Browsing by Author "Hussein, K."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Agricultural biotechnology and the transformation of West African agriculture: Challenges and regional perspectives
    Zoundi, J. S.; Hitimana, L.; Hussein, K. (Paris, France: Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC), 2006)
    This report summarizes consultations held with West African governmental and non-governmental actors regarding the role of agriculture in medium- and long-term development in West Africa and the impact of agricultural innovation on societal development. Objectives of the consultations included debate of the issues regarding agricultural biotechnology; the need to preserve biodiversity and protect the species and germplasm of local crop varieties; the socio-economic impact of biotechnology on economically vulnerable producers; fear of producers' long-term dependency for seed on international companies; and safety measures that would need to be followed in utilizing agricultural biotechnology.
  • Economic and social importance of cotton production and trade in West Africa: Role of cotton in regional development trade and livelihoods (DRAFT)
    Hussein, K.; Perret, C.; Hitimana, L. (Paris, France: Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat (Club du Sahel et de l'Afrique de l'Ouest)/OECD, 2005)
    Cotton plays an important part in West Africa's development. Between 1-2 million households produce cotton in West Africa, up to 16 million people are involved in cotton production in some way and West and Central Africa taken together are the world's 2nd largest exporters of cotton after the United States. Almost all cotton produced in West Africa is on relatively small family farms as a cash crop designed to meet household's cash needs for both consumption and investment. These family farms generate some 30-50% of national GDP in West Africa -depending on the country- and in some countries they generate the largest export revenues. Reliance on export crops and primary commodities is clearly no a secure route to poverty reduction, due to price volatility and environmental risk among other factors. This report aims to provide a distinctly regional perspective, while drawing on national and sub-national data to illustrate points and ultimately contribute to initiatives supporting the development of this sub-sector. Specifically, this overview assesses: the evolving importance of cotton production and trade in the West Africa region over recent decades; the changing place of cotton in farmer livelihoods; the contribution of cotton to West African development; and strategic issues to be considered to determine the appropriate action to be undertaken in the sub-sector. The authors concludes that it is essential to continue to create opportunities for dialogue between different categories of actors in order to identify the most appropriate trade and development related interventions.
  • The family economy and agricultural innovation in West Africa: Towards new partnerships: Overview
    Zoundi, J. S.; Hitimana, L.; Hussein, K. (2005)
    The conclusions of this report are:
  • Increasing violent conflict between herders and farmers in Africa: Claims and evidence
    Hussein, K.; Sumberg, J.; Seddon, D. (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1999)
    This paper reports the results of a literature review and postal survey focused on the many relatively recent claims of increasing violent conflict between herders and farmers in semi-arid Africa. These claims are being used to prompt new policy and development interventions that could have profound implication on social and economic relations and natural resource use in semi-arid areas. However, the review revealed that few of these claims are supported by compelling evidence, and even the historical analyses which were reviewed fail to provide the rigorous time-series data necessary to confirm the hypothesis that violent farmer-herder conflict is generally increasing in semi-arid Africa. This lack of convincing evidence that violent conflict is increasing should engender a more circumspect approach on the part of policy makers and development professionals alike.
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    Sustainable livelihoods and livelihood diversification
    Hussein, K.; Nelson, J. (1998)
    This paper constitutes a preliminary output of the ODA-funded research programme on sustainable livelihoods being carried out by the Institutes of Development Studies and the Poverty Research Unit at the University of Sussex, in collaboration with the International Institutes for Environment and Development. This programme aims to explore the alternative routes to sustainable livelihoods pursued by rural people in contrasting agro-ecological settings in four countries: Bangladesh, Mali, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. In relation to this aim, the overall focus is to understand how institutional arrangements determine rural people's entitlements, provide the setting within which they construct their livelihoods, and determine who gains and loses in the struggle to maintain livelihoods. It is proposed that rural people construct their livelihoods via three main strategies: agricultural intensification, livelihood diversification, and migration. This paper explores the second of these strategies using evidence from Asia and Africa.