Characterization

Central to the HarvestChoice spatial evaluation platform are the data and tools surrounding the definition of; the geography of production and productivity, the characterization of production systems, the extent and severity of biotic and abiotic production constraints, and the means to assess the impact of a wide variety of drivers of change in those systems. This body of information underpins HarvestChoice's ability to evaluate the potential economic and welfare impacts of greater investment and improved policy. Prior examples of this approach at a more disaggregated scale include the FAO/WB study on Poverty and Farming Systems .

HarvestChoice has an extensive effort underway to compile a harmonized, cross-country data from nationally-representative household production data for the purposes of production system characterization . At present details of farm household enterprise mixes, input and technology use, market participation and other relevant factors are being extracted and compiled for; Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and Ghana, and this work should be extended to Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Mali and Burkina Faso in the coming months.

Examples of other relevant data sources include FAO Integrated Plant Nutrient Information System (IPNIS, see the map below), which provides information on the crop nutrient application, soil nutrient management, and crop production constraints at sub-national (district) level. HarvestChoice collaborates with CIESIN to georeference the administrative boundary of IPNIS database to integrate its information in the spatial evaluation platform.