Helena Posthumus

• PhD MSc
• program manager at Wageningen University & Research

Soil erosion is a key threat to ecosystem services. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of erosion control measures based on an ecosystem services approach. The economic appraisal consists of an assessment (i.e. quantification and valuation) of the on-site and off-site impacts of soil erosion, and its mitigation, on ecosystem services. Many...

Many efforts are made to promote soil conservation in developing countries. This paper compares the effect of two programs promoting soil conservation in Peru on the adoption decision of households. One program applies a top-down approach with soil conservation as its core activity. The other program applies a participatory approach, offering a por...

The rural space is increasingly valued for the multiple ecosystem services that it can deliver. For example, priorities in many lowland floodplains in England have changed in recent years from a focus on agricultural production towards environmental quality and the management of flood risk, in part linked to climate change. Recent concerns about fo...

Stakeholder analysis means many things to different people. Various methods and approaches have been developed in different fields for different purposes, leading to confusion over the concept and practice of stakeholder analysis. This paper asks how and why stakeholder analysis should be conducted for participatory natural resource management rese...

Recent changes in agricultural and flood defence policies create new opportunities for involving rural land use, in particular agriculture, in flood risk management. This paper presents the results of a case study on land management and flooding in the Laver and Skell catchments in North Yorkshire. The perceptions of local stakeholders were explore...

Policy makers and researchers who try to address food loss and waste increasingly call for a food systems lens to be applied in order to select the best intervention pathways. Putting this into practice, however, is not easy. The Food System Decision Support Toolbox offers guidance to conduct a food system analysis with the participation of a diver...

How to stimulate technological change to enhance agricultural productivity and reduce poverty remains an area of vigorous debate. In the face of heterogeneity among farm households and rural areas, one proposition is to offer potential users a 'basket of options'-a range of agricultural technologies from which potential users may select the ones th...

This toolbox helps you to conduct or commission a food system analysis, in order to arrive at sound policy recommendations. It includes suggestion on how to involve different stakeholders in the analysis, as well as considering the political economy and gender aspects of food systems. This version is the integral Spanish translation of the English...

This toolbox has been developed to collate different tools and methods that can be used for food system analysis. It is specifically based on systems thinking for food system analysis, with the aim to formulate actionable recommendations that can bring about systemic change. It describes both the process of a food system analysis, as well as a set...

This report presents the findings of the evaluation of multi-stakeholder agreements on Responsible Business Conduct in 11 sectors in the Netherlands between 2014 and 2020. The objective of this evaluation is to gain insight into the extent to which these RBC agreements advance the implementation of due diligence in conformity with the OECD Guidelin...

Conservation agriculture (CA) involves the practice of three interlinked principles of minimum soil disturbance, a permanent soil cover and crop rotation. Despite the many stated benefits of the technology, its uptake in Africa has been slow. This study applies the theory of planned behaviour to investigate the attitudes, the role of the social sys...

Purpose: This paper explores the information sharing between farmers clustered around a formal plant health information source, using six case studies of plant clinics in China and Zambia. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was carried out with 327 farmers; six plant doctors were interviewed and plant clinic records reviewed. Data were analysed...

This report presents the findings of a qualitative study on the effect of Plantwise on the plant health system (PHS) in Ethiopia. In August 2017, stakeholders and farmers in the regions of Oromia and Tigray were interviewed on the major changes that occurred in the PHS in recent years. These stakeholders had been involved in, or benefited from, Pla...

The increasingly complex challenges facing agricultural systems require problem-solving processes and systems analysis (SA) tools that engage multiple actors across disciplines. In this article, we employ the theory of af-fordances to unravel what tools may furnish users, and how those affordances contribute to a tool's usefulness in co-design and...

This report presents the findings of a study carried out in Myanmar in order to: 1. understand how plant clinic data are managed, perceived and used by partners; 2. identify key challenges and opportunities for improving systems for plant clinic data management and use; and 3. identify key criteria and variables for future assessments of data manag...

This report presents the findings of a study carried out in Kenya in order to: 1. understand how plant clinic data are managed, perceived and used by partners; 2. identify key challenges and opportunities for improving systems for plant clinic data management and use; and 3. identify key criteria and variables for future assessments of data managem...

OPERATIONALIZING AN INNOVATION PLATFORM APPROACH FOR COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH ON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN BURKINA FASO–CORRIGENDUM - DER DABIRE, NADINE ANDRIEU, PATRICE DJAMEN, KALIFA COULIBALY, HELENA POSTHUMUS, AMADOU MOHAMADOUN DIALLO, MEDINA KARAMBIRI, JEAN-MARIE DOUZET, BERNARD TRIOMPHE

In recent years, Conservation Agriculture has been promoted in sub-Saharan Africa as an alternative farming system for smallholder farmers to address declining soil productivity and climate change. [...] This paper explores the reasons why farmers choose for CA or conventional farming, using the Reasoned Action Approach. Based on findings from a re...

Numerous innovation platforms have been implemented to encourage the adoption of agricultural innovations and stakeholder interactions within a value chain. Yet little research has been undertaken on the design and implementation of innovation platforms focussing on issues other than market access and aiming to encourage agro-ecological intensifica...

Improving the effectiveness of agricultural markets for economic growth and poverty reduction has been a central focus for development initiatives, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Staple crops with low input requirements and drought tolerance, such as cassava, are being promoted for market development due to their accessibility for poor smallho...

Soil erosion poses a serious threat to agricultural production in developing countries, especially in regions such as the Andes, where soil erosion is widespread and affects the livelihoods of farm households. Despite considerable program efforts to promote soil conservation practices among farm households, the uptake is often disappointing. Often...

Presentation on the need for actor-oriented systems approaches in order to scale out conservation agriculture in Africa

Developing more inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains at scale is a development priority. The 'Cassava: Adding Value for Africa' project has supported the development of value chains for high quality cassava flour (HQCF) in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, and Malawi to improve the incomes and livelihoods of smallholder households, i...

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa there are a number of initiatives aiming to improve the effectiveness of staple crop value chains as part of a broader discourse around markets and poverty reduction. Staple crops, such as cassava, are often considered as an entry point for targeting market interventions to the rural poor, particularly women. However,...

This report presents the findings of a four year study on Fairtrade impact in Ghanaian cocoa. The study forms one of four country studies undertaken as part of a DFID funded research project - assessing the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards.

In recent years, conservation agriculture has been promoted in sub-Saharan Africa as an alternative farming system for smallholder farmers to address declining soil productivity and climate change. CA has to be tailored to the agro-ecological and socio-economic context of smallholder farmers to achieve impact. But even if there is a ‘perfect fit’,...

This paper presents the findings of a four year study of the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards in Ecuador. This is a component of a wider DFID funded impact evaluation of the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards, such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance, in four countries.

This report presents the findings from a study of the poverty impact of Fairtrade in Ghanaian cocoa. This is one of the four country cases completed as part of a DFID funded project to systematically assess the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards.

This paper presents the findings of a four year study of the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards, such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Organic, in Ecuadorian Cocoa. It is one of four country cases covered in a larger DFID funded impact assessment of the poverty impact of voluntary sustainability standards.

http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/pdf/outputs/systematicreviews/Capacity_strengthening_2013Posthumus.pdf

Smallholder farmers in semi-arid Africa are in an increasingly vulnerable position due to the direct and indirect effects of climate change, demographic pressure and resource degradation. Conservation agriculture (CA) is promoted as an alternative to restore soil productivity through increased water and nutrient use efficiencies in these regions. H...

Priorities for the management of lowland rural floodplains in many parts of Europe have changed from a focus on agricultural production towards multi-functional landscapes that provide a range of environmental, social and economic benefits to society. This paper uses an ecosystem services framework to explore alternative management scenarios with d...

Based on the premise that smallholders often get excluded as markets become more commercial, this paper draws lessons from the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project by exploring the main issues and challenges facing extension service partners in five African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi). These lessons include i...

Soil degradation, specifically soil compaction and soil erosion can have significant impacts in some parts of England. The southwest of England is particularly vulnerable to soil erosion and compaction due to the region's erodible soils. This paper discusses the soil degradation problems, the policies addressing these problems and the stakeholders...

see: http://cava.nri.org/images/documents/publications/HelenaBuilding%20market%20linkages%20-%20final.pdf

Soil erosion is considered as a serious threat to agricultural development in developing countries. Soil and water conservation measures, such as terraces, are often promoted to combat soil erosion and to increase agricultural production. In this paper, the short-term impact of bench terraces, 2–4 years after their establishment, on soil properties...

This document, Agriculture's Role in Flood Adaptation and Mitigation: Policy Issues and Approaches, by Joe Morris, Tim Hess and Helena Posthumus, of Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, is one of the background reports supporting the OECD study (2010) Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture, which is available at www...

WTO negotiations, as well as problems associated with intensive agriculture, such as overproduction, dependency on high levels of subsidies, diffuse pollution, soil degradation and loss of wildlife, have led to a reconsideration of agricultural policies in Europe. In April 2005, the new common agricultural policy (CAP)-reform came into force in the...

The sustainable management of soils is crucial to enable the long term use of the various soil functions. Although soil degradation caused by agriculture is a process defined by technical, climatic, and bio-physical factors, there is recognition that the underlying causes are to be found in the socio-economic, political and cultural context in whic...

Exceptional rainfall during the summer of 2007 caused widespread flooding in parts of England. While the focus of attention has been correctly placed on the impact on densely populated urban areas, large tracts of rural land were seriously affected by flooding. Summer flooding is particularly damaging to farming. This paper presents the results fro...

The ecosystem approach and evaluation of ecosystem services is gaining increasing attention from scientists, practitioners and policy makers. An important part of this process is to establish the `value' of the nature-conservation assets within an area. This value can then be compared with data for other ecosystem services to identify management pr...

[About the book]: In recent decades agricultural commodity surpluses in the developed world have contributed to a mantra of 'land surplus' in which set-aside, extensification, alternative land uses and 'wilding' have been key terms in debates over land. Quite suddenly all this has changed as a consequence of rapidly shifting commodity markets. Pric...

Many regions in the world are affected by land degradation. Successive development projects have promoted a variety of soil and water conservation (SWC) measures to prevent further land degradation. However, these measures have seldom been adopted on a large scale. This paper deals with the adoption process of investments in SWC measures, and with...

Floods cause distress and damage wherever and whenever they happen. Flooding from rivers, estuaries and the sea threatens many millions of people worldwide and economic and insurance losses from flooding have increased significantly since 1990. Across the European Union, flood management policy is changing in response to the EU Directive on the ass...

Soil erosion poses a serious threat to agricultural production in developing countries, especially in regions such as the Andes, where soil erosion is widespread and affects the livelihoods of farm households. Despite considerable program efforts to promote soil conservation practices among farm households, the uptake is often disappointing. Often...

The influence of different barriers on soil conservation and thus on sustainable crop yields in semi-arid zone of Burkina Faso was evaluated. A predictive computer model SCUAF was used to simulate four scenarios of different farming management to predict soil loss and crop yields over a period of 28 years. The simulation was based on the results of...

"This report examines the implications of recent comparative work on successful farmer-managed irrigation systems in various parts of the world for policy efforts to encourage sustainable consumption in the United Kingdom. Collective-choice theory is central to the analysis, but it is improved upon here by bringing recent work on 'bounded rationali...

Soil and water conservation measures like bench terraces can reduce erosion in highland crop production. A cost-benefit analysis for 11 cases of bench terraces was undertaken on the basis of both measured data and data obtained from farmers. It showed that the profitability of bench terraces was lower than believed by farmers. Whether terracing was...

Many regions in the world are affected by land degradation. Successive development projects have promoted a variety of soil and water conservation (SWC) measures to prevent further land degradation. However, these measures have seldom been adopted on a large scale. This paper deals with the adoption process of investments in SWC measures, and with...

Soil erosion is a serious constraint for agriculture and rural development in developing countries. Many efforts are made to promote soil and water conservation (SWC) among farm households. However, adoption of SWC practices is often disappointing. This thesis analyses the benefits of terraces and the adoption behaviour of farm households in the Pe...

Soil and water conservation measures like bench terraces can reduce erosion in highland crop production. A cost-benefit analysis for 11 cases of bench terraces was undertaken on the basis of both measured data and data obtained from farmers. It showed that the profitability of bench terraces was lower than believed by farmers. Whether terracing was...

WTO talks as well as problems linked with intensive agriculture, such as overproduction, dependency on high levels of subsidies, diffuse pollution, soil degradation and loss of wildlife, have led to a reconsideration of agricultural policies in Europe. In April 2005, the new CAP-reform came into force in the United Kingdom, decoupling financial sup...