Suchergebnisse

Diese Dissertation analysiert die Wirtschaftlichkeit und Umweltverträglichkeit von kontrolliert biologischer kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft in Afrika. Am Beispiel von exportorientiertem Ananasanbau in Ghana analysieren wir, ob zertifizierte Biolandwirtschaft diese beiden Ansprüche erfüllen kann. Aus einer Preistransmissionsanalyse können schließen, dass die Kernnachfrage nach Bioprodukten schneller steigt als das Angebot und damit Potential zur Erweiterung der Produktion bei gegebenen Preisrelationen vorhanden ist. Die Analyse des Return on Investment zeigt, dass diese Investitionen wirtschaftlich sinnvoll sind. Außerdem dient die Zertifizierung als Katalysator für die stärkere Nutzung von agrar-ökologischen Anbaumethoden. Der Gebrauch dieser Methoden ist zwar in der Regel profitabel, aber immer noch sehr geringen Ausmaßes. Das gefährdet die Nachhaltigkeit des kleinbäuerlichen biologischen Anbaus in Afrika. Daher sollte deren verstärkter Einsatz aktiver unterstützt werden.

AbstractThis paper explores the inter‐relations between economic growth, international trade and environmental degradation empirically by using panel data. Previous critique, especially on the econometric specification, is embedded. Several environmental factors and one sustainability indicator are analysed. The results indicate that there is an environmental Kuznets curve for most pollutants, but with several reservations. None of the various hypotheses that concern the link between trade and environmental degradation can be entirely confirmed. There is modest support for the pollution haven hypothesis. In addition, trade liberalisation might be beneficial to sustainable development for rich countries but harmful to poor ones. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The funding of social enterprises has undergone significant transformation over the last 20 years shifting from direct grants provided by government and philanthropic foundation sources, to earned revenues from a broader range of sources. In addition, the global economic crisis in 2008 has created new challenges and opportunities for the social enterprise sector. Fiscal tightening by traditional social funding sources was exacerbated by investor wariness of investments without clear reporting transparency and impact accountability. However, the high volatility of conventional markets has led investors to consider diversification strategies and counter-cyclical investments, benefiting many types of social enterprise. This paper describes the challenges and opportunities for funding faced by the social enterprise sector post-economic crisis. It also proposes recommendations for social enterprise managers and policy makers that are intended to increase the pool of funding available to the social enterprise sector.

AbstractMost decisions involving risk are not taken in isolation. In addition to the risk from that decision, other independent, so-called 'background' risks, are considered. Our research adds to the growing evidence that this background risk influences risk-taking. We report results from a repeated lab-in-the-field investment task with Senegalese fishers in the presence of background risk related to their fishing income and their health. Our measure of background risk is the monthly wind condition. Without controls, we find that fishers act on average intemperately. Adding controls, we find that the impact of background risk on risk-taking—measured as the investment in the investment task—depends on the boat size of the fishers. When dividing the sample according to wealth, we find temperate behavior for the relatively poorer group and intemperate behavior that depends on boat lengths for the relatively richer group. Our results show the interrelations between background risk and context factors.

AbstractTo foster the adoption of sustainable intensification practices amongst Ghana's farmers, they are widely promoted through training sessions provided by development organizations, companies, and the public extension service. We investigate whether these training sessions are effective and find that they are effective only for the diffusion of organic fertilizers but not for mulching. We suggest that this comes from the complexity of the innovations. Mulching is one of the simplest sustainable intensification technologies. It diffuses easily through peer learning and, after an initial training delivered to a critical mass of farmers, does not require training anymore. The use of organic fertilizers, in contrast, requires more specific knowledge and adaptation, which limits the effectiveness of peer learning and increases the effectiveness of training. This suggests that to achieve a widespread diffusion of sustainable intensification amongst Ghana's farmers, training sessions should focus on those practices that are complex and thus difficult to learn from peers.

AbstractThis paper contributes to the aid allocation literature by assessing whether recipient countries with persistent gender inequality in schooling receive more aid for education. Furthermore, we analyze whether female leadership of the relevant ministries in the donor countries results in better targeted aid by directing aid for education to where girls receive less schooling than boys. Our empirical findings suggest that female as well as male leaders have rewarded countries with more years of schooling of all children, or specifically of girls, rather than allocating aid for education according to general or gender‐specific needs with regard to schooling. Female leadership appears to have played a marginal role in the allocation of aid for education. © 2016 UNU‐WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

For local people in sub-Saharan Africa, large land investment projects currently imply many risks and few benefits. Drawing on own ethical and economic research and using evidence from the authors' case studies in Kenya, Mali and Zambia and a new database of large-scale land acquisitions worldwide, this brief offers policy recommendations for host governments, investors and the international community so as to achieve a more favourable balance of risks and benefits in land investment projects. Our research suggests that the land governance systems of sub-Saharan African countries, comprising a multitude of sometimes contradictory laws derived from colonial and customary systems, privilege powerful actors and lead to violation of human rights. Legal uncertainty and an acquisition process that gives no voice to local land users can lead to displacements of farmers without compensation. Poorly enforced formal laws, neglect of built-in checks and balances, and power and information asymmetries between investors and local people can give rise to coalitions of investors and powerful rent-seekers. Displaced farmers and those unable to find jobs on the land investment projects migrate to other rural areas or the cities, and few and only low-skilled jobs are available to those who remain. We found limited evidence of positive spillovers from improved infrastructure and knowledge and technology transfer. Local food prices are likely to rise, as most of the production on investment farms is for export. Overall, when many farmers are displaced and investment projects are capital intensive the net welfare effect for the local population can be expected to be negative. Against this background, we propose a set of policy changes for promoting benefits for the local population and avoiding human rights violations. In contrast to proposals made by international guidelines and codes of conduct, we emphasize in particular the responsibilities of host country governments.