Mammo Muchie

Determinants of agroforestry technology adoption in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

This study explores factors that affect the adoption of agroforestry (AF) technologies in ‘Tsolo’ and ‘Lusikisiki’ areas in O.R. Tambo district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is based on empirical evidence gathered from households in the study areas. The aim and objective of the study are consistent with the strategic priorities of the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. The study finds that agricultural farming experience, education level of the household head, a proxy variable for household wealth status, land size owned, number of livestock owned, pace of adoption of other agricultural technologies, the scale of slope of farm land, and percent of severely degraded farm land affect the adoption of AF technologies in the study areas significantly and with the higher magnitudes of the odds ratios. These variables need to be considered in all the initiatives by government and non-governmental organizations to promote AF as a strategy to realize integrated rural development in the study areas. These findings have policy implications to advance integrated sustainable rural development strategies. The local government in the study areas can use the promotion of AF technologies for multiple purposes, particularly as a tool toward rural poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation measures.

An Attempt at Quantifying Factors that Affect Efficiency in the Management of Solid Waste Produced by Commercial Businesses in the City of Tshwane, South Africa

Objective. The objective was to investigate factors that affect the efficient management of solid waste produced by commercial businesses operating in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. Methods. Data was gathered from 1,034 businesses. Efficiency in solid waste management was assessed by using a structural time-based model designed for evaluating efficiency as a function of the length of time required to manage waste. Data analysis was performed using statistical procedures such as frequency tables, Pearsons chi-square tests of association, and binary logistic regression analysis. Odds ratios estimated from logistic regression analysis were used for identifying key factors that affect efficiency in the proper disposal of waste. Results. The study showed that 857 of the 1,034 businesses selected for the study (83%) were found to be efficient enough with regards to the proper collection and disposal of solid waste. Based on odds ratios estimated from binary logistic regression analysis, efficiency in the proper management of solid waste was significantly influenced by 4 predictor variables. These 4 influential predictor variables are lack of adherence to waste management regulations, wrong perception, failure to provide customers with enough trash cans, and operation of businesses by employed managers, in a decreasing order of importance.

An institutional perspective to challenges undermining innovation activities in Africa

Innovation is of paramount importance if Africa is to achieve sustained economic growth, development, and improved welfare of its people. In this context, the paper argues that institutional factors, despite their importance in shaping innovation on the continent, have received less attention. The paper is based on literature review and uses an institutional analysis framework to explore how institutional factors influence innovation activities. Institutions are the rules of the game – they determine if the game is played, how the game is played, who plays the game, and with what constraints. Currently, the institutions are not fair both at the national and international levels. The institutional set-up is not favourable for any meaningful innovation. Therefore, African governments should aim to create and promote strong and effective (enforceable) institutions at the national and continental levels. In addition, they should aim to have the international institutional set-up favourable to ensure its competitiveness.

ICTs in development and disaster response: Opportunities and challenges for Africa

The world is experiencing an increase in both natural and man-made disasters. Different parts of the world experience varied and varying effects of the disasters depending on their physical, social, political and economic environment. These disasters have negative effects which include: loss of human and animal life; loss of property; and destruction of the livelihood systems. Given this scenario there is need to find ways of minimizing the negative effects of disasters through timely response and proper management of disasters. Technologies both old and new can help in reducing the effects of disasters in various ways. It is premised that ICTs do/can play an important role as a medium of information and communication in development and disaster response. In Africa, ICTs hold a great promise, firstly in the generation of important information, secondly its subsequent transmission, and thirdly by linking people and organisations. This paper reviews literature on the contribution of ICTs in development and disaster response from across the world, with special attention to the opportunities and challenges for Africa.

Barriers to the Uptake of Cleaner Technologies in African Countries: The Case of Tanzania

ment called Agenda 21. In it nearly all the countries of the world have signed to incorporate environmental constraints into socioeconomic planning and development. One of the key provisions is the encouragement to all the relevant stakeholders to incorporate environmentally sensitive technologies or cleaner technologies into industrial production systems, processes, products and services. African countries with weak national systems of innovation (NSI) have been influenced by Agenda 21’s recommendations on environmentally sensitive technologies (ESTs).

Strengthening regional integration/cooperation with the Neighbourhood System of Innovation conceptual framework: the case of China and ASEAN

Traditional neo-classical market approach to regional integration/cooperation mainly focuses on trade and investment. The paper proposes an innovation system approach to regional integration/cooperation as an alternative that focuses on knowledge, learning, innovation, and competence (KLIC) building without excluding trade and investment. The underlying argument is that while liberal trade and investment conceptual framework takes a narrow economic gain and loss approach, the system of innovation approach includes economic and non-economic variables by including KLIC, and broad economic and social gain. The paper presents the Neighbourhood System of Innovation (NeSI) conceptual framework which captures the reciprocal interactions between national innovation systems (NSI) of larger ‘regional economic pole’ (REP) and smaller economies (or among NSIs of the smaller economies) in the ‘Neighbourhood’ region. The case of China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (REP and Neighbourhood, respectively) is used to demonstrate the usefulness of NeSI framework and its possible application to other similar cases. The aim of the paper is not to produce a path-breaking theory, but to present a different perspective through innovation systems approach as an alternative to enhance understanding of regional integration and cooperation dynamic processes.

Re-inventing the GM Debate: The Ethiopian Biosafety Law and its Implications for Innovation and Knowledge Production on Emerging Technologies

A regulatory framework is among the major factors that determine the innovative capacity of a nation. It may block or ease innovative performance; it may scare away skills and expertise or may reverse brain drain and waste, it may attract and retain investment or lead to relocation of investors. The Ethiopian Biosafety Proclamation of 2009 has come under thorough scrutiny from all sides for its effect on innovation in biotechnology in Ethiopia. While it was expected to introduce a creative mechanism of compliance with international environmental agreements without upsetting the promising biotechnology research in Ethiopia, it conspicuously failed to strike a balance between the imperatives of promoting innovation and protecting humans and biodiversity. Contrary to the claims of the architects of the Proclamation, the legislation hardly entertained any national indigenous input other than adopting a more stringent version of the parent law—the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The article examines the Ethiopian Biosafety law and its impact on innovation in biotechnology and other emerging technologies that go by other names. It will discuss some striking parallels between EU biotechnology regulation and the Proclamation and in particular the U-turns Europe is taking. Broader issues of the linkage between regulation and innovation policy and the imperatives of expediting innovation are emerging as Ethiopia takes the road Europe is abandoning and even international biosafety regulation is revising. It will argue that the promotion of the responsible development of biotechnology in Ethiopia needs to be reinstated as a priority and not pushed aside as secondary interest.

The Impact of Underutilization of Modern Family Planning Methods on Adverse Outcomes of Pregnancy in Women Aged 15 to 49 in Pretoria, South Africa

This paper is a result of a 6-year long follow-up study that was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa between 2004 and 2009 in order to assess the impact of underutilization of modern family planning methods on adverse outcomes of pregnancy in women of the childbearing age of 15–49 years. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model was used for estimating hazard ratios. Multilevel analysis was used for estimating variability in the utilization of modern family planning methods at service delivery wards and health service facilities. The study showed that women who experienced adverse outcomes of pregnancy were characterized by poor utilization of reproductive health and modern family planning services. The percentage of women who regularly used modern family planning methods such as condoms, pills, injections, intra-uterine devices and sterilization was 41.74%. The average ages of women at first sex and pregnancy were 18.72 and 19.36 years, respectively. Adverse outcomes of pregnancy occurred in 12.19% of women. Based on odds ratios (ORs) estimated from binary logistic regression analysis, utilization of contraceptives was significantly influenced by the degree of access to family planning services, level of support from sexual partner, and young age at first pregnancy. The occurrence of adverse outcomes of pregnancy was significantly influenced by easy access to family planning services, unwanted pregnancy, and young age at first pregnancy. There was a significant difference among the 20 health service delivery wards and 11 health service facilities in which reproductive health services were delivered to women with regards to the quality of service delivery.

Socio-Economic Contributions of an Indigenous Tree in Urban Areas of Southwest Nigeria

Indigenous trees have been discovered to be disappearing from urban areas at alarming rates, and the contributions of the existing trees are not adequately documented. Milicia excelsa is an indigenous trees species in tropical Africa and popularly known as Iroko. Due to extensive exploitation for wood production and other socio-economic activities, the tree species is classified as threatened and relics could only be found in a few locations. A survey of the trees in the city of Ibadan was therefore carried out to determine their distribution as well as their socio-economic contributions to the urban people. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the people living close to the trees or working in the locations where the trees are sighted to determine the socio-economic benefits. A total of 65 trees (0.14 trees/km2) of M. excelsa were sighted. As observed in the city, the benefits of the tree species were categorized as: environmental, medicinal, economic, spiritual and ecological services. Provision of shade that creates a ‘microclimatic environment’ in the form of cooling effects from the heat of the day was mentioned by about 95% of the respondents as the major benefit obtained from the trees. A strategy for the conservation of the trees as urban trees and their protection against damage to life and property are considered imperative. There is also a need for an appropriate policy that protects indiscriminate felling of indigenous trees in the city and constant monitoring of the trees status for any sign of weakness.

Paradoxes of Industrialisation and Unilateral Liberalisation in Africa: A Case of Unrealised Potential of Value-added Leather Manufacture in Kenya

Mammo Muchie is at Aalborg University, 9220, Aalborg, Ost Denmark. THERE ARE A few countries in Africa that are emerging as potential industrial growth poles in each of the regions of the continent. Egypt is potentially a country where industrialisation can take off in earnest given a favourable domestic and international climate. South Africa has a considerable lead in evolving a relatively strong impulse to industrial build-up. In Western Africa, Nigeria has the potential if it survives the political uncertainty of its current transition to civil and democratic government. In East Africa all eyes are on Kenya despite