CALS Global

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Nuffield International Scholars Conference
Steensland, Ann (2019-03-13)
Presentation on agricultural productivity growth.
2019 Global Agricultural Productivity Report: Productivity Growth for Sustainable Diets and More
Steensland, Ann (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Programs, 2019-10-16)
The world must sustainably produce food, feed, fiber, and bio-energy for nearly 10 billion people in 2050. Using publicly-available data and peer-reviewed analysis, the 2019 Global Agricultural Productivity Report puts agricultural productivity growth at the heart of a global strategy for achieving sustainable diets, and more.
Extension and Advisory Services: Supporting Communities Before, During, and After Crises
Grove, Ben; Archibald, Thomas G.; Davis, Kristin (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2020-10-10)
Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) providers are important partners for communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from shocks such as natural disasters and human, plant, and animal disease and pest outbreaks. EAS providers work long-term in communities to equip people with knowledge, skills, and technical resources to improve their livelihoods. EAS are provided by various actors including governments, nongovernmental organizations, private sector entities, higher education institutions, and other organizations. EAS often serve in bridging roles connecting resources from numerous actors operating in communities and are valuable conduits of information during shocks. EAS are seen as key partners in helping communities rebuild and strengthen food systems after the initial shock, given their long-term work horizons. There are numerous examples of EAS responding to crises around the world, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Avian Influenza, malaria, and, more recently during the current COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID-19, EAS have undertaken an unprecedented shift to virtual and distanced programming as daily life has been disrupted through restrictions on movement and gatherings. EAS agents have been challenged to modify program delivery and remain effective in serving their clientele while navigating this new landscape. In this essay we explore examples of EAS supporting communities before, during, and after crises, and discuss implications for future EAS work, including considerations of lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Filling the GAPs: Expert Essays
Thompson, Tommy; Grove, Ben; Archibald, Thomas G.; Agnew, Jessica L.; Steensland, Ann (2020-10-12)
Agricultural productivity is best expressed as Total Factor Productivity-TFP. TFP is a measure of efficiency in agriculture — the efficiency with which agricultural inputs such as labor, fertilizers and seeds are converted into outputs of crops and livestock. According to the the Global Agricultural Productivity Index (GAP Index), global TFP must increase by 1.73 percent annually to meet global goals for adequate food, feed, fiber, and biofuel for 10 billion people by 2050. When we fall short of this target growth rate, as we have each year since the GAP Index was developed in 2010, this creates a “productivity gap”. The productivity gap is worsening in the world’s poorest countries, where TFP growth now averages only 0.58 percent annually. The productivity gap threatens food security and often forces farmers to cultivate marginal lands, which can also threaten biodiversity. How do we close the productivity gap and get back on track to achieving global food security? This year, the GAP Report editors invited scholars and experts to submit essays based upon their research about strategies for closing the productivity gap and increasing agricultural sustainability and resilience.
2020 Global Agricultural Productivity Report: Productivity in a Time of Pandemics
Steensland, Ann; Thompson, Thomas L. (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Programs, 2020-10-12)
Agricultural communities battle pandemic-scale pest and disease outbreaks every year. The health and productivity of people, livestock, and crops are all vulnerable. Food and nutrition security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability are all threatened by these outbreaks. The Global Agricultural Productivity Report lays out some of pandemic scale threats that must be addressed to ensure that we can sustainably produce food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy for 10 billion people in 2050. Agricultural productivity is not just essential for sustainably meeting the demands of a growing world. The technologies and practices that increase productivity can also be harnessed to cultivate resilience, especially to pandemics that can strike with little warning, with catastrophic results.
Productivity in Agriculture for a Sustainable Future
Steensland, Ann; Zeigler, Margaret (Springer, 2021)
In 2050, the number of people living on our planet will grow to nearly 10 billion, and that could double the demand for food, feed, fiber, and biofuels from 2005 levels (von Lampe et al. 2014). It is imperative that this demand be met in a way that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially beneficial. Our food and agriculture systems face enormous challenges to sustainably producing sufficient, nutritious affordable food, feed, fiber, and biofuel for a growing world. At present, agriculture is the largest user of water globally; agriculture also is the single largest use of land, covering a third of the planet’s surface. Competition between food production and other uses of water and land will increase in the coming decades. In addition, climate change threatens agricultural productivity due to increased temperatures and shifts in weather patterns (Box 2.1), thereby making it difficult for crops and livestock to grow and thrive and for agricultural laborers to endure the physical challenges.
Investing in innovation and infrastructure in the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
Corder, Erica (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-01-28)
Fruits and vegetables are essential for human nutrition. But they’re also beneficial to the food system: the fruit and vegetable sector can help benefit global efforts to generate environmental sustainability, increase biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of farmers and employees along the value chains. Investments in traceability innovations and cold chain infrastructures can reduce post-harvest loss in the fruit and vegetable sector.
Mung bean: Nutrient-rich legume for Senegal
Abaye, Azenegashe Ozzie; Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-02-09)
Since 2019, Virginia Tech, in collaboration with Counterpart International, has been investigating the potential of mung bean to address malnutrition and food security in Senegal. The project seeks to create acceptance and increase consumption in communities to address malnutrition and food insecurity. Mung bean is a variety of pulse, the dried, edible seeds of legume plants and can be used as food, fodder, and seed. There are 11 types of pulses, each having many varieties. Dried beans, chickpeas, and lentils are the most common types of pulses.
FES Champions Business-Driven Approach to Food System Development
Stevenson, Abigail; Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-02-18)
Food Enterprise Solutions (FES) aims to tackle food safety issues in emerging economies, to the benefit of growing food businesses, consumers, and food systems as a whole.
Building Africa’s first “e-Extension Platform” for smallholder farmers
Ryoya, Tasia; Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-02-24)
Sasakawa Africa Association envisions an e-Extension Platform that provides smallholder farmers information about technology transfer, agricultural inputs, and markets at any time. The e-Extension Platform should not only improve agricultural productivity in the COVID-19 era, but also resolve the “information asymmetry” that can occur in agricultural extension throughout the value chain through the active use of ICT, even in the post-COVID-19 era.
International Women's Day: Hellen's story
Steensland, Ann; Corder, Erica (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-03-02)
Hellen Wanjiko Waweru, a Kenyan smallholder farmer, shares her farming practices, challenges, and hopes for the future in this documentary short.
World Water Day: Efficient water management essential for agricultural productivity and resilience
Jain Irrigation,; Steensland, Ann; Thompson, Tom (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-03-19)
Current irrigation efficiencies are below 50 percent, as a large amount of water used in irrigation is lost in the conveyance system or through inefficient application to the plants. Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., an India based Ag-Tech leader and world’s largest integrated irrigation systems manufacturer offers solutions to address the water use inefficiency in agriculture. Driven by its mission- “Leave this world better than you found it”, the company brings innovations in the field of agriculture, irrigation, food technology and green energy sectors. With their hi-tech micro-irrigation products and extension services, Jain provides access of knowledge and technology to the farmers in India and abroad.
U.S. agricultural trade is strong, but challenges remain says USDA secretary
Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-04-01)
On March 30, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam welcomed USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and other global leaders to the thirteenth-annual Virginia Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade for a discussion of the trade prospects for Virginia producers, and U.S. agriculture more broadly. ecretary Vilsack complemented Virginia for having a diverse group of a-typical trading partners, including Switzerland and Morocco. He said this demonstrates two of the most important aspects of cultivating and expanding agricultural trade: presence and relationships.
World Health Day: Nutrition security and food safety essential for global health
Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-04-07)
GAP Initiative partners HarvestPlus, Purdue Center for Global Food Security, and Virginia Tech share stories of their efforts to strengthen the health of communities at risk from malnutrition and foodborne illnesses.
Innovative agricultural technologies and practices promote productivity and resilience
Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-04-13)
Agricultural productivity is not just essential for sustainably meeting the demands of a growing world. The technologies and practices that enable producers to produce more output with the same amount, or less inputs, can also be harnessed to cultivate resilience. In addition to COVID-19, agricultural communities battle pandemic-scale pest and disease outbreaks every year. The health and productivity of people, livestock, and crops are all vulnerable, and resilience in the face of these threats has never been more important. The stories below describe how the GAP Initiative’s Supporting Partners are working with communities around the world to improve their productivity and resilience.
Wei Zhang named GAP Initiative VT Faculty Research Fellow
Steensland, Ann (Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative, Virginia Tech, 2021-04-23)
For 2021-2022, Wei Zhang, assistant professor in agricultural and applied economics has been awarded the fellowship for her proposal to research the dynamic relationship between extreme climate events and the resilience of agricultural systems, through the lens of TFP growth.
The Case for Productivity: Invigorating agricultural systems for the twenty-first century
Steensland, Ann; Thompson, T. (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2021-06-15)
Accelerating agricultural productivity growth at all scales of production is imperative to meet the needs of consumers and address threats to human and environmental well-being.
The Case for Productivity: Invigorating agriculture for the twenty-first century
Steensland, Ann (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2021-06-15)
Animation covering the basics of productivity growth.
Embedded Research Translation Report: Exploring the Use of Blockchain Technology to Promote the Production and Consumption of African Indigenous Vegetables in Western Kenya
Kristofikova, Nurvitria; Muskoke, Irene; Agnew, Jessica L. (AgUnity, 2021-08-04)
AgUnity worked with Virginia Tech and Egerton University on the LASER PULSE-funded project entitled Exploring the Use of Blockchain Technology to Promote the Production and Consumption of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) in Western Kenya. AIV value chains are characterized by transactional and informational inefficiencies that contribute to inconsistent supply and mismatched demand in Kenya. This research program explores how digital applications built on blockchain technology (BCT) can be deployed in AIV value chains in western Kenya, in a way that improves food and nutrition security for all value chain actors. Specifically, there was interest in understanding how the BCT-based smartphone application could assist groups of individuals who typically face constraints in accessing economic or nutritional benefits from value chain upgrading (i.e., smallholder producers, women, youth, low-income consumers). This project was one of the first times the AgUnity app was not deployed in a centralized supply chain context (i.e., with a union or cooperative supplied by hundreds of farmers). We have found that in decentralized supply chains, there is a particular need to ensure that the system supports the users' values and needs for conducting their respective value chain activities. When this is achieved, trust that is garnered through the use of the technology shall translate directly into more cooperative and coordinated value chains. Both the value chain app adaptation and configuration and the technology service design were built around this premise, using embedded research translation (ERT) processes to ensure that it was achieved in the target population and value chain. This report outlines the steps taken by AgUnity to translate Virginia Tech and Egerton University’s research into the adaptation and deployment of our proprietary BCT-based smartphone application. It is directed toward readers interested in understanding the product and service design of the AgUnity application, the use of BCT in digital platforms designed for last-mile users, and those interested in successful examples of ERT. It walks the reader through the value chain mapping and community immersion processes, the steps needed to adapt the technology to fit the local value chain context, and the development and selection of app functionalities for the target users and value chain. The report may be of interest to researchers, farming associations, and cooperatives or agricultural non-governmental organizations interested in the AgUnity solution as well as stakeholders involved in strengthening agricultural market systems, AgTech, or FinTech.
Transaction and Information Pain Points in African Indigenous Vegetable Value Chains in Western Kenya: A Gender-Responsive AIV Value Chain and Market Analysis Report
Agnew, Jessica L.; Mwangi, Joseph; Hall, Ralph P.; Sumner, Daniel M.; Kristofikova, Nurvitria (2021-08-23)
The use cases for blockchain technology (BCT) have taken off since its initial development for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. In agricultural value chains, BCT has been developed for agri-food products from source to retail outlets, increasing transparency between value chain actors, and creating secure transaction platforms. However, BCT is not a magic bullet for addressing all value chain inefficiencies and challenges. This study, Exploring the Use of Blockchain Technology to Improve Food Security Through African Indigenous Vegetables in Western Kenya, aims to investigate the types of challenges within the value chain for African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that BCT is appropriate to address. It also aims to investigate if deploying a BCT-based digital platform in AIV value chains will lead to improved food security for all value chain actors. This gender-responsive participatory value chain analysis (PVCA) investigates the transactional, informational, and other types of pain points within AIV value chains to identify where BCT is needed. AIVs are known as ‘female’ crops, as women are primarily responsible for their production, marketing, and preparation. This PVCA also investigates gender disparities in the value chain with the view to understanding how a BCT-based digital platform might help to secure the place of women in the value chain as it is upgraded. According to the findings of the PVCA, the main pain points that need to be addressed in order to improve income-earning opportunities and availability of and demand for AIVs are the lack of coordination throughout the value chain, assurance of vegetable safety for consumers, improved transmission of information through the value chain, standardization of grading and pricing, improving the market power of women, and technical assistance for producers in pest and disease management and production practices to improve yield. BCT cannot address all of these pain points. However, it is well suited for improving vertical coordination between actors by organizing and standardizing transactions and making information on the AIVs accessible at all stages of the value chain. It will also provide women a safe and secure platform for transacting that will protect the revenues earned from their respective activities. This study also finds that while smartphone ownership is low, value chain actors are willing to pay for a smartphone as well as a monthly subscription fee to use a digital platform if it will address their key pain points. This study will continue to investigate key knowledge gaps such as how technology use might more effectively engage youth in AIV value chains, how information on the blockchain can be certified, and how to scale up the use of a BCT-based digital platform. However, this PVCA demonstrates there is potential for BCT to offer important solutions to address transactional and informational inefficiencies along AIV value chains.

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