Linkages Between Staple Crops Research and Poverty Outcomes

Jeffrey Alwang, Elisabetta Gotor, Guy Hareau, Jordan Chamberlin, Graham Thiele & Moti JaletaFacilitator: Ewen Leborgne

Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways www.scienceforum2016.org

Pathways from Research to Poverty Impacts

1. Productivity growth leading to increased marketsupplies, lowering prices, making food moreaffordable for the poor, and expandingemployment;

2. Adoption of new technologies by small-scale andpoor farmers leads to direct income gains; and

3. Reduced or avoided losses from shocks toproduction allow marginal farmers to maintain theirproductive base and avoid sliding into poverty.

Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways www.scienceforum2016.org

Questions for breakout groups (methods)

1. What are the current knowledge gaps related to poverty impacts which research should prioritize?

Understanding at the household level the actual tradeoffs between increasing productivity and risk and how that relates to improving household income.

2. How can we better build an evidence base for poverty impacts of international staple crop research?

Clear ex ante definition of impact pathways and expected outcomes of the proposed research, key partnerships and resources needed (including capacity building) for data collection; ex post assessment needs to be based on identified pathways

Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways www.scienceforum2016.org

Questions for breakout groups (actions – cont.)

3. What approaches and methods show promise for identifying impacts of agricultural research on poverty?

Any method used must conceptualize a counterfactual and, compare observed outcomes relative to the counterfactual.

4. What do we have to do – and with whom should we work –in order to improve impact of international staple crop research on poverty?

a) demand-driven research, b) agronomy/management; and c) value chain development; better networking & communication across various actors with whom we already work

Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways www.scienceforum2016.org

Questions for breakout groups (actions – cont.)

5. Should the primary goal of staple crop research simply be lower food prices?

NO. Staple crop research should focus on both lowering prices and strategies for alleviating the effect of low prices on the producers, such as reducing production (and transaction) costs and risks of climate change