Indigenous & Community Land Rights

Malawi has been at the center of the debate on agricultural input subsidies in Africa ever since it significantly expanded its fertilizer subsidy program about two decades ago.

The Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) reviewed the “Draft Portfolio25 Document: A set of proposals on the CGIAR 2025-27 Research and Innovation.” Our review is organized by comments on the overall portfolio, followed by specific feedback for the three Action Areas. This document provides brief and high-level reflections for consideration in future portfolio development.

The Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices with increased acceptance across the globe are being considered as harbinger for sustainable intensification of smallholder production systems. Its positive impact on natural resources, and resilience to climate change effects are widely acknowledged.

The Government of Tajikistan should consider joining the Global Methane Commitment as a strategic and prudent decision. Tajikistan's participation in the Global Methane Pledge offers numerous benefits that can positively impact the country's economy, environment, and global reputation.

Gender inequality persists in Burundi’s agricultural sector, especially in the bean value chain dominated by women. Women often have less access to improved seeds and to productive technologies. Interventions dubbed “gender-responsive plant breeding” have been launched to develop new varieties to address the gender gaps in variety adoption.

Pakistan is a case of double injustice contributing a minuscule share of global greenhouse gases, yet it is bearing the brunt of global climate change impacts. It ranks among the top 10 countries vulnerable to climate change (Eckstein et al., 2021). The 2022 IPCC Report underlines the heightened vulnerabilities because of global warming and climate change leading to more floods.

Cassava breeding faces obstacles due to late flowering and poor flower and seed set. The acceleration of breeding processes and the reduction in each cycle’s duration hinge upon efficiently conducting crosses to yield ample progeny for subsequent cycles.

Participatory approaches for crop variety testing can help breeding teams to incorporate traditional knowledge and consider site-specific sociocultural complexities. However, traditional participatory approaches have drawbacks and are seldom streamlined or scaled. Decentralized on-farm testing supported by citizen science addresses some of these challenges.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, countries with a greater percentage of overlapping days in their school and farming calendars also have lower primary school survival rates. In theory, greater overlap between the school and farming calendars should indeed reduce schooling investments, and farm-based child labor too, as it constrains the time allocation opportunity set for both productive activities.

This report is generated as part of a scoping study to identify possible areas that should be prioritized for intervention to improve performance and sustainability of the dairy industry in Uganda. The evaluation relies on primary and secondary data collected by IFPRI and DDA in 2021.

Climate change is resulting in increased frequency of extreme weather events, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) already characterized by highly vulnerable malnourished populations.