This book explores the social, economic, and policy problems associated with introducing new agriculture and aquaculture technology to developing nations as a means for expanding food supplies and increasing well-being. The contributors examine three general facets of planning for technology transfer and consider methodologies that enable effective
The world's demand for food is expected to double within the next 50 years, while the natural resources that sustain agriculture will become increasingly scarce, degraded, and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In many poor countries, agriculture accounts for at least 40 percent of GDP and 80 percent of employment. At the same time, about 70 percent of the world's poor live in rural areas and most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. 'World Development Report 2008' seeks to assess where, when, and how agriculture can be an effective instrument for economic development, especially development that favors the poor. It examines several broad questions: How has agriculture changed in developing countries in the past 20 years? What are the important new challenges and opportunities for agriculture? Which new sources of agricultural growth can be captured cost effectively in particular in poor countries with large agricultural sectors as in Africa? How can agricultural growth be made more effective for poverty reduction? How can governments facilitate the transition of large populations out of agriculture, without simply transferring the burden of rural poverty to urban areas? How can the natural resource endowment for agriculture be protected? How can agriculture's negative environmental effects be contained? This year's report marks the 30th year the World Bank has been publishing the 'World Development Report'.
Digital Media and Wireless Communication in Developing Nations: Agriculture, Education, and the Economic Sector explores how digital media and wireless communication, especially mobile phones and social media platforms, offer concrete opportunities for developing countries to transform different sectors of their economies. The volume focuses on the agricultural, economic, and education sectors. The chapter authors, mostly from Africa and India, provide a wealth of information on recent innovations, the opportunities they provide, challenges faced, and the direction of future research in digital media and wireless communication to leverage transformation in developing countries. The volume provides important research on digital media and wireless communication within the context of developing countries that will be very useful for professionals from academia, government agencies, NGOs, technologists, entrepreneurs and investors, and others.
Smart Technologies for Sustainable Smallholder Agriculture: Upscaling in Developing Countries defines integrated climate smart agricultural technologies (ICSAT) as a suite of interconnected techniques and practices that enhance quantity and quality of agricultural products with minimum impact on the environment. These ICSAT are centered on three main pillars, increased production and income, adaptation and resilience to climate change, and minimizing GHG emissions. This book brings together technologies contributing to the three pillars, explains the context in which they can be scaled up, and identifies research and development gaps as areas requiring further investigation. It stresses the urgency in critically analyzing and recommending ICSAT and scaling out the efforts of both developing and disseminating these in an integrated manner. The book discusses, synthesizes, and offers alternative solutions to agriculture production systems and socio-economic development. It brings together biophysical and socioeconomic disciplines in evaluating suitable ICSAT in an effort to help reduce poverty and food insecurity. Highlights the research gaps and opportunities on climate smart agricultural technologies and institutional arrangements Provides information on institutional engagements that are inclusive of value chain actors that support partnerships and the development of interactive platforms Elaborates some of the effects of climate extremes on production and socioeconomic development on small farms whose impact has potentially large impact
The development of sustainable agricultural systems is an imperative aspect of any country, but particularly in the context of developing countries. Lack of progress in these initiatives can have negative effects on the nation as a whole. Agricultural Development and Food Security in Developing Nations is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly material on promoting advancements in agricultural systems and food security in developing economies. Highlighting impacts on citizens, as well as on political and social environments of a country, this book is ideally designed for students, professionals, policy makers, researchers, and practitioners interested in recent developments in the areas of agriculture.
In this volume, Roy examines the role played by the state in boosting food production in two major, but significantly different, developing economies. He contrasts the policies and successes of India and Nigeria showing that self-sufficiency does not bring equity in consumption (in the case of India) and that selective introduction of new technologies (in Nigeria) raises concerns about a lack of equity between regions and between classes. After interdisciplinary analyses and village-level case studies from both countries Roy presents a conceptual analysis appropriate to most developing countries.
Stemming from an 11-year DFID funded programme under its Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS), Technology Development Assistance for Agriculture: Putting Research into Low Income Countries reviews part of this programme as a case study of a broader issue of technology development for Africa. Controversially, it critiques current international technology development assistance and focuses on the potential role of the private sector in agricultural technology development as well as providing insights for future cognate science policy and practice. The book focuses on the RIU "Best Bets" Africa sub-programme. This identified promising proposals to take existing agriculture research products and put these into use in ways that would benefit the poor in developing countries. The sum set aside for this was £5 million. The empirical sections of the book cover project selection, progress and programme management over a 2009-2012 period with special attention paid to lessons learned that may have implications for future cognate technology development assistance. This topical book gives direct evidence of meeting objectives and delivering real changes in technology development for Africa to postgraduate students, researchers, international bodies, NGOs, policy makers and government organisations working on natural resource management, technology development assistance, and low income country agriculture.
This book is about International Service for National Agricultural Research's (ISNAR) study to identify key factors that influenced the effectiveness and efficiency of links between research and technology transfer. It recommends ways to improve these links and reflects the progress made till date.
