Agricultural and Rural Development Notes

60 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9390
This series on commodity risk management aims to disseminate the results of World Bank research that describes the feasibility of developing countries’ ability to utilize market-based tools to mitigate risks associated with commodity price volatility and weather.
Topic: Finance and Financial Sector Development × Sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa ×

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Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than 1 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old by 2050, is a diverse ...

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    Managing Drought Risk for Food Security in Africa : An Innovative Solution in Malawi
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-01) Syroka, Joanna ; Bunte, Kara
    Malawi periodically experiences drought leading to shortages of grain on the domestic market and a sharp increase in consumer prices. Consumers, including many of the poorest farmers in the country, experience difficulty obtaining enough grain to meet their family requirements. One method to reduce the risks of grain shortfalls is to improve the capacity of farmers to produce enough grain even when drought occurs, for example, through input subsidies and efforts to improve water use efficiency. An additional measure is to finance the establishment and distribution of strategic grain stocks. However, in the occasional year when drought is most extreme, supplementary assistance will still be needed in the form of expensive food imports and, possibly, food aid.
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    Cameroon - Debt Relief Grant under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008-02) Mastri, Lawrence
    The objective of debt relief grant operation was to provide Cameroon the assistance required by IDA under the enhanced HIPC Debt Initiative upon Cameroon reaching the completion point, thus contributing to improving Cameroon's overall debt sustainability and supporting the government's implementation of its poverty reduction strategy through increased spending from the fiscal savings. The policy areas supported by the program are those linked to the conditions for reaching the completion point under the enhanced HIPC debt initiative, namely: (i) preparation of a poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP), and satisfactory implementation for at least one year; (ii) the maintenance of a stable macroeconomic framework and continued satisfactory performance under the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program; (iii) use of budgetary savings from the interim debt service relief; (iv) the satisfactorily implementation of the structural reforms supported by the Third Structural Adjustment Credit (SAC III) financed by IDA; (v) implementation of governance and anti-corruption measures in the areas of judicial reform, budget execution, procurement reform, and the creation of regulatory agencies; and (vi) implementation of key social reforms, including combating malaria and HIV/AIDS. Some of the lessons are as follows: (i) formulate a realistic timeframe for the government to meet the triggers of the completion point; and (ii) ensure that the government puts in place a strong focal point/unit to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the completion point triggers and facilitate related post completion point actions.