for Education program) who talk the floor to talk about the importance of mataining our commitments to international food security and agricultural development. Also, check out the recent NYTimes editorial on the food crisis, making a similar argument for investments in international ag. M

IFPRI Papers to be presented at the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Conference in India

2011-02-04T15:47:00.001-05:00

IFPRI has posted copies of their papers to be presented at next week's New Delhi conference: Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition and Health http://www.ifpri.org/publications/results/taxonomy%3A933Project Papers and Notes February 2011 The nexus between agriculture and nutrition 2020 Conference Paper Project Papers and Notes February 2011 Agriculture, health, and nutrition 2020 Conference

Robert Zoellick on the World's Challenges

2011-01-27T19:30:00.001-05:00

Published by Newsweek on Sunday, January 23, 2011By R. M. SchneidermanIn the lead-up to the World Economic Forum in Davos, NEWSWEEK's R. M. Schneiderman interviewed World Bank president Robert B. Zoellick about the future of the global economy. What is the biggest challenge facing the developing world in 2011?The biggest challenge facing most developing countries is the risk of a big boost in

UK-commissioned Global Food and Farming Futures report released

2011-01-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

A good resource from Joan Whelan of the TOPS Program: The UK-government commissioned Global Food and Farming Futures project is a two-year study of food security, growing challenges, sustainability, volatility, malnutrition and other critical issues, along with recommendations for drastic change to the international food system to meet current and future needs. The report of the project -

Weekend Reading: Jan 21

2011-01-21T14:30:00.004-05:00

Below are some excellent links on articles, events and announcements in issues related to agriculture and food security. Also, starting next week, AGDES is moving to Nicaragua. I'll continue blogging about international agriculture with more emphasis on field work and the behind it. Enjoy the reading, A comprehensive calendar of DC events and activities on food security an agriculture. Check it

Administrator Shah’s Speech with CGD

2011-01-21T08:42:00.001-05:00

USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah delivered a major speech entitled The Modern Development Enterprise at an event hosted by the Center for Global Development. Food Security: Instead of merely providing food aid in times of emergency, we are helping countries develop their own agricultural sectors, so that they can feed themselves. We launched Feed the Future – bringing together resources

Colors of Colombia

2010-12-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Colombia, Apologies for not keeping the blog up to date, but for the past month I've been taking a break from my computer and electronic gadgets. Instead, I've been traveling around Colombia, starting in Boyaca where its cold climate is ideal for vegetables and fruits, to the Cauca Valley where sugar cane abounds. Books and articles about the role of land tenure in Colombia's

Land Grabs- a New Global Trend

2010-12-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

An excellent article on the NYTimes about land grabs in Mali and other developing countries.

Climate Change Implication on Agriculture and CIAT's Work on it

2010-10-09T14:26:00.000-04:00

Wknd Reading Oct 9th.

2010-10-09T13:40:00.001-04:00

News, articles, and reports from on food security and agricultureThe Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Launches Official Website: GAFSP has launched an official website housing information on the fund, its recipients and the proposal process. The fund is a multilateral mechanism to assist in the implementation of pledges made by the G8++ at L'Aquila in July 2009 and set up in

This American Life on Hatian Devevlopment , Agriculture, and More

2010-10-03T23:14:00.000-04:00

As as a big fan of This American Life, I was really pleased to hear a story about Haiti and the dificulties of making development work. Adam Davidson and Chana Joffe-Walt of Planet Money tell the story of a poor farmer with a couple of mango trees and enormous potential to get herself out poverty with a tiny bit of investment. As it turns out, this little investment requires navigating a complex

Obama Presents his new Approch to Development

2010-09-23T07:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at the U.N. Millennium Development Goals Summit, President Obama gave a speech describing the fundamental changes to the way US delivers aid: the new US Global Development Policy. The "big-hearted and hard-headed" approach, seeks "creating the conditions where assistance is no longer needed." In his speech, the president outline the three pillars that will sustain this approach: A

Wknd Reading Sept 19: Sunday Edititon

2010-09-19T11:38:00.000-04:00

A short list for this wknd reading: Sylvia Mathews Burwell, President of the Global Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes about A Green Revolution Growing in West Africa For DC area resident, see list of different events on food security and agriculture happening in the next couple weeks. Why Stunting Matter? A very good technical brief from Alive and Thrive News

Oxfam International: Halving Hunger, Still Possible?

2010-09-15T11:02:00.001-04:00

In their latest Briefing Paper, Oxfam argues that reducing hunger by 2015 is still possible:"While time is running out, the global crises push the MDGs desperately off course. The only chance of avoiding failure is a rescue plan for all MDGs that includes the necessary measures, both political and financial. Halving hunger is still possible if developing countries take the lead with the right

Funding Feed the Future Initiative:

2010-09-14T17:08:00.000-04:00

www.feedthefuture.gov. Funding for the Feed the Future Initiative has been cut by the folks in the hill. The following excerpt comes from an excellent summary put together by U.S Global Leadership Coalition: "Both House and Senate bills cut the $1.65 billion request for Feed the Future, but in different ways and in different amounts. The Senate provides $1.3 billion, with $250 million

FAO: 925 Million in Chronic Hunger Worldwide

2010-09-14T11:21:00.001-04:00

Today, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization announced that there are 925 million individuals enduring chronic hunger worldwide, a significant reduction from the 1 billion, 23 million hungry estimated at the peak of the food crisis of 2007 and 2009. Many news wires broadcast the press released as an important milestone: "World Hunger to Fall for First Time in 15 Years on Growth"

Wknd Reading Sept 13th: Monday Edition

2010-09-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

Agdes starts this week of with a fresher look. I also fixed some broken links and got rid of some outdated content (Thanks Joe). As always, email me if you have relevant material to share. Here is your reading list for the week(end): The new addition to our list of relevant reports: Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can it Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits? This long report offers an

Hidden Hunger: the Impact of Chronic Malnutrition and Tools to Tackle it

2010-09-13T00:26:00.000-04:00

Hidden Hunger from Bob Caputo on Vimeo.

The Rockefeller Foundation Continued Support for Agricultural Development

2010-09-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Throughout the years, philanthropy has played a vital role in agricultural development. Many individuals and families were instrumental in providing the resources needed for important agricultural innovations that brought prosperity to poor areas of the world. Chief among the examples of foundations supporting Ag development was the Rockefeller Foundation's commitment to the work of Dr. Norman

Weekend Reading (WR) Aug 13

2010-08-13T16:27:00.001-04:00

For this week's list of a ag and food security weekend reading, don't miss Natures's articles and the paper on international food security. As always, send me an email to agdesblog@gmail.com with any suggestions next Friday. enjoy. Can Science Feed the World? Nature, August 2010: Excellent compilation of articles and agriculture research Gates Foundation inform us about their progress on Ag

Weekend Reading (WR)

2010-07-23T11:27:00.001-04:00

Links to articles, events, reports, and sites. Have any suggestion? Send me an email and I'll add it to next's Friday round of GWR President Obama's announcement at the G8 Summit of "A New Approach to Global Development," outlining a more significant role for global development. See also the administration new initiative Feed the FutureEvents and Activities on agriculture and food

President Obama Outlines New Approach to Development

2010-06-25T17:31:00.001-04:00

Check out this press release from the White House listing the administration's major initiatives and outlining Obama's new approach to development: A New Approach to Advancing DevelopmentAt the Muskoka G8 Summit, President Obama outlined his views on a new approach to development. In his recently released National Security Strategy, development is recognized as a moral, strategic, and economic

Fellowship Opportunity for Early Career Professionals Working in African Agriculture.

2010-05-27T16:34:00.001-04:00

Find below a funding opportunity for young professionals working on agricultural and policy research in Africa. Link to the announcement can be found here. Stay tuned for more news on the unprecedented Feed the Future Initiative rThe Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) aims to encourage critical debate and policy dialogue on the future of agriculture in Africa. Founded in 2005, the Consortium

Press Release: MacArthur Awards $5.6 Million to Support New Master's Programs...

2010-05-04T10:11:00.002-04:00

The MDP network keeps expanding! below find today's press release from the MacArthur Fd listing 10 additional universities that will be offering the Masters in Development Practice. Notice how the agricultural component of the network keeps getting stronger with the addition of CATIE in Costa Rica and UC Davis in California. Cheers, **** Chicago, IL, May 4, 2010 – The John D. and Catherine T.

International Women's Day 2010 and women on Ag

2010-03-16T00:38:00.001-04:00

A great short clip from IFPRI via HarvestPlus on the role on women in agriculture, enjoy

So many good films, not enough time to watch them all

2010-03-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

DCist and others who happen to be here this week, tomorrow is beginning of DC’s Environmental Film Festival. They wil be screening about 150 movies, documentaries and shorts. Of those, 32 are listed un the Food and Agriculture Category. Below are the links to some that look interesting: FRESH; TERRA MADRE (I already bought tickets for this one) SOIL IN GOOD HEART; HOMEGROWN; SEED HUNTER; POTATO

The Economist on Contract Farming in India

2010-03-11T14:33:00.002-05:00

Another good article about recent developments on India's agricultural sector. THIS piece argues that contract farming -where farmers commit to grow a commodity for a particular buyer- is growing rapidly in response to the severe problems faced in the sector. A combination of poor agronomic techniques, such as flooding irrigation and animal traction, combined with government policies that create

Have you ever thought about....

2010-03-11T00:02:00.000-05:00

From: Health vs. Pork: Congress Debates the Farm Bill

WSJ: Green Revolution in India Wilts as Subsidies Backfire

2010-02-24T13:00:00.001-05:00

An excellent report from WSJ about the overuse of urea in the state of Punjab, India. This is a textbook example of government policies that incentive the exhaustion of resources for short-term gain and constituency appeasement. A lesson that must be taken into account as we explore a new green revolution for Africa, that hopefully won't rely as much on finite inputs. Article LINK

Event: Are the International Commitments to Ending Hunger and Increasing Global Food Security Real?

2010-02-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

The year 2008 was the year of global food crisis; 2009 was the year of global promises to end food crises. Will 2010 be the year in which action happens? The US Government has provided critically important leadership over the past year and the President pledged $3 billion for global food security at the G8 Summit in l'Aquila. The Administration has been developing and consulting on a

US Goverment Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative

2009-10-27T06:17:00.000-04:00

We keep seeing more signs that the Obama administration is prioritizing their food secutity strategy, making sure it incorporates the views of a diversed group of stakeholders. This strong, well-funded global food security strategy seems to be the bargaining chip Obama will bring to the table at UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in early December, given that a comprehensive climate bill

IFPRI Report: Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development

2009-10-23T00:25:00.001-04:00

Check out this recent report published by IFPRI on Ag Development: Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development. The timing could be better. Just a couple weeks ago FAO announced that food production will have to increase 70% by 2050. The report identifies about 20 successes across the developing world, spanning from interventions enhancing productivity to combating diseases and

The Miracle of the two Potatoes

2009-10-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

Washingtonians: IFPRI-Oxfam America Panel Discussion -- "The Other Green Revolution"

2009-10-21T10:05:00.001-04:00

For those in the DC area, check out the presentation below:IFPRI and Oxfam America are pleased to invite you to the followingPanel Discussion, which will be held in IFPRI's fourth floorconference facility located at 2033 K Street, NW (entrance to buildingon 21st street between K & L streets). Please feel free to share thisannouncement with your colleagues. Kindly RSVP to Simone Hill-Lee(Tel:

Crop Profile: Maya Nut (Ojoche) Local Solutions to Hunger

2009-10-20T23:11:00.001-04:00

Hola reader,I'm finally back from a short trip to Nicaragua and after catching up with the usual work that piles up while abroad, I wanted to blog about some exciting things happening in agriculture and the food security debate, foreign aid, and my garden. But first, I wanted to tell you about Ramon, or Ojoche as he likes to be called in Nicaragua. Ojoche is a tropical tree endemic to most areas

Some links

2009-09-28T12:37:00.001-04:00

Greeting from Nicaragua. trying to find some time to dedicate to the blog but right now, time is a scare commodity. Plus i've been spending my time in Managua, Nicaragua's capital, where there isn't much to talk about relevant to Agdes. I did, however, wanted to share with you a couple of good articles and links:From today's Washington Post: Cuba Pins Hopes On New Farms Run for Profit From IPS:

Living in DC looking for a bed in Monticello

2009-09-24T01:52:00.001-04:00

In a letter to his dear Maria Cosway, Jefferson complained that 'All is politics in this capital.' 220 year later, that characterization remains more valid than ever. The political fronts were clearly aligned yesterday at the first symposium of the Global Harvest Initiative. Even though not many people knew about this event, (except those inside ag circles in DC) the online debate is heating up.

New publication from Action Against Hunger of global food crisis

2009-09-23T14:50:00.001-04:00

Check out Action Against Hunger's latest publication: Feeding Hunger & Insecurity: Field Analysis of Volatile Global Commodity Food Prices, Food Security, & Childhood Malnutrition, According to the press release the report offers an assessment of the global food crisis and its impact on vulnerable communities. It's based on a series of in-depth surveys that ACF carried out in the wake of the

The Nation on Africa's Green Revolution; Gates opening slowly

2009-09-23T11:37:00.000-04:00