Research case studies

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Combating climate change: A unique challenge for development research

25 November 2011

November 2011 sees another round of negotiations on climate change with the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) due to be held in Durban, South Africa.

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Choice for women: Family planning, health and rights in a world of 7 billion

17 November 2011

Last month the United Nations Population Fund announced that global population has passed 7 billion. This landmark brings the issue of population growth and its impact into sharp focus

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Getting children into school and breaking the cycle of disadvantage

03 November 2011

Getting children into school and breaking the cycle of disadvantage

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The impact of research on policy and practice in Indonesia’s pulp and paper sector

25 October 2011

CIFOR-led research has contributed to policy reform, the acceleration of plantation development, and the saving of more than 100,000 hectares of tropical rainforest, with hundreds of millions of dollars in attendant benefits

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Scaling Up Nutrition: Unlocking puzzles to transform thinking and action

01 September 2011

DFID's new position paper 'Scaling Up Nutrition' declares a crucial role for research. The paper declares: "We will be achieving our results in nutrition through scaling up programmes where there is evidence of fast and sustainable impact."

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Living with ART

18 August 2011

A qualitative study of the lives of people living with HIV who have been taking antiretroviral therapy for more than one year in Wakiso District, Uganda.

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Missed Opportunities

18 August 2011

Linking women who test HIV positive in antenatal and maternity services to long-term HIV care and treatment services in Kenya

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Farmers in Tanzania paint chickens pink and purple to thwart hawks

26 April 2011

Farmers in Tanzania, sick of losing their chickens to hungry hawks, have taken drastic, if creative action, thanks to an innovative programme funded by DFID and a little bit of pink dye.

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Educating a nation: Unpacking the constraints to education in Swaziland.

12 April 2011

Some 11% of primary, and 30% of secondary school children report missing a month or more of schooling each year in Swaziland, according to research conducted by the Addressing the Balance of Burden in HIV/AIDS (ABBA) RPC.

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Linking farmers and science

18 March 2011

By linking scientists, non-government organisations and government extension officials and farmers, the PETRRA project in Bangladesh has achieved substantial improvements in rice production, income and empowerment of women.

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Policy change: milking the benefits for smallscale vendors

18 March 2011

Policy change in Kenya's dairy industry, informed by evidence-based research, has improved handling and hygiene of milk, increased profit margins for smallscale vendors, given greater access to milk for consumers, and provided employment for many others.

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Ending Striga's reign with IR maize

18 March 2011

The collaborative development of herbicide-resistant maize promises effective integrated management of the Striga weed in Sub-Saharan Africa, increasing crop yields by up to four times.

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Ashoka rice: selecting for success with farmer participation

18 March 2011

Two specialised rice varieties developed in India have become the first widely adopted modern varieties on India's uplands. They offer better quality, earlier harvest, and improved drought resistance.

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An evidence-based response to the global food crisis

18 March 2011

As the food price crisis became global news during 2007-8, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) was able to respond quickly and effectively by producing 30 publications based on its extensive research findings.

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Removing eggplant borer damage (World Vegetable Center)

18 March 2011

Affordable, environmentally-friendly pest management developed in India and Bangladesh has reduced dependence by poor farmers on harmful pesticides, increasing profits and influencing policy to benefit businesses and spread the message.

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Creating genetic markers to breed downy mildew and drought resistant pearl millet

18 March 2011

Two million people enjoy improved food security thanks to a collaborative research programme which used molecular genetic tools to develop an improved pearl millet hybrid more resistant to the disease downy mildew.

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Liquid assets: community-based fisheries management in Bangladesh

18 March 2011

Improved access to fisheries resources for community-based organisations (CBOs) has resulted in over 60 per cent of fishers in experiencing significant increases in their fishing incomes.

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Growing for a clear conscience: mint in Afghanistan

18 March 2011

By adding value to mint and creating a strong market demand, ICARDA has transformed a kitchen-garden herb into a major source of income for hundreds of Afghan families.

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Taking plants to the doctor: plant health clinics from Bolivia to Bangladesh

17 March 2011

Plant health clinics in nine countries are giving farmers unprecedented access to expert advice on pests and disease.

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Scuba rice: breeding flood-tolerance into Asia's local mega rice varieties

17 March 2011

New rice varieties tested in India and Bangladesh can survive up to two weeks of complete submergence in water, providing farmers with protection against short-term flooding