Central Academic Institutions

Smallholder agricultural mechanization in Africa: Addressing governance challenges of state- and market-led mechanization efforts

Daum, Thomas; Birner, Regina (2017-08)

In the past decade, agricultural mechanization has returned to Africa’s development agenda, which has led to a variety of state and market-led initiatives to promote mechanization. Overwhelming evidence suggests that past ...

Improving Employment Prospects for Africa’s Rural Youth: Harnessing the potential of the agriculture sector for long-term job creation

Baraké, Evelyn; von Braun, Joachim; Kofol, Chiara (2017-11)

Rural youth are an important yet underutilised resource for agricultural growth and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In rural areas, the prevalence of vulnerable, low-quality jobs constitutes the main ...

How to develop Knowledge and Skills for Mechanization in Africa: Historical examples from the United States and Germany

Daum, Thomas; Huffman, Wallace E.; Birner, Regina (2018-01)

Agricultural mechanization is now high on the policy agenda of many African countries, yet few of these efforts emphasize the development of knowledge and skills. However, without the appropriate knowledge and skills, using ...

Doubling the Maize Yield in Africa through better Crop Management: Results from a crop simulation model to inform policy and research

Baraké, Evelyn; Eyshi Rezaei, Ehsan; Gaiser, Thomas (2018-01)

Despite the importance of maize as a staple crop for food security in Africa, yields in the region are very low in comparison to the rest of the world. To keep up with growing demand, increasing the productivity of Africa’s ...

Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth in Africa: Insights from Research Dossiers on 12 PARI Partner Countries

Kirui, Oliver K.; Sore, Sougrynoma Z. (2018-01)

This brief summarizes the findings from the independent research conducted by the Program of Accompanying Research for Agricultural Innovation (PARI) which inform SEWOH investments. It compiles analyses of the current state ...

How to keep tractors running in Africa?: Lessons for knowledge and skills development from Zambia

Thoelen, Jan; Daum, Thomas (2019-02)

Successful agricultural mechanization requires building knowledge and skills of machinery owners, operators and technicians on how to manage, run, maintain and repair machinery. Building such knowledge and skills still ...

Ausländische Direktinvestitionen im Nahrungsmittel- und Agrarsektor Afrikas: Wie ein besseres Verständnis und eine bessere Ausrichtung von Investitionen ein leistungsfähiges Entwicklungswerkzeug freisetzen könnten

Baraké, Evelyn; Husmann, Christine; Kubik, Zaneta (2019-02)

Trotz der Bemühungen der afrikanischen Regierungen, ausländische Direktinvestitionen (DI) in ihren Nahrungsmittel- und Agrarsektor anzuziehen, und der damit verbundenen Gegenkritik wurden überraschend wenig Untersuchungen ...

Innovations to overcome the increasingly complex problems of hunger: Alternative Pathways towards Food Security

Haluska, Nicholas; von Braun, Joachim (2018-07)

Transforming rural areas and increasing the productivity of smallholder farms are indispensable to meet the goal of overcoming hunger and malnutrition. After years of improvements, hunger levels rose again in 2016. Of the ...

Realizing the potential of digital technologies for agricultural development in Africa: Towards affordable, usable and integrated ICT solutions

Baraké, Evelyn; Baumüller, Heike (2018-07)

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly accessible and affordable worldwide. This trend has raised high expectations regarding their potential to revolutionize smallholder agriculture by providing ...

Small-scale irrigation potential in Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting investments in technologies, locations and institutions

Koo, Jawoo; Olayide, Olawale E.; Sangaré, Saadatou (2019-01)

The limited access to water the during dry season or a drought greatly restricts farming opportunities and productivity increases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Irrigation can thus be a promising solution to boost levels of ...

Foreign Direct Investments In Africa’s Food And Agriculture Sector: How understanding and channeling FDI better could unlock a powerful development tool

Baraké, Evelyn; Husmann, Christine; Kubik, Zaneta (2019-02)

Despite African governments’ efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into their food and agriculture sector and the counter-criticism this has provoked, surprisingly little research has been conducted to better ...

Made in Africa: How to make local agricultural machinery manufacturing thrive?

Daum, Thomas; Adegbola, Ygué P.; Kamau, Geoffrey M.; Kergna, Alpha O.; Daudu, Christogonus; Adebowale, Wahab A.; Adegbola, Carine; Bett, Charles; Mulinge, Wellington; Zossou, Roch C.; Kirui, Oliver K.; Fatunbi, Oluwole A. (2022-11)

Manufacturing can play a key role in sustained economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in Africa. Agricultural machinery manufacturing can contribute to driving overall manufacturing, given the increasing ...

ZEI Future of Europe Observer, 2022, Vol.10, No 3: The European digitalisation ambition: Halfway there?

Suder, Henrik (2022-10)

The digital transformation is one of the most important developments of the recent past. In order to keep pace with this and to actively shape and steer it, the EU has made digital legislation one of the most important ...

ZEI Future of Europe Observer, 2022, Vol.10, No 2: The Conference on the Future of Europe - The Closing of an Unprecedented Citizen Participation Process

Suder, Henrik (2022-05)

This issue of the Future of Europe Observer focuses on the Conference on the Future of Europe. A year ago, at the beginning of the conference, ZEI presented 25 ideas, which are now supplemented by 15 more at the end of the ...

ZEI Future of Europe Observer, 2022, Vol.10, No 1: Kick-off for the European Green Deal despite COVID

Suder, Henrik; Wittenberg, Liska (2022-03)

This issue of the ZEI Future of Europe Observer takes stock of the implementation of the annual work programs of the Von der Leyen Commission. It includes analyses on the progress being made within the Commission’s six ...

ZEI Future of Europe Observer, 2021, Vol. 9, No 3: Rethinking progress: universalism under pressure and ongoing transatlantic pragmatism

Stüwe, Robert (2021-10)

New transatlantic initiatives are desperately needed after the precipitous withdrawal of the West from Afghanistan which has been a severe blow to the credibility of the European Union and the United States. This issue of ...