The focus of research on international trade has recently shifted from industries and countries to firms. Firm heterogeneity is shown to be a determinant of trade at both the intensive margin (increase exports per firm/product) and extensive margins (the number of firms exporting – new products, new partners, new varieties, and new prices). It is now widely accepted that exporting firms are larger, comparatively productive, more skilled, and capital-intensive, and pay higher wages than non-exporting firms.

This report delves into the essential task of gathering validation data, focusing on surface and groundwater related data monitoring through the deployment of field equipment. The primary objective is to comprehensively monitor surface water and groundwater levels, along with rainfall, on a regular basis. This hydrologic monitoring initiative is conducted within the context of a case study centered on rice-fish systems, specifically community fish refuges (CFRs) in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector remains for youth a key pillar for income creation. However, few are attracted by agribusiness despite stakeholders’ efforts toward engaging youth in agriculture. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial potential characteristics and youth desirability to start an enterprise in agriculture among 514 young people in Eastern DRC.

This publication, Water Quality in Agriculture: Risks and Risk Mitigation, emphasizes technical solutions and good agricultural practices, including risk mitigation measures suitable for the contexts of differently resourced institutions working in rural as well as urban and peri-urban settings in low- and middle-income countries. With a focus on sustainability of the overall land use system, the guidelines also cover possible downstream impacts of farm-level decisions.

Under WP 1, CIAT/PABRA promotes beans as means of contributing to the wellness of the food system, including climate adaptation, as well as the business environment. The nutrition component implemented its planned activities through partnerships with NARES and private sector players (SMEs). Eight NARES partners were engaged (three in SABRN and 5 in ECABREN) and eleven private sector players were engaged (seven in SABRN and four in ECABREN). As a result, more than 731 field demonstrations using food basket approach were mounted (100 in Zambia, 17 in Uganda, 9 in Zimbabwe and 605 in Malawi).

The integration of gender concerns in crop breeding programs aims to improve the suitability and appeal of new varieties to both women and men, in response to concerns about unequal adoption of improved seed. However, few conventional breeding programs have sought to center social inclusion concerns. This community case study documents efforts to integrate gender into the maize-focused Seed Production Technology for Africa (SPTA) project using innovation history analysis drawing on project documents and the authors’ experiences.

The Agroecology Initiative (AEI) aims to contribute to achieving Agroecological Transitions (AET) through developing and scaling a range of innovations (technical, social, economic, and political) in 8 countries across three continents. It proposes to do so by using a participatory action-research approach involving the key stakeholders of the Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs), multi-stakeholder territorial spaces in each country on which the Initiative targets its transformation and innovation efforts.

The report highlights challenges faced by the agricultural sector in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zambia, including productivity issues and food security concerns due to factors such as limited inputs, market access, and climate-related vulnerabilities. Post-harvest losses (PHL) are identified as a major obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) processors, stemming from inadequate infrastructure and poor handling methods.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the least mechanized agriculture in the world due to various reasons including low effective demand at farm level, low policy attention, and ineffective mechanization strategies. However, the situation has changed since recently in favor of mechanization while limited empirical evidence is available on how mechanization can be enhanced among smallholder farmers.