ADS says poverty can be halved in 10 years at 5pc agri growth

Nepal can halve poverty in less than 10 years if the agriculture sector grows at the rate of 5 percent annually, said the Action Plan and Road Map Report of the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS).

However, at the current rate of growth of 3 percent, it’s going to take more than 20 years to get there. According to Third Living Standard Survey 2010-11, 25.4 percent of Nepal’s population lives under the poverty line.

Nepal has drastically cut multidimensional poverty to 44 percent in 2012 from 65 percent of 2010, according to the Oxford University Study.

http://www.ekantipur.com/2013/03/25/business/ads-says-poverty-can-be-halved-in-10-years-at-5pc-agri-growth/368998/

World Bank's new vision on tackling poverty 'very unambitious'

Optimism about the prospects of significant change at the World Bankcould fall after leaked strategy documents (here and here, pdfs) revealed what critics have called an "unambitious" and "business-as-usual" approach to development, prioritising economic growth over pressing social issues such as rising inequality.

The documents, outlining "A common vision for the World Bank Group," are due to be discussed by executive directors on Thursday. They introduce two new goals to guide the bank's development work: reducing the percentage of people living in extreme poverty to 3% globally by 2030, and promoting "shared prosperity" by monitoring the income growth of the bottom 40% in every country.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/mar/21/world-bank-vision-poverty-unambitious

Multidimensional Poverty Index

Poverty is often defined by one-dimensional measures, such as income. But no one indicator alone can capture the multiple aspects that constitute poverty.

Multidimensional poverty is made up of several factors that constitute poor people’s experience of deprivation – such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, lack of income (as one of several factors considered), disempowerment, poor quality of work and threat from violence.

A multidimensional measure can incorporate a range of indicators to capture the complexity of poverty and better inform policies to relieve it. Different indicators can be chosen appropriate to the society and situation.

http://www.ophi.org.uk/policy/multidimensional-poverty-index/

Farming Matters - SRI - more much than more rice

However we look at it, the System of Rice Intensification, or SRI, is a major success story. While researchers are still debating its relevance, more and more people and getting to know about it, and more and more farmers are harvesting the results.

From Madagascar to more than 50 countries, and from rice to other crops, the dissemination of SRI has been impressive. This is a fascinating case study of innovation from below, involving local authorities, "champions", extension agents and millions of farmers.

http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/farmingmatters/farming-matters-mar-2013