Statistical Brief on the Agricultural Research of Cape Verde

The primary purpose of this brief is to provide various statistical and institutional details on the development and current status of the public agricultural research system in Cape Verde. This information has been collected and presented in a systematic way in order to inform and thereby improve research policy formulation with regard to the Cape Verdean NARS. Most importantly, these data are assembled and reported in a way that makes them directly comparable with the data presented in the other country briefs in this series. And because institutions take time to develop and there are often considerable lags in the agricultural research process, it is necessary for many analytical and policy purposes to have access to longer-run series of data. NARSs vary markedly in their institutional structure and these institutional aspects can have a substantial and direct effect on their research performance. To provide a basis for analysis and cross-country, over-time comparisons, the various research agencies in a country have been grouped into five general categories; government, semi-public, private, academic, and supranational. A description of these categories is provided in table 1.

Statistical Brief on the Agricultural Research of Cape Verde

The primary purpose of this brief is to provide various statistical and institutional details on the development and current status of the public agricultural research system in Cape Verde. This information has been collected and presented in a systematic way in order to inform and thereby improve research policy formulation with regard to the Cape Verdean NARS. Most importantly, these data are assembled and reported in a way that makes them directly comparable with the data presented in the other country briefs in this series. And because institutions take time to develop and there are often considerable lags in the agricultural research process, it is necessary for many analytical and policy purposes to have access to longer-run series of data. NARSs vary markedly in their institutional structure and these institutional aspects can have a substantial and direct effect on their research performance. To provide a basis for analysis and cross-country, over-time comparisons, the various research agencies in a country have been grouped into five general categories; government, semi-public, private, academic, and supranational. A description of these categories is provided in table 1.

Draft environmental report on Cape Verde

Faced with recurrent drought and famine during five centuries of human occupation, the small and densely populated Cape Verde Islands have a history of severe environmental problems. The arid climate and steep, rocky terrain provide scant resources for traditional subsistance farming under the best conditions, and in years of low rainfall the failure of rainfed crops causes massive food shortages. Agricultural use of steep slopes where rainfall is highest has led to soil erosion, as has removal of the island's vegetation for fuel and livestock. Pressure on the vegetation is particularly severe in dry years. International aid can provide relief from famine, and the introduction of modern agricultural and conservation techniques can improve the land and increase yield, but it is unlikely that Cape Verde can ever be entirely self -sufficient in food. Ultimately, the solution of Cape Verde's economic and environmental problems will probably require the development of productive urban jobs so the population can shift away from the intensive and destructive use of land for subsistance farming. In the meantime, the people of Cape Verde can best be served by instituting fundamental measures to conserve and restore the land so that it can be used to its fullest potential. The primary environmental problems in Cape Verde today are: 1. Soil degradation. Encouraged by brief but heavy rains and steep slopes, soil erosion is made worse by lack of vegetation. Soils are also low in organic matter due to the practice of completely removing crop plants and natural vegetation for food, fuel or livestock feed. 2. Water shortage. Brief and erratic rainfall in combination with rapid runoff makes surface water scarce and difficult to use. Groundwater supplies can be better developed but capabilities are poorly known and the complex nature of the geological substrate makes estimation difficult. Water is the critical limiting factor to the agricultural capability of the islands. 3. Fuel shortage. Demand for fuel is intense and has resulted in the virtual elimination of native vegetation. Fuelwood supplies are becoming more and more scarce and costly. Development of managed fuelwood plantations and alternate energy sources is required. 4. Inappropriate land use. Much of the land now used for raising crops or livestock is too steep or too arid for these purposes, causing erosion and destruction of vegetation. Improving yield in more appropriate areas and encouraging less damaging uses of the remaining marginal lands can help to alleviate this problem.