Aim - The aim of this thesis is to understand the challenges of the Ugandan coffee industry by having a business ecosystem perspective. By using a broader perspective like the BE, one can see relations and connections that may not have been visible before. Furthermore, when using a BE perspective more actors are included in the systemic work, and important platforms and tools are included in the work of moving the BE forward as one entity. Methodology - A qualitative study was conducted to examine and understand the Ugandan coffee industry from a business ecosystem perspective. 18 semi-structured interviews were performed with coffee farmers and coffee organizations in Uganda. The data was divided into five different themes; Knowledge Sharing in the Business Ecosystem, Platforms and Interactions in the Business Ecosystem, Roles in the Business Ecosystem, Challenges in the Business Ecosystem and Youth in the Business Ecosystem. Conclusions - The findings of the thesis are that some parts of the business ecosystem are missing or lacking. Effective platforms for knowledge sharing are an issue, due to lack of access to a technological platform, monetary resources and low level of education. It was difficult to place some of the actors in different roles that exist in the business ecosystem, because sometimes an actor could fit the description of multiple roles. The interactions and the knowledge sharing also need improvement. Research limitations - Due to the sheer size of any business ecosystem, it is a daunting task to map one out. To make it more manageable, a particular part of the business ecosystem was examined. This might have resulted in the exclusion of important actors. Many of the interviews required an interpreter which meant that some interpretations may have been lost in translation. Furthermore, all the interviews with coffee farmers were arranged by a third party. Which could affect the results. Research contribution – In this thesis a business ecosystem perspective was applied on the Ugandan coffee industry, which has never been done before. Furthermore, it discusses what an unhealthy or lacking business ecosystem is or looks like, since there is little or no previous literature discussing this.

The diversity created in our society during the eighties has brought forth many new challenges for marketers. During that time established market segments subdivided themselves into micro segments. This has forced marketers to further target their marketing programs to reach the ever elusive consumer. Micro Marketing brings with it an abundance of product choices, especially in coffee. Currently, there exists a great deal of uncertainty as to the benefits of this wave of product proliferation. In this study, first, an attempt is made to identify and define Micro Marketing and the events which lead to its evolution. Substantial support is given which identifies the foundation of Micro Marketing as a natural extension of Market Segmentation. However, a review of current product offerings by the coffee industry may lead toward a return to product orientation. Which could imply further problems for a industry with flat or declining volumes. In order to access the condition of Micro Marketing, as it applies to the coffee industry, a questionnaire was developed. The primary information was gathered in grocery stores in the Jacksonville area. Data was gathered on the coffee drinking habits, brand awareness, brand loyalty, purchase influences, purchase patterns, psycographic and demographic data of consumers. This data is used to establish if any segments exist which identify with specific coffee brands. Market fracturing Consumers seems Jacksonville. show patterns to specific brands, evident, at least in hardly any segmentation while the level of brand awareness dissipates as the number of brands increase. Furthermore, the level of brand switching is extremely high indicating that market segmentation, for the most part, is non existent. Continuing to pursue market negative long term gains to the fracturing may provide firm due to its cost ineffectiveness. However, fracturing may be reversed with proper segmentation strategy. Further studies will indicate proper marketing strategies as well as provide possible avenues for growth in coffee consumption.

In the face of biodiversity loss due to agricultural expansion and intensification, agroforestry has been proposed as an environmentally friendly form of agriculture capable of conserving biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. However, how social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes affect the potential of agroforestry systems to serve as reservoirs for native species diversity and community composition is unclear. This dissertation aims to describe patterns of tree diversity and community composition in coffee (Coffea arabica) agroforestry systems as they compare to surrounding forests, and uncover the social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes giving rise to those patterns. Worldwide, there is an extensive overlap between coffee-growing areas and regions with high species richness and endemism considered biodiversity hotspots. This renders the issue of clarifying the sustainability and conservation value of shade coffee even more urgent. Otherwise, we risk losing important late-succession and conservation concern tree species, and simplifying the structural and floristic composition of mature forests. To uncover how the social factors related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological factors drive tree diversity and community composition in coffee agroforestry systems, a series of empirical studies were conducted based on surveys and field data collected in La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, between 2009-2013. Field research took place in two coffee farming communities within the reserve, where 50 farmers were interviewed, and 31 coffee agroforest sites and 10 forest sites were sampled. Forests were sampled to provide a reference for tree diversity and community composition in the absence of coffee management. Although a higher sample size would have permitted the inclusion of more covariates in statistical analyses without losing statistical power, there is no reason to believe that the results of this dissertation would change if a larger sample size were considered. This is because the magnitude of the effects detected were large and the p-values small, which underscore the robustness of the results of this dissertation. The three chapters in this dissertation correspond to individual studies. Chapter One investigates tree floristic patterns in coffee agroforestry systems and compares them to those in surrounding forests. Findings indicate that although at the landscape level coffee agroforestry systems hold similar tree species richness compared to forests, tree species community composition is significantly distinct. Coffee agroforests had a lower proportion of trees of conservation concern, a higher proportion of pioneer trees, were dominated by Inga spp., harbored lower tree species diversity at the plot level, and were composed of different tree species compared to native forests. This chapter raised questions with regards to whether these results were the result of farmers’ intentional tree selection criteria and preferences, or an unintended consequence of management practices. Chapter Two addressed these questions by examining the use of knowledge by farmers to manage coffee agroforests and the consequences on tree community composition relative to forests. In Chapter Two, results indicate that differences between agroforests and forests are primarily driven by farmers’ manipulation of tree community composition, which occurs according to their beliefs about the benefits and disservices of trees for coffee production. Tree community composition in coffee agroforest is dominated by the trees that farmers prefer and practically void of the trees they dislike as compared to the trees’ natural abundances in forests. These findings are novel and important because they clarify that the community composition changes observed in coffee agroforests are mostly an intentional consequence of management and not a byproduct. Finally, Chapter Three focuses on a subset of trees of particular conservation importance, trees of conservation concern (CC) and typical of old growth or late succession (LS) forests. This chapter investigates how management practices that affect shade tree density, basal area, and the proportion of Inga trees, mediated by land use legacies, affect the proportions of CC and LS trees in coffee agroforests. Findings indicate that management practices that sought to increase the proportion of Inga spp. trees had the largest negative impact on the proportions of trees of LS and CC, but the magnitude of the effects were dependent on land-use legacy. Among farms established on land previously used for pastureland or crop cultivation, the impact of farmers’ tree preferences and selection criteria on LS and CC trees were significantly higher than on farms established on forests without an agricultural history. These findings underscore that farmers’ sharp preference for Inga spp. trees undermines the potential of agroforests to conserve higher proportions of CC and LS trees. The results presented in each chapter of this dissertation allow for a more thorough understanding of the tree diversity patterns conserved in coffee agroforestry systems and the underlying social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological drivers that generate such patterns. The results of this dissertation seek to contribute new knowledge not only to the scientific community, but also to society so that better policies and strategies be devised that successfully conserve floristic diversity in the biodiverse areas of the world where coffee is cultivated.

[pt] O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da indústria brasileira do café, relacionado ao seu posicionamento estratégico competitivo nos períodos antes e após a desregulamentação do mercado, e a identificação dos desempenhos obtidos na busca de uma vantagem competitiva no atual cenário. Utilizando os dados de questionário respondido por um especialista do mercado e consultas a dados secundários, foi obtido suporte para análise do comportamento estratégico e do desempenho das empresas, tendo como base a tipologia de Porter, com uma amostra de 22 empresas associadas a ABIC, Associação Brasileira da Industria do Café . Os resultados obtidos mostram que as empresas ainda estão adaptando-se ao novo cenário e buscando um posicionamento estratégico, e sugerem que as empresas com melhor desempenho são aquelas que buscam uma vantagem competitiva, através da diferenciação e redução dos custos. Estes resultados mostram ainda que as empresas que buscam a estratégia de enfoque, conforme a tipologia de Porter, ainda não foram identificadas neste novo cenário de desregulamentação do mercado. / [en] The aim of this work was the study of the Brazilian coffee industry, concerning its competitive and strategic positioning before and after the market deregulation, and the performances analysis achieved in the search of a competitive advantage at the present scenery. Using the data of the form answered by a specialist in this market and also consultations of secondary data, we obtained a result for the analysis of the strategic behavior and performance of the companies, using as a basis Porter`s typology, for the creation of strategic groups, using as a sample 22 companies members of ABIC, Associação Brasileira da Indústria do Café. The results achieved show that the companies are still adapting themselves to the new scenery and looking for a strategic positioning and suggest that the companies with better performance are those which look for competitive advantage, through the differentiation and costs reduction. These results show yet that the companies which look for a focused strategy, according to Porter`s typology, were not yet identified in this new scenery of market deregulation.

This descriptive, phenomenological case study presents the perspectives of small-scale coffee producers in Guatemala regarding cooperative membership, sustainable coffee certification programs and the role of ANACAFE. The viewpoints of two producer cooperatives are described based on participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Through content analysis the transcribed data were categorized and summarized, and emergent themes are discussed. Advantages to cooperative membership include access to finances, information, cost sharing and expanding direct-trade relationships. Challenges identified are securing finances and attracting new membership. Certification programs may be desirable, but access to information regarding program types is limited. Participants feel that standards do not reflect cultural differences, and the producers question who actually receives the advertised price premiums. The use of best-practices incorporating the social, environmental and economic principles of certification programs is preferred. ANACAFE is a source of technical information and funding but resource access is selective and limited.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo satisfacer una demanda generada en el mercado del negocio más grande del país: la minería. El presente proyecto generará bienestar económico para una parte de la población ya que generará trabajo y desarrollo económico. El documento presenta todo el sustento social, económico, operativo y tecnológico del proyecto. El producto generado es un producto poco común en el mercado pero tiene aplicaciones muy beneficiosas para el procesamiento de diferentes minerales. La propuesta plantea el diseño de una planta de producción de carbón activo en base a cáscara de café. El procesamiento de minerales con el producto presentado agrega valor al producto mineral final, generando una ventaja competitiva en el mercado minero, por lo que consideramos que el producto tendrá una gran acogida y podría motivar a muchos negocios mineros a darle diferentes ventajas competitivas a diferentes minerales. / The present work has the purpose of satisfying a demand generated in the biggest business on the country: mining. The present project will generate economic wellness for a part of the population because it will generate work and economic development. This document presents the economic, social, operative and technological support for the project. The product generated is poorly known on the market but has beneficial applications on minerals processing. The project proposal presents the design of an coffee shell based activated carbon production plant. The minerals processing with the presented product adds value on the final mineral product, generating a competitive advantage in the mining market, that is why we consider that the product will have a big reception and could motivate different mining businesses to add different competitive advantages to their minerals. / Trabajo de investigación

Aim of this diploma thesis is to describe functioning of global coffee value chains and this knowledge then apply to the coffee industry in Vietnam which serves as a case study. The introductory chapter focuses firstly on institutional background of value chains, processes and management processes used in the agricultural industry. The thesis also contains analysis of global coffee value chain, including the identification of entities engaged in the chain and their contribution to the creation of added value. Next chapter describes the development of the world coffee market and production of the world's major producers and exporters of coffee. The thesis also deals with the topic of economic and social sustainability and the impact of global value chains on the environment. Final part of the thesis concentrates on the position of the coffee industry in Vietnam, its structure and development over the past 40 years. Attention is paid also to a problematic position of small growers or to the opportunities of the development of the local coffee industry.

Recent years have witnessed a proliferation in the number of products receiving specialized ethical certification labels, even though scholars have underscored that the actual effects of such labels are not well understood. (Luetchford 2012) In the area of coffee in particular, case studies have highlighted that Fair Trade labeling seems to operate in unexpected ways, beyond its straightforward financial incentives. This has led to a call for deeper investigation into the specific mechanisms—particularly the extra-economic and social processes—through which Fair Trade acts on coffee growers and their communities. This is seconded by recent studies that have noted a lack of equality between men and women members of Fair Trade co-operatives, in stark contrast to the label’s advertised aims of advancing gender equity and women’s development. (Bacon 2010; Lyon 2008) This friction has contributed to the emergence of separate, all-women’s Fair Trade co-operatives in coffee-growing regions around the globe, and the specialty marketing of their coffee (e.g., Café Femenino and Las Hermanas from Nicaragua) as specifically empowering for women. (Fair Trade USA 2012; Bacon 2010; Lyon 2008) Yet, as with other ethical labels, the actual processes through which these women’s co-operatives affect their members is under-studied and in need of deeper ethnographic investigation. (Hanson et al. 2012; Lyon 2008) In order to address these gaps in the literature, this study captures the complex social processes set in motion by Fair Trade through a comparative ethnography of a traditional mixed men and women’s co-operative and a newer, all-women’s co-operative in neighboring coffee-growing communities in northern Nicaragua. This research positions the sociological construct of social capital as a robust theoretical lens capable of illuminating diverse dynamics within these groups and their larger structural contexts. The use of social capital theory not only allows access to critical and unexplored insights into the “associational life” created by Fair Trade co-operatives, but also presents an opportunity to explore a “strategic site” of social capital in action and extend the theory by addressing debates surrounding its oft-contested definitions and relationship to gender. (Putnam 2000:60; Portes 2010:2; Burawoy 1998) Specifically, this research examines three perspectives on social capital: Bourdieu’s (1986) resource framework, Coleman’s (1988:108) description of social capital as a platform or “appropriable social organization,” and Putnam’s (2000) notion of social capital as trust. Further, this study critically interrogates the characterization of social capital as a kind of “women’s capital,” and its promotion as both a means and an ends to gendered empowerment. (Maclean 2010:498) In pursuit of these aims, this research both draws on and adds to the literature in the areas of ethical consumption and Fair Trade studies, economic sociology, the sociology of globalization, gender theory, gender and development, men and masculinities, local and transnational feminist movements, empowerment frameworks, and the social determinants of health. This extended case method ethnography links microprocesses to macroforces, through a localized understanding of globalization—in this case the impact of Northern ethical consumption practices and ideologies on producer communities in the Global South. In addition, as an applied ethnography in the tradition of public sociology, this study provides analysis that is useful not only to scholars, but could directly inform further setting-appropriate development efforts.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:32:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sob clima tenso.pdf: 792240 bytes, checksum: 58265f185a13eefd48f7c43f51decdcc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-30 / In this paper the shift of the political and economical axis of coffee production of the zona da Mata, in the state of Minas Gerais, during the 1930 s and the way it was prevailed over by the central metallurgical region, mainly directed to iron and steel industry, is analyzed. The study starts from the theoretical analysis of three basics aspects: a) the shock of the 1929 crisis, which led to changes in the economic policy in most Latin-American countries; b) the economic policy of the brazilian government from 1920 through 1930; and c) the modus operandi of brazilian upper classes concerning president Vargas s project of industrialization during the 1930 s. Next, changes are analyzed which occurred in the urban and industrial sectors of coffee economy, centered in Juiz de Fora, in the zona da Mata, during the 1920 s and 1930 s, especially during the post-1920 period. In order to reach this aim, primary sources are analyzed, such as bankruptcy proceedings of business corporations and limited companies in the industrial, financial and comercial sectors. Lastly, an effort was made to identify the rise of the bourgeoisie in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of the Minas Gerais, during the post-1930 period. The project, as well as the accomplishment of this class so as to secure admittance to the decision areas of Minas Gerais government, are discussed. / O objetivo central desta dissertação é analisar o deslocamento dos eixos político e econômico em Minas Gerais durante a década de 1930. Analisamos como o complexo cafeeiro da zona da Mata foi sobrepujado, neste processo, pela região centro-metalúrgica, especializada no setor siderúrgico. Para tanto, partimos em primeiro lugar da análise teórica de três aspectos fundamentais para se chegar ao foco do estudo: a) os impactos da crise internacional de 1929, fato que influenciou em mudanças na política econômica da maioria dos países latino-americanos; b) a política econômica do governo brasileiro entre 1920 e 1930 e; c) a ação das elites nacionais diante do projeto varguista de industrialização na década de 1930. Em seguida, abordamos as mudanças ocorridas no segmento urbano-industrial do complexo cafeeiro sediado na cidade de Juiz de Fora, na zona da Mata mineira, durante as décadas de 1920 e 1930, em especial no período pós-1929. Para tanto, são analisadas fontes primárias, como processos de falências de sociedades anônimas e firmas limitadas dos ramos industrial, financeiro e comercial. Por fim, procuraremos detectar a ascensão da burguesia sediada em Belo Horizonte, capital de Minas Gerais, no pós-1930.

Tanzania’s good climatic condition of four agro-ecological zones and six farming system together with adequate good soils and water resources with reasonable rainfall patterns (except in semi-arid regions) are favourable for agricultural production. Despite this abundance of resources, Tanzania is still far from taping full potentials in crop production and productivity that could be attained if the existing agricultural resources were fully utilised. The agricultural sector has failed toraise the rural poor above the poverty line and has perpetuated the existing pervasive poverty among farming communities. These constraints facing the agricultural sector have contributed to low production and productivity of the agricultural sector. For several decades the agricultural sector has failed to fulfil its role as the “engine of economic growth”; as a result, the general picture of the Tanzania’s economy has remained untransformed and unreliable. Given the importance of agriculture as the mainstay of rural livelihoods, it must grow much faster to realise rural poverty reduction in Tanzania. In view of the above state of affairs, this study posed the following research questions: Are support activities and services in coffee production, processing and marketing significantly linked to allow application of Supply Chain Management (SCM)?; Do institutions responsible for coffee provide mandatory services to enable farmers undertake support activities and services in production, processing and marketing of this crop? Finally, are the coffee marketing support activities and services significantly integrated along the supply chain in order to enhance its marketing? Thus, the above underlined challenges and questions imply thatstagnation in agricultural development is a function of a multiplicity of soci-economic, technological and political factors. As a result, the call for improving the agricultural sector production and productivity needs a holistic approach, particularly the application of SCM. The above fact suggests that Tanzania should among others, find ways to increase agricultural production, productivity, promote agro-processing and expand markets for its agriproducts through a well co-coordinated system. The present study calls for a collaborative and integrative approach in the supply chain to plan and control the flow of value adding materials from the producers to the consumers. The objective of this study is to examine the application of the Conceptual Supply Chain Management Model (SCMM) in coffee support activities and services in the areas of production, processing and marketing in order to suggest an appropriate model that can improve production and productivity of the agricultural sector thereby enhancing the income of the rural poor and ultimately alleviating poverty and raising the standard of living of Tanzanians. Following the format prescribed by the University of South Africa, this thesis is organized into eight chapters. Also, it is structured in a coherent manner to bring the logic for the development of the conceptual framework for the coffee subsector in Kagera region. Chapter One provides the introduction and background information. It creates a base and sets a framework for the entire study. Chapter Two presents the literature review including both the theory and practice of SCM. It also presents the background and SCM development as well as the importance of integrating SCM in the agricultural sector in Kagera, Tanzania and the world at large. The objective of the chapter is to present an in-depth review of literature and show the gap so as to make justification for proposing a study on the application of the SCM in agriculture with reference to Coffee in Kagera Region. Chapter Three discusses the Model Development. It discusses the meaning and the type of conceptual models. Further more, it discusses the reasons for and the advantage of applying the conceptual models. Finally, it highlights the rationale for selecting a particular criterion for evaluating the conceptual models. Chapter Four presents research methodology including identification of the definition of research and different research methods and their respective instruments for undertaking this study. It presents the theoretical and research process, showing the types of research methods and research designs. It also presents in detail, sampling, sampling techniques and data collection techniques. Finally, the chapter highlights how the collected data have been organised, analysed and presented. Chapter Five is about research findings. It covers the outcome of the exercise set by Chapter Four. It presents descriptive and empirical information of basic agricultural support activities along the supply chain from production through consumption. It involves the analysis of the production, processing and marketing support activities to examine their influence on the production and productivity of coffee in Kagera Region. Chapter Six entails synthesis analysis and results. This is an amalgamation of the research findings as well as synthesis, descriptive and empirical analysis of those findings. Thus, the chapter is about the analysis of coffee production, processing and marketing support activities and services in Kagera Region. Chapter Seven describes the contribution to knowledge which shows the existing conceptual SCMM for coffee in Kagera. The Chapter presents the appropriate conceptual model which adopts planning of many components in the coffee supply chain such as suppliers, materials, resources, warehouses, transporters and customers. The Model has been developed and proposed for application in Kagera Region in order to address the shortcomings addressed in the analysis made in the existing model as indicated in Chapter Six. Chapter Eight presents the summary, conclusions and recommendations. In this chapter, the study concludes that coffee marketing support activities and services in Kagera are not significantly linked to production and processing in order to allow the application of SCM principles. Furthermore, it shows that coffee management institutions such as private coffee traders, cooperative unions, government regional and district agricultural offices and other stakeholders do not provide all mandatory services to enable coffee production, processing and marketing support activities and services. According to this study, marketing support services are not significantly integrated in the coffee supply chain that will enhance its marketing. Given this reality, this study proposes the adoption of the appropriate conceptual SCMM. The Coffee SCMM has been developed to coordinate key players and processes in coffee SCM for the integrated framework. The proposed model has been successfully implemented in many successful management systems. The conceptual model for Kagera integrates various participants involved in the entire coffee supply chain including coffee producers, processors and exporters. The Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) is proposed to be the overall coordinator of the entire coffee supply chain. In addition, it proposes an information exchange procedure among players (feedback) initiated by consumers. For further studies, the study recommends three major blocks of studies such as support activities and services in the areas of SCM in coffee production, processing and marketing. Finally, the study proposes these three major areas to be individually and deeply studied. / Business Management / D.B.L.