Browsing by Author "Shapiro, B. I."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Desertification, drought, poverty and agriculture: Research lessons and opportunities
    Winslow, M.; Shapiro, B. I.; Thomas, R.; Shetty, S. V. R. (Aleppo, Syria; Patancheru, India; and Rome, Italy: joint publication of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the UNCCD Global Mechanism (GM), 2004)
    Desertification has been defined as the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas that results from a variety of factors including climate change and human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing of livestock, over cultivation, and irrigation practices. This report gives an historical overview of desertification, presents research priorities for reducing degradation of dryland areas, and relates progress that has been made in the drylands in the battle against desertification.
  • The Economics of Agricultural Technology in Semiarid Sub-Saharan Africa
    Sanders, J. H.; Shapiro, B. I.; Ramaswamy, S. (Baltimore, MD.: John Hopkins University Press, 1996)
    An analysis is made of the past and potential performance of new agricultural technologies for sub-Saharan Africa, whilst focusing on four main problems: gauging the success of agricultural technology introduced into the region; identifying common patterns of technology successes or failures that lead to a new strategy for technology development; the strength of the strategy when compared with evolution of past experiences; and the role of public and private sectors in the introduction of new technologies. The majority of the fieldwork and subsequent modeling was undertaken in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Sudan. The 12 chapters are divided into five sections under the following headings: the framework; technology development for specific regions looking at new technologies, combining soil and water improvements and plant breeding; critical research and planning issues for technology development; alternative strategies for disease control and livestock development; and conclusions. (CAB Abstracts)
  • Fertiliser use in semi-arid West Africa: Profitability and supporting policy
    Shapiro, B. I.; Sanders, J. H. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), 1998)
    An important debate is currently under way among researchers and policy makers about the relative merits of using organic versus inorganic fertilizers to improve soil fertility in semi-arid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Environmentalists argue that use of inorganic fertilizer contributes to natural resource degradation and recommend use of organic fertilizers as a means of promoting sustainable agriculture. Opponents of this view maintain that a more rapid introduction of inorganic fertilizers is required in sub-Saharan Africa where current levels of use are extremely low, even when compared with other developing countries.
  • A strategy for technology development for semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa
    Sanders, J. H.; Shapiro, B. I.; Ramaswamy, S. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), 1998)
    Pessimistic views are often advanced about the future of agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa, where rapid population and declining food production growth trends have been observed. This has especially been the case with regard to semi-arid Africa where rainfall is low and irregular, and soils fragile and with low fertility. Such views ignore the fact that there have been successful technological break-throughs in the semi-arid region which have resulted in substantial agricultural productivity gains. Successful technology introductions have addressed principal constraints of water availability and soil fertility in the semi-arid region. A strategy for the rapid introduction of inorganic fertilizers, combined with the techniques that increase water availability and increased organic fertilizer use is proposed here for semi-arid Africa.