Information and consumer willingness to pay for biofortified yellow cassava


Book Description

In this paper we use the Becker-deGroot-Marschak auction mechanism to estimate consumer demand for biofortified yellow cassava varieties in two states of Nigeria: Imo in the southeast and Oyo in the southwest. These two states exhibit distinct habitual product color preferences for staple food made with cassava. We estimate the effect of nutrition information campaigns and nature of planting material delivery institutions on consumer demand. Willingness to pay estimation accounted for the effect of product endowment censoring in bids and payment. Without a nutrition information campaign, biofortified varieties are unlikely to be accepted in the southeast as they are associated with substantial discounts. In the southwest, consumers are willing to pay a premium for light yellow biofortified cassava varieties even in the absence of nutrition information. The paper finds that nutrition information results in a large and significant price premium for biofortified yellow cassava in both states, but the nature of delivery institution has a small effect in the southwest only.




Biofortification progress briefs


Book Description

The following briefs were solicited by HarvestPlus for the Second Global Conference on Biofortification, “Getting Nutritious Foods to People,” which took place in Kigali, Rwanda from March 31 to April 2, 2014. The conference, an interactive global consultation attended by more than 300 leaders in agriculture, food, nutrition, and health, was officially hosted by the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and organized by HarvestPlus. The conference culminated in a series of commitments to tackle hunger and micronutrient deficiency through nutrition-sensitive agriculture, captured in the Kigali Declaration on Biofortified Nutritious Foods. The briefs were developed as background information for the conference and are intended to present existing evidence onbiofortification, identify knowledge gaps, and stimulate discussion on how to leverage biofortification to improve nutritionand health.




Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability, Three Volume Set covers the hottest topics in the science of food sustainability, providing a synopsis of the path society is on to secure food for a growing population. It investigates the focal issue of sustainable food production in relation to the effects of global change on food resources, biodiversity and global food security. This collection of methodological approaches and knowledge derived from expert authors around the world offers the research community, food industry, scientists and students with the knowledge to relate to, and report on, the novel challenges of food production and sustainability. This comprehensive encyclopedia will act as a platform to show how an interdisciplinary approach and closer collaboration between the scientific and industrial communities is necessary to strengthen our existing capacity to generate and share research data. Offers readers a ‘one-stop’ resource on the topic of food security and sustainability Contains articles split into sections based on the various dimensions of Food Security and Food Sustainability Written by academics and practitioners from various fields and regions with a “farm to fork understanding Includes concise and accessible chapters, providing an authoritative introduction for non-specialists and readers from undergraduate level upwards, as well as up-to-date foundational content for those familiar with the field




Achieving a nutrition revolution for Africa


Book Description

Focusing the 2015 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR) on nutrition will contribute to a broader understanding of the critical role of nutrition in achieving international, continental, and national economic growth targets through agriculture, food security, and nutrition. This report presents information and analysis in support of evidence-based policy making that should inform the second generation of CAADP national investment plans now being developed. This is an important moment for shaping the region’s future and ensuring that the much-needed agriculture-led growth and development agenda can simultaneously deliver on improving nutrition, saving lives, improving productivity and health, and curbing nutrition-related diseases and the associated public health expenditures. These investment plans should address not only the usual elements of undernutrition but also widespread micronutrient deficiencies (termed “hidden hunger”) and the growing problem of overweight and obesity that is associated with economic growth.




Unnaturally Delicious


Book Description

Unnaturally Delicious is the story of today's innovators who are shaping the future of food. You'll meet an ex-farmer entrepreneur whose software is being used on farms all over the world; egg producers who've created housing systems that affordably improve hen welfare; scientists who are growing meat without the cos; and college students who are coaxing bacteria to help improve food quality and fight obesity. Nutrient-enhanced sweet potatoes are being used to solve malnutrition in the developing world, and we may soon have tasty 3-D printed food delivered by a robotic chef. In Unnaturally Delicious, Jayson Lusk offers optimism for the future, showing how science and technology can help solve the world's largest food and farming problems.--INSIDE FLAP.




Agriculture for improved nutrition: Seizing the momentum


Book Description

Agriculture's vast potential to improve nutrition is just beginning to be tapped. New ideas, research, and initiatives developed over the past decade have created an opportunity for reimagining and redesigning agricultural and food systems for the benefit of nutrition. To support this transformation, the book reviews the latest findings, results from on-the-ground programs and interventions, and recent policy experiences from countries around the world that are bringing the agriculture and nutrition sectors closer together. Drawing on IFPRI's own work and that of the growing agriculture-nutrition community, this book strengthens the evidence base for, and expands our vision of, how agriculture can contribute to nutrition. Chapters cover an array of issues that link agriculture and nutrition, including food value chains, nutrition-sensitive programs and policies, government policies, and private sector investments. By highlighting both achievements and setbacks, Agriculture for Improved Nutrition seeks to inspire those who want to scale up successes that can transform food systems and improve the nutrition of billions of people.




Science, Technology and Innovation Policies for Inclusive Growth in Africa


Book Description

The volume analyses how to make Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policies relevant for inclusive growth strategies in Africa.The base for a transformative STI policy is to link the STI policies to Africa's economic transformation policies. In a first part the general issues of introducing effective STI policies are presented. In a second part country case studies highlight the new approach. Cases such as Sudan and Nigeria are analysed, as these two countries have a long history of STI development; because of different history, size and structure they need to move in different directions towards a coherent STI policy for inclusive growth.




Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume 36


Book Description

Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops. It is a serial title that appears in the form of one or two volumes per year.




Towards Sustainable Global Food Systems


Book Description

One of the major knowledge challenges in the domain of Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems refers to the integration of perspectives on consumption, patterns that support public health, inclusive value chains, and environmentally sustainable food production. While there is a long record of the analysis of separate interventions, this special issue generates integrated insights, provides cross-cutting perspectives, and outlines practical and policy solutions that address these global challenges.The collection of papers promotes the view that sustainable food systems require thorough insights into the structure and dynamics of agri-food production systems, the drivers for integrating food value chains and markets, and key incentives for supporting healthier consumer choices. On the production side, potential linkages between agricultural commercialization and intensification and their effects for food security and nutritional outcomes are analyzed. Value Chains are assessed for their contribution to improving exchange networks and markets for food products that simultaneously support efficiency, circularity, and responsiveness. Individual motives and market structures for food consumption need to be understood in order to be able to outline suitable incentives to enhance healthy dietary choice.The contributed papers focus on interfaces between food system activities and processes of adaptive change that are critical for overcoming key constraints and trade-offs between sustainable food and healthy diets.




Vitamins and Minerals Biofortification of Edible Plants


Book Description

A Detailed Reference on How Modern Biotechnology is using the Biofortification of Crops to Improve the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Edible Plants In this reference, Vitamins and Minerals Bio-Fortification of Edible Plants, authors cover new territory on phytonutrients, focusing on the enhancement and modification of edible crops. This book presents techniques and research findings from modern biotechnology to educate readers on the newest tools and research in the field. Readers will learn how groundbreaking scientific advances have contributed to the nutritional content of edible plants and crops for animals and humans. Inside, readers will find comprehensive information on new concepts of biofortification, including but not limited to: ● Modern biotechnology and its uses for improving the vitamin and mineral content of edible plants ● Potential minerals and vitamins that can be targeted and implemented in agriculture ● Ways of enhancing the nutritional contents of edible plants to address nutritional deficiencies and improve livestock ● Methods of identifying plants that can be used to heal or prevent disease and illness While many books cover the phytonutrients of crops, this reference book reports on methodologies, techniques, and environmental changes used to enhance and improve agricultural products. It is one of the first to provide information on using modern biotechnologies to modify crops with the goal of creating health benefits.