Catherine Larochelle

Persistent yield declines driven by ecological pressures threaten livelihoods and food security, particularly among smallholder cocoa farmers. Sustainable intensification (SI) is widely promoted to address productivity and environmental challenges in smallholder agriculture, yet its welfare effects in cocoa systems remain poorly understood. We address this gap by evaluating the effects of integrated adoption of sustainable cocoa intensification practices (SCIPs) on yield, farm income, and household food security. The analysis draws data from 739 cocoa-farming households in Ghana. Four plot typologies, representing alternative SI pathways, is constructed using a multidimensional farm-level indicator framework. A Multinomial Endogenous Switching Regression model is used to examine the effect of alternative SI pathways on each outcome variable. The results indicate that adoption of SCIPs significantly increases cocoa yield by 34.0% (223.86 kg/ha) and farm income by 34.12% (GHS 1,325.49/ha). It also substantially improves household food security, reducing the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and reduced Coping Strategies Index by 63.46% and 62.87%, respectively, while increasing the Household Food Consumption Score by 50.35%. However, households experience short-term food security declines during the transition to SI. Supporting farmers through these transition periods will be essential to ensuring widespread adoption. Policy and development interventions must move beyond fragmented approaches and prioritize bundled, system-wide strategies. Efforts must focus on ensuring efficient input markets and expanding effective extension services. In addition, targeted incentive mechanisms are essential to cushion cocoa farmers during transition periods to sustain adoption.

Climbing bean is a potential solution to increase the agricultural sector productivity and sustainability. Using nationally representative bean-producing household data collected in Rwanda, this study identifies factors that influence the decision to switch from cultivating bush to climbing bean and quantifies the impact of climbing bean adoption on yield. About 50% of bean-producing households grow climbing bean, a substantial increase over the past 15 years. Elevation, population pressure, and drought shocks are important drivers of climbing bean adoption. Adoption of climbing bean increases yield by 23% among adopters and has the potential to increase yield by 48% for non-adopters. Findings from this study provide important information for the development of agricultural policies and programs in Rwanda and elsewhere.

This article demonstrates the utility of small area estimation of poverty (SAEp) methods for researchers wishing to conduct a detailed welfare analysis as part of a larger survey of a small geographic area. This study applies SAEp methods as part of an impact assessment of a conservation agriculture production system in Eastern Uganda. Using SAEp, we estimate Foster–Greer–Thorbecke rural poverty indices, estimate the effects of per‐acre farm profit increases to poor households on the indices, and compare the findings to estimates of net returns from a field‐level evaluation of conservation agriculture for maize farmers. Results suggest that increasing the farm profits of the bottom 30% of households by $1.60 per‐acre per‐season would reduce rural poverty incidence by 1 percentage point. Available data on the net returns to conservation agriculture indicate that even these modest increases are achievable for few adopting households.

This article provides evidence from a randomised control trial conducted among potato farmers in Ecuador about the impact of mobile phone text messages on farmer knowledge about and adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Using psychological constructs, we examine competing explanations for non-standard decision-making leading to low adoption of beneficial agricultural technologies. Farmers who received text messages have significantly higher knowledge and are more likely to adopt most IPM practices than those in the control group. Findings provide evidence that text messages lead to behavioural changes by reducing inattention and sub-optimal heuristics in the face of complex decisions.

L’importance de l’orientalisme dans la culture européenne du XIXe siècle est maintenant bien connue. Qu’en est-il au Québec ? Le présent article traite de l’importance et de la prégnance du discours orientaliste dans la culture québécoise de la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle à partir de 12 récits de voyage en Orient composés par des Canadiens français. Après avoir examiné le contexte de production de ces récits et le sens donné au voyage en Orient par les voyageurs canadiens, nous nous intéresserons aux façons dont certains auteurs manipulent les thèmes suivants : le genre, la race et la religion. Les réflexions de ces auteurs sur les « races » et la « civilisation » opèrent, à l’occasion, un rapprochement entre l’altérité de l’« Oriental » et l’altérité du « Sauvage » canadien. L’article analysera, en dernier lieu, les liens discursifs établis entre ces deux figures de l’Autre très importantes dans l’idée canadienne-française de la civilisation. C’est à ce moment que l’idée d’un orientalisme canadien-français prendra tout son sens. The important role of Orientalism in 19th century European culture is now well known. However, what about its role in Quebec? This article discusses the importance and relevance of the Orientalist discourse in Quebec culture of the second half of the 20th century based on 12 travel accounts written by French Canadians. After examining the background to the production of these accounts and the meaning that the Canadian travellers associate with Oriental travel, we consider how some authors address the themes of gender, race and religion. These authors’ reflections on “races” and “civilization” occasionally draw a parallel between the alterity of the “Oriental” and the alterity of the “Canadian Indian”. Finally, we analyze the discursive links established between these two figures of the “Other,” which are both very important to the French-Canadian idea of civilization. With that, the idea of French-Canadian Orientalism takes on its full significance.