Facts:
Theme 1 has six focus countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, we collaborate with partner institutions in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. In Asia, our activities focus on Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Theme 1 - Social and economic dimensions of smallholder based agriculture and food security
Last changed: 02 December 2021
Raising smallholder productivity, combatting hunger and improving rural livelihoods require interventions to improve technology use, enhance women’s participation and stimulate inclusive and efficient markets. Capacity building and translating research into policy are the main objectives of this program.
Of the 600 million farms found in the world today, 85% are smaller than 2 ha. In terms of employment global agriculture is heavily concentrated in the smallholder sector, while the smallholder sector, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, is sadly coincident with rural poverty.
The overlap between rural poverty, food insecurity and smallholder farming points to the crucial role of the sector in alleviating hunger and malnutrition among the global poor.
To enable context specific interventions, that take into consideration geographic differences in production systems, markets and demography, existing research are synthesised in four key areas:
- Gender segmented markets and production systems and how this segmentation relates to local and regional institutions as well as livelihood sources found outside agriculture
- How local and regional conditions for agriculture and food security vary, given geographical differences in production systems and value chains in relation to urbanization, infrastructure, mobility and macro-economic conditions
- Gender- and generational aspects of sustainable intensification and productivity increases related to input markets, commodity markets as well as institutions of relevance to technology transfer.
- The cultural and demographic conditions for agriculture and food security in the context of modernisation, generational shifts, shrinking farm sizes and changing patterns of migration in which young people, and young women especially, increasingly aspire to leave agriculture.
Synthesis of existing research will be achieved through knowledge exchange between Swedish researchers and researchers in partner organisations in the global South. As capacity building and translating research into policy are the main objectives of this programme, courses and workshops will be offered for young researchers on communicating research findings effectively to policymakers and other stakeholders.
Outputs from Theme 1
- Claudia Deijl, Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt, Magnus Jirström, 2017. Agricultural policy in sub-Saharan Africa and its relevance for smallholder farmers, women and youth - A policy baseline report for sub-Saharan Africa at the continental, regional and national level
- Jane Mutheu Mutune, 2017. Gender and generational aspects of sustainable intensification – social-economic dimensions of Kenyan smallholder based agriculture and food security
- Frank Mugaggaa , Lydia Kakoozab and George Asiimwec, 2018. A review of Uganda’s agricultural policy and how it addresses AgriFose2030’s target groups
- Barasa Bernard, 2018. Local and regional variations in conditions for agriculture and food security in Uganda
- Associated brief: Opportunities and challenges for food security in Uganda
- Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt and Srilata Sircar, 2018. Gendered land rights and access to land in countries experiencing declining farm size
- Charles W. Recha, 2018. Local and regional variations in conditions for agriculture and food security in Kenya
- Anderson Gondwe, 2018. Gender segmented markets and production systems in Malawi
- Srilata Sircar, 2018. Agricultural policy baseline report - Bangladesh
- Rashid Suleiman, 2018. Local and regional variations in conditions for agriculture and food security in Tanzania: A review
- Arbogast Bernard Moshi, 2019. Local and regional variations in conditions for agricultural and food security in Tanzania
- Srilata Sircar, 2019. Commercial shrimpfarming in south-west Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Interventions
- Karin Lindsjö, 2019. Intergenerational challenges for agriculture and rural livelihoods in Tanzania
- Associated brief: Demographic Challenges for Agriculture in Tanzania
- Rachmat Mulia, 2019. Rural transformation and economy in Viet Nam - Progress in eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition
- Agens Andersson Djurfeldt, 2019. Gendered land rights, legal reform and social norms in the context of land fragmentation - A review of the literature for Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Andersson.
- Penninah Twinorugyendo, 2020. Women farmers in Uganda: Constraints and ways forward
- Theresia Jumbe Chivaghula, 2020. Smallholder farming in Tanzania: Opportunities for improved food security
- Jean Kamwamba-Mtethiwa, 2020. Cultural and demographic conditions for smallholder-based agriculture and food security in Malawi
- Cheryl Sjöström, 2020. Investigating the Communicating of Science
- Samuel Onyango Omondi, 2020. "Urban agriculture policy and practice in Kenya"
Networking for enhanced agricultural development and food security
A new network run by AgriFoSe2030 and International livestock research institute, ILRI, aims to develop a pool of policy analysts to sustainably support the development, implementation and evaluation of polices for enhanced agricultural transformation and food security in Kenya. Read more about the network here.
In this network, AgriFoSe2030 and ILRI have produced these briefs:
- November 2018. ILRI and AgriFose2030 support Kenyan scientists to disseminate their research in a policy dialogue and dissemination forum
- October 2018. Improving camel milk quality and safety for higher incomes for pastoralists
- October 2018. Safe traditional vegetables for increased income, food security and nutrition
- October 2018. Droughts in Eastern Kenya: What this means for drought management
- October 2018. Improving tick-borne diseases control in Kenya: A strategy to incorporate multiple approaches
- October 2018. Prickly pear cactus invasion: a major threat to biodiversity and food security in the drylands of Kenya
- October 2018. Looming threat from disease: a wake up call for Kenyan tilapia fish production
- October 2018. In the "Big Four", food security looms tall - but not without irrigated wheat
- October 2018. Replenish millions of Kenyan household's granaries through forest restoration
- October 2018. Conservation agriculture: can it safeguard our soils?
- October 2018. Awakening the underutilised potential of tourism at the Mount Elgon protected areas, Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties
- October 2018. Urban agriculture: The neglected gem for food security in Kenya
- October 2018. Commercial pasture production and its economic feasibility in asal counties
Contact
Magnus Jirström, Professor
Challenge leader of Challenge 4
Department of Human Geography, Lund University
Telephone: +46 46 222 97 97
E-mail: magnus.jirstrom@keg.lu.se
Dr Cheryl Sjöström
Assistant theme leader of Theme 1 in AgriFoSe2030
Department of Human Geography
Lund University
Sölvegatan 10
223 62 Lund
Telephone +46 46 222 62 28
cheryl.sjostrom@keg.lu.se
News from Theme 1
- New network for enhanced agricultural development and food security
- Visting researcher focuses on droughts and climate variability
- “It is all about linking theory to practice” – new AgriFoSe2030 visiting researcher aims to make her research matter for policy
- In the search for food security, how can African scientists make themselves heard?
- Food security in Sub Saharan Africa - one step towards bridging the research policy gap
- ILRI and ReSAKSS-ECA train African researchers in influencing agricultural policies
- Gender-based equality brings about less poverty and better nutrition
- Translating food security research into practice
- Karin Lindsjö on the quest to understand rural intergenerational challenges in Tanzania
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