This report provides an initial assessment of the impact of agricultural commodity taxes levied by local district authorities on the national objectives of food security, poverty alleviation and economic growth. A study was undertaken to provide government with a better understanding of the...

This paper grows out of earlier work on cotton by the Food Security Research Project. It is directed towards policy makers and private stakeholders in Zambia’s cotton sector, and has four main purposes: (a) To provide a detailed descriptive overview of the organization of the sector and of the...

This paper aims to summarize the rationale and objectives of the Crop Marketing Authority and the possible consequences of adopting the proposed legislation. We also identify where the proposal, in its current form, requires additional specificity in order to evaluate its ability to meet...

Abstract: This policy synthesis highlights some of the key messages contained in the full report with the same title. It aims to summarize the rationale and objectives of the CMA and the possible consequences of adopting the proposed legislation. We also identify alternative or additional...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of mugaiwa, and the small-scale trading and milling sector that provides it, in ensuring poor consumers’ access to food in the context of this marketing season’s maize deficit. The paper then identifies opportunities for Government and the...

Food relief for vulnerable groups is important in times of deficit. For the remainder of the population, well functioning grain markets can save lives during times of food shortfalls. This note illustrates how predictable Government behavior in the market can improve markets’ ability to meet...

The purpose of this report is to assess the efficiency of the Ethiopian grain marketing system and identify some of the constraints on market participants which influence its performance. The main questions dealt with are: How is the grain marketing system organized and coordinated? Is the grain...

The paper consists of three parts. The first part of the paper is a review of agricultural performance in Ethiopia over the past forty years. The second part diagnoses agricultural system performance and food security problems in Ethiopia and discusses some tentative practical strategies for...