Other Agriculture Study
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Publication
Opportunities for Climate Finance in the Livestock Sector: Removing Obstacles and Realizing Potential
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-26)Important mitigation outcomes and other co-benefits could be at reach if rural communities and policy makers in low- and middle-income economies overcame the obstacle of access to finance in the livestock sector. The traditional sources of financing have long been difficult to access for livestock smallholders who often do not hold collateral except for their animals and have little experience of working with financial institutions. Traditional lenders see the livestock sector as overly risky, with little potential for significant profits, leaving them largely uninterested. Expanding financial inclusion would improve livelihoods, increase resilience, and help reduce GHG emissions. Innovative approaches to financing for the livestock sector are needed. In a sector that plays an essential economic role for some 60% of rural households, including 1.7 billion people and contributes up to half of agricultural GDP, reducing carbon emissions while maintaining livelihoods and reducing poverty is essential. This report identifies investment opportunities for increasing climate finance in the sector and drive its sustainable transformation. -
Publication
Addressing Food Loss and Waste: A Global Problem with Local Solutions
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-09-28)The report focuses on the role that food loss and waste (FLW) could play in reducing the environmental footprint of food systems while attempting to meet the caloric and nutrient needs of a population expected to increase by 3 billion people in the next 30 years. The performance of the global food system over the last century has been extraordinary. From a global population of 1.6 billion people in 1900 to nearly 8 billion in 2020, the agri-food sector has risen to the challenge of providing global caloric sufficiency, mainly by increasing yields of a few principal staple crops. However, this path is no longer sustainable. -
Publication
Uzbekistan: Agri-Food Job Diagnostic
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-09-28)Jobs are among the most important economic and social concerns in Uzbekistan. This report takes stock of the job situation in Uzbekistan’s broader agri-food sector and shows pathways for increasing sustainable employment. It lays out a roadmap for operationalization of the implicit job agenda of the recently adopted agricultural strategy for Uzbekistan. The illustrative scenarios presented in the report show that public policies and investments can help the agri-food sector increase employment between 19 and 32 percentage points in 2030 compared to 2019, allowing annual creation of 0.7 to 1.3 million jobs, more than enough to absorb 600,000 young newcomers to Uzbekistan’s labor market (due to demographic reasons). Particularly the horticulture sub-sectors with strong comparative advantages and market opportunities has a potential for more productive and sustainable jobs. Those jobs will be inclusive, being available to women and youth not only in Tashkent and other large cities, but also in rural areas and secondary towns. And, they will be critical to raise people’s incomes and lift them out of poverty, as well as helping the agri-food sector enhance food security and supporting economic growth through its strong spillovers to regional and rural economies. -
Publication
Improving Agriculture and Food Security Risk Financing in Southern Africa: Lessons Learned
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-05-18)The objective of this report is to provide a review of and recommendations for improving the agriculture and food security risk financing framework in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Member States. This report presents the compilation of various analyses and activities realized in the context of a World Bank Group Advisory Services program to the SADC Region during 2019 and 2020, which included: (i) a stocktaking of the agroclimatic information systems of the region; (ii) the implementation of four innovation challenges to identify the most promising solutions to advance the risk finance agenda for food security and agriculture in the region; (iii) the implementation of one of the innovative solutions to one SADC Member State (the Democratic Republic of Congo); and (iv) the development of a regional risk financing policy note for agriculture and food security in SADC. The work was conducted by a multisectoral tea -
Publication
Local Sourcing in the Cabo Verde Tourism Food Supply Chain: Opportunities and Challenges
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-10)The objective of this research report is to assess the market potential for local sourcing in the Cabo Verde tourism food supply chain, with a particular emphasis on traditional sectors such as agriculture and fisheries. As tourism continues to expand rapidly in Cabo Verde, the sector creates a growing market potential for locally sourced produce. The number of inbound tourists in the country has steadily increased from 428,000 in 2011 to 710,000 in 2018 - a 7,5 percent CAGR in the period - causing with it a rise in the direct economic contribution of travel & tourism activities to GDP, now estimated at near 20 percent. The islands of Sal and Boa Vista dominate the market, attracting together 76,4 percent of all arrivals, who visit overwhelmingly under the all-inclusive resort segment. In addition, higher average lengths of stay in these two islands imply that they account for proportionally more room nights (89,9 percent of the total bed nights) than the rest of the country. The level of linkages between the primary sector and tourism has long been a debated topic, particularly the untapped potential of additional positive spillovers and impact on poverty reduction. A World Bank study commissioned in 2013 estimated that more than 80 percent of food and beverage products consumed by all-inclusive resorts were imported. While these resorts have been decisive in pushing infrastructure development and promoting job creation, the level of linkages with local businesses is seen as being below potential. The study found that the low level of local food sourcing stemmed from a range of challenges related to sanitary and quantity standards, volumes, reliability of supply, and connectivity. Since then, very little research has sought to quantify the market potential in supplying tourism or assessing which products could be prioritized at local production level, on comparative and competitive advantages vis-à-vis imports. The methodology for this research comprised a quantitative and qualitative survey with a representative sample of large hotels in Sal and Boa Vista, in addition to in-depth follow-up interviews and desk review of pertinent data. The type of commercially sensitive information required from the surveyed participants severely undermined participation, despite guarantees of confidentiality. A substantial effort was invested in following-up, and the team was able to gather consumption data covering a small representative sample of large hotels, as well as relevant information on market characteristics and trends from the leading hotel supplier wholesalers. -
Publication
Productive Diversification of African Agriculture and Its Effects on Resilience and Nutrition
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-06-25)The agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the backbone of national economies, sustaining rural and urban livelihoods alike, and providing food and income for the majority of households. Recent agriculture growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been solid and has supported improvements in nutrition outcomes and poverty rates.Despite some relative gains, food insecurity and malnutrition in absolute terms continue to be major public health challenges in most African countries south of the Sahara, and most recent data are cause for concern. Many countries are still highly reliant on the production of one crop for national food security, which largely determines the total caloric intake of the rural population. Farmers in Sub-Saharan African are vulnerable to market risks and weather-related risks and shocks. Decisions on whether to diversify or to specialize production impact resilience, and thus their capacity to cope with and adapt to these risks. Market- and climate-related risks to smallholders in SSA are compounded by predictions that both the suitability of crop area for staples such as maize, and crop nutrient content could be substantially lowered with rising average temperatures. This report highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in fostering diversification and provides a selection of policies available to governments that can promote or constrain diversification. -
Publication
Unleashing the Power of Digital on Farms in Russia - and Seeking Opportunities for Small Farms
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018)Rapidly emerging technologies that capture, manage, communicate, and use information in digital form are dramatically transforming the way that farming and agribusiness are done across the globe—especially for large commercial farms. Nowhere is this more true than in the Russian Federation, where many large agri-holding companies operate at the cutting edge of the application of digital technologies. These large industrial farms, with sizable land and livestock holdings, possess the financial resources and the management know-how to own and leverage the most advanced technology. Some have sophisticated information technology staff to develop and manage digital approaches to many aspects of farm operations. However, many of Russia’s farms—especially small and medium farms—lack the connectivity and skillsets needed to take advantage of such technologies. Many of these small farms also lack the equipment and the know-how to take advantage of the transformational digital opportunities from which they might profit. Yet the ever-expanding connectivity and availability of information and communication technology and digital tools could make it possible for transformational developments to happen on small, traditional, remote, and disadvantaged farms too. -
Publication
India - Unlocking Agribusiness for Inclusive Growth, Jobs, and More: Policy and Investment Priorities
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-07-01)Major changes are occurring in the Indian economy that should inform public policy and investments in the food sector. The main drivers of changes occurring in the Indian economy include rising per capita incomes and urbanization. These patterns have led to increased demand for food and food services, including postharvest management activities, food retailing, and restaurants. Aggregate demand for food has increased, and consumption patterns are shifting toward fresh fruits and vegetables, processed foods, and ready-to-eat foods and meals. To meet the emerging demand, farmers need to respond by not only diversifying production toward foods with increasing demand but also with postharvest management. The objective of this report is to identify policy and investment priorities in agribusiness to stimulate inclusive growth and jobs. The study ultimately seeks to inform strategic dialogue between the government of India and the World Bank Group toward investments in postharvest management and other segments of agribusiness. The report provides building blocks to identify priorities for policy and investment. After a brief introduction (chapter 1), chapter 2 presents a framework to understand the role of agribusiness in development. Chapter 3 provides estimates of productivity and capital investment gaps in various subsectors of agribusiness and simulates the effects of bridging those gaps on macroeconomic indicators, sectoral growth, and jobs. Chapter 4 provides lessons on using agribusiness to improve nutrition. Chapter 5 provides lessons on promoting cold chain development. Chapter 6 provides lessons on promoting agroprocessing. Chapter 7 provides lessons on promoting inclusive value chains for modern food retailing. Finally, chapter 8 provides policy and investment priorities in agribusiness based on the main findings of the report. -
Publication
Agriculture for Jobs and Growth in the Western Balkans: A Regional Report
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06)The agri-food industry, comprising agricultural inputs, primary agricultural production, off-farm food processing, food distribution, food retail and consumption, and other food-related services, is one of the most important industries in the Western Balkans in terms of turnover, jobs and geographic scale. Average turnover of the agri-food industry accounts for 24 percent of total manufacturing turnover in the Western Balkan (WB) region compared to the European Union (EU) average of 15 percent (in 2011) and it is more evenly distributed geographically than other industries. Global evidence suggests that agribusiness has the highest short-term indirect employment impact, where creating one job generates more than double the number of jobs in the rest of the economy. The sector’s broad geographic footprint, multiple functions and cross-sector linkages could transform the industry into a powerful driver of value addition, income diversification and innovation in rural areas. The objective of this regional study is to examine how further investment, modernization and transformation of the agriculture and rural economy can contribute to job creation and economic growth in the Western Balkans, while highlighting how better public policies and deeper European integration can help take this process forward. The study aims to better understand the features of agri-food employment in the region, including its potential to generate more, better and more inclusive jobs and to identify transformative (policy) actions that could trigger a structural change towards a more productive use of human and other resources in agriculture. -
Publication
Leveraging the Rice Value Chain for Poverty Reduction in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-05-25)Rice is an important agricultural product and food staple in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), especially for its three low-income members – Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. These countries are net exporters of rice, similar to their more advanced neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam, but their rice sector potential is still largely underutilized. They adopt slightly different approaches to rice sector development in terms of the role of the private sector, openness to foreign direct investments (FDI), and commitment to open trade, yet they all aim to remain competitive on export markets and to leverage this competitiveness for poverty reduction and boosted shared prosperity, while achieving other development outcomes such as better nutrition, climate-smart agriculture, and job creation. Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar are the ‘target countries’ of this report, while Thailand and Vietnam are the peers used for comparison and experience-sharing throughout the report. This report presents a summary of main findings, lessons learned, and policy recommendations from these workshops. The spectrum of discussions was broad, depending on the interest of each country to learn specific experiences from other countries or from the region and the world. Most workshops brought together private and public sector representatives to facilitate open dialogue and better integrate private sector objectives into agricultural strategies and policies.