Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda
Agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa have paid insufficient attention to sustainable intensification. In Uganda, agricultural productivity has stagnated with aggregate increases in crop production being attributed to expansion of cultivated land area. To enhance sustainable crop intensificati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2018.1471830 |
| _version_ | 1797681212127444992 |
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| author | P. N. Pali M. Schut P. Kibwika L. Wairegi M. Yami P. J. A. van Asten V. M. Manyong |
| author_facet | P. N. Pali M. Schut P. Kibwika L. Wairegi M. Yami P. J. A. van Asten V. M. Manyong |
| author_sort | P. N. Pali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa have paid insufficient attention to sustainable intensification. In Uganda, agricultural productivity has stagnated with aggregate increases in crop production being attributed to expansion of cultivated land area. To enhance sustainable crop intensification, the Ugandan Government collaborated with stakeholders to develop agricultural policies using an evidence-based approach. Previously, evidence-based decision-making tended to focus on the evidence base rather than evidence and its interactions within the broader policy context. We identify opportunities and pitfalls to strengthen science engagement in agricultural policy design by analysing the types of evidence required, and how it was shared and used during policy development. Qualitative tools captured stakeholders' perspectives of agricultural policies and their status in the policy cycle. Subsequent multi-level studies identified crop growth constraints and quantified yield gaps which were used to compute the economic analyses of policy options that subsequently contributed to sub-national program planning. The study identified a need to generate relevant evidence within a short time 'window' to influence policy design, power influence by different stakeholders and quality of stakeholder interaction. Opportunities for evidence integration surfaced at random phases of policy development due to researchers’ ’embededness’ within co-management and coordination structures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:41:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2056d1c44c114e0a88c3dbfadf6b7120 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1473-5903 1747-762X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:41:34Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-2056d1c44c114e0a88c3dbfadf6b71202023-09-19T15:22:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Agricultural Sustainability1473-59031747-762X2018-05-0116327228510.1080/14735903.2018.14718301471830Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from UgandaP. N. Pali0M. Schut1P. Kibwika2L. Wairegi3M. Yami4P. J. A. van Asten5V. M. Manyong6International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)IITA c/o CIATCollege of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere UniversityIITA c/o ICIPEInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)IITAAgricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa have paid insufficient attention to sustainable intensification. In Uganda, agricultural productivity has stagnated with aggregate increases in crop production being attributed to expansion of cultivated land area. To enhance sustainable crop intensification, the Ugandan Government collaborated with stakeholders to develop agricultural policies using an evidence-based approach. Previously, evidence-based decision-making tended to focus on the evidence base rather than evidence and its interactions within the broader policy context. We identify opportunities and pitfalls to strengthen science engagement in agricultural policy design by analysing the types of evidence required, and how it was shared and used during policy development. Qualitative tools captured stakeholders' perspectives of agricultural policies and their status in the policy cycle. Subsequent multi-level studies identified crop growth constraints and quantified yield gaps which were used to compute the economic analyses of policy options that subsequently contributed to sub-national program planning. The study identified a need to generate relevant evidence within a short time 'window' to influence policy design, power influence by different stakeholders and quality of stakeholder interaction. Opportunities for evidence integration surfaced at random phases of policy development due to researchers’ ’embededness’ within co-management and coordination structures.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2018.1471830sub-saharan africastakeholder engagementpolicy development processagricultural service provision |
| spellingShingle | P. N. Pali M. Schut P. Kibwika L. Wairegi M. Yami P. J. A. van Asten V. M. Manyong Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability sub-saharan africa stakeholder engagement policy development process agricultural service provision |
| title | Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda |
| title_full | Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda |
| title_short | Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda |
| title_sort | opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence based agricultural policies lessons from uganda |
| topic | sub-saharan africa stakeholder engagement policy development process agricultural service provision |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2018.1471830 |
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