In spite of the fact that the Ugandan National Agricultural Research System has developed and released several production-enhancing technologies over a century, yields of most major crops at the farm level have been low. Given that about 80 percent of Uganda’s labor force is employed in...

This paper draws upon development economics theory, demographic projections, and empirical evidence to consider the likely consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic for the agricultural sector of the hardest-hit countries of Eastern and Southern Africa. We identify four processes that have been...

The maize green revolution, which increased maize yields through the use of improved varieties and fertilizer, has stalled since the mid-eighties in Kenya. This paper examines whether the stagnation of yields continued in the 1990s in spite of the implementation of the maize liberalization...

This paper examines international trends in plant variety protection, a form of intellectual property rights for plant varieties akin to patents. The TRIPs Agreement under the WTO has given a strong impetus for the universalisation of plant variety protection regimes with common standards of...

This paper presents a historical overview of plant breeding research, variety release and seed supply of staple food grains in Zimbabwe, and assesses the impacts of the new varieties on yields using national aggregate yield data. The paper also analyses farm-level factors determining farmers’...

While population still continues to grow rapidly in Sub-Sahara Africa, the expansion of cultivation area has slowed down considerably due to the increasing scarcity of uncultivated land. Since the yield of food grain per unit of land has remained largely unchanged in this region, food production...

This paper examines the role of supermarkets in developing countries from a “food policy” perspective. The entire food system is being affected by supermarkets, from supply chains impacting small farmers, through traditional marketing channels, to opportunities facing consumers. Issues of...

This study uses hedonic pricing techniques to estimate the value of agricultural amenities in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. The analysis is limited to positive externalities related to land use, providing indicators to better inform policy decisions effecting rural and agricultural...

This study analyses income, expenditure and food consumption data in Ethiopia to help explains the country’s high probability of national food consumption shortfalls. The study argues that to reach the goal of increased national food security, it is necessary to improve market functioning,...

The last few decades have seen fundamental changes in food consumption patterns around the world. These changes were characterized not only by an increase in overall calorie intakes but also by a shift in the composition of the diet towards more meat, eggs, dairy products as well as more fats...