Our research examines how the changing cultural norms and legal status in Ecuador have impacted women’s empowerment in the agricultural sector and in rural communities. Cacao provides a particularly relevant case because of its economic and ecological importance to Ecuador and the region. The...

Ecuadorian women have traditionally been sidelined from full participation in the economy and have lacked equal political rights. Yet, Ecuador has made advances in gender equality in recent years. Women now have greater access to educational and career opportunities, equality in inheritance and...

The potential of agricultural biotechnology to produce seed traits that reduce yield risk generates widespread excitement. Hopes are high that in an era of tightening water constraints and climate change drought tolerant (DT) crop varieties will stabilize food production and allow for greater...

This document reviews the potential agricultural technologies that exist or can feasibly be produced to help promote poverty reduction and food security in Mali in the next 5 to 10 years. Overall there are a plethora of good technologies either available, in the pipeline, or feasible with a...

Some hypothesize that poor consumers pay more for food because stores that serve them have higher costs. We assess how supermarket characteristics and operating costs differ with the percentage of sales from food stamp redemptions. Results do not support the hypothesis that costs are higher for...

These papers investigate issues in food demand, food processing, and food markets. Policy issues are examined, both in the context of the food stamp program in the domestic market and the industrial policy options in the food sector in emerging Central European economies. The Effect of an...

Upland areas in Vietnam account for two-thirds of its natural area and one-third of its population. These uplands are characterized by heterogeneous and fragile ecosystems, a high incidence of poverty, severe deforestation and soil degradation. Rice is an important staple which is grown in the...

This paper provides a micro-level foundation for discussions of income and asset allocation within the smallholder sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, and explores the implications of these findings for rural growth and poverty alleviation strategies in the region. Results are drawn from...

Changes in both retail and wholesale infant formula prices can affect the ability of WIC to supply infant formula to participants. This paper constructs a joint relationship that links national wholesale and retail infant formula prices to economic and policy variables. This joint framework...

This study evaluates the effects of grain output price uncertainty on the farm income of rural households and, consequently, how this uncertainty influences caloric intake through changes in farm income. Using a rural household data set, augmented with output price uncertainty measures...