This study was undertaken to investigate the use of mineral fertilizer by smallholder farmers in order to understand the set of factors influencing the decisions of smallholder farmers to use fertilizers in land-scarce conditions. Using descriptive analysis and the Cragg’s double-hurdle model, the study identified and analyzed factors that determine smallholder farmer adoption of mineral fertilizers and those that affect the intensity of household mineral fertilizer use.

Agricultural systems in Southeast Asia are rapidly transitioning from subsistence-oriented to market-oriented agriculture. Driven by the highly complex and variable decision processes of individual farm households, these transitions have produced a diverse landscape mosaic across the region. Elucidation and characterization of underlying decision-making processes, and the factors that influence land use choices, are thus essential for sustainable land use planning.

This chapter provides information on the common problems faced by livestock farmers in Africa and Asia, such as insufficient availability of high-quality feed, declines in grazing resources in response to the expansion of cultivated land and poor control over grazing rights, among others. The importance of the cultivation of green forages specifically for feeding livestock as a potential means of addressing the feed gap is discussed. The potential and actual impact of planted forages are presented and success cases emerging from CGIAR research are reviewed.

Food security and livelihoods among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are often constrained by limited farm resource endowment. It can be difficult to improve resource endowment given barriers such as low land availability and the unaffordability of agricultural inputs, so here we ask whether farmers can gain a better return on their resources through optimizing their farm strategy in terms of the composition and/or diversity of crop and livestock species raised.

From being a consortium of 15 independent research centres, the CGIAR system is in the process of
transitioning to One CGIAR - “a dynamic reformulation of partnerships, knowledge, assets, and
global presence, aiming for greater integration and impact”. This consolidation is spurred by the
recognition that “delivering science and innovation to advance the transformation of food, land, and
water systems in a climate crisis” calls for a “systems transformation approach”.

CONTEXT
Colombia has a total of 27.2 million heads of cattle, ranking fourth among the Latin American countries. Identifying sustainable strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) will help the Colombian government meet their goal of a 51% reduction in national emissions by 2030. Estimation of yield gaps for identifying the potential to improve cattle farms productivity and efficiency in Colombia help on reducing the GHGE intensities from the cattle sector.
OBJECTIVE

Abstract. Drought is predicted to increase in the future due to climate change, bringing with it myriad impacts on ecosystems. Plants respond to drier soils by reducing stomatal conductance in order to conserve water and avoid hydraulic damage. Despite the importance of plant drought responses for the global carbon cycle and local and regional climate feedbacks, land surface models are unable to capture observed plant responses to soil moisture stress.

To complement an ongoing CCAFS project ‘Enhancing capacities for MRV of sustainable livestock action in East Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia)’, implemented by UNIQUE forestry and land use, ACIAR is supporting CCAFS to implement a Small Research Activity (SRA) entitled ‘Building capacities for an integrated livestock MRV system in Ethiopia’. The objective of the SRA is to support improvements in methods and procedures used to produce and manage the livestock activity data required for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Ethiopia.

This application is a customized version of the Global Agriculture Monitoring System (GLAM), made in partnership with data4MOZ with a focus on Mozambique, the Limpopo River Basin, and its watersheds.