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Browsing by Author "Nguema, Abigail M."

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
  • CCRA-6 economic analysis and impact
    Norton, George W.; Nguema, Abigail M. (2012)
    While conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) are known as methods for improving soils, the economic impact of their adoption must also guide research and promotion. This PowerPoint, from Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program’s (SANREM CRSP) cross cutting research activity on economic analysis and impact, presents economic analysis of CAPS at SANREM research sites. It describes three main research topics. Budget analysis in Ghana, Lesotho, and Mozambique analyzed inputs and outputs under CAPS. In the Andes, linear programming found that CAPS were more profitable for the Alumbre sub-watershed than for the Illangama sub-watershed. Economic surplus analysis conducted for Ecuador, Lesotho, and Nepal found positive benefits of CAPS in each region studied, but the outcomes were dependent on the assumed adoption rate.
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    Cross-Cutting Research Activity 6: Economic and impact analysis
    Nguema, Abigail M.; Norton, George W.; Bertelsen, Michael (2011)
    This poster provides an introduction to the Cross-Cutting Research Activity (CCRA) 6 in the SANREM CRSP program. This particular research activity seeks to understand and determine the economic and social impacts of the SANREM CRSP's Long Term Research Awards (LTRAs). Highlights of the actions to date involving collaboration with LTRA 7 in Ecuador are given.
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    Economic analysis of conservation agriculture in maize-based farming system in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Norton, George W.; Nguema, Abigail M.; Limbu, P.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    A linear programming technique was used to estimate the revenue maximizing allocation of land for a representative household using conservation agriculture production system (CAPS) and farmers’ traditional practices. The model was optimized in five different scenarios. Scenario 1, 2, 3 and 4 were build by allowing annual soil loss to 1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha-1 yr-1 respectively, whereas scenario 5 was build with unconstrained soil loss. Scenario suggested that unless soil loss is considered, conservation tillage does not appear in the profit maximizing allocation of land. Practice with strip tillage appeared in the profit optimized model of all scenarios where soil loss was constrained. Scenario 1 and 2 had about 71 and 66 % of land allotted to maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with strip tillage practice. Result also suggested that the representative farm have to sacrifice about $88.6 for about 7 years and $50.1 ha-1 yr-1 (-7.6% and -4.1% revenue) if they aim to reduce the soil loss to 1 and 2 t ha-1 yr-1 respectively. An analysis of the total change in economic surplus associated with adopting the revenue maximizing crop mix was completed. The analysis suggests that conservation agriculture will eventually pay off because total change in economic surplus for 12 years is estimated to be $3,735 million (net present value) if only 1% of the total area adopts the revenue maximization crop mix with a 2 t ha-1 yr-1 soil loss constraint.
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    Economic analysis of conservation agriculture in maize-based farming systems in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Norton, George W.; Nguema, Abigail M.; Sharma, G. B. (Honolulu HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, 2013)
    A linear programming technique was used to estimate the revenue maximizing allocation of land for a representative household using conservation agriculture production system (CAPS) and farmers’ traditional practices. Four practices with conventional tillage taken for model were maize followed by millet i.e. CT[M-Mi], black gram i.e. CT[M-Bg], cowpea i.e. CT[M-C] and followed by millet+cowpea intercrop i.e. CT[M-Mi+C]. One strip tillage practice included in model was maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop i.e. ST[M-Mi+C]. The model was optimized in five different scenarios. Scenario 1, 2, 3 and 4 were build by allowing annual soil loss to 1, 2, 3 and 4t ha-1yr-1 respectively, whereas scenario 5 was build with unconstrained soil loss. The results of scenario 1 suggest that unless soil loss is considered, conservation tillage does not appear in the profit maximizing allocation of land. Practice with strip tillage appeared in the profit-optimized model of all scenarios where soil loss was constrained in base year. Scenario 1 and 2 had about 71 and 66 % of cultivated land covered with ST [M-Mi+C] practice. But, CT [M-Bg] covered about 65% of the land under soil loss unconstrained model. Result also suggested that the representative farm have to sacrifice about $88.6 ha-1yr-1 for about 7 years (-7.6% revenue) if they aim to reduce the soil loss to 1 t ha-1 yr-1, $50.1 ha-1yr-1 for about 6 years (-4.2% revenue) if they target to reduce soil loss to 2 t ha-1yr-1, and about 27.13 (-2.3% revenue) t ha-1yr-1 to target soil loss of 3 t ha-1yr-1. An analysis of the total change in economic surplus associated with adopting the revenue maximizing crop mix was completed. The analysis suggests that conservation agriculture will eventually pay off because total change in economic surplus for 12 years is estimated to be $3,735 million (net present value) if only 1% of the total area adopts the revenue maximization crop mix with a 2 t ha-1yr-1 soil loss constraint.
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    Economic impact analysis
    Bertelsen, Michael; Norton, George W.; Nguema, Abigail M. (Blackburg, VA: SANREM CRSP, OIRED, 2010)
    This presentation describes a research proposal to study the economic impact of the SANREM CRSP projects as a cross-cutting research activity. A linear programming model is proposed to measure the costs and benefits of conservation agriculture in the shorter and longer term. Data for the Economic Impact Cross Cutting Research Activity will be collected during the baseline surveys conducted by the individual LTRAs in years 1 and 4.
  • Farm level impacts of conservation agriculture in Ecuador
    Norton, George W.; Alwang, Jeffrey R.; Taylor, Daniel B.; Barrera, Victor H.; Nguema, Abigail M.; Bertelsen, Michael (2012)
    Farmers in the Bolivar province of Ecuador face significant livelihood challenges including environmental degradation and low yields. Conservation agriculture (CA), which promotes reduced tillage, intercropping, and maintaining an organic soil cover, offers a potential solution. This article presents a two-year study analyzing conservation agriculture’s short-term effect on net income. Treatments of various combinations of conservation agriculture methods were applied in the Alumbre and Illangama sub-watersheds. Linear modeling was used to determine which practice would generate the highest net income based on land, labor, and other constraints. In Illangama, the optimal solution consisted of a combination of three treatments: one conventional agriculture plot and two plots implementing the CA practices of crop rotation and cover crops (under conventional tillage). In Alumbre, on the other hand, the optimal solution consisted of the same application on all fields of reduced tillage, crop rotation, and an oats-vetch cover crop. In both instances, the application of CA techniques resulted in a higher net income, indicating that CA is economically beneficial, even in the short run.
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    Maximizing revenue for conservation agriculture practice system in maize-based hill farming system of Nepal and estimating change in total economic surplus
    Paudel, Bikash (2013)
    The presentation explores the following questions: How can farmers maximize their benefits adopting CAPS in maize based hill farming systems in Nepal,and what would be the projected impacts of adoption of conservation agriculture on economic surplus ?
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    Projection of aggregate and farm benefits of conservation agriculture productions systems using economic surplus analysis and linear programing in Nepal
    Paudel, Bikash; Chan-Halbrendt, Catherine; Nguema, Abigail M.; Norton, George W.; Tamang, Bishal B.; Radovich, Theodore J. K.; Crow, Susan; Halbrendt, Jacqueline (2013)
    Traditional agriculture in central mid hills of Nepal is characterized by cultivation of sloping lands, resulting in lower productivity and soil loss. The Sustainable Management of Agro-ecological Resources in Tribal Societies (SMARTS) project applied a participatory agro-ecological research framework to develop improved conservation agriculture practices system (CAPS) to contribute to sustainable livelihood of marginalized tribal farmers. This paper used economic surplus analysis at macro level to analyze the effect of adoption of adoption of different CAPS by farmers on aggregate benefits. The paper also used farm level linear programming model to estimate the revenue maximization allocation of the land for a representative households. The result indicated adoption of CAPS 2 (i.e. maize in first season followed by cowpea cover crop) increased the aggregate economic surplus but adoption of CAPS 3 and CAPS 4 did not increase the economic surplus. At farm level profit maximization model showed, when the soil loss is not considered, adoption of CAPS 1 on all land produced maximum revenue. Under the scenario build with maximum soil loss of 1 ton ha-1 year-1, adoption of CAPS 4 (maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with strip tillage) on 61% of land, CAPS 2 on 34% of land and CAPS 3 on 4% (maize followed by millet+cowpea intercrop with conventional tillage) was profit maximizing. Farmers can increase farm revenue and profit by adopting either of the scenarios.
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    Two Papers Evaluating the Economic Impact of Agricultural Innovation
    Nguema, Abigail M. (Virginia Tech, 2011-09-22)
    While extensive research has been carried out to examine the yield growth brought about by innovations in agricultural technology, not enough work has been done to document the economic impacts of these innovations on areas besides yields and income. This study presents two papers which contribute to our understanding of the health and environmental impacts of agricultural innovation, "Expected economic benefits of meeting nutritional needs through biofortified cassava in Nigeria and Kenya," and "Projected farm-level impacts on income of conservation agriculture in the Andean Region." The first paper is motivated by the public health consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which affect more than two billion people worldwide and can lead to increased incidence of illness, disability, and mortality. Through the use of the disability adjusted life years concept (DALYs), economic surplus analysis, and benefit-cost analysis, the authors determine the economic impact of a staple crop biofortification project. The study finds that biofortified cassava in Nigeria and Kenya is a cost effective means of reducing health problems associated with vitamin A and iron deficiency. The second paper considers the significant livelihood challenges faced by rural communities in the Andes, including poverty, food insecurity, and natural resource constraints. Through the development and implementation of a linear programming model, the study analyzes the economic impact of a conservation agriculture project in central Ecuador, and finds that certain experimental cropping activities designed to decrease soil degradation may contribute to increased incomes for farm households.
  • Two papers evaluating the economic impact of agricultural innovation
    Nguema, Abigail M. (Masters Thesis. Virginia Polytechnic and State University: Blacksburg, VA, 2011)
    The first paper of this thesis seeks to clarify the economic benefits of staple crop biofortification and accomplishes this through the utilization of cost-benefit analysis, DALYs (disability adjusted life years concept), and analysis of economic surplus. The first paper finds that health problems related to iron deficiency and vitamin A can be cost-efficiently reduced through biofortification of cassava in Kenya and Nigeria. The second paper studies the economic impact of conservation agriculture in Ecuador and the researcher utilizes a linear programming model to show that certain conservation agriculture endeavors can increase household income for farmers.