FARA & PARI have released a new book titled STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMING SMALLHOLDER FARMING IN AFRICA.
Read the whole book here.
Read more Strategies for Transforming Smallholder Farming in Africa
Zambia
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with a population of about 16 million people. The agricultural sector contributes around 20% to GDP and employs 67% of the workforce. Although the government considers the agricultural sector to be the most important engine for economic development, the increase in agricultural production was not able to keep up with growth in the domestic demand. Maize is by far the most important agricultural crop, both in terms of cultivated land area and exports. Other important supply chains include soybean, cotton, peanuts, beans, milk, and poultry. Undernutrition is a pressing problem in Zambia, as half the popultion is unable to meet minimum dietary energy requirements and is chronically undernourished. This translates into high stunting rates, affecting 40% of children.
Read the full country dossier here, see the Zambia farmer innovation contest page here, and read the country innovation study on the status of agricultural innovations, innovation platforms and innovation investments in Zambia here.
Agricultural Typology of Zambia:
Zambia on 
Publications
Strategies for Transforming Smallholder Farming in Africa
Between pandemics and famines: Towards nutrition-sensitive lockdowns during Covid-19 and beyond
Published as Hohenheim Working Papers on Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development Nr. 006-2020.
Read the working paper here.
‘We would rather die from Covid-19 than from hunger´ – Exploring lockdown stringencies in five African countries
Published as Hohenheim Working Papers on Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development Nr. 005-2020.
Read the full working paper here.
A study conducted by the University of Hohenheim in five African countries as part of the SEWOH accompanying research on agricultural innovations highlights the dramatic dilemma between lockdowns and food security. Lockdowns primarily affect economic access to food, for example because people in the informal sector lose their jobs, which can lead to calorie and nutrient deficiencies. The study shows that open debates in more democratic countries helped to better maneuver through the dilemma between pandemic and famine.
Using smartphone app collected data to explore the link between mechanization and intra-household allocation of time in Zambia
Published in Agriculture and Human Values (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-020-10160-3
A previous draft of this study was published as ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 278.Read more Using smartphone app collected data to explore the link between mechanization and intra-household allocation of time in Zambia
From Potentials to Reality: Transforming Africa’s Food Production
The report is avalailable in English and German.
Read the press release to the report here.Read more From Potentials to Reality: Transforming Africa’s Food Production
Investing Sustainably in African Livestock Development: Opportunities and Trade-Offs
Published as ZEF Working Paper 194.
Read the full report here.Read more Investing Sustainably in African Livestock Development: Opportunities and Trade-Offs
India-Africa Partnership in Trade and Investment: With focus on the Agriculture and Food Sector
Published as ZEF Working Paper 195.
Read the full report here.Read more India-Africa Partnership in Trade and Investment: With focus on the Agriculture and Food Sector
PARI Policy Brief No. 21: The Forgotten Agriculture-Nutrition Link
This PARI Policy Brief is available here.
Read more PARI Policy Brief No. 21: The Forgotten Agriculture-Nutrition Link
PARI Policy Brief No. 20: What are the Effects of Agricultural Mechanization?
This PARI Policy Brief is available here.
Read more PARI Policy Brief No. 20: What are the Effects of Agricultural Mechanization?
Copyright or copyleft: An assessment of farmer-innovators’ attitudes towards intellectual property rights
Published in Journal of Rural Studies.
Read the full report here.Read more Copyright or copyleft: An assessment of farmer-innovators’ attitudes towards intellectual property rights
PARI Policy Brief No. 18: Mechanizing African Agriculture
This PARI Policy Brief is available in English here and in German here.
Read more PARI Policy Brief No. 18: Mechanizing African Agriculture
The forgotten agriculture-nutrition link: Estimating the energy requirements of different farming technologies in rural Zambia
Can small farms benefit from big companies’ initiatives to promote mechanization in Africa? A case study from Zambia
Published in Food Policy.
Read the policy brief here.
Also published as: Can Big Companies’ Initiatives to Promote Mechanization Benefit Small Farms in Africa? A Case Study from Zambia, ZEF – Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 262 (2018)Read more Can small farms benefit from big companies’ initiatives to promote mechanization in Africa? A case study from Zambia
PARI Policy Brief No. 13: How to Keep Tractors Running in Africa?
Available here in English and here in German.
Read more PARI Policy Brief No. 13: How to Keep Tractors Running in Africa?
Times Have Changed – Using a Pictorial Smartphone App to Collect Time–Use Data in Rural Zambia
Published in SAGE Journals
Read the full report here. Read more Times Have Changed – Using a Pictorial Smartphone App to Collect Time–Use Data in Rural Zambia
Smartphone Apps as a new method to collect data on smallholder farming systems in the digital age: A case study from Zambia
Published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Volume 153, October 2018, Pages 144-150. Available for a limited time here.
Of Bulls and Bulbs – Aspirations and Perceptions of Rural Youth in Zambia
Pathways for Improved Nutrition in Zambia: Lessons from Pro-Vitamin A rich Maize Innovation Platform
Pathways for Improved Nutrition in Zambia: Lessons from Pro-Vitamin A rich Maize Innovation Platform
Published as FARA Research Report Volume 2 No: 14 (2018)
The full report can be found here.
Mechanization in African Agriculture: A Continental Overview on Patterns and Dynamics
ZEF Working Paper 169 can be found here
Read more Mechanization in African Agriculture: A Continental Overview on Patterns and Dynamics
Differential Impacts of Conservation Agriculture Technology Options on Household Income in Sub-Saharan Africa
Published in Ecological Economics, Volume 151, September 2018, Pages 95–105.
Available for download here.Read more Differential Impacts of Conservation Agriculture Technology Options on Household Income in Sub-Saharan Africa
PARI Policy Brief No. 9: Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth in Africa – Insights from Research Dossiers on 12 PARI Partner Countries
Recognizing and rewarding farmers’ creativity through contests: experiences and insights from four African countries
Published in Food Security, October 2018, Volume 10, Issue 5, pp 1237–1250
and as ZEF Working Paper No. 166.
Further information about the farmer innovation contests organised by PARI in Africa can be found here.Read more Recognizing and rewarding farmers’ creativity through contests: experiences and insights from four African countries
Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth – 12 Country Dossiers
Dossiers available for download by country (October 2017).Read more Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth – 12 Country Dossiers
Change in crop management strategies could double the maize yield in Africa
Published as E.E. Rezaei and T. Giaser, ZEF Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 239
Read the policy brief here.
Download the full paper here.Read more Change in crop management strategies could double the maize yield in Africa
PARI Poster: Recognizing Farmer Innovators in Africa
Download the poster (3.6 Mb).Read more PARI Poster: Recognizing Farmer Innovators in Africa
The ReSAKSS Country eAtlases
The ReSAKSS Country eAtlases is a GIS-based mapping tool designed to help policy analysts and policymakers access and use high quality and highly disaggregated data on agricultural, socio-economic, and bio-physical indicators to guide agricultural policy and investment decisions.
Smartphone App: TimeTracker
TimeTracker is a simple, picture-base smartphone app which allows respondents in household surveys to record daily activities themselves. Developed by the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute) at the University of Hohenheim and the Stuttgart Media University. One June 4th, PARI was awarded with the landmark 2018 price of the Initiative “Germany – Land of Ideas” and the Deutsche Bank in Berlin. Read more Smartphone App: TimeTracker
Country Innovation Studies
The Innovation Studies for the 12 African PARI countries provide an overview of the status of agricultural innovations, innovation platforms and innovation investment in the respective country. Read more Country Innovation Studies
On the use of agricultural system models for exploring technological innovations across scales in Africa: A critical review
PARI Policy Brief No. 1: Strategic Directions for Development Collaboration for Food Security and Agricultural Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Tapping Potentials of Innovation for Food Security and Sustainable Agricultural Growth – an Africa-wide Perspective
A study for the special initiative “One World, No Hunger” of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Download full report and policy brief.
Report on Potentials and Cooperation Opportunities in African Countries
Summary of a report on potentials and possibilities for German collaboration in agriculture in the 12 PARI countries.
Download full report in English, French and German
Read more Report on Potentials and Cooperation Opportunities in African Countries
Potentials and Possibilities for German Collaboration in Agriculture – 12 Country Dossiers
Dossiers available for download by country and as a complete collection (September 2015) .Read more Potentials and Possibilities for German Collaboration in Agriculture – 12 Country Dossiers
Regional trade and volatility in staple food markets in Africa
Published as: ZEF Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 200.
Download paper.Read more Regional trade and volatility in staple food markets in Africa