This document summarizes the results of a survey conducted by CGIAR, FAO, and GFAR on researcher behaviors and attitudes towards open access and communication of research outputs. The survey received 1,447 responses globally, with over half from Latin America and a third from Africa. The results show that while researchers have various motivations, institutional policies and resources available influence their ability to openly share outputs. Currently researchers primarily share through traditional publishing and conferences, but digital formats are growing in use. The survey findings are relevant to the open access goals of the CIARD initiative.
Napier Stunt and Smut Resistance Project: key achievements and outputs in UgandaILRI
The project achieved several key outputs in addressing the threat of Napier stunt disease (NSD) in Uganda:
1) Surveys found over 80% of fields in Masaka district affected by NSD, reducing fodder yields by over 60%.
2) Awareness efforts led to a reported 20-40% decline in NSD incidence in Masaka as farmers adopted recommended practices like manure application.
3) The project disseminated information through various channels to over 10,000 farmers and trained students and extension agents on NSD control.
Origin, non-monetary benefits and perspectives of domestication of Non-Timber...AI Publications
The objective of this study is to contribute towards the promotion of NTFPs from various origins by assessing their contribution in sustaining the livelihood of communities in Mifi Division and the domestication potential of some of the NTFP species. The study was carried out in the Mifi Division in the West Region of Cameroon. Respondent were drawn from a cross-section of exploiters and marketers. Data were collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides as well as direct observations with actors including 65 wholesalers, 150 retailers and 120 households. Data analysis was carried out using Excel 2016 to generate tables and graphs, and ARCGIS 10.1 to generate the map of the areas of origin of NTFPs. Results revealed that 29 species are used in the Division but almost all (28 species) come from areas out of Mifi. Parts used for consumption consist of 36,84% fruits, 36.84% seeds, 10.52% leaves, 5.26% sap, 5.26% mushrooms and 5,26% rhizome while their use for medicinal purposes consist of 42,85% barks, 28.57% fruits, 14.28% seeds and 7.14% leaves and rhizome. In total, species are used as food (46.55%), medicine (36.2%), for construction and furniture (6.89%), packaging (6.89%) and cosmetics (3.44%). NTFPs are becoming increasingly rare, reason for the need of an effective domestication of the most used species. NTFPs mainly Garcinia kola and Tetrapleura tetraptera with higher assets and low constraints can potentially be domesticated in the Mifi Division in order to reduce overexploitation and promote sustainable management of NTFPs in the present context of climate change. There are many favorable conditions including, the need of small financial capital, the interest of inter-community groups and available workforce. Some constraints persist such as the lack of young plants, lack of technical assistance and financial support.
11.[1 13]adoption of modern agricultural production technologies by farm hous...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors influencing farm households' adoption of modern agricultural production technologies in Ghana. The study utilized a logit model to analyze survey data from 300 farmers in Bawku West District. The results showed that farm size, expected benefits from technology adoption, access to credit, and access to extension services significantly influenced farmers' technology adoption decisions. The document concludes that farm households' technology adoption depends on their socioeconomic circumstances and the effectiveness of institutions. It recommends policies to leverage factors that positively influence adoption and mitigate negative factors to improve agricultural productivity.
This document discusses how the organization BROSDI is using social media to improve the lives of poorer communities in rural Uganda. It describes how BROSDI provides farmers with technologies like blogs, mobile phones, and computers to collect and share information on best farming practices. This has led farmers to improve yields, access markets, and experience positive behavioral changes. The document addresses common perceptions that rural people cannot use these technologies, but provides an example of a farmer who learned to use a laptop and blog to share knowledge. It emphasizes that BROSDI empowers smallholders rather than imposing technologies, and describes the success farmers have had adopting practices and increasing incomes through social media.
This document summarizes a case study on a market information system (MIS) implemented in Mali to connect small and medium forest enterprises to markets. The MIS used a combination of information and communication technologies like mobile phones and the internet as well as traditional communication methods like radio to share price and demand information. After implementation, the MIS led to increased prices, sales, and profits for producers, more market choices, and greater recognition of the forest products sector. Challenges included costs and infrastructure needs, but modest ICT investments used appropriately were found to be effective when complemented with traditional outreach.
This document discusses using information technology to address challenges in the global food system. It notes trends like declining agricultural productivity gains, increasing meat consumption, population growth, and climate change that threaten global food security. The document argues that the cloud can help decouple information about food products from the physical products themselves, enabling transparency around issues like sustainability, food miles, and carbon footprints throughout complex supply chains. By separating information and products, the cloud may help overcome barriers to industry-wide adoption of tracking and tracing infrastructure. Overall, the document emphasizes that information technology, if creatively applied, can help meet global food responsibility by enhancing transparency, communication, and cooperation across the entire food chain.
FANRPAN Policy Brief_Youth engagement in policy processesNawsheen Hosenally
This document discusses engaging youth in agricultural policy processes in Sub-Saharan Africa. It notes that while youth make up the majority of the agricultural workforce, they face challenges such as lack of access to land, credit, and education. The document recommends including youth in policy decisions, investing in education related to agriculture, and providing economic incentives for youth to participate in agriculture. Overall, the document advocates for greater youth engagement in agricultural policy to support the future of African agriculture.
This document discusses how BROSDI, a rural development initiative in Uganda, uses social media to improve lives in poorer communities. It provides examples of how BROSDI uses platforms like blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and Skype to directly engage communities and disseminate information. Key considerations for using social media include listening to communities, having appropriate content, flexibility, internet access, electricity, and training locals. The document shares success stories from farmers BROSDI has helped and provides links to the organization's blogs on agriculture, health, and education.
Napier Stunt and Smut Resistance Project: key achievements and outputs in UgandaILRI
The project achieved several key outputs in addressing the threat of Napier stunt disease (NSD) in Uganda:
1) Surveys found over 80% of fields in Masaka district affected by NSD, reducing fodder yields by over 60%.
2) Awareness efforts led to a reported 20-40% decline in NSD incidence in Masaka as farmers adopted recommended practices like manure application.
3) The project disseminated information through various channels to over 10,000 farmers and trained students and extension agents on NSD control.
Origin, non-monetary benefits and perspectives of domestication of Non-Timber...AI Publications
The objective of this study is to contribute towards the promotion of NTFPs from various origins by assessing their contribution in sustaining the livelihood of communities in Mifi Division and the domestication potential of some of the NTFP species. The study was carried out in the Mifi Division in the West Region of Cameroon. Respondent were drawn from a cross-section of exploiters and marketers. Data were collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides as well as direct observations with actors including 65 wholesalers, 150 retailers and 120 households. Data analysis was carried out using Excel 2016 to generate tables and graphs, and ARCGIS 10.1 to generate the map of the areas of origin of NTFPs. Results revealed that 29 species are used in the Division but almost all (28 species) come from areas out of Mifi. Parts used for consumption consist of 36,84% fruits, 36.84% seeds, 10.52% leaves, 5.26% sap, 5.26% mushrooms and 5,26% rhizome while their use for medicinal purposes consist of 42,85% barks, 28.57% fruits, 14.28% seeds and 7.14% leaves and rhizome. In total, species are used as food (46.55%), medicine (36.2%), for construction and furniture (6.89%), packaging (6.89%) and cosmetics (3.44%). NTFPs are becoming increasingly rare, reason for the need of an effective domestication of the most used species. NTFPs mainly Garcinia kola and Tetrapleura tetraptera with higher assets and low constraints can potentially be domesticated in the Mifi Division in order to reduce overexploitation and promote sustainable management of NTFPs in the present context of climate change. There are many favorable conditions including, the need of small financial capital, the interest of inter-community groups and available workforce. Some constraints persist such as the lack of young plants, lack of technical assistance and financial support.
11.[1 13]adoption of modern agricultural production technologies by farm hous...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study that examined factors influencing farm households' adoption of modern agricultural production technologies in Ghana. The study utilized a logit model to analyze survey data from 300 farmers in Bawku West District. The results showed that farm size, expected benefits from technology adoption, access to credit, and access to extension services significantly influenced farmers' technology adoption decisions. The document concludes that farm households' technology adoption depends on their socioeconomic circumstances and the effectiveness of institutions. It recommends policies to leverage factors that positively influence adoption and mitigate negative factors to improve agricultural productivity.
This document discusses how the organization BROSDI is using social media to improve the lives of poorer communities in rural Uganda. It describes how BROSDI provides farmers with technologies like blogs, mobile phones, and computers to collect and share information on best farming practices. This has led farmers to improve yields, access markets, and experience positive behavioral changes. The document addresses common perceptions that rural people cannot use these technologies, but provides an example of a farmer who learned to use a laptop and blog to share knowledge. It emphasizes that BROSDI empowers smallholders rather than imposing technologies, and describes the success farmers have had adopting practices and increasing incomes through social media.
This document summarizes a case study on a market information system (MIS) implemented in Mali to connect small and medium forest enterprises to markets. The MIS used a combination of information and communication technologies like mobile phones and the internet as well as traditional communication methods like radio to share price and demand information. After implementation, the MIS led to increased prices, sales, and profits for producers, more market choices, and greater recognition of the forest products sector. Challenges included costs and infrastructure needs, but modest ICT investments used appropriately were found to be effective when complemented with traditional outreach.
This document discusses using information technology to address challenges in the global food system. It notes trends like declining agricultural productivity gains, increasing meat consumption, population growth, and climate change that threaten global food security. The document argues that the cloud can help decouple information about food products from the physical products themselves, enabling transparency around issues like sustainability, food miles, and carbon footprints throughout complex supply chains. By separating information and products, the cloud may help overcome barriers to industry-wide adoption of tracking and tracing infrastructure. Overall, the document emphasizes that information technology, if creatively applied, can help meet global food responsibility by enhancing transparency, communication, and cooperation across the entire food chain.
FANRPAN Policy Brief_Youth engagement in policy processesNawsheen Hosenally
This document discusses engaging youth in agricultural policy processes in Sub-Saharan Africa. It notes that while youth make up the majority of the agricultural workforce, they face challenges such as lack of access to land, credit, and education. The document recommends including youth in policy decisions, investing in education related to agriculture, and providing economic incentives for youth to participate in agriculture. Overall, the document advocates for greater youth engagement in agricultural policy to support the future of African agriculture.
This document discusses how BROSDI, a rural development initiative in Uganda, uses social media to improve lives in poorer communities. It provides examples of how BROSDI uses platforms like blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and Skype to directly engage communities and disseminate information. Key considerations for using social media include listening to communities, having appropriate content, flexibility, internet access, electricity, and training locals. The document shares success stories from farmers BROSDI has helped and provides links to the organization's blogs on agriculture, health, and education.
Communication Media Usage and Uptake Patterns of Rhizobium Inoculant Technolo...Premier Publishers
This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on the influence of communication media usage on uptake patterns of rhizobia inoculant technology was collected among 210 respondents using questionnaires. Secondary data was also obtained from SARI, IITA as well as IFDC offices respectively. Descriptive statistics namely percentages and frequencies as well as two-way ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that farmers’ level of education, farming experience, marital status and age were significantly related to the communication methods used to access information on rhizobia inoculant, at 5% level of probability; and influence respondents’ decision to use rhizobia inoculant. The results of the study revealed that the types of communication methods used by respondents have significantly influenced respondent’s awareness on the technology. However, on knowledge enhancement, these communication methods did not influence respondents’ knowledge on rhizobia inoculant in the Northern Region of Ghana. This relationship calls for the promoters of rhizobia inoculant to use combination of all the three communication methods to enhance farmers’ knowledge on rhizobia inoculant. The study recommends that local language should be used during radio discussion to ensure effective understanding of message disseminated to farmers on the use of the rhizobia inoculant.
This document summarizes a study on the extension service needs of catfish farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study found that most catfish farmers were male, between 30-50 years old, and had primary education. Radio, friends/relatives, and extension agents were the most important information sources. The top extension service needs were marketing, stocking times, and credit access. The major challenges were poor weather, lack of credit, and high feed costs. The study recommends improved extension services, economic groups, credit access, and dissemination of best practices to enhance catfish production.
The document analyzes the adaptive capacity to climate variability in Tharaka district, Kenya. It finds that the main livelihoods of crop farming and pastoralism are highly dependent on rainfall and vulnerable to drought. While households employ strategies like crop diversification and multiple livelihood activities, adaptive capacity is weakened by poor infrastructure like roads, low education levels, and underutilized resources. The study concludes that addressing underlying social and economic vulnerabilities through investments in literacy, infrastructure, and water management could help strengthen household resilience to climate impacts in the region.
This document provides an overview of a study on the awareness and practice of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) among smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria. The study surveyed farmers in two communities to understand their socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge of GAPs, and access to agricultural extension services. The results found that most farmers were aware of GAPs promoted by the extension program, but few were actually implementing them, facing challenges like lack of resources and technical knowledge. While some farmers received extension visits, many did not. The presenter plans future work including farmer training, interviews with extension agents, and a follow up survey to evaluate GAP adoption and barriers. The overall goal is to complement existing extension with information and communication technologies to improve rural livelihood
Data were collected from 120 smallholder famers from two communities. Findings revealed that 82% were aware of specific Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) but the majority of the respondents were not practicing GAPs due to several challenges.
The extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides in the flower farming industries has been linked to negative environmental and social impacts. The cross-sectional study was conducted to assess social and environmental concerns of flower farms in Central Ethiopia using questionnaires, focus group discussion and field visits. This study revealed that 317 (52.75%) of respondents reported that flower farms have been disposing of their flower residue of in the open field. The findings of this study showed that 216(36%) of inhabitants buy or receive empty chemical bags and containers that had been disposed by the flower farms. Focus Group Discussion participants perceived the decrease in volume and quality of groundwater, a decrease in productivity, land degradation, and increased emerging diseases due to the existence of flower farms in the area.. In addition, they reported abuse of employee rights, displacement of farmers from fertile land, death of cattle and fish, loss of acceptance for their agricultural and fish products. In conclusion, this study revealed that there are a poor waste management and unsustainable activities by the flower farms. The government should closely monitor these farms and undergo a holistic study to quantify environmental and local inhabitant's opportunity costs of flower farming activity.
Research study or Thesis on Agriculture courseYzaCambosaReyes
55% of local farmers surveyed said they had experimented with different crop rotations in response to weather changes, and found the results to be a little bit good. All 20 farmers surveyed said they experienced losing profit income due to weather changes, and tried using crop rotation methods to avoid low productivity. The majority, 60% of farmers, used a biennial rotation method, rotating crops every two years.
Gender strategy approach to the dryland systemsAmneh Alqudah
- The document discusses a gender strategy approach for the Drylands Systems Research Program, which aims to promote gender equity in very dry regions where rural households depend on livestock.
- Women represent almost half the agricultural workforce but face limited access to resources and constraints that impact their ability to engage in technologies and markets. The gender strategy seeks to analyze gender disparities, understand their causes, and decrease gender gaps.
- The research involves multiple CGIAR centers and takes place across five dryland regions. It uses gender disaggregated data and participatory action research to make interventions more responsive to gender needs and support equal benefits for men and women.
The study assessed factors limiting production of citrus among smallholder farmers in Benue state, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 120 respondents using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score and factor analysis. Results revealed that 80% males and 20% females were involved in citrus production in the study area, 95% were married with 74.17% having citrus farm size of 1-3 hectares. Site selection (93.3%), variety and rootstock selection (91.7%), irrigation (91.7%), disease control (91.7%), pest management (88.3%), fertilizer application (86.7%), wind breaks (83.3%), grafting/budding (81.7%) were major citrus management practices used by the respondents. Respondents’ activities in citrus production were constrained by infrastructural, fund-related and institutional factors. The study concluded that more males than females were involved in citrus production. It is recommended that research and extension agencies should target appropriate technologies that will improve productivity of citrus and increase income of smallholder farmers for economic empowerment.
Compliance to annual ivermectin treatment in abia state,Alexander Decker
The study assessed compliance with annual ivermectin treatment for onchocerciasis in Abia State, Nigeria over 14 years. A survey of 558 individuals found that 55.4% had previously taken ivermectin, but only 22.7% of those were "high compliers" who had taken it 8 or more times. The overall percentage of high compliers was 12.6%. Reasons for low compliance included lack of information, no reason for refusal, absence from village, and no distribution. The reasons given did not significantly affect general compliance levels.
Assessing the sustainability of forest plantations in Mezam Division of the N...ijsrd.com
Objectives: The study examined the sustainability of plantation forestry in Mezam Division of the North West Region. Methodology and results: Respondents drawn from a cross-section of plantation owners in five (5) sub-divisions (i.e. Tubah, Bali, Bafut, Santa and Bemenda central) of Mezam Division. Fifty- (50) plantation owners selected through a system of random sampling. Data collected through the administered questionnaires were on social, economic, ecological, profitability, management strategies and constraints to plantation forestry in the study area. Structure questionnaires were instrument used for data collection. Analytical tools used were descriptive statistic including tables, means, and percentages to describe the socio-economic characteristic of respondents, while chi-square and Benefit Cost Ratio models were used to determined profitability and opinion of plantation owners respectively. The results reveal that majority of plantation owners were men 84.5% and widows make up 15.5% of the respondents. They all owned families. Benefit Cost Ratio B/C calculated was 0.7 (B/C . 1) this results implies that plantation business is not profitable compared to an alternative land use system, although they was a marginal profit of eight thousand five hundred francs 8500f ($ 17 USD) for the sale of one acre of plantation. Chi-square test of equal probability showed that they were no significant difference at 0.05% probability level for private plantation owners. The main constraints confronting plantation forestry business in the study area are access to finance, followed by wildfires, unfavorable government policies and finally bad road networks leading to their plantation. The Benefit Cost Ratio B/C calculated (B/C . 1) mean plantation business is not profitable compared to an alternative land use system, although they were marginal benefits. The study therefore recommend that private plantation be encourage to ensure less dependence on natural forest and to also mitigation climate change and through this jobs created and livelihood improved to the rural communities
Relational Analysis of Profile of Beneficiaries of Farm Ponds and its Socio E...IJEAB
The present investigation was conducted in Parbhani district of Marathwada region in Maharashtra State. The main objective of the study was relationship between profile of beneficiaries of farm ponds and its impact. The data were collected through personal interview with the help of interview schedule by contacting 80 beneficiaries. The result revealed that majority (75.00%) of the beneficiaries having middle farming experience, followed by 26.25 per cent of the beneficiaries were educated up to secondary school level, while 50.00 per cent of the beneficiaries were having semi-medium land holding .whereas 75.00 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium area under irrigation, While 80.00 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium family size. It was also found that 87.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium social participation, whereas 52.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium level of extension contact, and 52.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium level of economic motivation, followed by 63.75 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium risk preferences. Also the result showed that farming experience, education, land holding, area under irrigation, family size social participation, extension contact, economic motivation and risk preferences were found to be positively and significantly related with impact in technological change (i.e) crop production, cropping pattern and soil conservation structure of farm pond. Also the result showed that relationship of profile of beneficiaries with economic change in employment generation only economic motivation was positive and non-significant, followed by relationship of profile of beneficiaries with social change in material possession and implement possession i.e. economic motivation was non-significant also social participation was non-significant in change in education family member.
Kimaru-Muchai - Communication Channels used in dissemination of soil fertilit...CIALCA
Presentation delivered at the CIALCA international conference 'Challenges and Opportunities to the agricultural intensification of the humid highland systems of sub-Saharan Africa'. Kigali, Rwanda, October 24-27 2011.
Introducing the sustainable intensification assessment frameworkafrica-rising
Presented by Mark Musumba, Philip Grabowski, Cheryl Palm and Sieglinde Snapp at the Africa RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting, Accra, 1-2 February 2017
This document summarizes a study that assessed gender roles and environmental impacts during oil crop production in Lare, Nakuru, Kenya. The study found that production activities were determined by socio-economic factors and gender. Male farmers predominantly made autonomous decisions, while female farmers performed most production tasks. Both male and female farmers lacked awareness of environmental and gender policies and faced health risks from pesticide use without protective gear. The study recommends approaching gender roles differently during farming, reducing health risks through pesticide strategies that consider human gender, and conducting commodity-specific gender analyses to address challenges and opportunities.
This document summarizes a study that assessed gender roles and environmental impacts during oil crop production in Lare, Nakuru, Kenya. The study found that production activities were determined by socio-economic factors and gender. Male farmers predominantly made autonomous decisions, while female farmers performed most production tasks. Both male and female farmers lacked awareness of environmental and gender policies and faced health risks from pesticide use without protective gear. The study recommends approaching gender roles differently during farming, reducing health risks through pesticide strategies that consider human gender, and conducting commodity-specific gender analyses to address challenges and opportunities.
Postharvest loss assessment of commercial horticultural crops in south wollo,...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on postharvest losses of horticultural crops in South Wollo, Ethiopia. The study assessed losses from 220 farmers and 80 traders across two districts. Key findings include:
- Farmers experience problems with pests, diseases, and limited irrigation water availability, especially in summer. Major causes of postharvest losses are reported as preharvest infection and injury.
- General postharvest losses reported by farmers are estimated at less than 5% for 50% of respondents, 5-10% for 34.1%, and 10-20% for 13.2%.
- Losses for individual crops like banana, orange, mango, and others are estimated at various stages of handling
Presented by Barbara Gemmill-Herren during the seminar How to Feed Nine Billion within the Planet’s Boundaries - Agroecology for Food Security & Nutrition organised by the SIANI Expert group on Agriculture Transformation on March 10, 2015. Read more here: http://www.siani.se/expert-groups/agriculture-transformation-low-income-countries-under-environmental-change
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against developing mental illness and improve symptoms for those who already suffer from conditions like anxiety and depression.
The document announces the SME Best Business Plan Competition 2013 organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. Participants must submit an entry form by June 14th and a business plan by August 15th. Business plans will be assessed based on innovation, research, management, viability, and social impact. The winner of the competition will receive Rs. 100,000, while the first and second runners up will receive Rs. 60,000 and Rs. 40,000 respectively. The objectives are to promote entrepreneurship and reward innovative business plans.
Communication Media Usage and Uptake Patterns of Rhizobium Inoculant Technolo...Premier Publishers
This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on the influence of communication media usage on uptake patterns of rhizobia inoculant technology was collected among 210 respondents using questionnaires. Secondary data was also obtained from SARI, IITA as well as IFDC offices respectively. Descriptive statistics namely percentages and frequencies as well as two-way ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that farmers’ level of education, farming experience, marital status and age were significantly related to the communication methods used to access information on rhizobia inoculant, at 5% level of probability; and influence respondents’ decision to use rhizobia inoculant. The results of the study revealed that the types of communication methods used by respondents have significantly influenced respondent’s awareness on the technology. However, on knowledge enhancement, these communication methods did not influence respondents’ knowledge on rhizobia inoculant in the Northern Region of Ghana. This relationship calls for the promoters of rhizobia inoculant to use combination of all the three communication methods to enhance farmers’ knowledge on rhizobia inoculant. The study recommends that local language should be used during radio discussion to ensure effective understanding of message disseminated to farmers on the use of the rhizobia inoculant.
This document summarizes a study on the extension service needs of catfish farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study found that most catfish farmers were male, between 30-50 years old, and had primary education. Radio, friends/relatives, and extension agents were the most important information sources. The top extension service needs were marketing, stocking times, and credit access. The major challenges were poor weather, lack of credit, and high feed costs. The study recommends improved extension services, economic groups, credit access, and dissemination of best practices to enhance catfish production.
The document analyzes the adaptive capacity to climate variability in Tharaka district, Kenya. It finds that the main livelihoods of crop farming and pastoralism are highly dependent on rainfall and vulnerable to drought. While households employ strategies like crop diversification and multiple livelihood activities, adaptive capacity is weakened by poor infrastructure like roads, low education levels, and underutilized resources. The study concludes that addressing underlying social and economic vulnerabilities through investments in literacy, infrastructure, and water management could help strengthen household resilience to climate impacts in the region.
This document provides an overview of a study on the awareness and practice of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) among smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria. The study surveyed farmers in two communities to understand their socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge of GAPs, and access to agricultural extension services. The results found that most farmers were aware of GAPs promoted by the extension program, but few were actually implementing them, facing challenges like lack of resources and technical knowledge. While some farmers received extension visits, many did not. The presenter plans future work including farmer training, interviews with extension agents, and a follow up survey to evaluate GAP adoption and barriers. The overall goal is to complement existing extension with information and communication technologies to improve rural livelihood
Data were collected from 120 smallholder famers from two communities. Findings revealed that 82% were aware of specific Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) but the majority of the respondents were not practicing GAPs due to several challenges.
The extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides in the flower farming industries has been linked to negative environmental and social impacts. The cross-sectional study was conducted to assess social and environmental concerns of flower farms in Central Ethiopia using questionnaires, focus group discussion and field visits. This study revealed that 317 (52.75%) of respondents reported that flower farms have been disposing of their flower residue of in the open field. The findings of this study showed that 216(36%) of inhabitants buy or receive empty chemical bags and containers that had been disposed by the flower farms. Focus Group Discussion participants perceived the decrease in volume and quality of groundwater, a decrease in productivity, land degradation, and increased emerging diseases due to the existence of flower farms in the area.. In addition, they reported abuse of employee rights, displacement of farmers from fertile land, death of cattle and fish, loss of acceptance for their agricultural and fish products. In conclusion, this study revealed that there are a poor waste management and unsustainable activities by the flower farms. The government should closely monitor these farms and undergo a holistic study to quantify environmental and local inhabitant's opportunity costs of flower farming activity.
Research study or Thesis on Agriculture courseYzaCambosaReyes
55% of local farmers surveyed said they had experimented with different crop rotations in response to weather changes, and found the results to be a little bit good. All 20 farmers surveyed said they experienced losing profit income due to weather changes, and tried using crop rotation methods to avoid low productivity. The majority, 60% of farmers, used a biennial rotation method, rotating crops every two years.
Gender strategy approach to the dryland systemsAmneh Alqudah
- The document discusses a gender strategy approach for the Drylands Systems Research Program, which aims to promote gender equity in very dry regions where rural households depend on livestock.
- Women represent almost half the agricultural workforce but face limited access to resources and constraints that impact their ability to engage in technologies and markets. The gender strategy seeks to analyze gender disparities, understand their causes, and decrease gender gaps.
- The research involves multiple CGIAR centers and takes place across five dryland regions. It uses gender disaggregated data and participatory action research to make interventions more responsive to gender needs and support equal benefits for men and women.
The study assessed factors limiting production of citrus among smallholder farmers in Benue state, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 120 respondents using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score and factor analysis. Results revealed that 80% males and 20% females were involved in citrus production in the study area, 95% were married with 74.17% having citrus farm size of 1-3 hectares. Site selection (93.3%), variety and rootstock selection (91.7%), irrigation (91.7%), disease control (91.7%), pest management (88.3%), fertilizer application (86.7%), wind breaks (83.3%), grafting/budding (81.7%) were major citrus management practices used by the respondents. Respondents’ activities in citrus production were constrained by infrastructural, fund-related and institutional factors. The study concluded that more males than females were involved in citrus production. It is recommended that research and extension agencies should target appropriate technologies that will improve productivity of citrus and increase income of smallholder farmers for economic empowerment.
Compliance to annual ivermectin treatment in abia state,Alexander Decker
The study assessed compliance with annual ivermectin treatment for onchocerciasis in Abia State, Nigeria over 14 years. A survey of 558 individuals found that 55.4% had previously taken ivermectin, but only 22.7% of those were "high compliers" who had taken it 8 or more times. The overall percentage of high compliers was 12.6%. Reasons for low compliance included lack of information, no reason for refusal, absence from village, and no distribution. The reasons given did not significantly affect general compliance levels.
Assessing the sustainability of forest plantations in Mezam Division of the N...ijsrd.com
Objectives: The study examined the sustainability of plantation forestry in Mezam Division of the North West Region. Methodology and results: Respondents drawn from a cross-section of plantation owners in five (5) sub-divisions (i.e. Tubah, Bali, Bafut, Santa and Bemenda central) of Mezam Division. Fifty- (50) plantation owners selected through a system of random sampling. Data collected through the administered questionnaires were on social, economic, ecological, profitability, management strategies and constraints to plantation forestry in the study area. Structure questionnaires were instrument used for data collection. Analytical tools used were descriptive statistic including tables, means, and percentages to describe the socio-economic characteristic of respondents, while chi-square and Benefit Cost Ratio models were used to determined profitability and opinion of plantation owners respectively. The results reveal that majority of plantation owners were men 84.5% and widows make up 15.5% of the respondents. They all owned families. Benefit Cost Ratio B/C calculated was 0.7 (B/C . 1) this results implies that plantation business is not profitable compared to an alternative land use system, although they was a marginal profit of eight thousand five hundred francs 8500f ($ 17 USD) for the sale of one acre of plantation. Chi-square test of equal probability showed that they were no significant difference at 0.05% probability level for private plantation owners. The main constraints confronting plantation forestry business in the study area are access to finance, followed by wildfires, unfavorable government policies and finally bad road networks leading to their plantation. The Benefit Cost Ratio B/C calculated (B/C . 1) mean plantation business is not profitable compared to an alternative land use system, although they were marginal benefits. The study therefore recommend that private plantation be encourage to ensure less dependence on natural forest and to also mitigation climate change and through this jobs created and livelihood improved to the rural communities
Relational Analysis of Profile of Beneficiaries of Farm Ponds and its Socio E...IJEAB
The present investigation was conducted in Parbhani district of Marathwada region in Maharashtra State. The main objective of the study was relationship between profile of beneficiaries of farm ponds and its impact. The data were collected through personal interview with the help of interview schedule by contacting 80 beneficiaries. The result revealed that majority (75.00%) of the beneficiaries having middle farming experience, followed by 26.25 per cent of the beneficiaries were educated up to secondary school level, while 50.00 per cent of the beneficiaries were having semi-medium land holding .whereas 75.00 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium area under irrigation, While 80.00 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium family size. It was also found that 87.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium social participation, whereas 52.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium level of extension contact, and 52.50 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium level of economic motivation, followed by 63.75 per cent of the beneficiaries having medium risk preferences. Also the result showed that farming experience, education, land holding, area under irrigation, family size social participation, extension contact, economic motivation and risk preferences were found to be positively and significantly related with impact in technological change (i.e) crop production, cropping pattern and soil conservation structure of farm pond. Also the result showed that relationship of profile of beneficiaries with economic change in employment generation only economic motivation was positive and non-significant, followed by relationship of profile of beneficiaries with social change in material possession and implement possession i.e. economic motivation was non-significant also social participation was non-significant in change in education family member.
Kimaru-Muchai - Communication Channels used in dissemination of soil fertilit...CIALCA
Presentation delivered at the CIALCA international conference 'Challenges and Opportunities to the agricultural intensification of the humid highland systems of sub-Saharan Africa'. Kigali, Rwanda, October 24-27 2011.
Introducing the sustainable intensification assessment frameworkafrica-rising
Presented by Mark Musumba, Philip Grabowski, Cheryl Palm and Sieglinde Snapp at the Africa RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting, Accra, 1-2 February 2017
This document summarizes a study that assessed gender roles and environmental impacts during oil crop production in Lare, Nakuru, Kenya. The study found that production activities were determined by socio-economic factors and gender. Male farmers predominantly made autonomous decisions, while female farmers performed most production tasks. Both male and female farmers lacked awareness of environmental and gender policies and faced health risks from pesticide use without protective gear. The study recommends approaching gender roles differently during farming, reducing health risks through pesticide strategies that consider human gender, and conducting commodity-specific gender analyses to address challenges and opportunities.
This document summarizes a study that assessed gender roles and environmental impacts during oil crop production in Lare, Nakuru, Kenya. The study found that production activities were determined by socio-economic factors and gender. Male farmers predominantly made autonomous decisions, while female farmers performed most production tasks. Both male and female farmers lacked awareness of environmental and gender policies and faced health risks from pesticide use without protective gear. The study recommends approaching gender roles differently during farming, reducing health risks through pesticide strategies that consider human gender, and conducting commodity-specific gender analyses to address challenges and opportunities.
Postharvest loss assessment of commercial horticultural crops in south wollo,...Alexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on postharvest losses of horticultural crops in South Wollo, Ethiopia. The study assessed losses from 220 farmers and 80 traders across two districts. Key findings include:
- Farmers experience problems with pests, diseases, and limited irrigation water availability, especially in summer. Major causes of postharvest losses are reported as preharvest infection and injury.
- General postharvest losses reported by farmers are estimated at less than 5% for 50% of respondents, 5-10% for 34.1%, and 10-20% for 13.2%.
- Losses for individual crops like banana, orange, mango, and others are estimated at various stages of handling
Presented by Barbara Gemmill-Herren during the seminar How to Feed Nine Billion within the Planet’s Boundaries - Agroecology for Food Security & Nutrition organised by the SIANI Expert group on Agriculture Transformation on March 10, 2015. Read more here: http://www.siani.se/expert-groups/agriculture-transformation-low-income-countries-under-environmental-change
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The document announces the SME Best Business Plan Competition 2013 organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. Participants must submit an entry form by June 14th and a business plan by August 15th. Business plans will be assessed based on innovation, research, management, viability, and social impact. The winner of the competition will receive Rs. 100,000, while the first and second runners up will receive Rs. 60,000 and Rs. 40,000 respectively. The objectives are to promote entrepreneurship and reward innovative business plans.
Tweets FARA Regional Youth Workshop on CAADP implementation - Day 2Nawsheen Hosenally
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Tweets FARA Regional Youth Workshop on CAADP implementation - Day 1Nawsheen Hosenally
This document provides a summary of tweets from Day 1 of the FARA Regional Youth Workshop on CAADP in Accra. Key discussion points included:
- Whether youth issues should be cross-cutting or focused on a particular theme
- Recommendations that youth participate in national CAADP task teams
- The need to build youth capacities and skills for agricultural leadership
- Gaps in national youth policies regarding agriculture in various countries
This document describes YPARD, a global platform for young agricultural professionals under age 40. Its goals are to 1) facilitate knowledge exchange among members from different disciplines, professions, ages and regions, 2) broaden opportunities for members to contribute to agricultural policy debates, and 3) promote agriculture among youth. YPARD has over 5,000 members from 146 countries and coordination offices in several African and Asian countries. Benefits of membership include access to funding/job opportunities, networking, and participation in capacity building activities. YPARD works to achieve its goals through online platforms, enabling members' participation in events, and conducting research on declining youth interest in agriculture.
This document summarizes a regional workshop on engaging youth in the implementation of CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme). The workshop objectives were to define the best role for youth and propose a strategy for enabling their participation. Participants discussed questions around youth involvement and desired outcomes. Presentations covered developing effective strategies and establishing the youth's fit within the agricultural value chain. Groups then analyzed country policies, gaps in attracting youth, and recommendations to incorporate youth engagement in CAADP and FARA plans and objectives. The workshop aimed to define a strategy for preparing and equipping African youth to contribute to agricultural development goals.
1. The document proposes an organic poultry farming method that was successfully tested on chickens, with no mortalities.
2. The method involves giving the chickens adequate space to roam and forage on a diet of organic feed, herbs, green foliage, and insects.
3. Based on the successful test, the document outlines plans to develop a large-scale organic and eco-friendly farm in Namibia that will produce eggs, citrus, olives, and poultry through organic and sustainable practices.
This document outlines the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa's (FARA) new strategic plan and medium-term operational plan (MTOP) for 2014-2018. The plan was developed in response to changes in FARA's operating environment and the ending of its previous MTOP in 2013. The new strategy prioritizes visioning Africa's agricultural transformation, developing capacities for change, and creating an enabling policy environment. It defines FARA's core functions and outlines key results around stakeholder engagement, capacity strengthening, and policy support to achieve its goals of reducing food insecurity and poverty through agricultural growth in Africa.
The document discusses the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework and country implementation process. It provides an overview of CAADP's vision and goals to improve agricultural productivity, integrate farmers into markets, and improve livelihoods through evidence-based country strategies and investments. It outlines the key steps in the country implementation process, including stakeholder engagement, analysis, development of investment programs, and monitoring. It describes FARA's role in providing technical support through human and institutional capacity building, advocacy, and partnerships to ensure countries benefit from agricultural research and innovation under CAADP.
Summary of findings - e-agriculture strategies in the ACPNawsheen Hosenally
This document summarizes the findings of a study on e-Agriculture policies and strategies in selected ACP and non-ACP countries. The study found that while a few countries like Ghana, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Bolivia have initiated e-Agriculture strategies or policies, most ACP countries have not developed or do not understand the need for such strategies. It identifies challenges around stakeholder engagement, infrastructure, and capacity. The document recommends that CTA and partners create task forces, develop policy toolkits, provide awareness and capacity building support, and ensure local leadership and relevance to farmers to help more ACP countries develop effective national e-Agriculture policies
The document summarizes an upcoming meeting organized by CTA to discuss strengthening e-Agriculture strategies in ACP countries. The meeting will bring together participants from government, farmers organizations, private sector, and international organizations to review the need for ICT strategies in agriculture and identify actions to strengthen their formulation and implementation. It will also discuss innovative tools and projects supporting the implementation of these strategies. A preparatory online discussion will identify issues regarding developing inclusive and efficient ICT strategies for agriculture and review existing processes in ACP countries.
Final background report - e-agriculture strategies in ACPNawsheen Hosenally
The document provides a background report on e-Agriculture policies and strategies in selected ACP and non-ACP countries. Some key findings include:
1) Most ACP countries have not developed e-Agriculture strategies, though some initiatives exist in Ghana, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
2) Ghana and Rwanda have developed or are developing e-Agriculture strategies, while Ivory Coast recently approved an e-Agriculture policy.
3) Challenges faced include lack of stakeholder involvement, understanding of ICT's role in agriculture, interest in e-Agriculture policies, and collaboration between agriculture and ICT
This document outlines the agenda for a two-day workshop on strengthening e-agriculture strategies in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. The workshop included presentations on current ICT policies and initiatives in agriculture, case studies from various countries, and discussions on tools, infrastructure needs, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Participants also engaged in breakout sessions to discuss how to strengthen the formulation, implementation and evaluation of e-agriculture strategies to ensure inclusion of smallholder farmers, women and youth. The workshop concluded with discussions on challenges, next steps, and identifying potential collaborative actions going forward.
M-Farm provides price information, group selling, and group buying services to farmers in Kenya. However, providing price information faces several challenges, including being underfunded, expensive to deliver, competing with the government, issues with non-standard units, perishability of market data, and difficulty measuring impact. M-Farm also facilitates collective marketing and collective buying to help farmers sell and purchase goods as a group.
This document summarizes CARDI's activities and strategic plans. CARDI is an agricultural research institution established in 1975 serving 12 Caribbean member states. It uses three strategic axes: sustainable science and technology innovation, strategic partnerships, and institutional capacity building. The document discusses how ICTs can enhance agricultural research and knowledge sharing. It outlines CARDI's ICT challenges and early initiatives. Current projects use ICTs like Google Docs and Dgroups to engage stakeholders. CARDI's plans include strengthening ICT infrastructure, policies, and monitoring impact. A project will study ICT uses in roots/tubers and small ruminants value chains to identify models that can be shared across regions.
The document discusses agricultural extension in Jamaica. It notes that Jamaica's agriculture is diverse, with 80% of farmers occupying less than 2 hectares of land. The agriculture sector contributes 5.9% to GDP. There are 120 extension officers. RADA is trying to increase use of ICT like mobile phones and tablets to provide farmers real-time information on topics like weather and best practices. However, there are challenges like the age of farmers and high internet costs. The presentation recommends targeting women and youth to adopt technology and increasing private sector support and ICT infrastructure to drive e-agriculture.
ICT access needs and challenges for agricultural stakeholdersICT access needs and challenges for agricultural stakeholders by Stella Kamuyu Wanjau - EAFF
Nunit vs XUnit vs MSTest Differences Between These Unit Testing Frameworks.pdfflufftailshop
When it comes to unit testing in the .NET ecosystem, developers have a wide range of options available. Among the most popular choices are NUnit, XUnit, and MSTest. These unit testing frameworks provide essential tools and features to help ensure the quality and reliability of code. However, understanding the differences between these frameworks is crucial for selecting the most suitable one for your projects.
Have you ever been confused by the myriad of choices offered by AWS for hosting a website or an API?
Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, Lightsail, Amplify, S3 (and more!) can each host websites + APIs. But which one should we choose?
Which one is cheapest? Which one is fastest? Which one will scale to meet our needs?
Join me in this session as we dive into each AWS hosting service to determine which one is best for your scenario and explain why!
Trusted Execution Environment for Decentralized Process MiningLucaBarbaro3
Presentation of the paper "Trusted Execution Environment for Decentralized Process Mining" given during the CAiSE 2024 Conference in Cyprus on June 7, 2024.
Dive into the realm of operating systems (OS) with Pravash Chandra Das, a seasoned Digital Forensic Analyst, as your guide. 🚀 This comprehensive presentation illuminates the core concepts, types, and evolution of OS, essential for understanding modern computing landscapes.
Beginning with the foundational definition, Das clarifies the pivotal role of OS as system software orchestrating hardware resources, software applications, and user interactions. Through succinct descriptions, he delineates the diverse types of OS, from single-user, single-task environments like early MS-DOS iterations, to multi-user, multi-tasking systems exemplified by modern Linux distributions.
Crucial components like the kernel and shell are dissected, highlighting their indispensable functions in resource management and user interface interaction. Das elucidates how the kernel acts as the central nervous system, orchestrating process scheduling, memory allocation, and device management. Meanwhile, the shell serves as the gateway for user commands, bridging the gap between human input and machine execution. 💻
The narrative then shifts to a captivating exploration of prominent desktop OSs, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Windows, with its globally ubiquitous presence and user-friendly interface, emerges as a cornerstone in personal computing history. macOS, lauded for its sleek design and seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem, stands as a beacon of stability and creativity. Linux, an open-source marvel, offers unparalleled flexibility and security, revolutionizing the computing landscape. 🖥️
Moving to the realm of mobile devices, Das unravels the dominance of Android and iOS. Android's open-source ethos fosters a vibrant ecosystem of customization and innovation, while iOS boasts a seamless user experience and robust security infrastructure. Meanwhile, discontinued platforms like Symbian and Palm OS evoke nostalgia for their pioneering roles in the smartphone revolution.
The journey concludes with a reflection on the ever-evolving landscape of OS, underscored by the emergence of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and the persistent quest for innovation and efficiency. As technology continues to shape our world, understanding the foundations and evolution of operating systems remains paramount. Join Pravash Chandra Das on this illuminating journey through the heart of computing. 🌟
leewayhertz.com-AI in predictive maintenance Use cases technologies benefits ...alexjohnson7307
Predictive maintenance is a proactive approach that anticipates equipment failures before they happen. At the forefront of this innovative strategy is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which brings unprecedented precision and efficiency. AI in predictive maintenance is transforming industries by reducing downtime, minimizing costs, and enhancing productivity.
Programming Foundation Models with DSPy - Meetup SlidesZilliz
Prompting language models is hard, while programming language models is easy. In this talk, I will discuss the state-of-the-art framework DSPy for programming foundation models with its powerful optimizers and runtime constraint system.
Building Production Ready Search Pipelines with Spark and MilvusZilliz
Spark is the widely used ETL tool for processing, indexing and ingesting data to serving stack for search. Milvus is the production-ready open-source vector database. In this talk we will show how to use Spark to process unstructured data to extract vector representations, and push the vectors to Milvus vector database for search serving.
HCL Notes und Domino Lizenzkostenreduzierung in der Welt von DLAUpanagenda
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DLAU und die Lizenzen nach dem CCB- und CCX-Modell sind für viele in der HCL-Community seit letztem Jahr ein heißes Thema. Als Notes- oder Domino-Kunde haben Sie vielleicht mit unerwartet hohen Benutzerzahlen und Lizenzgebühren zu kämpfen. Sie fragen sich vielleicht, wie diese neue Art der Lizenzierung funktioniert und welchen Nutzen sie Ihnen bringt. Vor allem wollen Sie sicherlich Ihr Budget einhalten und Kosten sparen, wo immer möglich. Das verstehen wir und wir möchten Ihnen dabei helfen!
Wir erklären Ihnen, wie Sie häufige Konfigurationsprobleme lösen können, die dazu führen können, dass mehr Benutzer gezählt werden als nötig, und wie Sie überflüssige oder ungenutzte Konten identifizieren und entfernen können, um Geld zu sparen. Es gibt auch einige Ansätze, die zu unnötigen Ausgaben führen können, z. B. wenn ein Personendokument anstelle eines Mail-Ins für geteilte Mailboxen verwendet wird. Wir zeigen Ihnen solche Fälle und deren Lösungen. Und natürlich erklären wir Ihnen das neue Lizenzmodell.
Nehmen Sie an diesem Webinar teil, bei dem HCL-Ambassador Marc Thomas und Gastredner Franz Walder Ihnen diese neue Welt näherbringen. Es vermittelt Ihnen die Tools und das Know-how, um den Überblick zu bewahren. Sie werden in der Lage sein, Ihre Kosten durch eine optimierte Domino-Konfiguration zu reduzieren und auch in Zukunft gering zu halten.
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- Reduzierung der Lizenzkosten durch Auffinden und Beheben von Fehlkonfigurationen und überflüssigen Konten
- Wie funktionieren CCB- und CCX-Lizenzen wirklich?
- Verstehen des DLAU-Tools und wie man es am besten nutzt
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Main news related to the CCS TSI 2023 (2023/1695)Jakub Marek
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The original Czech 🇨🇿 version of the presentation can be found here: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/hlavni-novinky-souvisejici-s-ccs-tsi-2023-2023-1695/269688092 .
The videorecording (in Czech) from the presentation is available here: https://youtu.be/WzjJWm4IyPk?si=SImb06tuXGb30BEH .
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Skybuffer SAM4U tool for SAP license adoptionTatiana Kojar
Manage and optimize your license adoption and consumption with SAM4U, an SAP free customer software asset management tool.
SAM4U, an SAP complimentary software asset management tool for customers, delivers a detailed and well-structured overview of license inventory and usage with a user-friendly interface. We offer a hosted, cost-effective, and performance-optimized SAM4U setup in the Skybuffer Cloud environment. You retain ownership of the system and data, while we manage the ABAP 7.58 infrastructure, ensuring fixed Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and exceptional services through the SAP Fiori interface.
Letter and Document Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Sol...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on automated letter generation for Bonterra Impact Management using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
Interested in deploying letter generation automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Letter and Document Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Sol...
011 rudgard
1. Researcher attitudes and behaviour towards the ‘openness’ of
research outputs in agriculture and related fields
Philip Edge, Franz Martin, Stephen Rudgard and Nadia Manning Thomas
Abstract
An online worldwide survey of researchers in agriculture and related fields was
carried out in March 2011 by the CGIAR, FAO and GFAR on behalf of the CIARD
(Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development) initiative. The
aim of the survey was to gain greater understanding of researcher behaviours and
attitudes in relation to communicating research outputs and making such outputs
open and accessible. There were almost 1500 responses to the survey, with 50% of
respondents identifying that they worked in Latin America and 33% in Africa. The
survey analysis shows that, although researchers are driven in their work by many
different and interacting motivations, institutional/organizational factors are very
important and have much influence over individuals’ behaviour. Often, making a
research output freely and openly available can be in the hands of the individual, and
some will act in this way. However, for many others there are perceived barriers to
this, such as the lack of required resources and of institutional policies to drive these
activities. Further, current behaviours in choosing routes to communicate research
results are still strongly biased toward the traditional routes of publishing in journals
and books and appearing at conferences, though the availability and increasing use
of digital formats is starting to broaden the spread of communication pathways used.
The paper ends with reference to the relevance and importance to the CIARD
initiative of the results of the survey.
Keywords: innovation systems, scientific publishing, research communication,
opening knowledge.
Introduction and Objectives
The Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD)
initiative (http://www.ciard.net/) is working to make agricultural research information
publicly available and accessible to all. This means working with organisations and
individuals that hold information or that create new knowledge – to guide them to
disseminate it more effectively and make it easier to access. This means enhancing
the ‘openness’ of knowledge for all.
1|Page
2. The scope of CIARD’s focus on research outputs is broader than that of the Open
Access movement, which so far has tended to focus on the peer reviewed journal
literature. It is worth noting however that large surveys have been carried out in the
context of the Open Access movement which give valuable insights into researcher
attitudes: for example the survey of about 54,000 researchers worldwide as part of
the SOAP (Study of Open Access Publishing) EU-funded project in 2010.
CIARD aims to stimulate the openness of all types of research output, including
theses, images, data, grey material, and so on. Further, CIARD aims to stimulate
innovative pathways for the sharing of outputs. In March 2011 the CGIAR, FAO, and
GFAR (all Founding Partners of CIARD) prepared a global survey on
‘Communicating Research Outputs’ in order to understand better the motivations,
attitudes and constraints of researchers in agriculture and related fields.
Methods
For the CIARD survey a questionnaire was made available online in three languages
(English, French and Spanish), using SurveyMonkey, and researchers alerted to its
presence with the kind support of national and international partners/networks
available to and familiar to the CGIAR, FAO and GFAR. The target audience
covered the fields of agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, food and nutrition and
related biological, environmental, economic and social fields. By mid-September
2011, 1447 responses had been received, distributed across the three languages as
follows: English – 538, French – 154, Spanish – 755.
The results are split into two sections. Part 1 reports on questions which relate to
geographical location, fields of research, organization type, sources of funding, and
other ‘organizational’ matters. Part 2 reports on questions which relate to researcher
behaviour, attitudes and motivations. The results for all three languages have been
aggregated into one data set which is the main focus for this report. Where relevant,
the analysis of the separate language data sets is referred to.
The analysis of questions considered in Part 2 used a technique called ‘rating
average’ to measure the strength of the respondent group’s scoring of a particular
factor. In these questions, respondents rated a number of factors as being of ‘High’,
‘Medium’,’ Low’ (or ’Not at all’) importance in the context of the question. The rating
average for each factor was derived from a relative weighting, whereby High,
Medium, etc are allocated a score which is multiplied by the number of scores for
that weighting, and expressed in relation to the total number of scores for that factor.
This is the rating average. In some cases the differences between rating averages
within one question were not large enough to derive significant conclusions. Where
they are large they are displayed. In most questions the bar chart presented shows
the relationships between the high, medium and low responses to the question.
Results: Part 1 – ‘Organizational’ Information
Respondents’ Fields of Work
Most respondents identified agriculture as their field of activity (64.3%), though there
was a broad spread across the other categories. Within the different language
2|Page
3. groups some significant variations are apparent. The English language group
responded similarly to the overall data, with 64.8% scoring agriculture. The Spanish
language group showed less emphasis on agriculture (52.4%) but otherwise the
responses fitted well with the aggregated data. The French language group showed
a much stronger emphasis on agriculture (77.9%) but also related biological fields
and related environmental fields (both at 35.1%) scored more highly than in the
aggregated data. It is possible that these variations are related to the organization of
research and teaching in the countries/regions of the respondents.
Figure 1 - Field(s) of work of respondents.
100%
90%
80%
70% 64.3%
60%
50%
40%
30%
27.8%
19.9% 19.7% 21.2% 21.0% 21.9%
20%
12.2%
10%
8.0%
0%
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Agriculture
Forestry and Forests
Environmental field related
Social field related
Livestock
Food and Nutrition
Economic field related
Biological field related
Region where respondents were active
Respondents could select more than one region. The region in which respondents
were most active was Latin America (53.5%). Africa (32.6%) and Asia (23.7) were
well represented, and Europe and Northern America1 were cited by few respondents.
1
United States of America, Canada, Greenland, Bermuda, Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
3|Page
4. Figure 2 - Region(s) where most respondents‘ work is carried out.
60%
53.5%
50%
40%
32.6%
30%
23.7%
20%
10%
6.9%
4.6% 4.1%
0%
Latin America Africa Asia and Pacific The Caribbean Europe Northern
America
The data of the separate language groups indicate that the English language
respondents were active in all regions, with strongest representations in East Africa
(19.4%), South Asia (18.6%) and South East Asia (15.0%). Spanish language
respondents were focused mainly on Latin America (90.8%) and the Caribbean
(8.9%). French language respondents were widely spread with the strongest
presence in West Africa (47.1%), Central Africa (22.9%) and Latin America (19.3%).
Respondents’ gender
The aggregated data shows a strong predominance of males (73.9%) vs. females
(26.1%), and these proportions were consistent across all language groups.
Respondents’ organizational affiliations
National research institutions (NRIs) (37.5%) and universities/educational
establishments (32.4%) were the main locations for respondents. Extension/advisory
agencies represented a very small proportion (4.5%). However, there were some
significant differences between the language groups. The scope of English language
respondents is very similar to that seen in the aggregated data. The Spanish
language data indicated a stronger representation of universities/educational
establishments (42.9%), weaker representation of NRIs (29.2%), with
extension/advisory agencies as a slightly stronger group at (7.4%). The French
language data showed a strong bias toward NRIs (59.4%) with international/regional
(non-CGIAR) research centres next at 17.2%. Universities were much less frequent
(10.9%) and extension/advisory agencies were not represented at all in the French
results.
4|Page
5. Figure 3 - Frequencies of organization type.
40% 37.5%
35% 32.4%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10.8%
10%
6.8% 6.6%
4.5% 4.1%
5%
1.5%
0%
Funding sources for activities
A significant proportion of respondents considered that funding from private or
public sources is not very significant in developing/driving their research – 72.4%
indicated that private/commercial sources are of low extent or not applicable, while
the equivalent for public/not for profit funds was 45.7%. This result was perhaps
surprising and it may indicate some lack of understanding concerning the various
ways in which their research is funded. However, from the opposite perspective, the
results showed that public/non-profit funds (54.3% for high and medium extent)
are more important in driving research activities than the equivalent seen for
private/commercial sources (27.6%).
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6. Figure 4 - Relative importance of funding sourcing for respondents ‘research.
100%
13.4
90%
31.6
80%
70% 32.3
60%
None or not
50% applicable (%)
40.8
Low (%)
40% 27.1
Medium (%)
30%
High (%)
20%
21.7
27.2
10%
5.9
0%
Public and/or non-profit funding Private and/or commercial funding
Analysis of the separate language groups indicates that for the English and French
groups the picture is similar to that shown above, though the rating average scores
tend to give an even stronger emphasis to public funding. However the Spanish
group shows less differentiation between the public and commercial scorings. This
may indicate an overall greater significance for private funding in the Spanish group
than in the other two.
Primary area/s of respondents’ activity/ies
A large proportion of respondents indicated their involvement in research (79.7%),
with education and training also popular (54.8%). Extension and advisory activities
were also significant here at 31.6%.
The separate language groups showed some variations between them. The English
group show a strong emphasis on research (82.3%) but also with levels of scoring in
several other categories that are higher than the overall group. This result implies
perhaps that these researchers are working across categories in the implementation
of their work (e.g. research + extension), or see their role in this way. The Spanish
group shows a pattern very similar to the aggregate, but with greater emphasis on
education (63.7%) and extension (38.8%). The French group is most focused on
research (92.5%) with a lesser emphasis on the other categories.
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7. Figure 5 - Primary activities of respondents.
100%
90%
79.7%
80%
70%
60%
54.8%
50%
40%
31.6%
30%
19.8%
20%
14.6% 14.6%
10%
0%
Research Education Rural advisory Management Advocacy or Communication
and/or training services, policy- and information
extension, etc. influencing management
Results: Part 2 - Researcher behaviour, attitudes and motivations
Importance of different target audiences/groups
Almost all the target categories had a predominantly ‘high’ rating, with ‘medium’ also
heavily scored. Within this picture there are one or two issues to note. The target
group ‘NGOs and civil society groups’ has a lower ‘high’ rating than the others, at
only 40%, but its ‘medium’ rating is 39% which is higher than the others. The highest
‘high’ rating is national researchers (71%), followed by farmers and producers (63%)
and academic groups and international researchers (both at 58%). Noteworthy
results from the separate language groups are that ‘farmers and producers’ are rated
higher than all others in the ‘high’ category by the Spanish language group. Also, in
the French group ‘international researchers’ and ‘national researchers’ are scored far
higher in the ‘high’ category than by the other target groups.
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8. Figure 6 - Relative importance of target groups for communicating research outputs.
Researchers at national level
Academic groups (lecturers and
students)
Farmers and producers
Researchers at international/regional
level
Extension agents
Policy-makers
Non-governmental organisations and
other civil society groups
0% 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %
High Medium Low Not important/applicable
Factors that encourage effective communication of research outputs
Respondents identified the most important factors which encouraged them to
communicate their research outputs effectively were related to ‘opportunities for
career enhancement’, ‘institutional demands to report or communicate outputs’, and
institutional capabilities (‘access to adequate IT infrastructure’), while they gave the
lowest priority to direct monetary reward in relation to royalties and opportunities for
personal development. The chart shows that most of the scoring was in ‘high’ and
‘medium’ categories, and low scores in ‘not important’, implying that these issues are
important in the current thinking of the respondents. Rating averages did not show
large variations between factors, except for ‘Payment of a portion of royalties....’
which had significantly lower ‘High’ and ‘Medium’ scores than other factors. The
overall picture presented by the aggregated data is that issues relating to institutional
capabilities (particularly in IT), institutional demands, and opportunities for career
development, take precedence over direct monetary/reward issues and the
protection of intellectual property.
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9. Figure 7 - Relative importance of factors encouraging the effective communication of research
outputs.
Institutional demands or obligations to
report/communicate research outputs
Opportunities for career enhancement (e.g.
promotion)
Access to adequate IT Infrastr.(Internet,
computers, soft.tools/applications,etc)
Acknowledgement of contributions (e.g. non-
monetary awards)
Monetary-incentives (e.g. prizes)
Sound policies for protection of ownership of
intellectual property rights
Recognition/steem from peers (e.g. citations)
Opportunities for personal development
Payment of a portion of royalties received related
to patent(s) derived from your research
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
High (%) Medium (%) Low (%) Not important (%)
Benefits of communication of research outputs
Respondents identified the most important benefits gained by communicating
research outputs as being ‘contributing to science’, ‘reaching the target audience’
and ‘contributing to alleviating hunger and poverty’. The lowest importance was
given to ‘increased personal recognition within organization’, ‘promotion/salary
increase’, and ‘opportunities for professional/personal development’. The chart
below shows the emphasis on ‘high’ and ‘medium’ scoring, with very low numbers for
‘not important’. These responses indicate that the driving forces for the respondents
tend to be more related to altruistic issues of furthering science and making an
impact rather than toward personal gain, whether in financial or personal status.
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10. Figure 8 - Relative importance of the benefits gained by communicating research outputs.
Making a contribution to science
Reach your target audience
Making a contribution to alleviating hunger and poverty
Increased access to resources (funding) for your
professional activity.
Increased recognition/visibility of your organisation
Increased access to other colleagues for problem solving
Increased personal recognition/visibility by people outside
your organization
Opportunities for your professional and personal
development (i.e. training)
Promotion and/or increase in salary
Increased personal recognition/visibility within your
organization
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
High Medium Low Not important
Barriers to communication of research outputs
The most significant barriers that prevent researchers/scientists from communicating
research outputs were identified by respondents as ‘lack of resources/time’, ‘lack of
funding’, and ‘weak linkages between researcher and end user’. The least important
barriers were found to be ‘concerns about stealing and re-use of outputs etc’, ‘lack of
skills/access’, and ‘poor IT infrastructure’.
There was no significant difference in responses between the language groups.
This suggests that the real situation for researchers is often a complex one without
simple solutions. The implication also is that, although significant, these negative
factors do not wholly undermine the efforts of researchers to communicate their
outputs. Communication of research to target audiences is perceived as being of
high importance and thus it appears that researchers will tend to focus on this no
matter how high the barriers are.
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11. Figure 9 - Relative importance of barriers faced by researchers/scientists communicating
research outputs (Rating average).
Lack of resources (time and funding) to communicate
3.47
research outputs
Lack of funding for communicating research outputs 3.20
Weak linkages between researchers and end users 3.15
Lack of enabling institutional policies to facilitate
3.04
communicating outputs
Shortage or lack of specialists to repackage research
2.89
outputs to communicate with audience(s) more effectively
Limited understanding of communication pathways,
2.79
opportunities and options for researchers
Poor IT infrastructure (Internet connectivity, computers,
2.65
software tools and applications, etc.)
Lack of skills/access to methods for communicating my
2.62
outputs
Concerns about others “stealing ” data/outputs and re-using
2.23
them
0 1 2 3 4
Figure 10 - Relative importance of barriers preventing researchers/scientists communicating
research outputs (Relative weighting of scores).
Lack of resources (time and funding) to communicate
research outputs
Lack of funding for communicating research outputs
Weak linkages between researchers and end users
Lack of enabling institutional policies to facilitate
communicating outputs
Shortage or lack of specialists to repackage research
outputs to communicate with audience(s) more effectively
Limited understanding of communication pathways,
opportunities and options for researchers
Poor IT infrastructure (Internet connectivity, computers,
software tools and applications, etc.)
Lack of skills/access to methods for communicating my
outputs
Concerns about others “stealing ” data/outputs and re-using
them
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
High Medium Low Not important/applicable
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12. Importance of support mechanisms for effective communication
All types of training support scored predominantly high and medium, showing a clear
demand. ‘Training for web-based social media’ and ‘training for participatory
research methods’ come highest with ‘writing and authoring skills’ lowest. However,
some differences are seen in the separate language groups – the most prominent
one being that the French-speaking group rate training for writing and authoring skills
the highest.
Figure 12. Relative importance of support mechanisms for effective communication of
research outputs.
Training in skills for use of web-based social media
for communication
Training in use of participatory research methods
with audience(s)
Training in other types of communication skills
(e.g. audio, video)
Advice on securing intellectual property rights
Training in writing/authoring skills
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
High Medium Low Not important
Principal channels for communication of research outputs
The responses showed a strong emphasis on communication using ‘scholarly
publishing’ (75.5%) and at ‘conferences and seminars’ (74.0%), with ‘training
materials’ also high (46.7%). Newer communication techniques have a much weaker
presence, such as ‘web-based social media’ (18.3%), ‘e-newsletters’ (16.8%) and
‘repository/websites’ (28.9%). This indicates that the new methods of communicating
research, which the internet is enabling, still take a lower priority with practising
researchers.
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13. Figure 12 - Relative importance of channels for communication of research outputs.
100%
90%
80% 75.5% 74.0%
70%
60%
50% 46.7%
40% 34.4%
28.9% 28.8%
30%
18.3% 16.8%
20% 15.3%
8.5%
10%
2.5% 0.7%
0%
video and photo sharing, collaborative…
E-newsletters
Conferences or seminars
Practical demonstrations
Broadcast media (radio/TV)
Newspapers
Repository or website
None of these
bulletins/newsletter/guides/pamphlets/
bulletins/newsletter/guides/pamphlets/
Scholarly publishing (journals, books,
Other
channels such as blogs, microblogs,
Web-based social media tools and
Promotional material (e.g.
Training material (e.g.
leaflets)
leaflets)
etc.)
Interestingly, there were some significant differences between the results of the
different language groups, which may point to some variation in national or regional
approaches. Although the profile for the English group was somewhat similar to the
overall analysis, both use of ‘web-based social media’ (25.5%) and of
‘repository/websites’ (34.3%) were higher than in the overall group. Also, the French-
speaking group was very focused on traditional communication through ‘scholarly
publishing’ (93.1%) and ‘conferences and seminars’ (86.3%) while the newer
approaches were rated much lower.
Types of research communication outputs produced
In total there were 1031 responses to this question. The analysis divides into three
areas.
1. Print/analogue vs. Digital outputs
As shown in the chart below, print/analogue formats were identified more
often by respondents as being used for the more traditional types of research
output –journal articles, books, theses, informal articles etc. A variety of digital
formats also were identified. So for the traditional research communication
routes the traditional print formats still predominate. However, it was
noticeable that even where print formats were still dominant there was also a
significant scoring for digital outputs (20% to 35% and more), the implication
being that digital formats are now penetrating substantially into all types of
activity.
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14. Figure 13 - Relative importance of types of research outputs (printed vs. digital).
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
Printed or
10% Analog
5%
Digital
0%
Software
Database/Dataset
Patent
Thesis (Master/Doctorate)
Book, chapter or monograph
Papers or articles (informal, non-
Article in a scholarly journal or
Film/Audio/Video (describing
Research report commissioned
conference proceeding
research outputs)
peer review)
2. Free vs. Priced Access to Research Information
Respondents showed a clear preference for ‘Free’ access to the outputs of
their research, except for patents. However, the ‘Priced’ option was favoured
more in the more popular formats of output such as book and journal
publication, and also software.
Figure 14 - Relative importance of cost of research outputs (free vs. priced).
25%
20%
15%
10%
Free
5%
Priced
0%
Software
Papers or articles (informal,
Database/Dataset
Patent
Thesis (Master/Doctorate)
Book, chapter or monograph
Article in a scholarly journal or
Film/Audio/Video (describing
Research report commissioned
conference proceeding
non-peer review)
research outputs)
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15. 3. Open vs. restricted access
As in 2. above, respondents indicated their preference for open as opposed to
restricted access, even for the traditional publication routes of books and
journals.
Figure 15 - Relative importance of types of research outputs (open access vs. restricted
access).
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
Open
10%
Restricted
5%
0%
Software
Patent
Papers or articles (informal,
Database/Dataset
Thesis (Master/Doctorate)
Book, chapter or monograph
Article in a scholarly journal or
Film/Audio/Video (describing
Research report commissioned
conference proceeding
non-peer review)
research outputs)
Analysis of the separate language groups showed that there were no significant
differences between them for any of the above three parameters. It may be that for
the responses to both 2. and 3. above the respondents were consciously
communicating their research outputs in products and services and systems that
make content freely available, or they may have reflected their confusion about who
pays for what to be made available. Often a price is being paid somewhere in the
communication chain which may not be clear to the researcher who has authored
the content. There are also complexities concerning what we mean by cost/no cost
and open/restricted. However, it is clear that large bodies of research outputs are
being made openly accessible at no cost by these respondents.
Discussion and Conclusions
The researcher base that was surveyed was spread globally, though with a
significant concentration in Latin America. It was predominantly male, was working in
agriculture and closely related fields, and the majority were based either in NRIs or
university/educational institutions. A significant proportion of the group was also
working with extension and advisory services.
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16. A significant body of respondents considered that funding from private or public
sources is not very significant in developing/driving their research. Generally,
public/non-profit funding is more significant for the research activities of the
researchers and institutions than private/commercial funding.
Effective communication of research outputs was rated highly, with the most
important targets being peers at NRIs, farmers and producers, and academic groups
such as students and lecturers. The drivers for research communication are
complex, though the most highly rated are institutional demands and commitments,
and opportunities for career enhancement.
The most important benefits of communication gained by scientists tended to be
altruistic, e.g. contributing to science and reaching important target audiences, rather
than focused on personal gain. Many factors were perceived to be acting as barriers
to communication, in particular the lack of resource/support, the lack of funding, and
poor access to farmer groups as recipients. The researchers rated highly the need
for support and training to increase effectiveness in communication, with the most
highly scored being training in Web2.0 activities and in participatory research
methods.
The respondents saw journals and conferences as the preeminent ways to
communicate their research outputs, with activities in the Web 2.0 genre rating much
lower. As authors, they are still using predominantly print-based formats for
communication through traditional routes, such as books and journals, but digital
formats have now penetrated into all types of activity to varying degrees. The results
suggest that the respondents are communicating most of their outputs through
openly accessible, no-cost routes.
The summary is based on the aggregated data from what is in overall terms only a
modest sample size, taken predominantly from the Southern hemisphere. One
principal axis of possible variation between the language of response showed no
significant variation on almost all aspects, so it can be assumed that the weight of
Spanish language responses is not biasing the overall results significantly. A more
detailed analysis of responses using different parameters to distinguish within the
sample, such as area of employment, would require a larger sample.
The Way Forward
The survey results bring many valuable insights into current perceptions of
researchers into the communication of their outputs particularly in Latin America,
Africa and Asia. These findings can be considered by senior managers in
agricultural research systems as they review their organizational policies.
The analysis above shows that, although researchers are driven in their work by
many different and interacting motivations, institutional/organizational factors are
very important and have much influence over individuals’ behaviour. Often, making a
research output freely and openly available can be in the hands of the individual, and
some will act in this way. However, for many others there are perceived barriers to
this, such as the lack of required resources and of institutional policies to drive these
activities. Institutional/organizational behaviour can be changed by the development
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17. of relevant strategic and policy frameworks. In many cases individual behaviour will
not be changed unless there are policy requirements which influence the individual.
The CIARD initiative can learn from the survey and adjust its approach. CIARD aims
to influence and provide support at both the level of the organization and of the
individual. The initiative is a collective commitment to promote and sustain the
openness of agricultural knowledge for all. CIARD aims to provide guidance and
support to, and through this to change the behaviour of, both individuals and
institutions. Through institutional change will come also enhanced individual change
and, in the case of the CIARD initiative, increased and pervasive openness of
research outputs. There is already much ‘best practice’ in institutions/organizations
around the world, but a great deal more needs to be catalysed before the overall
aims of CIARD are achieved.
References
PROJECT SOAP
Project-soap.eu (2011) Project SOAP. [online] Available at: http://project-soap.eu/
[Accessed: 16 Mar 2012].
CIARD
ciard.net (2010) CIARD Website. [online] Available in http://www.ciard.net
[Accessed: 16 Mar 2012].
FAO, CGIAR, GFAR (2011) CIARD - Global Survey on Communicating your
Research Outputs [questionnaire online] Available in http://svy.mk/raL0Hl [Accessed:
16 Mar 2012].
FAO, CGIAR, GFAR (2011) CIARD - Enquête mondiale sur la Communication des
résultats de recherché [questionnaire online] Available in http://svy.mk/nlqubr
[Accessed: 16 Mar 2012].
FAO, CGIAR, GFAR (2011) CIARD - Encuesta Global sobre Comunicación de
Resultados de Investigación. [questionnaire online] Available in
http://svy.mk/nBlTwMl [Accessed: 16 Mar 2012].
Contact information
Philip Edge
Food and Agriculture of the United Nations
(FAO)
Oxford
United Kingdom
edgedr@gmail.com
Franz Martin
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO)
Rome
Italy
franz.martin@fao.org
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18. Stephen Rudgard
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO)
Rome
Italy
Stephen.Rudgard@fao.org
Nadia Manning-Tomas
Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR)
London
United Kingdom
nadia.manning.thomas@gmail.com
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