Glossary

Market-dawn R-Okono-socio-ec-corner-pic-squareEAP: East Asia and the Pacific; SA: South Asia; SSA: sub-Saharan Africa

Drought probability
The mean probability of a failed season across the farming system. The rank number indicates the drought probability of a farming system in relation to the other 63 farming systems.

Failed season
A season for which the costs of production exceed the value of the harvest due to the effects of water stress. For the purposes of this study, a failed season was defined as a season that has rainfall at the start sufficient for germination and establishment, less than 50 growing days and a clearly defined end.

Farming system
“A population of individual farm systems that have broadly similar resource bases, enterprise patterns, household livelihoods and constraints, and for which similar development strategies and interventions would be appropriate1."

PDII (Potential Drought Impact Index)
A measure of the expected loss of production due to drought. Calculated by multiplying the area of rainfed food staple crops by the probability of a failed season. The rank number indicates the drought impact of a farming system in relation to the other 63 farming systems.

Prevalence of stunting
Number of stunted children divided by the total number of children in the region.

Stunted children
The absolute number of children under the age of five that are two standard deviations below the international growth reference standard.

Yield Gap
Best (highest) achieved yield less average yield on farm.


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1Dixon J, Gulliver A and Gibbon D. Farming Systems and Poverty, Improving Farmers' Livelihoods in a Changing World. FAO and World Bank; Rose and Washington D.C. 2001.