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Abstract
This report documents the discussions and results of a research design workshop
held at the Equatoria Hotel in Kampala, November 7-11, 2002. The meeting was the first
formal gathering of the stakeholders of the project .Assessing the social and economic
impact of improved banana varieties in East Africa..
The goal of the project is to fortify the impact of improved banana varieties on the
livelihoods of smallholder farmers in East Africa. Banana (Musa) is a primary food staple
as well as an essential cash crop for the region.s smallholder farmers. Declining yields
brought about by pests and diseases and decreasing soil fertility have compromised food
and income security. In selected banana-growing areas, farmers have begun to adopt
improved varieties that have only relatively recently become available from the small
number of banana breeding programs in existence globally. The National Agricultural
Research Organization (NARO) in Uganda, meanwhile, has embarked upon an ambitious
breeding program that employs a range of biotechnologies to address the crop.s most
debilitating pests and disease problems (nematodes, weevils, Fusarium wilt and Black
leaf streak disease).
This impact assessment project seeks to support areas of scientific research and
policy affecting banana production by employing a unique approach that integrates
economics tools and sociological methods within a common conceptual framework. The
emphasis is on making a difference during, rather than after, the research or policy
decisions have taken place. Furthermore, by evaluating and predicting the effects of
improved varieties on farmer livelihoods, participating organizations will be able to target
their work more appropriately towards livelihood needs.
This workshop represented the first attempt to bring economists, sociologists and
agricultural scientists together to discuss the design of the study and the practicalities of
its execution.