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This paper analyzes the impact of a Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) on the Technical Efficiency (TE) of smallholder groundnut farmers in the context of climate change in India. We use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to study the TE of smallholder farmers, which range between 0.58 and 1, with a mean of 0.79. Using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique, we find that the TE of smallholder farmers improves when they participate in a WBCIS using three matching methods. Increasing the coverage of farmers under a WBCIS can help in reducing smallholder farmers vulnerability to climate change.
K. Nirmal Ravi Kumar; Suresh Chandra Babu. Can a Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme Increase the Technical Efficiency of Smallholders? A Case Study of Groundnut Farmers in India. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9327 .
AMA StyleK. Nirmal Ravi Kumar, Suresh Chandra Babu. Can a Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme Increase the Technical Efficiency of Smallholders? A Case Study of Groundnut Farmers in India. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9327.
Chicago/Turabian StyleK. Nirmal Ravi Kumar; Suresh Chandra Babu. 2021. "Can a Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme Increase the Technical Efficiency of Smallholders? A Case Study of Groundnut Farmers in India." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9327.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected several economic sectors in India, dragging many to the brink of survival. In particular, the already fragile horticulture industry is now facing a double burden of a weak value chain management system as well as perishability of produce (fresh fruits and vegetables), this pandemic season. Also, the strict enforcement of lockdown has altered both demand and supply factors, which in turn have shocked various linkages in the value chain of fresh fruits and vegetables. So, this paper dissects the value chain management of grapes and its processed products, namely juice, wine, and raisins in Maharashtra, the largest producer of grapes in India. For this, a value chain analysis (VCA) is carried out by computing the degree of value addition to uncover the rupture points caused by the pandemic as well as advocate policy measures to build a resilient system. The value chain analysis shows that post-COVID-19, the degree of value addition, has shot up for the intermediary agents, i.e., pre-harvest contractors, at the expense of the farmers. Using the insights from the VCA results plus the demand and supply shocks, various policy measures are elucidated to strengthen the grape value chain.
K. Nirmal Ravi Kumar; Suresh Chandra Babu. Value chain management under COVID-19: responses and lessons from grape production in India. Journal of Social and Economic Development 2021, 1 -23.
AMA StyleK. Nirmal Ravi Kumar, Suresh Chandra Babu. Value chain management under COVID-19: responses and lessons from grape production in India. Journal of Social and Economic Development. 2021; ():1-23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleK. Nirmal Ravi Kumar; Suresh Chandra Babu. 2021. "Value chain management under COVID-19: responses and lessons from grape production in India." Journal of Social and Economic Development , no. : 1-23.
Food security is a common challenge among South Asian countries, and it leads to major effects on health outcomes. Two of the Sustainable Development Goals focus on eliminating hunger, promoting good health and enhancing well-being. Hunger and malnutrition are also linked to poverty, since low income limits access to nutritious food, basic health care and proper sanitation. Hunger and malnutrition have long-term impacts on communities, such as stunting in children. Other impacts include infant deaths, low immunity and poor cognitive development. The consequences of hunger and malnutrition are severe and have negative effects in overall development of a country. Even though this has been well understood, developing countries face issues in creating effective policies. To understand the drives of policy change, this paper uses case study approach and applied the Kaleidoscope model to trace the policy process of food security in India. We studied the National Food Security Act of 2013, India, in detail and tested the 16 hypotheses of the kaleidoscope model to understand the policy process. Results indicate that the National Food Security Act was influenced due to political motivations such as central government elections.
Suresh Chandra Babu; Namita Paul; Anjani Kumar. Understanding Food Policy Process in India: An Application to Food Security Act of 2013. Issues and Challenges of Inclusive Development 2020, 121 -140.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu, Namita Paul, Anjani Kumar. Understanding Food Policy Process in India: An Application to Food Security Act of 2013. Issues and Challenges of Inclusive Development. 2020; ():121-140.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu; Namita Paul; Anjani Kumar. 2020. "Understanding Food Policy Process in India: An Application to Food Security Act of 2013." Issues and Challenges of Inclusive Development , no. : 121-140.
This report aims to address the status and challenges of agriculture research, extension and their linkages in Nepal. Agriculture plays the vital role in Nepal’s economy, employment, and livelihoods, contributing nearly 28% to GDP, 66% to employment, and 50% to export. In spite of GON’s priority and policy supports for more than two decades, the growth of agriculture has been very slow (<3.0%). This is mainly due to inadequate access to demand-driven technologies and extension services, and to inputs, credits, markets and incentives. Dynamic agriculture research and extension systems are instrumental for bringing transformations in agriculture. Nepal’s agricultural R&D is largely dominated by public sector institutions (NARC, DOA, DOLS) under the MOAD and MOLD with their national-, regional- and local-level networks. The institutional capacity (manpower, infrastructure, funds and others resources) is inadequate to address the diverse technological and service demands of the diverse clients including farmers, entrepreneurs and industries. While GON has advocated promotion of private sector in research and development, not much has been achieved due to weak coordination and linkage mechanisms to foster public–private partnership in R&D. Strengthening of both public and private actors with proactive policies and program interventions for functional participations and linkages are crucial. This will also require the involvement of diverse R&D actors in planning, in monitoring, and in sharing of resources, incentives and recognition. GON’s commitment to promote agriculture R&D with enabling policies, funding, and capacity building is vital for sustainable impacts. Implementation of the recommendations to reform and strengthen research and extension systems and promote linkages among actors, service providers and key stakeholders in Nepal’s federal system will be critical for bringing the anticipated outcomes.
Suresh Chandra Babu; Ram Pratap Sah. Agricultural Research and Extension System in Nepal: An Organizational Review. Agricultural Transformation in Nepal 2019, 291 -319.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu, Ram Pratap Sah. Agricultural Research and Extension System in Nepal: An Organizational Review. Agricultural Transformation in Nepal. 2019; ():291-319.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu; Ram Pratap Sah. 2019. "Agricultural Research and Extension System in Nepal: An Organizational Review." Agricultural Transformation in Nepal , no. : 291-319.
What drives policy reform after long periods of policy inertia? What factors shape the effectiveness of policy implementation following reform decisions? These questions increasingly concern the international donor and research communities, given the importance of policy environments in shaping development outcomes and the growing need to achieve development impact with scarce resources. To address these questions, this paper introduces the Kaleidoscope Model of policy change. Inductively derived from empirical examples in developing countries, political economy literature, and theoretical scholarship on the policy process, the model proposes a set of 16 operational hypotheses to identify the conditions under which policies emerge on the agenda and ultimately are implemented. The paper tests the model empirically in Zambia by evaluating eight policy reform episodes related to agricultural input subsidies and vitamin A fortification. Empirical application and hypothesis testing rely on rigorous process tracing using secondary sources and semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 58 stakeholders in Zambia. In the policy reforms studied, a majority of the KM’s core variables proved robust across the two distinct policy domains, while a handful emerged as relevant only episodically. In an era of growing pressure on donor resources and government budgets, the Kaleidoscope Model offers a practical framework through which practitioners and researchers can assess when and where investments in policy reforms are most feasible given a country’s underlying political, economic, and institutional characteristics.
Danielle Resnick; Steven Haggblade; Suresh Babu; Sheryl L. Hendriks; David Mather. The Kaleidoscope Model of policy change: Applications to food security policy in Zambia. World Development 2018, 109, 101 -120.
AMA StyleDanielle Resnick, Steven Haggblade, Suresh Babu, Sheryl L. Hendriks, David Mather. The Kaleidoscope Model of policy change: Applications to food security policy in Zambia. World Development. 2018; 109 ():101-120.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDanielle Resnick; Steven Haggblade; Suresh Babu; Sheryl L. Hendriks; David Mather. 2018. "The Kaleidoscope Model of policy change: Applications to food security policy in Zambia." World Development 109, no. : 101-120.
Suresh Chandra Babu. Scientific Editors, P. Pinstrup-Andersen, S.A. Shoba, I.I. Vasenev, V.M. Koshelev & P.P. Sorkin (Eds): Food Security in Eurasia: Case Studies. Food Security 2017, 9, 1133 -1136.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu. Scientific Editors, P. Pinstrup-Andersen, S.A. Shoba, I.I. Vasenev, V.M. Koshelev & P.P. Sorkin (Eds): Food Security in Eurasia: Case Studies. Food Security. 2017; 9 (5):1133-1136.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu. 2017. "Scientific Editors, P. Pinstrup-Andersen, S.A. Shoba, I.I. Vasenev, V.M. Koshelev & P.P. Sorkin (Eds): Food Security in Eurasia: Case Studies." Food Security 9, no. 5: 1133-1136.
Agribusiness has a major role to play in the transformation of the agricultural sector in Africa. With the demand for high-value food products increasing across the world, there is an opportunity for an increase in income/employment through the production and export of these goods. To capture the benefits of this trend and capitalize on this opportunity for long-term agricultural growth, there is a need to increase the competitiveness of agribusiness in Africa. Further, along with competitiveness, increasing agricultural productivity and food security are other major challenges in African agricultural development. In this paper, we compare the competitiveness of African countries and develop typologies with their food security and agricultural productivity status. The typologies reveal various stylized facts on competitiveness of agribusiness to help nations prioritize issues for agricultural development and growth. Additionally, we also present policy implications for increasing agribusiness competitiveness status of countries in Africa.
Suresh Chandra Babu; Mahika Shishodia. Analytical Review of African Agribusiness Competitiveness. Africa Journal of Management 2017, 3, 145 -162.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu, Mahika Shishodia. Analytical Review of African Agribusiness Competitiveness. Africa Journal of Management. 2017; 3 (2):145-162.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu; Mahika Shishodia. 2017. "Analytical Review of African Agribusiness Competitiveness." Africa Journal of Management 3, no. 2: 145-162.
In sub-Saharan Africa, agribusiness has a major role to play in the transformation of the agricultural sector. The demand for high-value food products is increasing, creating an opportunity for the production and export of these goods. To capture the benefits of this trend and capitalize on this for long-term agricultural growth, the capacity for agribusiness must be strengthened at all levels. To effectively build the necessary capacities, the skills built by agribusiness education and training must correspond to the needs of the agribusiness sector. This article examines what capacities are needed for agribusiness development and management in sub-Saharan Africa at the individual, organization, and policy process levels. By reviewing the current agribusiness education offerings, this article identifies capacity gaps that must be filled for agribusiness development and wider agricultural transformation.
Suresh Chandra Babu; Rupak Manvatkar; Shashidhara Kolavalli. Strengthening Capacity for Agribusiness Development and Management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Journal of Management 2015, 2, 1 -30.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu, Rupak Manvatkar, Shashidhara Kolavalli. Strengthening Capacity for Agribusiness Development and Management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Journal of Management. 2015; 2 (1):1-30.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu; Rupak Manvatkar; Shashidhara Kolavalli. 2015. "Strengthening Capacity for Agribusiness Development and Management in Sub-Saharan Africa." Africa Journal of Management 2, no. 1: 1-30.
Journal article; Book ReviewIFPRI3; ISIPICP
Suresh C. Babu. Prabhakar Tamboli and Y. L. Nene, Revitalizing higher agricultural education in India: journey towards excellence, Asian Agri-History Foundation, Secunderabad, India 500009. 299 pp. Food Security 2011, 3, 525 -527.
AMA StyleSuresh C. Babu. Prabhakar Tamboli and Y. L. Nene, Revitalizing higher agricultural education in India: journey towards excellence, Asian Agri-History Foundation, Secunderabad, India 500009. 299 pp. Food Security. 2011; 3 (4):525-527.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh C. Babu. 2011. "Prabhakar Tamboli and Y. L. Nene, Revitalizing higher agricultural education in India: journey towards excellence, Asian Agri-History Foundation, Secunderabad, India 500009. 299 pp." Food Security 3, no. 4: 525-527.
A book on interactions of the food systems, health and nutrition in Africa is timely for several reasons. First, the countries of the African continent, while showing some progress in economic growth, are still far from achieving several of the Millennium Development goals. Second, the recent food price crisis, which pushed several million people into deeper poverty throughout the developing world, will have a lasting impact in Africa as most of the poor are net buyers of food and depend on the market for accessing it. Third, conflicts continue in several parts of Africa which displace people from their homes, reduce their access to their productive asset base, and increase their vulnerability to food insecurity, malnutrition and ill health.
Suresh Chandra Babu. Per Pinstrup-Andersen (ed): Review of “The African food system and its interaction with human health and nutrition”. Food Security 2011, 3, 277 -279.
AMA StyleSuresh Chandra Babu. Per Pinstrup-Andersen (ed): Review of “The African food system and its interaction with human health and nutrition”. Food Security. 2011; 3 (2):277-279.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSuresh Chandra Babu. 2011. "Per Pinstrup-Andersen (ed): Review of “The African food system and its interaction with human health and nutrition”." Food Security 3, no. 2: 277-279.
Distance education radio programmes on poultry farming with registered participants were organized using the local language in an effort to link researchers to rural poultry farmers through radio broadcasts. This study, based on data from 74 participants and 60 non-participants, assesses the impact of the radio farm school on participants using Bennett's hierarchy. Information gathered from the participants included the inputs used, the production activities carried out, the outputs obtained and the reactions of the participants with respect to listening behaviour, opinions, knowledge, attitudes, adoption changes and SWOT parameters. Overall, the evaluation found that the farm school on radio with registered participants had a major impact on developing awareness, knowledge and changes in attitude and in involving end-users in outreach activities. The related implications for scaling up and harnessing the medium of radio to disseminate outreach information are discussed.
P.V.K. Sasidhar; Murari Suvedi; K. Vijayaraghavan; Baldev Singh; Suresh Babu. Evaluation of a Distance Education Radio Farm School Programme in India: Implications for Scaling up. Outlook on Agriculture 2011, 40, 89 -96.
AMA StyleP.V.K. Sasidhar, Murari Suvedi, K. Vijayaraghavan, Baldev Singh, Suresh Babu. Evaluation of a Distance Education Radio Farm School Programme in India: Implications for Scaling up. Outlook on Agriculture. 2011; 40 (1):89-96.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP.V.K. Sasidhar; Murari Suvedi; K. Vijayaraghavan; Baldev Singh; Suresh Babu. 2011. "Evaluation of a Distance Education Radio Farm School Programme in India: Implications for Scaling up." Outlook on Agriculture 40, no. 1: 89-96.