An Econometric Analysis of U.S. Crop Yield and Cropland Acreage: Implications for the Impact of Climate Change
The purpose of this paper is to undertake a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of climate variables, technology and crop prices on crop yield and on crop acreage in the US using county-specific, historical data for 1977-2007. Specifically, we estimate the yield responses of corn, soybeans and wheat to output prices and to changes in climate and technology over time. We use... more
Agriculture for Sustainable Economic Development: A Global R&D Initiative to Avoid a Deep and Complex Crisis
World agriculture has entered a new, unsustainable, and politically risky period. Agriculture?and the natural resources it depends on?has been overexploited ecologically, has suffered from underinvestment, has recently been exposed to ill-designed bioenergy programs, and has been politically sidelined for too long. It is now at a critical point. Appropriate responses to the food and... more
Agriculture for Development in Ghana: New Opportunities and Challenges
This paper has been prepared in support of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) roundtable in Ghana. The study also takes a fresh perspective on the role of agriculture for development in light of the global food crisis. It addresses two main questions: what are the impacts of Green-revolution type agricultural growth to reach the CAADP goal in Ghana? Given the... more
Agricultural Growth and Investment Options for Poverty Reduction in Zambia
Zambia has experienced strong economic performance since 1999. However, agriculture has not performed as well as the rest of the economy, and although the incidence of poverty has declined, it still remains high. The Zambian government, within the framework of the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP), is in the process of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development... more
Agricultural Growth and Investment Options for Poverty Reduction in Malawi
Malawi has experienced modest economic growth over the last decade and a half. However, agricultural growth has been particularly erratic, and while the incidence of poverty has declined, it still remains high. The Malawian government, within the framework of the Agricultural Development Plan (ADP), is in the process of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme... more
Analysis of the Determinants of Farmers? Choice of Adaptation Methods and Perceptions of Climate Change in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia
Ethiopia's agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed-crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country?s economy. It constitutes more than half of the country's gross domestic product, generates more than 85 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Unfortunately, Ethiopia's dependence on agriculture makes the country... more
Identifying Opportunities in Ghana?s Agriculture: Results from a Policy Analysis Matrix
Recent increases in cereals prices raise questions about agricultural priorities in Ghana. This report presents an application of the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) to the problem of identifying opportunities to enhance agriculture?s contribution to economic growth and poverty alleviation in the country. The PAM is a budget-based method that was applied to study the social and private... more
Surveillance and Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Ghana ? An assessment of institutions and actors
The objective of this research was to identify the institutions and their relative influence associated with surveillance and control of HPAI in Ghana, the flow of information for disease reporting among institutions, and the institutional responses to disease occurrence. The questions were: Who is involved? How do they communicate about suspected outbreaks? How do they respond to confirmed... more
Advancing agriculture in developing countries through knowledge and innovation
About 75 percent of the world's poor people live in rural areas, and most of them are involved in farming. Agricultural development in these areas is often constrained by issues of access to appropriate technologies; immense ?institutional weaknesses?; and deep problems with the organization and management of research, education, and extension systems. Many countries and agricultural systems... more
Agricultural Investment for Growth and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria
This study assesses public investment required for agricultural growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria. Using time series data for public spending and agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) growth, the econometrically estimated results show that one percent of growth in agricultural spending generates 0.24 percent of growth in agricultural TFP. To support 9.5 percent in agricultural... more
Pages
