This section provides access to population and other socio-economic data
( income and poverty , households, consumption and nutrition) used by HarvestChoice to better characterize the linkages between poverty and agriculture.
HarvestChoice is assessing the potential impact of various intervention scenarios on farm household welfare by way of improved cropping systems. But the extent to which such changes benefit poor people depends on the nature and degree of engagement of households in agriculture. We provide access to information on the distribution and severity of both poverty and hunger, according to a range of internationally comparable measures that are monitored by the global development community as part of the Millennium Development Goal process, and by countries individually – often through Poverty Reduction Strategy Programs.
Demography, in particular levels of rural population density and urbanization, condition many dimensions of pressure on natural resources, demand for agricultural expansion, and opportunities for development. The specific ways in which the potential benefits of change might impact individual households are strongly influenced by the characteristics of households themselves and the extent to which households engage in consumption of agricultural products, agricultural production, or post-farm livelihoods.
One of the hallmarks of HarvestChoice’s strategic evaluation approach is its heavy reliance on large sets of household survey data to capture important characteristics of households, both urban and rural. Of particular importance are household measures of participation in the production and consumption of agricultural products. The potential direct benefits to farm households of improved production systems will be in part shaped by the amount and quality of their land and labor assets, their attitudes towards innovation and risk, and their access to new knowledge and services. Our initial analysis of household datasets provides information grouped into two categories; general household characteristics and per capita consumption of agricultural products. We report these measures by first sub-national administrative unit, urban/rural, income tercile and sex of head of household.