linkages between staple crops research and poverty outcomes presentation- ispc science forum 2016

Linkages Between Staple Crops Research and Poverty Outcomes

Jeffrey Alwang, Elisabetta Gotor, Guy Hareau, Jordan Chamberlin & Graham Thiele

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

Pathways from Research to Poverty Impacts

1. Productivity growth leading to increased market supplies, lowering prices, making food more affordable for the poor, and expanding employment;

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

3. Reduced or avoided losses from shocks to production allow marginal farmers to maintain their productive base and avoid sliding into poverty.


What is known? Pathway 1-productivity

Productivity growth and lower food prices have been the major engine of poverty reduction (e.g. the Green Revolution, China);

Poverty reduction via this route requires widespread adoption, substantial reduction in per-unit cost of production, and appropriate market conditions;

Unique properties of staple crops: obstacles to adoption, market conditions, role in consumption of the poor.


What is known? Pathway 2-income

Evidence: for some technologies poor producers face unique obstacles to adoption– e.g. those needing complementary inputs

DIIVA (and other) studies: poor producers adopt improved varieties of many staple crops (stronger evidence for maize & wheat, weaker for potatoes & sweet potatoes);

Small areas under production for poor producers limit major income gains;

Market conditions also limit income gains.


What is known? Pathway 3—risk reduction

1. Not a lot. Risk reduction makes people better off and prevents some from sliding into poverty

2. Little evidence on how risk reduction leads to change in behavior such as the propensity to invest

3. Reduce catastrophic losses from emerging pests and diseases (e.g. UG 99 in wheat, Fusarium TR 4 in banana, Cassava brown streak)


Considerations

1. Pathways to poverty reduction are complex and many do not involve agricultural research;

2. Important to understand the obstacles along the impact pathway—some of these are well outside of the purview of agricultural research;

3. Indirect pathways? Employment generation, gender and youth? Healthier food? Processing and downstream value chains? Agricultural intensification?


Questions for breakout groups (methods)

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

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

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


Questions for breakout groups (actions)

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?

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


Questions for breakout groups

Methods1. Given the current state of our knowledge, and the aspirations of the CGIAR,

what are the current knowledge gaps (related to poverty impacts of staple crop research) which international agricultural research should prioritize addressing?

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

3. What approaches and methods deserve more emphasis for identifying impacts of agricultural research on poverty?

Actions4. What do we have to do – and with whom should we work – in order to

improve impact of international staple crop research on poverty? 5. Should the primary goal of staple crop research simply be lower food prices?

linkages between staple crops research and poverty outcomes presentation- ispc science forum 2016

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