Research for development to improve health outcomes from agriculture for rural communities: what is needed?

Jenny-Ann Toribio (), Richard Markham (), Lucy Carter (), Archie Law (), Robyn Alders (), Michael Dibley (), Merrilyn Walton (), Lucas Shuttleworth () and David Guest ()
Additional contact information
Jenny-Ann Toribio: The University of Sydney
Richard Markham: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Lucy Carter: CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct
Archie Law: ActionAid Australia
Robyn Alders: The University of Sydney
Michael Dibley: The University of Sydney
Merrilyn Walton: The University of Sydney
Lucas Shuttleworth: Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge
David Guest: The University of Sydney

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, No 13, 675 pages

Abstract: Abstract There is great potential through collaborative research to understand and address how multiple constraints impede outcomes from research for development in rural communities. However research frameworks, and tools used to monitor and evaluate them tend to be discipline-specific, and thus fail to capture the benefits of interdisciplinary research approaches. The aims of this paper are 1) to identify key agencies in Australia working at the intersection of agriculture and health in low- and middle-income countries, 2) to examine case studies presenting experiences at the intersection of health and agriculture, and 3) to identify approaches to overcome barriers to integrated research efforts, leading to more effective development outcomes. We identified key barriers including isolated and fragmented organisational cultures and capabilities, discipline-focused approaches, lack of multisectorial cooperation in programming, limited evaluation of how impact is measured beyond scientific output, poorly integrated monitoring and evaluation approaches and the failure to address economic empowerment of women and youth. To address these challenges we discuss a holistic approach to international development assistance that requires changes in thinking and action by organisations and individuals. These involve, for example, organisational capability development, interdisciplinary approaches, multisectorial cooperation in program planning, and integrated impact evaluation approaches.

Keywords: Africa; Asia-Pacific; Interdisciplinary research; International development; Multidisciplinary research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-018-0787-2 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:10:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-018-0787-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... ulture/journal/12571

DOI: 10.1007/s12571-018-0787-2

Access Statistics for this article

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food is currently edited by R.N. Strange

More articles in Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food from Springer, The International Society for Plant Pathology
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().