Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agricultural Economics / Timothy J. Dalton / Economic indicators (price, income, taste, and preference) and non-economic (information, time and equipment, food quality and safety) indicators are key elements of the food environment that need further investigation in developing countries.The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effect of these factors on consumer behavior in West Africa, especially in Niger and Burkina Faso. The first essay analyzes the implications of world cereal price shocks on rural household welfare in Burkina Faso by establishing a link between farmers and world markets. The approach is grounded in agricultural household modelling with the world price for cereals, transmitted to farmers, through local producer and consumer prices. Household net welfare after a price shock is derived as a function of behavioral responses to local price change induced by the international price shock.The main result of this analysis is that the increase in prices during the period from 2006 to 2014 is translated to welfare improvement ranging from 0.02 percent for 2006 to 0.06 percent for 2011 for farmers in Burkina Faso. The second essay assesses urban consumers' preference for food quality attributes of value-added cereal products in Niamey, Niger. It combines qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the effect of quality attributes on consumers' food choice. A particular focus is placed on assessing consumers' marginal willingness-to-pay (WTP) for quality attributes in an experimental setting. The evaluation accounted for taste and preference heterogeneity inherent to consumers’ responses to changes in quality attributes. The results suggest market demand inferred from significant marginal WTP for the nutritional quality attribute as measured by the expiration date, the presence of micronutrients, and the country of origin of the product. In addition, demand is found to be highly heterogeneous across consumers socio-demographic and economic characteristics. As a result, better communication and appropriate targeting by food processors and policymakers could be an additional tool to enhance food quality and diet through the market. Finally, the third essay theoretically and empirically assesses the impact of a time-saving food attribute on consumer’s food choice in urban areas of Niger. The theoretical assessment relied on a ``Beckerian’’ time allocation model to derive how a time-saving food product affects consumers' utility and food choice. The empirical approach combines hedonic tasting, random utility and a latent class framework to identify taste heterogeneity patterns underlying consumers' choice. Both the hedonic and latent class models confirm the theoretical prediction that a time-saving characteristic can either increase or decrease the demand for food that embodies the attributes. A significant market segment of about 38% includes consumers with a positive valuation of the time-saving product, highlighting the potential of this attribute to increase consumers welfare, reduce energy use and prevent food preparation-related health issues.

Paper one is a systematic review aimed at improving our understanding of the culturally determined risk factors of postnatal depression (PND) within 'Sub-Saharan Africa', by integrating evidence from quantitative and qualitative studies. A mixed-method systematic review approach was employed, nine quantitative and three qualitative studies were quality assessed, synthesised, and integrated. Stressful life events, adhering to cultural values and traditions, the effects of negative cultural perceptions and difficulties within the African extended family system were found to be risk factors for the development and maintenance of PND in Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of paper two was to explore the lived experience of postnatal depression in West African mothers living in the UK. A qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with six West African mothers (Nigeria = 3; Ghana = 3) who were experiencing low mood in the postnatal period was undertaken. Participants were recruited from mother and baby groups within the National Health Service. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore and analyse the data. Five overarching themes emerged: (1) conceptualiszing PND, (2) isolation, (3) loss of identity, (4) issues of trust and (5) relationships as a protective factor. Each theme consisted of a number of subthemes. Women exhibited symptoms of PND but did not regard it as an illness, with the name 'depression'. They viewed their emotional distress as a result of social stress, and described feelings of isolation, loss of identity and relationship difficulties. Women's cultural background influenced their help-seeking behaviour; participants often avoided talking about their feelings and kept their distress to themselves. The findings have clinical implications in how services should be designed to meet the needs of African communities. Paper three reflects on the process of developing culturally competent research through the development of the current thesis. Suggestions for future research and reflections on the strengths and limitations of the research process are embedded throughout. Clinical implications are discussed with reference to a community psychology model.

Pesticides are toxic by nature and they pose a serious threat to populations in agricultural communities, particularly to children, and farmers in low-income countries. Children living in agricultural communities may face a higher risk from pesticide exposure in the home environment than children in the general population. Farmers in low-income countries may also have higher risks from increased pesticide exposure due to the use of highly toxic pesticides that are banned in other countries and to unsafe practices and behaviors while handling pesticides. There is a growing body of literature that suggests pesticides, specifically organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), cause neurobehavioral impairment in children and adults. In a fruit orchard community in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, dust was collected from households and analyzed for four types of OPs. Various factors such as housing characteristics and resident behaviors were evaluated to examine their relationships with the OP concentrations in the home dust. School-aged children completed a battery of neurobehavioral tests at two time points, one year apart. The relationship between pesticide exposure, measured with parents’ occupations and a summary OP concentration, and neurobehavioral performance was examined. A cross-sectional study was carried out in The Gambia to identify rural residents’ knowledge about pesticide hazards and practices while handling pesticides. Relationships between participants’ knowledge, characteristics, and practices were examined. Occupational exposure scores were developed to quantify participants’ chronic pesticide exposures using the study’s questionnaire. In addition, participants provided information on neurological symptoms associated with pesticide use and a neurobehavioral test battery was administered to assess cognitive function. The relationships between occupational exposure scores and neurological symptoms and neurobehavioral performance were examined. In the orchard community, OP detection frequencies and concentrations were higher in agricultural households compared to non-agricultural households. Significant associations were found between higher OP concentrations in dust and the following: (1) homes with a parent working in an agricultural field and/or orchard, (2) homes with ≥ 2 agricultural workers living in the home, and (3) homes located in close proximity to an agricultural field or orchard. Having air conditioning in the home had a protective effect on OP concentrations. Results suggested that deficits in learning, or less improvement, on the neurobehavioral tests from the first visit to the second visit were found in agricultural children compared to non-agricultural children. In The Gambia, the majority of participants reported risky practices while handling pesticides such as: not wearing any protective clothing or equipment; mixing with bare hands; applying with their bare hands, plastic bags, or leaves; storing pesticides in the home; inadequately disposing of empty pesticide containers; and wearing shoes into the home after working with pesticides. They also reported having concerns about the adverse effects of pesticides on their health. Participants having had farm or pesticide safety training reported having less risky pesticide handling practices and behaviors. Participants with high occupational exposure scores experienced more symptoms and had worse performance on several of the neurobehavioral tests, including tests of motor function and dexterity, compared to participants with low exposure scores. Results from these studies suggest neurobehavioral impairments were found in participants with higher pesticide exposures compared to participants with lower exposures in the two populations. Further research is needed to identify successful strategies for reducing pesticide exposure in the home environment and while handling pesticides.

A gravity model is used to evaluate the effects of currency union on intra-regional trade of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) member states. The panel data used includes bilateral observations for fourteen years spanning 1994 through 2006 for 16 countries. Controlling for determinants and deterrents of trade, I find the presence of a currency union three times as likely to increase intra-regional trade between ECOWAS member countries. In addition, I find that the effect on trade creation has been steadily falling since 1994.

This thesis explores West African Muslims in New York as a case study of the immigrant experience in America through discussion of the main theories of assimilation and modes of incorporation into American society. As foreign-born, black Muslims, the Murids of Senegal rely on cohesive social networks to protect themselves from discrimination. This thesis argues that through a process of “segmented assimilation” and reliance on the ethnic enclave, which provides a critical network of support, immigrants like the Murids of Senegal can better manage the challenges they face in the host environment and achieve upward social and economic mobility in urban America while maintaining their cultural identity.

Most of the working population in Ghana are farmers. It is of importance for them to know where and when precipitation will occur to prevent crop losses due to droughts and floodings. In order to have a sustainable agriculture, improved rainfall forecasts are needed. One way to do that is to enhance the initial conditions for the rainfall models. In the mid-latitudes, in-situ rainfall observations and radar data are used to monitor weather and measure rainfall. However, due to the lack of station data and the present absence of a radar network in West Africa, other rainfall estimates are needed as substitutes. The rainfall amount in convective systems, dominating in West Africa, is coupled to their vertical structure. Therefore, satellite measurements of cloud top temperatures and microwave scatter, as well as the number of lightning, can be used to estimate the amount of rainfall. In this report, derived rainfall estimates from satellites and the use of lightning data are analysed to see how well they estimate the actual rainfall amount. The satellite datasets used in this report are NOAA RFE2.0, NOAA ARC2, and the EUMETSAT MPE. The datasets were compared to in-situ measurements from GTS- and NGO collaborating observation stations in order to verify which satellite dataset that best estimates the rainfall or, alternatively, if a combination between two or all the datasets is a better approach. Lightning data from Vaisala GLD360 have been compared to GTS-station data and RFE2.0 to see if a relation between the number of lightning and rainfall amount could be found. It was also tested whether a combination between the satellite- and lightning data could be a better estimate than the two approaches separately. Rainfall estimates from RFE2.0 alone showed the best correlation to GTS- and the NGO collaborating station data. However, a difference in how well RFE2.0 estimated rainfall at GTS-stations compared to reference stations was seen. Comparing RFE2.0 to GTS-stations showed a better correlation, probably due to the use of these observations in the build up of RFE2.0. Even though RFE2.0 showed the best correlation compared to other datasets, satellite estimates showed in general poor skill in catching the actual rainfall amount, strongly underestimating heavy rainfall and somewhat overestimating lighter rainfall. This is probably due to the rather basic assumptions that the cloud top temperature is directly coupled to rain rate and also the poor temporal resolution of the polar orbiting satellites (carrying microwave sensors). Better instruments and algorithms need to be developed to be able to use satellite datasets as an alternative to rainfall measurements in West Africa. Furthermore, due to the lack of station data, only tentative results between GLD360 and GTS-stations could be made, showing a regime dependence. When further analysed to RFE2.0, a stronger temporal dependence, i.e. seasonal variation, rather than a spatial one was seen, especially during the build up of the monsoon. However, due to poor rainfall estimates from RFE2.0, no accurate rainfall-lightning relation could be made but trends regarding the relation were seen. The use of GLD360 showed to be an effective way to erase false precipitation from satellite estimates as well as locating the trajectory of convective cells. To be able to further analyse rainfall/lightning relation, more measurements of the true rainfall is needed from e.g. a radar. / Majoriteten av Ghanas befolkning arbetar inom jordbrukssektorn. Det är viktigt för jordbrukarna att veta när och var nederbörd kommer att falla för att deras skörd inte ska bli förstörd av till exempel torka eller översvämningar. Det behövs därför bättre nederbördsprognoser för ett hållbart jordbruk. Ett sätt att få mer noggranna prognoser är att förbättra initialvärden till nederbördsmodellerna. Vid de mellersta breddgraderna på norra halvklotet används nederbördsmätningar från in-situ stationer samt data från radarsystem som initialvärden, men på grund av få mätstationer och inget radarsystem i västra Afrika behövs alternativa nederbördsestimater. Nederbörden i västra Afrika domineras av konvektiva system, vars regnmängd är kopplad till dess vertikala struktur. Satellitmätningar av molntoppstemperaturen och mikrovågornas spridning och absorption, liksom antalet blixtar är också relaterat till molnets struktur och kan därför användas för att estimera nederbördsmängden. I den här rapporten analyserades nederbördsestimater från satellitdata samt användning av blixtdata för att undersöka hur bra metoderna är på att estimera den verkliga nederbördsmängden. Satellitdataseten som analyserades var NOAA RFE2.0, NOAA ARC2 och EUMETSAT MPE. Dataseten jämfördes med in-situ mätningar från GTS-stationer samt observationerfrån NGO-samarbetande jordbrukare för att verifiera vilket satellitdataset som ger det bästa nederbördsestimatet, alternativt att en kombination mellan två eller alla dataset ger det bästa estimatet. Vidare har blixtdata från Vaisala GLD360 jämförts med GTS-stationer och RFE2.0 för att se om antalet blixtar är relaterat till nederbördsmängden. Slutligen har det också undersökts om en kombination mellan satellit- och blixtdata är ett bättre än de två metoderna separat. Nederbördsestimater från RFE2.0 visade på bäst korrelation med både GTS- och NGO-stationer. En tydlig skillnad noterades dock i RFE2.0:s förmåga att estimera nederbörd vid jämförelse mellan de två stationsdataseten. En bättre korrelation mellan RFE2.0 och GTS-stationerna påvisades, troligen för att RFE2.0 använder dessa observationer i uppbyggnaden av datasetet. Även om RFE2.0 visade på bäst korrelation i jämförelse med ARC2 och MPE var samtliga satellitdataset dåliga på att estimera den verkliga nederbördsmängden. De underestimerar starkt stora mängder nederbörd samtidigt som de överestimerar små mängder. Anledningen är troligen det relativt enkla antagandet att molntoppstemperaturen är direkt kopplad till molnets regnmängd samt den dåliga tidsupplösningen på de polära satelliterna som är utrustade med mikrovågssensorer. För att satellitdataseten ska kunna användas som ett alternativt nederbördsestimat i Västafrika behövs bättre mätinstrument och algoritmer. Vid analysen mellan GLD360 och GTS-stationer kunde, på grund av för få stationsdata, endast övergripande resultat erhållas. Ett områdesberoende gick dock att urskilja som vid en ytterligare analys mellan GLD360 och RFE2.0 visade på ett större säsongsberoende, särskilt under uppbyggnaden av monsunperioden i april och maj. Eftersom RFE2.0 visade sig ha dåliga nederbördsestimat kunde ingen noggrann koppling hittas, utan resultatet visade på trender samt möjligheter att kunna använda blixtdata som ett alternativt nederbördsestimat. Till exempel visade det sig att GLD360 kunde användas som ett verktyg för att sålla bort falsk nederbörd från satellitestimat samt identifiera trajektorien för ett konvektivt system. För en djupare analys i att relatera blixtar och nederbörd i Västafrika krävs bättre tekniker för att estimera nederbörd eller fler in-situ observationer.

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation has a vast potential for abrupt climate change due to its large heat transport through the ocean and its nonlinear dynamics. Because of these unique properties, this paper investigates how the climate of West Africa and Europe will respond to a shutdown of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at the end of the 21st century. Here we use a regional climate model with 90-km grid spacing is forced by an idealized sea-surface temperature anomaly, based upon coupled atmosphere/ocean global model water hosing experiments, with a business-as-usual global warming scenario to discover how West African and European climate will change. In both the boreal spring and summer, cooling in the eastern Atlantic is associated with a strong intensification and eastward extension of the North Atlantic subtropical high over Europe throughout the depth of the atmosphere, a strengthening of the heat low over West Africa at low levels, and a weakening of the Saharan High in the upper atmosphere. Rainfall rates also decrease markedly throughout most of West Africa and Europe: in spring, rainfall rates decrease by 50-80% over Sahelian Africa, in summer rainfall over Europe decreases by up to 90%, while precipitation over West Africa is reduced by 40%. / text

From 1900 to 1944, public health was a pillar of the French colonial project in French West Africa. African medical workers became the backbone of the Native Medical Service, which sought to “grow the race” (faire du noir) and popularize French cultural ideals while improving the general health of the African population and combating epidemic diseases. Through successive yellow fever and plague epidemics, the Medical Service honed a set of health measures that it utilized in epidemic outbreaks. These health measures remained largely unchanged throughout the period. The political environment and the reactions of African residents, especially residents of the Four Communes, to these anti-epidemic measures did change though. Intermittent popular resistance to health measures, along with persistent personnel shortages, budget constraints, the sparsely settled population, and the vast land area of West Africa conspired to make the goals of the Native Medical Service difficult to achieve. An examination of the internal profile (personnel numbers, job descriptions, evaluations, organization and organizational changes, and policies) of the Native Medical Service from 1900 - 1944 demonstrates some of the aspects of how the ideology of French colonialism was at odds with itself and with colonial realities. The Native Medical Service was an arm of the colonial government in areas where it was weak, such as spreading French civilization and appreciation for French culture. Despite being used to compensate for some of the government’s shortcomings, the Native Medical Service experienced disjunctions between its goals and the means to achieve them that hindered its effectiveness. The ideological core of French colonialism was built around the Civilizing Mission, development (la mise en valeur), and the myth of the indissolubility of Greater France. The widespread French belief in African inferiority and that the benefits of French imperial rule to the subject peoples outweighed the drawbacks both worked against the success of French goals in West Africa to spread their civilization, foster economic and human development, and form a lasting addition to France Outre-Mer. / text

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This thesis presents the findings of a small-scale, qualitative study of attitudes toward AIDS and AIDS education campaigns in the village of Sota in central Benin. Through a language ideology framework, this study reviews the overlap and disparity between AIDS discourse and other systems of meaning in Sota, particularly rumors and religious beliefs. The portrait that emerges from this analysis of the social construction of AIDS by multiple discourses suggests that the impact of AIDS education may be limited only in part because the intended recipients fail to understand the information being provided. More importantly, the context and underlying assumptions of educational presentations about HIV/AIDS are not formulated in ways that are compatible with, or directly meaningful to, lived experience.