Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: Perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Imbalanced application of fertilizers is a major fiscal and environmental problem in South Asia. We review fertilizer policies and extension efforts to promote the balanced application of nutrients in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and draw 4 important lessons. (1) Fertilizer sector reforms need to be fiscally sustainable and politically feasible. Governments in South Asia have abolished fertilizer subsidies on multiple occasions, only to restore them a few years later. (2) The use of phosphate and potash did not decline much even after a sharp increase in their prices in India in 2011–12. Therefore, rationalizing subsidies, while necessary, may not be sufficient to ensure balanced use of fertilizers. Changing farmers’ practice requires combining the right incentives with the right information. (3) Soil test based soil health cards (SHC) hold promise, but there is limited evidence on their utility. India’s SHC program had very little impact on fertilizer use. (4) Direct cash transfer (DCT) of fertilizer subsidies can reduce distortions, but Sri Lanka’s experience shows that implementing it is more challenging than universal subsidies. DCT requires the removal of price controls, integration of land records, farmer identity cards, a cash transfer system with universal coverage, and a competitive fertilizer retail sector.
- Published in BANGLADESH, INDIA, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NEPAL, RESOURCES, SRI LANKA
National catalogue of soybean varieties in Afghanistan
The national variety catalogue is an official document in which all commercialized crop varieties in the country are registered and their major varietal characteristics listed. It is a valuable reference for public- and private-sector plant breeders, seed producers, and crop producers, as well as seed certification agencies, extension services, and plant variety protection offices.
- Published in AFGHANISTAN, NUTRITION, RESOURCES
Nutrition Sensitive Food Systems in Conflict Affected Regions-A Case Study of Afghanistan
The food systems approach can contribute to food security and reduced malnutrition levels by identifying key investments and policies throughout the food system, including production, processing, marketing, and consumption of food. However, in countries facing fragility and conflict, it has proven difficult to implement such an approach and achieve the desired results. This has been the case in Afghanistan, where high levels of malnutrition stem in part from an undersupply of nutritious food. Multi-sectoral approaches to promote nutrition sensitivity and achieve diet-based solutions have also had only limited impact. This paper reports on an analysis of the nutrition sensitivity of food systems in Afghanistan using multi-sector consultations and gap analyses to examine two key food and nutrition policies, the National Comprehensive Agriculture Development Priority Program and the Afghanistan Food Security and Nutrition Agenda. It highlights gaps in the policies and identifies investment priorities to make food systems more nutrition sensitive. The results show that instilling nutrition sensitivity into the operation of Afghanistan’s food systems can only be accomplished if certain key measures are incorporated into the food system. These include addressing the absence of knowledge in the population regarding healthy diets, the lack of sufficient food for vulnerable populations, weak irrigation systems, capacity constraints at individual and institutional levels, data challenges, and weak natural resource management. In addition, the above weaknesses are compounded by the continued violence and conflict-induced insecurity, weak government, and inadequate investments. Given the role of different sectors in contributing to improved nutrition, appropriate and effective multistakeholder coordination and collaboration is paramount to such efforts.
- Published in AFGHANISTAN, NUTRITION, RESOURCES
Investing in rural people in Afghanistan
IFAD works with small-scale farmers and vulnerable and marginalized socio-economic groups, particularly women and ethnic minorities, in rural and mountain environments. IFAD’s current work in Afghanistan takes into account the difficult security situation across most of the country.
Key intervention domains will include climate-smart small-scale production and value chain development, marketing support, and the promotion of both on- and off-farm economic opportunities for poor and vulnerable rural women, men and youth. Measures to address gender inequality will also be specifically considered and promoted.
- Published in AFGHANISTAN
Global Capacity Needs Assessment for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
Building the capacities in nutrition of agricultural extension and advisory services (EAS) is widely considered a critical aspect to promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) and help achieve household food and nutrition security. Under the auspices of the German-funded ‘Strengthening Capacities for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems’ project (GCP/INT/714/GER), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) initiated in 2019 a process to understand the gaps in learning and capacity among EAS providers in integrating nutrition objectives into agricultural extension programmes and policies. This process consisted of the development, the piloting at country level, the validation and dissemination of a Global Capacity Needs Assessment (GCNA) methodology aimed to assist countries in assessing their own capacity gaps in nutrition and EAS. The GCNA methodology was then pilot- tested in five countries in four regions by GFRAS member organizations. These assessments were led by the GFRAS Regional networks and Country Fora and consultants specifically associated with these networks. Country level workshops were carried out by GFRAS regional members to review the outputs of the pilot studies.
Consultative Workshop on Learning Needs Assessment for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture in India
The Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) and Agricultural Extension South Asia Network (AESA), organised the Consultation workshop on ‘Learning Needs Assessment for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) in Telangana’ on 3 January 2020, at Hyderabad, Telangana, India. This workshop was organised to validate the findings of the study and the use of Global Learning Needs Assessment (GLNA) Methodology to assess learning needs. The participants included representatives from the government and non-governmental organisations engaged in research, teaching, training, extension, and programme implementation. Prior to the workshop, the draft report on the findings of the study was shared with the participants and each of them was apprised of the agenda.
Strengthening Seed Systems Promoting Community Based Seed Systems for Biodiversity Conservation and Food & Nutrition Security in South Asia
In this forum, the government representatives from SAARC Member States, experts, researchers, and farmers’ organizations were participated with innovative ideas and experience that contributed to come up with this Volume. Thus, we are delighted to publish this book, which would be useful to formulate policies on strengthening the seed systems in general, Community Based Seed Systems (CBSS) in particular, for biodiversity conservation, food security and nutrition in the South Asia region.
We would express our sincere gratitude to the SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC); the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA); the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC); the SAARC Member States, particularly the Ministry of Foreign/ External Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture; SAARC Secretariat; National Focal Point Experts; and Farmers Organizations for their significant contributions. We appreciate to Dr. S. M. Bokhtiar, Director, SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC) and the SAC team; AFA team; and PARC team for their outstanding contributions.
Summary of the SMART patrolling – A toolkit for better forest management in Bangladesh
The Government of Bangladesh deployed SMART patrolling in the Sundarbans – the world’s largest mangrove forest – in September 2017. Although guidelines were developed, they did not cover plain land forest or hill forest monitoring in the country. FAO in partnership with the Bangladesh Forest Department and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), developed a SMART patrolling toolkit for these types of forest. The toolkit has been piloted in four protected areas of Cox’s Bazar and will be used for management of hill and plain land forest across Bangladesh.It will guide the use on CyberTracker/Android phone for real-time monitoring of hill and plain land forests across the country. The toolkit will be useful for law enforcement, monitoring threats, forest and wildlife monitoring, and public awareness generation.
CGIAR’s role in digital extension services
CGIAR’s digital extension services bridge the gap between the development and the adoption of new climate change adaptation strategies. These services include new ways to disperse information on rainfed systems of agriculture, nutrition, pest control, new crop varieties, crop management practices, and more.
Measuring digital development Facts and figures 2021
Approximately 4.9 billion people – or 63 per cent of the world’s population – are using the Internet in 2021[1]. This represents an increase of 17 per cent since 2019, with 782 million people estimated to have come online during that period. Of the 2.9 billion people offline, 96 per cent live in developing countries.
These are just some of the insights that can be found in the 2021 edition of Facts and Figures, ITU’s annual global assessment of digital connectivity. It features estimates for key connectivity indicators for the world, global regions, and several country groupings, including the UN-designated Least Developed Countries.