Coordinator of Socioeconomics
Research
Dr Dawit Alemu
PO Box 2003,
Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Telephone:
251 1 454434
251 1 462633 Extn. 274
Fax: 251 1 461294
E-mail: socioecon@earo.org.et
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Goal
The overall goal of the socio-economics research program is to provide information and analysis that improves the internal efficiency or the effectiveness of the research system to develop appropriate technologies and external efficiency which improves the level of utilization of developed technologies by the end users of agricultural research.
Objectives
The objectives of the Agricultural Socioeconomics Research are:
- To characterize farming systems, identify constraints, opportunities, and thereby enhance the development and transfer of technologies.
- To evaluate and assess technologies on-farm to ensure that they are economically viable, technically feasible, socially acceptable and environmentally sound.
- To assess adoption and impact of crop, livestock and natural resource technologies on food security, income distribution, nutrition, employment, resource utilization, gender differentiation of labor.
- To examine effect of agricultural and related policies formal and informal institutions on crop, livestock and natural resource technology development and transfer, farm resource use efficiency and equity.
- To assess the marketing system of agricultural products and inputs, consumption patterns and consumers preferences and their implications on technology development and transfer.
Thematic areas
The Agricultural Socioeconomics Research covers the following thematic areas:
 Characterization and analysis of farming systems in agro-ecological zones
Adoption and impact studies of technologies
On-farm evaluation and verification of technologies
Production economics and farm management research
Agricultural policy and institutional research
Socio-economic aspects of natural resource management
Agricultural marketing research
Gender, farm and off-farm employment
Consumption and expenditure
Research priorities
High priority
The following comprise high priority research areas:
- Conduct surveys, resource inventory and case studies and characterize
agro-ecologies and farming systems, identify constraints and opportunities
and alternative solutions.
- Determine levels of technology adoption and identify factors influencing
their adoption. Furthermore, conduct studies to assess the impact of
technological change on food security, income distribution, nutritional
status, resource allocation, efficiency and employment.
- Carry out on-farm experiments and verification trials in collaboration
with technology generators and farmers and evaluate technologies under
farmer conditions.
- Undertake research dealing with utilization of resources, productivity,
profitability, efficiency, risk and risk management, and enterprise
choice and farm decision-making.
- Conduct studies and assess the impact of agricultural and related
policies and institutions that have impact on the technology generation
and transfer, food security, poverty alleviation and resource use efficiency.
Medium priority
The medium priority research areas are:
- Carry out research on sustainable management, conservation and utilization of natural resources (soil, water, forest, plant genetic resources and wildlife). Investigate the relation between socio-cultural, economic and institutional factors and natural resources degradation.
- Conduct marketing studies; examine the structure, conduct and performance of input and output markets and their implications on agricultural technology development and transfer.
- Conduct studies and assess gender roles and rural labor structure.
- Undertaken studies and assess consumers' demand, preferences, and consumption pattern.
Research programs
Production economics and farming systems
Agricultural policy and marketing
Natural resource economics
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