Fostering CHANGE: Lessons from implementing a multi-country,multi-sector nutrition-sensitive agriculture project

Using agriculture to improve nutrition is an approach growing in popularity, with programs becoming increasingly complex and multisectoral. While there is an active line of research assessing the impacts of such programs, little has been written about the process of successfully implementing them. As such, this paper uses a multisectoral nutrition-sensitive agriculture program implemented in four African countries as a case study to address key challenges in and lessons learned from implementation. We highlight the overall flexibility of nutrition-sensitive agriculture but also the need to adapt certain aspects to the particular context, as well as the opportunities for cross-context learning (and the limits to this). Integrating rigorous evaluation into such complex programs and forging diverse cross-sectoral partnerships offer both rewards and challenges, upon which we reflect. Main lessons learned from the program include the importance of carefully sequencing interventions, retaining flexibility in implementation, allowing for considerable time for cross-sector integration and coordination, and considering community impacts when designing research.     

21世纪中国学界辽金经济史研究回顾与展望

辽金经济史一直是学者研究的重点,21世纪以来学界在辽金农业概况、发展原因、土地制度,畜牧业结构,货币种类、税收制度及贸易几个方面研究深入,取得了丰硕的成果。但对区域农业特点、土地买卖及粮食供给、辽金农业思想史等问题缺乏深入研究。     

国立西北农学院的合组经过与历史意义——基于历史档案的考察和述评

基于抗战时期的历史档案,梳理了国立西北农学院(西北农林科技大学前身)合组成立的历史经过。地处后稷教民稼穑之地武功的国立西北农林专科学校与抗日战争期间西迁的国立北平大学农学院合组是现代农业文明的一次重要融汇。在强大的师资力量支撑下,国立西北农学院办学水平和科学研究方面表现卓越,成为当时国内惟一的独立农学院,并在合组后逐步形成扎根西北、融汇世界的教育思想和办学抱负,成为当代兴学强国的宝贵精神财富。     

Using data envelopment analysis for the assessment of technical efficiency of units with different specialisations: An application to agriculture

In this paper we consider the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) for the assessment of efficiency of units whose output profiles exhibit specialisation. An example of this is found in agriculture where a large number of different crops may be produced in a particular region, but only a few farms actually produce each particular crop. Because of the large number of outputs, the use of conventional DEA models in such applications results in a poor efficiency discrimination. We overcome this problem by specifying production trade-offs between different outputs, relying on the methodology of Podinovski (J Oper Res Soc 2004;55:1311–22). The main idea of our approach is to relate various outputs to the production of the main output. We illustrate this methodology by an application of DEA involving agricultural farms in different regions of Turkey. An integral part of this application is the elicitation of expert judgements in order to formulate the required production trade-offs. Their use in DEA models results in a significant improvement of the efficiency discrimination. The proposed methodology should also be of interest to other applications of DEA where units may exhibit specialization, such as applications involving hospitals or bank branches.     

Planning an integrated agriculture and health program and designing its evaluation: Experience from Western Kenya

Multi-sectoral programs that involve stakeholders in agriculture, nutrition and health care are essential for responding to nutrition problems such as vitamin A deficiency among pregnant and lactating women and their infants in many poor areas of lower income countries. Yet planning such multi-sectoral programs and designing appropriate evaluations, to respond to different disciplinary cultures of evidence, remain a challenge. We describe the context, program development process, and evaluation design of the Mama SASHA project (Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa) which promoted production and consumption of a bio-fortified, orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP). In planning the program we drew upon information from needs assessments, stakeholder consultations, and a first round of the implementation evaluation of a pilot project. The multi-disciplinary team worked with partner organizations to develop a program theory of change and an impact pathway which identified aspects of the program that would be monitored and established evaluation methods. Responding to the growing demand for greater rigour in impact evaluations, we carried out quasi-experimental allocation by health facility catchment area, repeat village surveys for assessment of change in intervention and control areas, and longitudinal tracking of individual mother-child pairs. Mid-course corrections in program implementation were informed by program monitoring, regular feedback from implementers and partners’ meetings. To assess economic efficiency and provide evidence for scaling we collected data on resources used and project expenses. Managing the multi-sectoral program and the mixed methods evaluation involved bargaining and trade-offs that were deemed essential to respond to the array of stakeholders, program funders and disciplines involved.     

Social impacts evaluation and insider-outsider paradigm: Floodwater spreading project on the Gareh-Bygone plain as an illustrative case

Selection of the appropriate social impact evaluation approach has become an important issue in agricultural and rural development projects in developing countries. The aim of this research was to use the lens of insider-outsider or mutual social impact assessment approach to assess the social impacts of floodwater spreading project (FWSP) on the Gareh-Bygone plain, Iran. A survey methodology with systematic sampling techniques was used to select 138 households as insider group in four villages’ of the Gareh-Bygone plain which is covered by FWSP. Furthermore, key person interview was used to assess the viewpoints of experts (outsider group) who had close, ongoing involvement with the project. Result indicated that the experts’ viewpoints were more positive towards social impacts of the project. Whereas, the project had some negative and positive social impacts from the local people point of view.     

新农村多功能农业建设模式的合理性

科学发展观、新农村建设的基本特征、新目标、新内容以及新农村建设与农业多功能经营发展方式之间存在的耦合性,共同决定着我国可以利用农业多功能经营发展方式进行社会主义新农村建设。     

农业银行服务“三农”与市场化运作矛盾再探

农村金融已经成为我国农村经济发展的核心,同时也是制约我国农村经济发展的主要瓶颈。在详细分析农业银行政策性业务与市场化运作矛盾的表现与原因及对农业银行多年来改革经验和国外商业性金融机构对农村金融支持经验的基础上,提出了解决我国农业银行政策性业务与市场化运作矛盾的建议。     

明清社会近代转型及转型障碍

文章重点论述明清社会转型的研究范式和明清社会近代转型开始的标志与时间,同时讨论明清社会近代转型的要素、过程、表现和障碍。认为从明代隆庆年间开始,以＂边禁＂＂海禁＂＂银禁＂等三禁开放为标志的中国传统社会近代转型进程已正式开启。至少江南区域社会已经出现从农业社会向早期工业化社会转型;从自给半自给的产品经济社会向商品经济和市场经济社会转型;从封闭半封闭社会向开放社会和全球化社会转型的趋势。但整个转型在清代曲折迂回,端在障碍众多,其关键原因来自于当时内外环境的特殊性和农牧社会整合的缓慢性。     

农业人才学研究的发展概述

农业人才学是人才学的一个分支学科。国家在农业方面的重要方针政策是促进农业人才发展的一个重要推动力。农业人才学研究农业人才及其分类、农业人才基本素质、农业人才队伍建设、农业人才教育改革、农业人才与农村经济发展等内容。农业人才学研究历程给我们的启示是：农村社会发展的客观需求是农业人才学研究的根本动力,党和国家的涉农政策是农业人才学研究的直接动力,农业人才教育的改革创新是农业人才学研究的一贯重点。