Project Study Examines Mali Fertilizer Subsidy Policy Changes Using Kaleidoscope Model
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EmailFrom the September 2022 Newsletter
The 2007 global food crisis led to soaring food prices and riots in a number of countries around the world. In response to the crisis, the government of Mali instituted an input subsidy program called "Initiative Riz" to boost rice productivity and support national food self-sufficiency. Over the years, the program has been expanded to include maize, sorghum, millet, wheat, and in some years, cotton. In 2016, the program entered a new transformation with the launch of the pilot program for the electronic distribution of fertilizers (e-voucher).
Policymaking is a complex process and there is growing interest among decision makers and donors to better understand policy systems in developing agricultural economies like Mali’s. In this study, researchers apply the Kaleidoscope Model (KM) to explore the key drivers of change and better understand the decision-making context that led to the three main changes in the history of Mali’s fertilizer subsidy. The diagnostic tools of the KM are a chronology of events, stakeholder inventory, and circles of influence, which are diagrams depicting political perspectives of key actors. The project conducted a literature review, semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable stakeholders, and an in-person workshop with stakeholders to discuss and validate findings then employed qualitative methods (QDA Miner) to analyze interview results.
The consensus of stakeholders and authors is that decision-makers should ensure a more rigorous policy design and engage in more regular assessment of the subsidy program. Open communications and debate should be encouraged before new directions are undertaken. Means should be found to better adapt solutions to local farming conditions and farmer types, which could lead to a shift in priorities toward addressing the needs of more vulnerable farmers. The grant process should be more inclusive. Several avenues of reflection on the future of the fertilizer subsidy policy in Mali are proposed.
The study titled, Analyse Des Changements Intervenus Dans La Politique De Subvention Des Engrais Au Mali En Utilisant Le Modele Kaleidoscope (Analysis of Changes in the Fertilizer Subsidy Policy in Mali Using the Kaleidoscope Model) is currently available in French and is authored by Mamadou Sissoko, Amidou Assima, Melinda Smale, Yénizié Koné, and Bouréma Koné.
The research is part of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research project, "How Input Subsidy Policies Change the Legume Farming Landscape" led by Melinda Smale of Michigan State University.
