“Measuring impact, particularly for research that involves people and is spread out over space and time, is never a straightforward matter. It is almost never as simple as collecting data before and after the intervention, since before-after estimates can be seriously biased by factors outside of the research. Even internally, selection biases and other confounding factors are often at play.”

Professor Paul J. Ferraro, economist at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, said this while speaking on the issue of impact measurement at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) headquarters in Nairobi on 4 September. He emphasized, however, that despite the difficulties associated with impact measurement, it is the only way to tell for sure whether or not an intervention has done what we hoped it would. Read more. . .

Trees that have been central to the lives of African people for centuries can now be widely grown on farms throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, and they can bring prosperity to the poor while helping diminish long-term environmental problems. This was the central, seminal theme of Professor Roger Leakey’s special lecture to launch his new book, Living with the Trees of Life: Toward the Transformation of Tropical Agriculture, on 3 September at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

Leakey told his audience, consisting of researchers, partners, and representatives of the media, that he wrote the book, “a personal account,” based on his three decades of work as a tropical forest biologist and research manager, in order to “raise the public profile of agroforestry.” Read more. . .

Nairobi, 7 September 2012

The world needs more food for its growing population and smallholding farmers produce most of it in the developing world.

But smallholders, who are often poor, find it difficult to produce more food if they don’t have enough money to buy the tools, seeds and other material necessary for the job.

Loans are often complicated to get, have high interest and have to be paid back in a short period. All of this makes it nearly impossible for poor farmers to borrow money and improve their food production and lives. Read more. . .