29th October, 2019 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Jonathan Newby
At lot at stake - building a sustainable program to address the rapidly evolving cassava disease situation in Southeast Asia
Throughout Southeast Asia (SEA), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) has become an important upland crop in terms of both rural livelihoods and economic development. It is estimated that over 2 million households in mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) are engaged in cassava production. Cassava production in the majority of MSEA is a commercially oriented activity, with the crop cultivated to meet the rapidly growing regional and global demand for animal feed, starch-based products, ethanol and biofuel. Cassava products (starch and dried chips) are used in many applications, including the production of sweeteners (glucose, sorbitol) MSG, paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, dairy products, ethanol, animal feed, and pet food, to name but a few. Beyond the domestic utilisation, the export of fresh cassava roots, starch and chips amounts to between $3.5-4 billion USD per year for the region. In response to this strong market demand, cassava production has increased in the region with rapid expansion in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.
The University of Queensland and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has been working in partnership with national programs in range of production and market context in Southeast Asia to examine the incentives for different value-chain actors to scale sustainable cassava production technologies.
The recent cassava boom has coincided with the emergence and spread of two serious diseases throughout the region. Reported in Thailand in the 1990s, Cassava Witches Broom Disease (CWBD) is now widely distributed in SE Asia, with increasing field level incidence and yield impact. CWBD can cause yield reductions of up to 90%, and affect starch content and quality, thereby affecting root prices due to declining processing efficiency. The second (and most recent arrival) is a member of the cassava mosaic virus family of geminiviruses. Sri Lanka Cassava Mosaic Virus (SLCMV) was first reported in in Cambodia in 2015, and is now present throughout the major producing regions of Cambodia, and southern and central Vietnam, and northeast Thailand.
The expansion of production of cassava has involved significant cross-border trade in planting material (cassava planting stems -referred to as ‘seed’) and raw materials (fresh roots and dry chips) with Vietnam and Thailand. There are strong inter-dependencies between countries for both feedstock and processing capacity, access to export infrastructure, access to new technologies, and foreign investment capital. This has resulted in the rapid spread of disease across national borders and deep into the supply chain.
The management of cassava diseases in SEA requires a well-coordinated and integrated approach. ACIAR has recently commissioned a four year project to establish sustainable solutions to the disease situation, building on the existing knowledge of production and marketing systems. The project includes: 1. transdisciplinary teams and work packages; 2. strong engagement with value chain actors (core actors - farmers, traders, processors, exporters, and supporting - extension, input suppliers, credit etc); and 3. regional scale of the partnerships and networks developed.
There are several opportunities to continue and expand the strategic research partnership between UQ, CIAT and national programs for the benefits of smallholder cassava farmers in Southeast Asia.
15 October, 2019 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Helen Ross and Severine van Bommel
Reinventing Extension? A discussion
UQ, through a predecessor of SAFS, is said to be the first university in Australia to introduce teaching in Agricultural Extension, and it has remained one of the most active universities in this field. However since 1962, ‘extension’ has changed a great deal. For some, it is a diverse field concerned with supporting landholders and other stakeholders to learn better ways of operating in the production of food and fibre. In this review, extension retains a single and coherent identity. For others, the word extension represents the first extension paradigm, ‘transfer of technology’, and there is reluctance to use the term extension – more specific terms such as innovation are preferred. Ampt et al. (2015) have argued the need to ‘reinvent’ extension. If so, is SAFS the place to take a lead with a publication?
This session is the follow up to the presentation sessions on 15th September which covered (i) is ‘extension’ (1) all good participatory practice assisting landholders to develop their potential and that of their land (whether for agriculture, animals, NRM or something else), or (2) limited to Transfer of Technology, and other ideas and practices now prevail – under different labels? ; (ii) directions which have been advanced under view 2 (with focus on Wageningen’s leadership); and (iii) mainstreaming participatory extension practices in public extension in a developing country context
The discussion will include pinboard exercises facilitated by Severine at Gatton and Helen at St Lucia
What new directions in research and practice are needed to help extension evolve (under either view, 1 or 2)?
Summing up – is there interest and potential (in principle) in a multi-authored paper?
September 17th, 2019 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Room S324 in Hartley Teakle and Room 8117a-103 at Gatton
Zoom: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/464544780
Helen Ross, Severine van Bommel and Dominic Smith.
Panel discussion on "Rethinking Extension"
This session is the first of two planned, to offer a chance of discussion and perhaps lead to a publication if we feel we have good material.
UQ, through a predecessor of SAFS, is said to be the first university in Australia to introduce teaching in Agricultural Extension, and it has remained one of the most active universities in this field. However since 1962, ‘extension’ has changed a great deal. For some, it is a diverse field concerned with supporting landholders and other stakeholders to learn better ways of operating in the production of food and fibre. In this review, extension retains a single and coherent identity. For others, the word extension represents the first extension paradigm, ‘transfer of technology’, and there is reluctance to use the term extension – more specific terms such as innovation are preferred. Ampt et al. (2015) have argued the need to ‘reinvent’ extension. If so, is SAFS the place to take a lead with a publication?
A panel will introduce the topic, for about 20 minutes, then the session will be open discussion.
1. Helen Ross
Scope of the idea: is ‘extension’ (1) all good participatory practice assisting landholders to develop their potential and that of their land (whether for agriculture, animals, NRM or something else), or (2) limited to Transfer of Technology, and other ideas and practices now prevail – under different labels?
Previous thinking – Ampt et al paper for APEN, 2015.
2. Severine van Bommel
The alternate concepts and directions which have been advanced under view 2 (with focus on Wageningen’s leadership)
3. Dominic Smith
Perspectives from practice: mainstreaming participatory extension practices in public extension in a developing country context
Discussion: pinboard exercise facilitated by Severine at Gatton, Helen at St Lucia
What new directions in research and practice are needed to help extension evolve (under either view, 1 or 2)?
Summing up – is there interest and potential (in principle) in a multi-authored paper?
To be continued in a follow-up seminar.
Agrarian Transitions in Malaysian Borneo - A 40 Year Perspective
Prof. Rob Cramb
September 3rd, 2019
12:00-13:00
Room S324, Hartley Teakle Building, St. Lucia Campus, University of Queensland
Agriculture and the forest sector in Sarawak, Malaysia, have undergone dramatic change since I first arrived as a freshly-minted agricultural economist in 1977. Semi-commercial smallholder farming systems were widespread in the 1970s and 1980s, combining shifting cultivation of upland rice and other subsistence crops with small, intensively-managed plots of cash crops like rubber and pepper. Evidence collected from surveys throughout Sarawak suggested that these systems were quite efficient and sustainable. From the 1990s two interrelated processes transformed the agricultural and forest landscape. The growth and structural transformation of the Malaysian economy drew younger generations out of farming and into urban-based employment, as analysed by many theorists and observed to varying degrees throughout Southeast Asia. Coincident with this familiar agrarian transition, however, has been the surprising resurgence and rapid spread of colonial-style plantation agriculture based mainly on oil palm. This agricultural expansion has pushed back the forest frontier much further than the shifting cultivators ever did, as far as the Indonesian border, and has partly offset the outflow of farm labour, but with migrant workers from Indonesia who make up over 80% of the plantation workforce. I examine the factors behinds these changes and the implications for rural livelihoods and landscapes.
NOTE: This seminar is held at St Lucia , but will also be available via videolink in Room 8117-103, Gatton Campus.
Adoption challenges and potential beneficiaries of improved livestock management practices
Dr. Lava Yadav
August 20th, 2019
12:00-13:00
The production of grain crops and livestock rearing are instrumental in supporting the livelihoods of the vast majority of Tibetan households in the cropping and agro-pastoral zones of central and southern Tibet. Once targets for per capita cereal production were met by the turn of the 21st century, policy focus has shifted towards intensification of livestock systems for improving food security and increasing incomes of smallholders. With previous ACIAR projects in Tibet having established inadequate animal nutrition as the primary driver of poor livestock production, the aim of the current project is to identify ways for improving the quality and year-round availability of livestock feed in addition to providing recommendations on the genetic suitability of improved breeds for dairy and sheep meat production.
This paper reports on a socio-economic study that was conducted to complement the scientific activities of the project. Household surveys were conducted with a total of 144 farming households across two prefectures (Shannan and Shigatze) to identify potential challenges farmers may face in adopting the recommended new technologies and management practices given traditional farming methods, cultural and religious traits, as well as external off-farm influences that have modified household characteristics and goals. These influences and challenges have resulted in a diverse set of attitudes towards farming, and motivated the pursuit of a variable set of livelihood strategies. It is thus crucial that potential beneficiaries are identified in order to achieve effective targeting of the research and extension work. In this study we attempt to identify such households based upon their attitudes towards adoption of new farming technologies. A recording is available - contact us for the details.
How we mapped fruit & vegetable value chains in Southern Philippines
Phil Currey
2nd August, 2019
12:00-13:00
Market research in three regions of Southern Philippines was conducted to identify the characteristics of distribution channels for selected vegetable as a means of providing an evidence base for small-scale vegetable farmers to make informed market-led decisions as part of an ACIAR project which ran from 2014 – 2018. An exploratory research methodology was adopted and data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with value chain members linking farmers and consumers. Participants were purposefully selected based on their organisation’s size, with the largest actors in each segment being interviewed where possible. Distribution of vegetables in southern Philippines is complex and not well documented in literature. This research may be the first substantial attempt at systematically identifying the specific characteristics of different types of actors that operate between farmers and consumers. The collection of accurate data was challenging because of the lack of prior research, the complexity of distribution channels, the stage of the industry’s life cycle in the Southern Philippines and because vegetables are not a significant crop in the region. Despite the difficulties, the data collected provided a foundation on which market segment decisions were made by farmers and can provide a framework for data collection into the future. This presentation describes the methods employed.
Native Forest Management will Increase Farm Incomes and the Resilience of Rural Communities in Queensland
Lead author and speaker: Tyron Venn
Co-authors: Ben Francis, Tom Lewis, Sean Ryan and Robbie McGavin
23rd July, 2019
12:00-13:00
The majority of the private native forest estate in Queensland is on properties where the main activity is beef cattle grazing, which is the largest agricultural industry in the state by value and land area. However, this forest is in a state of low productivity and ecological condition following a century of poor management. After highlighting the economic causes of this problem, the seminar will detail applied research that has revealed the strong financial performance of silviculture to improve forest productivity, and how this could translate into increased farm incomes and rural employment opportunities. Policy solutions are then proposed to overcome market failures in private native forest management.
Reflections on research-private sector partnerships for development impact in Eastern Indonesia
Liana Williams
9th July, 2019
12:00-13:00
Research institute-private sector partnerships are promoted as a mechanism to increase the scale and sustainability of research impact, especially where government extension services are constrained. However, such partnerships often bring together partners with different organisational cultures, goals and values which can undermine development outcomes. This presentation shares reflections, challenges, and lessons learned from CSIRO’s experience in facilitating 8 research-private sector partnerships in Eastern Indonesia as part of a broader effort to stimulate innovation and support livelihoods of poor farming households in the region. A recording is available - contact us for the details.
Transforming nutrition systems to reduce childhood stunting
Professor Bill Bellotti
18th June, 2019
12:00 - 13:00
In eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste, up to'60% of children under the age of five are stunted, representing some of the highest rates in the world. Childhood stunting indicates chronic maternal and child undernutrition and sadly, by the age of two is largely irreversible, resulting in lifelong mental and physical disability. For this reason, successful interventions that reduce stunting are one of the best investments a society can make.
The Indonesian government has developed a comprehensive policy and program to address childhood stunting and the government is making progress. However, human capacity and infrastructure at the local level constrains progress. This proposal will develop local staff with the concepts, knowledge and skills to transform local nutrition systems. It will also provide community-based infrastructure to support this transformation. The key innovation is applying a more integrated and co-ordinated approach at the local level to make existing policies and programs more effective and efficient.
Working with small holders in small countries: research in capacity building, food policy and ceremonies
Scott Waldron
4th June, 2019
12:00-13:00
Agricultural development projects commonly aim to improve the lives of small-holder farmers that have a range of resources, objectives and capacities. The governments of developing countries commonly aim to “get small farms moving” through extension, policy and other measures – with mixed success.
This seminar outlines some of the measures used to improve the productivity and livelihoods of small-holders in two current ACIAR beef development projects in Timor Leste and Vanuatu. It will also outline apparent research gaps in agricultural development in small countries in the Asia-Pacific region – in communication, food policy and ceremonies. The objectives of the seminar are to seek feedback and to identify common research interests in UQ.
Jonathan Newby
At lot at stake - building a sustainable program to address the rapidly evolving cassava disease situation in Southeast Asia
Throughout Southeast Asia (SEA), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) has become an important upland crop in terms of both rural livelihoods and economic development. It is estimated that over 2 million households in mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) are engaged in cassava production. Cassava production in the majority of MSEA is a commercially oriented activity, with the crop cultivated to meet the rapidly growing regional and global demand for animal feed, starch-based products, ethanol and biofuel. Cassava products (starch and dried chips) are used in many applications, including the production of sweeteners (glucose, sorbitol) MSG, paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, dairy products, ethanol, animal feed, and pet food, to name but a few. Beyond the domestic utilisation, the export of fresh cassava roots, starch and chips amounts to between $3.5-4 billion USD per year for the region. In response to this strong market demand, cassava production has increased in the region with rapid expansion in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.
The University of Queensland and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has been working in partnership with national programs in range of production and market context in Southeast Asia to examine the incentives for different value-chain actors to scale sustainable cassava production technologies.
The recent cassava boom has coincided with the emergence and spread of two serious diseases throughout the region. Reported in Thailand in the 1990s, Cassava Witches Broom Disease (CWBD) is now widely distributed in SE Asia, with increasing field level incidence and yield impact. CWBD can cause yield reductions of up to 90%, and affect starch content and quality, thereby affecting root prices due to declining processing efficiency. The second (and most recent arrival) is a member of the cassava mosaic virus family of geminiviruses. Sri Lanka Cassava Mosaic Virus (SLCMV) was first reported in in Cambodia in 2015, and is now present throughout the major producing regions of Cambodia, and southern and central Vietnam, and northeast Thailand.
The expansion of production of cassava has involved significant cross-border trade in planting material (cassava planting stems -referred to as ‘seed’) and raw materials (fresh roots and dry chips) with Vietnam and Thailand. There are strong inter-dependencies between countries for both feedstock and processing capacity, access to export infrastructure, access to new technologies, and foreign investment capital. This has resulted in the rapid spread of disease across national borders and deep into the supply chain.
The management of cassava diseases in SEA requires a well-coordinated and integrated approach. ACIAR has recently commissioned a four year project to establish sustainable solutions to the disease situation, building on the existing knowledge of production and marketing systems. The project includes: 1. transdisciplinary teams and work packages; 2. strong engagement with value chain actors (core actors - farmers, traders, processors, exporters, and supporting - extension, input suppliers, credit etc); and 3. regional scale of the partnerships and networks developed.
There are several opportunities to continue and expand the strategic research partnership between UQ, CIAT and national programs for the benefits of smallholder cassava farmers in Southeast Asia.
15 October, 2019 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Helen Ross and Severine van Bommel
Reinventing Extension? A discussion
UQ, through a predecessor of SAFS, is said to be the first university in Australia to introduce teaching in Agricultural Extension, and it has remained one of the most active universities in this field. However since 1962, ‘extension’ has changed a great deal. For some, it is a diverse field concerned with supporting landholders and other stakeholders to learn better ways of operating in the production of food and fibre. In this review, extension retains a single and coherent identity. For others, the word extension represents the first extension paradigm, ‘transfer of technology’, and there is reluctance to use the term extension – more specific terms such as innovation are preferred. Ampt et al. (2015) have argued the need to ‘reinvent’ extension. If so, is SAFS the place to take a lead with a publication?
This session is the follow up to the presentation sessions on 15th September which covered (i) is ‘extension’ (1) all good participatory practice assisting landholders to develop their potential and that of their land (whether for agriculture, animals, NRM or something else), or (2) limited to Transfer of Technology, and other ideas and practices now prevail – under different labels? ; (ii) directions which have been advanced under view 2 (with focus on Wageningen’s leadership); and (iii) mainstreaming participatory extension practices in public extension in a developing country context
The discussion will include pinboard exercises facilitated by Severine at Gatton and Helen at St Lucia
What new directions in research and practice are needed to help extension evolve (under either view, 1 or 2)?
Summing up – is there interest and potential (in principle) in a multi-authored paper?
September 17th, 2019 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Room S324 in Hartley Teakle and Room 8117a-103 at Gatton
Zoom: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/464544780
Helen Ross, Severine van Bommel and Dominic Smith.
Panel discussion on "Rethinking Extension"
This session is the first of two planned, to offer a chance of discussion and perhaps lead to a publication if we feel we have good material.
UQ, through a predecessor of SAFS, is said to be the first university in Australia to introduce teaching in Agricultural Extension, and it has remained one of the most active universities in this field. However since 1962, ‘extension’ has changed a great deal. For some, it is a diverse field concerned with supporting landholders and other stakeholders to learn better ways of operating in the production of food and fibre. In this review, extension retains a single and coherent identity. For others, the word extension represents the first extension paradigm, ‘transfer of technology’, and there is reluctance to use the term extension – more specific terms such as innovation are preferred. Ampt et al. (2015) have argued the need to ‘reinvent’ extension. If so, is SAFS the place to take a lead with a publication?
A panel will introduce the topic, for about 20 minutes, then the session will be open discussion.
1. Helen Ross
Scope of the idea: is ‘extension’ (1) all good participatory practice assisting landholders to develop their potential and that of their land (whether for agriculture, animals, NRM or something else), or (2) limited to Transfer of Technology, and other ideas and practices now prevail – under different labels?
Previous thinking – Ampt et al paper for APEN, 2015.
2. Severine van Bommel
The alternate concepts and directions which have been advanced under view 2 (with focus on Wageningen’s leadership)
3. Dominic Smith
Perspectives from practice: mainstreaming participatory extension practices in public extension in a developing country context
Discussion: pinboard exercise facilitated by Severine at Gatton, Helen at St Lucia
What new directions in research and practice are needed to help extension evolve (under either view, 1 or 2)?
Summing up – is there interest and potential (in principle) in a multi-authored paper?
To be continued in a follow-up seminar.
Agrarian Transitions in Malaysian Borneo - A 40 Year Perspective
Prof. Rob Cramb
September 3rd, 2019
12:00-13:00
Room S324, Hartley Teakle Building, St. Lucia Campus, University of Queensland
Agriculture and the forest sector in Sarawak, Malaysia, have undergone dramatic change since I first arrived as a freshly-minted agricultural economist in 1977. Semi-commercial smallholder farming systems were widespread in the 1970s and 1980s, combining shifting cultivation of upland rice and other subsistence crops with small, intensively-managed plots of cash crops like rubber and pepper. Evidence collected from surveys throughout Sarawak suggested that these systems were quite efficient and sustainable. From the 1990s two interrelated processes transformed the agricultural and forest landscape. The growth and structural transformation of the Malaysian economy drew younger generations out of farming and into urban-based employment, as analysed by many theorists and observed to varying degrees throughout Southeast Asia. Coincident with this familiar agrarian transition, however, has been the surprising resurgence and rapid spread of colonial-style plantation agriculture based mainly on oil palm. This agricultural expansion has pushed back the forest frontier much further than the shifting cultivators ever did, as far as the Indonesian border, and has partly offset the outflow of farm labour, but with migrant workers from Indonesia who make up over 80% of the plantation workforce. I examine the factors behinds these changes and the implications for rural livelihoods and landscapes.
NOTE: This seminar is held at St Lucia , but will also be available via videolink in Room 8117-103, Gatton Campus.
Adoption challenges and potential beneficiaries of improved livestock management practices
Dr. Lava Yadav
August 20th, 2019
12:00-13:00
The production of grain crops and livestock rearing are instrumental in supporting the livelihoods of the vast majority of Tibetan households in the cropping and agro-pastoral zones of central and southern Tibet. Once targets for per capita cereal production were met by the turn of the 21st century, policy focus has shifted towards intensification of livestock systems for improving food security and increasing incomes of smallholders. With previous ACIAR projects in Tibet having established inadequate animal nutrition as the primary driver of poor livestock production, the aim of the current project is to identify ways for improving the quality and year-round availability of livestock feed in addition to providing recommendations on the genetic suitability of improved breeds for dairy and sheep meat production.
This paper reports on a socio-economic study that was conducted to complement the scientific activities of the project. Household surveys were conducted with a total of 144 farming households across two prefectures (Shannan and Shigatze) to identify potential challenges farmers may face in adopting the recommended new technologies and management practices given traditional farming methods, cultural and religious traits, as well as external off-farm influences that have modified household characteristics and goals. These influences and challenges have resulted in a diverse set of attitudes towards farming, and motivated the pursuit of a variable set of livelihood strategies. It is thus crucial that potential beneficiaries are identified in order to achieve effective targeting of the research and extension work. In this study we attempt to identify such households based upon their attitudes towards adoption of new farming technologies. A recording is available - contact us for the details.
How we mapped fruit & vegetable value chains in Southern Philippines
Phil Currey
2nd August, 2019
12:00-13:00
Market research in three regions of Southern Philippines was conducted to identify the characteristics of distribution channels for selected vegetable as a means of providing an evidence base for small-scale vegetable farmers to make informed market-led decisions as part of an ACIAR project which ran from 2014 – 2018. An exploratory research methodology was adopted and data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with value chain members linking farmers and consumers. Participants were purposefully selected based on their organisation’s size, with the largest actors in each segment being interviewed where possible. Distribution of vegetables in southern Philippines is complex and not well documented in literature. This research may be the first substantial attempt at systematically identifying the specific characteristics of different types of actors that operate between farmers and consumers. The collection of accurate data was challenging because of the lack of prior research, the complexity of distribution channels, the stage of the industry’s life cycle in the Southern Philippines and because vegetables are not a significant crop in the region. Despite the difficulties, the data collected provided a foundation on which market segment decisions were made by farmers and can provide a framework for data collection into the future. This presentation describes the methods employed.
Native Forest Management will Increase Farm Incomes and the Resilience of Rural Communities in Queensland
Lead author and speaker: Tyron Venn
Co-authors: Ben Francis, Tom Lewis, Sean Ryan and Robbie McGavin
23rd July, 2019
12:00-13:00
The majority of the private native forest estate in Queensland is on properties where the main activity is beef cattle grazing, which is the largest agricultural industry in the state by value and land area. However, this forest is in a state of low productivity and ecological condition following a century of poor management. After highlighting the economic causes of this problem, the seminar will detail applied research that has revealed the strong financial performance of silviculture to improve forest productivity, and how this could translate into increased farm incomes and rural employment opportunities. Policy solutions are then proposed to overcome market failures in private native forest management.
Reflections on research-private sector partnerships for development impact in Eastern Indonesia
Liana Williams
9th July, 2019
12:00-13:00
Research institute-private sector partnerships are promoted as a mechanism to increase the scale and sustainability of research impact, especially where government extension services are constrained. However, such partnerships often bring together partners with different organisational cultures, goals and values which can undermine development outcomes. This presentation shares reflections, challenges, and lessons learned from CSIRO’s experience in facilitating 8 research-private sector partnerships in Eastern Indonesia as part of a broader effort to stimulate innovation and support livelihoods of poor farming households in the region. A recording is available - contact us for the details.
Transforming nutrition systems to reduce childhood stunting
Professor Bill Bellotti
18th June, 2019
12:00 - 13:00
In eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste, up to'60% of children under the age of five are stunted, representing some of the highest rates in the world. Childhood stunting indicates chronic maternal and child undernutrition and sadly, by the age of two is largely irreversible, resulting in lifelong mental and physical disability. For this reason, successful interventions that reduce stunting are one of the best investments a society can make.
The Indonesian government has developed a comprehensive policy and program to address childhood stunting and the government is making progress. However, human capacity and infrastructure at the local level constrains progress. This proposal will develop local staff with the concepts, knowledge and skills to transform local nutrition systems. It will also provide community-based infrastructure to support this transformation. The key innovation is applying a more integrated and co-ordinated approach at the local level to make existing policies and programs more effective and efficient.
Working with small holders in small countries: research in capacity building, food policy and ceremonies
Scott Waldron
4th June, 2019
12:00-13:00
Agricultural development projects commonly aim to improve the lives of small-holder farmers that have a range of resources, objectives and capacities. The governments of developing countries commonly aim to “get small farms moving” through extension, policy and other measures – with mixed success.
This seminar outlines some of the measures used to improve the productivity and livelihoods of small-holders in two current ACIAR beef development projects in Timor Leste and Vanuatu. It will also outline apparent research gaps in agricultural development in small countries in the Asia-Pacific region – in communication, food policy and ceremonies. The objectives of the seminar are to seek feedback and to identify common research interests in UQ.