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Soybean Innovation Lab: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research

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Background:The Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab hopes to provide the science necessary for men and women smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to share in rising demand for soybeans as both cash and crop. This also addresses economic development, food insecurity, and protein malnutrition.

Research Highlights: 

Keane, R. (2018, September 13). SIL SoyBytes: Dr. Kathleen Ragsdale and Dr. Mary Read-Wahidi on gender equity and agricultural development [SoundCloud podcast]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ragsdale, K., Read-Wahidi, M.R., Yarbrough, T., & Lower, K. (2018, August 30). Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL): Ghana YR5 Trip Report: June 30-July 17, 2018. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 12 pp.

Keane, R. (2018, July 26). SIL Newsletter: Notes from the field: SIL students conduct on-site focus groups in Ghana [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Keane, R. (2018, July 25). Student reflections as researchers return home [Web log post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Keane, R. (2018, July 17). Students gain insight into gender equity and land tenure during fieldwork in Tolon and Karaga [Web log post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Keane, R. (2018, May 9). Focus Groups 101: Brief guide to conducting focus groups in village settings [Web log post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ragsdale, K., & Read-Wahidi, M.R. (2018, March 7). WEAI+: Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index Specialized for Smallholder Soybean Farmers in Ghana. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 3 pp.

Ragsdale, K., Read-Wahidi, M.R., Rico Méndez, G., Mubichi, F., Da Luz Quinhentos, M., Findeis, J., & Keane, R. (2017, December). WEAI+: Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index Specialized for Smallholder Soybean Farmers. [WEAI+ Fact Sheet]. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 2 pp.

Ragsdale, K., Read-Wahidi, M.R., Zhou, Q., & Reid, A. (2017, November). Soybean Uptake & Network Survey (SUNS): 2016 Preliminary Results from the Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27159.68008. 46 pp.

Ragsdale, K., Rico Méndez, G., Read-Wahidi, M.R., & Reid, A. (2017, October). Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL): Ghana YR4 Trip Report: Aug 19-Sept 6, 2017. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 13 pp.

Ragsdale, K., Read-Wahidi, M.R., & Reid, A. (2017, July). GRADA-SIL 2016: Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab, Gender Responsive Agricultural Development Assessment for SIL Implementing Partners. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15733. 68328. 35 pp.

Keane, R. (2016, December). SIL Newsletter: Unique GRADA Survey turns gender equity lens inward [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Keane, R. (2016, November). SIL Newsletter: Surveys deliver key knowledge on the drivers of smallholder soybean adoption in Ghana [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Burns, A. & Ragsdale, K. (2016, October). Gender equity and soybean farmers in rural Ghana [Online annual report article]. Annual Report 2016, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. Pp. 20-23.

Ragsdale, K., & Reid, A. (2016, August). Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL): Ghana YR3 Trip Report: June 15-July 7, 2016. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 10 pp.

Thompson, D. (2016, June 14). She just laughed: Understanding culture and Ghanaian women farmers [Online magazine article]. International Agricultural Development Leadership, Seed World Magazine.

Keane, R. (2016, January). SIL Newsletter: Women’s empowerment in Ghana: Evidence from the WEAI+ [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ragsdale, K., & Read-Wahidi, M.R. (2015, December). Gender Equity & Soybean Uptake in Northern Ghana: WEAI+ Preliminary Results–Special Report on Implementing the WEAI+ Baseline. USAID, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4649.5766. 42 pp.

Keane, R. (2015, December). SIL Newsletter: SIL researchers across disciplines make headlines [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Keane, R. (2015, November). SIL Newsletter: Meet a SIL researcher & collaborator [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ragsdale, K., & Read-Wahidi, M.R. (2015, October). Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL): Ghana YR2 Trip Report: Sept 19-29, 2015. USAID and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University. 10 pp.

Keane, R. (2015, February). SIL Newsletter: Gender and soybean adoption [Online newsletter post]. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Feed The Future. (2015, February 26). First-of-its-kind research addresses gender inequalities in soybean production [Web log post]. USAID Feed the Future.

Invited Speaker, Gender empowerment in agricultural development: Soybean Innovation Lab. USAID Joint Meeting of the Feed the Future Innovation Labs: Soybean Innovation Lab, Nutrition Innovation Lab & Post-Harvest Loss Innovation Lab, National Press Club, Washington, DC, June 28, 2017.

CONTACT US

Mississippi State University

Social Science Research Center

1 Research Blvd #102A

Starkville, MS 39759

Email: genderimpactslab@ssrc.msstate.edu