Can organic and resource-conserving agriculture improve livelihoods? A meta-analysis and conceptual framework for site-specific evaluation

A meta-analysis and conceptual framework for site-specific evaluation The World Agroforestry Centre, an autonomous, non-profit research organization, aims to bring about a rural transformation in the developing world by encouraging and enabling smallholders to increase their use of trees in agricultural landscapes. This will help to improve food security, nutrition, income and health; provide shelter and energy; and lead to greater environmental sustainability. Titles in the Occasional Papers series aim to disseminate information on Agroforestry research and practices and stimulate feedback from the scientific community. Other publication series from the World Agroforestry Centre include: Technical Manuals and Working Papers. Articles appearing in this publication may be quoted or reproduced without charge, provided the source is acknowledged. All images remain the sole property of their source and may not be used for any purpose without written permission of the source. Acknowledgements The authors thank Ekin Birol and Paul Thangata, our peer reviewers, for lending their time and expertise to improving this paper. We especially appreciate their dedication as demonstrated by the time they devoted to review this long document in the midst of many other demands on their time. We also thank our editor Peter Fredenburg for his excellent work that has made this paper a much more enjoyable experience for readers. Kris Galoppin, the production specialist, also deserves much appreciation for improving the paper's figures and making the overall content much more accessible. We thank Michael Hailu, the Director of Communications at ICRAF for coordinating publication of this document. Finally, we are grateful for the core financial support given to World Agroforestry Centre by the Governments of Ireland and Finland, which partially funded this research. iv Contents Executive summary vii Effects on food security and livelihoods vii Effects on yields viii Effects on costs ix Effects of organic certification on incomes ix Certified organic markets ix Organic agriculture's 'enablers' x Research priorities xi