In 1993, the Sasakawa/Global 2000 Program (SG) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) began a joint program to demonstrate that substantial productivity increases could be achieved when farmers were given appropriate extension messages and agricultural inputs were delivered on time at reasonable...

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework that can be used by agricultural leaders, administrators, policy makers, and seed program managers to (1) understand key factors affecting seed system development; and (2) compare organizational and institutional strategies for...

Michigan State University (MSU) is currently assessing the impact of agricultural research on various commodities in seven African countries: Cameroon (maize, cowpea, sorghum), Kenya (maize, wheat), Malawi (maize), Mali (maize), Niger (sorghum, cowpea, millet), Uganda (oilseeds), and Zambia...

The objectives of the study are: to assess the direction and magnitude of changes in real staple food prices since the implementation of food sector policy reforms in Africa; to identify the major factors affecting changes in these food prices; and to assess the resulting effects of food system...

This paper explores how Zambia's policy and organizational environment has shaped the development, spread, and more recently, the disadoption of maize technology. It also traces the political motivations that drove the establishment of the policy and organizational framework supporting maize...

Recent studies have shown that agricultural research can have high payoffs in Africa, but impact depends on how well technology fits with evolving needs and capacity in the agricultural sector and the rest of the economy. Structural adjustment policies (e.g., market liberalization, currency...

This paper attempts to develop a set of principles and approaches to food aid, and specifically to monetization, that balance pragmatic short-run considerations against the need to pursue better long-term solutions. The paper summarizes trends in U.S. foreign assistance, and reviews historical...

This report summarizes an appraisal of input utilization and marketing in Mozambique, focusing on the following research questions: (1) What are current smallholder yields for major commodities, and what is the potential for increasing yields through the use of improved technologies? (2) To what...