An Empirical Chronicling of How Agricultural Innovation Platforms Were Established in Hwedza, Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
pp. 002190962094155
Author(s):  
Innocent T Mahiya
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Network Systems ◽  
Agricultural Innovation ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
The Social ◽  
Communal Areas ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Government Workers ◽  
Active Communities

This paper focuses on the establishment of agricultural innovation platforms (AIPs) in the communal areas of Hwedza in Zimbabwe. Through the efforts of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), there have been initiatives to improve agricultural productivity in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular. One such intervention has been the AIPs that seek to bring together all stakeholders who can meaningfully contribute to the improvement of agriculture. Using largely qualitative approaches, data was collected through interviews from small scale farmers as well as different actors who were involved in the AIPs. The respondents in the study also included NGO workers, academic researchers, government workers, traditional leaders, agricultural financiers, extension workers and state-owned institutions. Using Norman Long’s interface analysis as the central theoretical framework, key findings showed that communal areas were active communities that had their own socio-economic network systems which govern how smallholder farmers operate. It also emerged that IPs are a result of a combination of the social and the formal/institutionalised structures that interacted in Hwedza. The paper concludes that IPs were established in Hwedza through a series of interactive processes among actors and these were not always smooth and successful.

scholarly journals Coproducing Weather Forecast Information with and for Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Evaluation and Design Principles

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 902
Author(s):  
Talardia Gbangou ◽  
Rebecca Sarku ◽  
Erik Van Slobbe ◽  
Fulco Ludwig ◽  
Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Many West African farmers are struggling to cope with changing weather and climatic conditions. This situation limits farmers’ ability to make optimal decisions for food and income security. Developing more useful and accessible weather and climate information services (WCIS) can help small-scale farmers improve their adaptive capacity. The literature suggests that such WCIS can be achieved if forecast information is produced jointly by farmers and scientists. To test this hypothesis and derive design requirements for effective WCIS, we evaluated the outcomes of an experimental coproduction of weather forecasts in Ada, Ghana. The experiment involved a user-driven design and testing of information and communications technology (ICT)-based digital (smartphones and apps) and rainfall monitoring tools by 22 farmers. They collected data and received weather forecasts during the 2018/2019 study period. The results showed a positive evaluation of the intervention, expressed by the level of engagement, the increase in usability of the tools and understanding of forecast uncertainty, outreach capacity with other farmers, and improved daily farming decisions. The success of the intervention was attributed to the iterative design process, as well as the training, monitoring, and technical support provided. We conclude that the application of modern technology in a coproduction process with targeted training and monitoring can improve smallholder farmers’ access to and use of weather and climate forecast information.

scholarly journals Platform, Participation, and Power: How Dominant and Minority Stakeholders Shape Agricultural Innovation

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Eidt ◽  
Laxmi P. Pant ◽  
Gordon M. Hickey
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Innovation Systems ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Agricultural Innovation ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Access And Quality ◽  
Agricultural Innovation Systems

Within agricultural innovation systems (AIS), various stakeholder groups inevitably interpret ‘innovation’ from their own vantage point of privilege and power. In rural developing areas where small-scale and subsistence farming systems support livelihoods, dominant policy actors often focus heavily on participatory modernization and commercialization initiatives to enhance productivity, access, and quality. However, existing social hierarchies may undermine the potential of such initiatives to promote inclusive and sustainable farmer-driven innovation. Focusing on the chronically food insecure smallholder agricultural systems operating in Yatta Sub-county, Eastern Kenya, this paper explores how power dynamics between stakeholders can influence, and can be influenced by, participatory agricultural innovation initiatives. Findings suggest that there are often significant disparities in access to, and control over, platform resources between smallholder farmers and other stakeholder groups, resulting in large asymmetries. We discuss how these power dynamics may increase the risk of agricultural intervention, further marginalizing already disempowered groups and reinforcing power hierarchies to the detriment of smallholders. This study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the institutional contexts that facilitate and maintain relationships of power within agricultural innovation systems, as well as the complexities associated with promoting transformational agricultural innovation.

Community-Based Microtrade in Support of Small-Scale Farmers in Thailand and Tanzania

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Neef ◽  
Kei Mizuno ◽  
Iven Schad ◽  
Pakakrong M. Williams ◽  
Franklin Rwezimula
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Northwestern Tanzania ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Participatory Research Methods ◽  
The Comparative Study ◽  
Small Producers

Drawing on two action-research projects conducted between 2007 and 2011, this paper compares the benefits of pro-poor microtrade arrangements for smallholder litchi growers in northern Thailand and small-scale vanilla growers in northwestern Tanzania. The case studies combine various qualitative and participatory research methods with an in-depth analysis of the underlying social, economic and knowledge networks. Theoretically, our research is grounded in the concept of strategic niche management, which emphasizes networking, experiential learning, and the convergence of expectations among producers, exporters, consumers and supporting agencies. Our findings suggest that community-based microtrade with high-value agricultural products can be particularly beneficial for small producers and marginalized groups, such as women and the elderly. Evidence from the comparative study of the two cases further underscores the importance of external knowledge and innovation intermediaries in the formation of community-based and pro-poor microtrade arrangements. We conclude that long-term knowledge and innovation partnerships need to be established to successfully connect smallholder farmers to international markets and to carefully balance the power differentials among all actors along the supply chain.

scholarly journals Potentials of hybrid maize varieties for small-holder farmers in Kenya: A review based on swot analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (57) ◽  
pp. 7562-7586
Author(s):  
C Schroeder ◽  
◽  
T Onyango K’Oloo ◽  
NB Ranabhat ◽  
NA Jick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Marginal Areas ◽  
Maize Varieties ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Hybrid Maize

Maize is the primary staple crop in Kenya and plays an important role in the livelihood of the people of Kenya. Its availability and abundance determines the level of welfare and food security in the country. In Kenya, future increases in maize production to meet domestic demand will have to rely on improvements in yield per hectare rather than on the expansion of maize production area. Enhanced maize productivity can be achieved by increased use of modern production techniques such as the adoption of hybrid maize varieties, the use of chemicals and fertilizer application. Small-scale maize prodcution plays a major role in Kenya’s maize economy and adoption of hybrid technology by small-scale farmers would have the potential to address sustainability and supply issues. However, such modern technologies are still rarely used by Kenya’s small-scale farmers, particularly by those in marginal areas. This study, therefore, tries to review the reasons for the low rate of adoption of hybrid maize varieties among small-scale farmers with focus on those smallholders in Kenya’s marginal areas. Lack of awareness of existing or newly released hybrid varieties, lack of hybrid varieties adapted to marginal areas, lack of confidence in the quality of some hybrid maize seeds, poor access to stockists, low profitability due to high seed cost, inadequate access to credit, the need for fertilizer application and low literacy level have been found to be important factors explaining the low adoption rates by smallholder maize producers in marginal areas. In addition, these constraints might also explain the widespread practice of recycling hybrid grain among small-scale farmers once they have adopted hybrid maize varieties. Therefore, it is hoped that by overcoming these constraints, the adoption of hybrid maize varieties among smallholder farmers could be greatly enhanced, which in turn could lead to a significant positive impact on the country’s food security situation.

scholarly journals AGRIPRENEUR SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN UASIN-GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-55
Author(s):  
Michael Kebenei ◽  
Elias Mwangi ◽  
Paul Mathenge
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine agripreneur sustainability strategies and financial performance of SMEs in Uasin Gishu County with a specific interest of small-scale farmers in Uasin Gishu County. Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study. The target population comprised of 1,397 small scale farmers in Uasin-Gishu County. A sample size of 140 respondents was selected using simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was the key data collection instrument. The collected data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative approaches of analysis. Statistical Package for Social Services version 21 was used to summarize the quantitative data into frequencies and percentages. The summarized information was presented using figures, tables and pie charts. Results: From the analysis, the following key findings were made: there is a strong positive association between financial performance and innovation (r=.219*), pro-activeness (r=.505), risk taking (.256), and networking (r=.410). The coefficient of determination indicates that 32.7% of variation of financial performance is explained by agripreneurship sustainability strategies such as innovation, pro-activeness, risk-taking and networking. It is concluded that innovation, pro-activeness, risk-taking and networking affect the financial performance of Small scale farmers in Uasin Gishu County. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that there is a need for regular training opportunities to be provided to the small scale farmers. Organizations in the agricultural sector and government ministries should focus on training farmers on entrepreneurship as a sustainable course for the business growth. Education policies in the country need to be reviewed to integrate agripreneurship as a course and more resource provided to encourage it among students in learning institutions. There is also a need for agricultural seminars to be organized within the county for the small scale farmers. There is need for further research to be conducted to assess the other factors that may be affecting the financial performance of small scale farmers.

scholarly journals Village Environment, Capital Endowment, and Farmers’ Participation in E-Commerce Sales Behavior: A Demand Observable Bivariate Probit Model Approach

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 868
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Li ◽  
Apurbo Sarkar ◽  
Xianli Xia ◽  
Waqar Hussain Memon
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Bivariate Probit ◽  
Bivariate Probit Model ◽  
Capital Endowment ◽  
Sales Behavior ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Village

With the recent developments in widespread internet usage and digital technology, an ultimate worldwide transformation in information and communications technology has occurred. Especially, how people engage in the virtual market for buying and selling goods has changed dramatically, which flourished the playground of electronic commerce (EC). Interestingly, it has become crucial to create an ample opportunity for farmers to utilize a more comprehensive market range for selling their products. However, farmers participating in e-commerce sales platforms may be interrupted by various internal and external factors. Therefore, the study’s primary goal is to evaluate the impacts of various external and internal factors on shaping farmers’ behavior in participating in e-commerce sales platforms. The study utilized a demand observable bivariate Probit model to analyze the village environment and capital endowment effects to craft the findings. The study utilized micro-survey data from 686 households in the leading kiwifruit-producing area as the empirical setup. The findings illustrated that the village environment is the main factor that restricts farmers’ e-commerce sales behavior, among which the infrastructure and policy environments have a significant contribution to farmers’ e-commerce sales intention and behavior. However, the effect of capital endowment on farmers’ e-commerce selling behavior has been found as significant. The village environment significantly affects both large- and small-scale farmers, and the capital endowment has a higher binding effect on small-scale farmers. Therefore, the paper suggests that improving the village environment for e-commerce development and laying the foundation for e-commerce development should be fostered. A differentiated incentive mechanism to improve the capital endowment of farmers should be constructed. A well-structured capital endowment triggering small farmers to capture the benefits of e-commerce sales should be imposed. The government should extend the support of the agricultural demonstration zone to facilitate practical training among the smallholder farmers. The formal and informal risk-sharing and financial institutions should prioritize building infrastructure to support farmers’ short- and long-term investments. Farmers should realize the importance of e-commerce for integrating the agricultural value chain.

scholarly journals Analysis of Economic Efficiency and Farm Size: A Case Study of Wheat Farmers in Nakuru District, Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Mburu ◽  
Chris Ackello-Ogutu ◽  
Richard Mulwa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of farm size on economic efficiency among wheat producers and to suggest ways to improve wheat production in the country. Specifically, the study attempts to estimate the levels of technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies among the sampled 130 large and small scale wheat producers in Nakuru District. The social-economic factors that influence economic efficiency in wheat production have also been determined. Results indicate that the mean technical, allocative, and economic efficiency indices of small scale wheat farmers are 85%, 96%, and 84%, respectively. The corresponding figures for the large scale farmers are 91%, 94%, and 88%, respectively. The number of years of school a farmer has had in formal education, distance to extension advice, and the size of the farm have strong influence on the efficiency levels. The relatively high levels of technical efficiency among the small scale farmers defy the notion that wheat can only be efficiently produced by the large scale farmers.

scholarly journals Collateral: The Sword of Damocles of the Small-scale Farmers; Land Tenure Issues in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-63
Author(s):  
Douglas Ncube
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Tenure Reform ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Introduction:Numerous studies have been conducted on tenure and how it affects agricultural productivity. However, in Africa, its complexity emanates from the existence of various types of land tenure systems. This study examined hypotheses derived from the economic theory of property rights.Problem Statement:It is difficult to comprehend the manner in which land tenure issues influences farmer incentives. A perception is held regarding the complexity of instituting policy reforms to ‘fix’ tenure problems.Methodology:Thе еconomic rеѕеarch rеѕultѕ rеlatеd to land tеnurе, tеnurе ѕеcurity and thеir impact on land invеѕtmеntѕ and agricultural productivity, and how thеѕе rеlatе to hypothеѕеѕ gеnеratеd from thе еconomic thеory of propеrty rightѕ in Africa were evaluated. The study is essentially a qualitative approach and is based on literature review and secondary data sources.Results:There is an intimate link between Land tenure development and various constructs of political economic issues such as governance, democracy, empowerment, social justice, equity and development. Consequently, until the recognition of historical issues and political challenges associated with resource redistribution, any solutions to land and tenure questions will lack context and will fail to fulfil the crucial aim of transforming property relations and creating social change. There are convergence and divergence of economic research on land tenure.Conclusion:Land tenure reform is a time-consuming process requiring thorough public consultation and careful preparation. Recently, many international organisations and governments have embarked on land purchases/grabs in Africa exposing smallholder farmers to the arbitrary land acquisition and hence, exacerbating food insecurity in Africa.

scholarly journals Importance of Beef Cattle Farming Model and Appropriate Benefits for Small-Scale Farmers in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Thunwa Wiyabot ◽  
Piyalap Manakit
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Specific Method ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Feeder Cattle ◽  
Cattle Farming ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and reasonable production costs for small cattle farmers in Nakhon Sawan Province of Thailand. Small-scale beef cattle are naturally reared by farmers without planning. Studying the primary data of beef cattle farming models and comparing the economic return costs of each form of beef cattle farming among smallholder farmers in Nakhon Sawan Province of Thailand shows that the yields are not worthwhile. By applying the specific method to 25% of the area of all farms in Nakhon Sawan Province and comparing the descriptive statistical yields, the results showed that two types of cattle with 4 characteristics predominate. The first is rearing pregnant mother cows for sale and buying mother cows. The second category is feeder cattle, release cattle and fattening cattle. A study of the costs and economic compensation of suitable small-scale beef cattle farmers in Nakhon Sawan Province of Thailand found that cattle farms should raise cattle because the yield from farming is valued and because of the economic returns and the time spent. The payback for this form is faster than other forms of investment.

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