The research aim was to gain a more detailed understanding of the operation of different key segments for fresh produce supply chains originating in the Highlands Provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research investigates a number of supply chain dimensions of effectiveness which include, value creation and integration of processes, logistics, quality, information, relationship/vertical integration and overall effectiveness. These were linked together in SC framework. Two potato chains were investigated, one formal, the other informal. The informal potato chain involves small holder farmers, input suppliers and local markets including kai bars and the urban market. The chain originates and ends within the Western Highlands Province. The formal potato chain has farmers, input suppliers, wholesaler/marker, transport companies (trucking and coastal shipping agents), supermarkets, hotels and kai bars. This chain originates in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province and ends in Port Moresby, National Capital District. The effectiveness of both the formal and informal chains was identified, and comparisons were made to see how each chain differed. The informal chain was found to have different problems to the formal chains. However, participants to both chains demonstrate a high entrepreneurial behavior. A key finding of the study was that the chains spread their risk by operating in multiple market segments and this can help to solve issues with variable quality. The marketers in each chain position themselves in these different market segments. It was clear from this work that focusing on functions and not the whole chain can lead to a distorted view of chain performance. For example, for the informal chain, a focus on logistics issues, particularly poor roads and problems with availability of seeds, can misrepresent the effectiveness of this chain. Therefore, it was concluded that it is important to look at the overall performance of each chain rather than looking specifically at particular chain functions in isolation.

Thesis (M. A. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Maize seeds differ according to varieties.The traditional maize varieties(also referred to as (Landraces)are maize varieties that have been cultivated and subjected to selection by farmers for generations.They retain a distinct identity and lack formal crop improvement. Improved maize varieties,on the other hand,are bred with characteristics such as drought and disease tolerance. This research was conducted to determine the attributes preferred by farmers when making a maize varietal choice.To be specific, the study aimed to achieve the following objectives:(i) Identify and describe socio economic characteristics of smallholder maize farmers’ in Mogalakwena Municipality; (ii) Analyse socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder maize farmers in Mogalakwena Municipality; (iii) Identify different maize varieties grown by smallholder farmers in Mogalakwena Municipality,and (iv) determine and analyse factors influencing farmers’choice ofa maize variety. Descriptive statistics and the Multinomial Logistic Regression Model were used for data analysis.The results of the study revealed that 64% of the respondents had formal education.This meant that they have the capability to grasp more information, if provided with trainings. It was found that 75% of the farmers did not have access to extension service which is supposed to play a significant role in agricultural information dissemination.The most grown maize variety was land race varieties which constituted 59.5%. This percentage was said to be resultant from limited access to the seed market. Infact,80% of the farmers had to travel an average of 42 kilomteres to access the market which also had a limited number of varieties.The Multinomial Logistic Regression Model revealed that only 5 variables (Educational level, farm size, yield, extension contact and knowledge of maize varieties )were significantat1%,5%,1%,1% and1%, respectively.The majority of farmers were old people with little access to extension service and an inadequate farming knowledge which lead to a highper centage of farmers continuing to grow landrace varieties. Based on the findings, this study recommend further research on attributes that influence farmers varietal choice and Government intervention in provision for resources and development of existing and new infracstrcture to encourage extension service delivery. Keywords:Landrace,improvemaizevariety,smallholderfarmer

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This report will outline a new framework for improved yields and increased sustainability in Sub-Saharan African smallholder agriculture. Given the failures of agricultural development aid and policy in the past, cross-sector collaboration among local farmer networks, national governments, and private corporations could represent a new model to foster sustainable agricultural production and growth, as each has had past successes but have not traditionally come together to work as a collaborative unit. This paper will examine each sector to look at best practices and then develop a framework for such collaboration. After a normative case with a positive outlook as to the potential for implementing the framework to Senegal‘s groundnut sector, the paper concludes that the framework can work in a variety of settings as long as one is aware of and respects local conditions. / text

Achieving food security in a changing climate is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. For subsistence-oriented farming families who experience firsthand pressures on their food system - population growth, environmental degradation and climate change, to name only a few - adaptation has become an urgent necessity. The ability to 'adapt and benefit' through a suite of climate change adaptation interventions that build adaptive capacity is touted by many humanitarian and development institutions as integral to food security today. However, adapting and benefiting is often a far reach for many smallholder farming families, who more commonly manage multiple interdependent stressors through a mix of adaptive actions and negative coping strategies. The relative benefit of this mix of adaptive and coping strategies is socially differentiated, varying by location and both between and within households. This combination of strategies, or the variety of options to enact livelihood outcomes, is framed as a response space. This thesis explores the impact of social differentiation on the adaptive capacity of subsistence-oriented farming families experiencing food insecurity and environmental change. Using a case study of two villages in the Upper West region of Ghana, it investigates how adaptive capacity and response spaces differ based on points of social differentiation; the drivers that limit or exacerbate adaptive capacity and response spaces; and the implications of these responses for humanitarian, development, and government programmes that aim to support these populations. These questions are approached using mixed methods (embedded direct observation, the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index household and individual survey, participatory action research exercises, child growth and hospital admissions records, focus groups, and key informant interviews) and a unique conceptual framework which draws heavily from systems thinking, feminist research theory, Sen's capabilities approach and grounded theory. I followed context-specific local drivers to deeply examine the familial and cultural political lives of households to better understand the interdependent nature of empowerment within the household, the distribution of scarce food, control over livelihoods and income, the management of poverty-induced stress, and the risk these drivers pose to public health. Out of this research, a multi-level vulnerability landscape surfaced, characterized by a food system on the margins and unequal adaptation within the case study population. The research led to the following insights: farmers experience multiple disadvantages being located in the Upper West of Ghana as compared to southern regions, and are underserved by multiple governmental and NGO institutions; farmers in turn experience heterogeneous vulnerability and access to response spaces at the community level, which are deeply entrenched in social norms that favour adult male bodies, male spaces, and male-typical productive roles; and, at the same time, there are individuals and families that stand outside these trends and are able to adapt and benefit, which highlights the need for an intersectional approach when examining the household and sub-household context. The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals include a pledge to ‘leave no one behind' in the pursuit to 'free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet'. Understanding the differing vulnerability of subsistence-oriented smallholder farming populations, as well as the ways their response spaces and adaptive capacity have been differently shaped, will be important for the program design and targeting strategies of interventions to achieve this goal. This thesis aims to contribute to this enormous task.

The research aim was to gain a more detailed understanding of the operation of different key segments for fresh produce supply chains originating in the Highlands Provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research investigates a number of supply chain dimensions of effectiveness which include, value creation and integration of processes, logistics, quality, information, relationship/vertical integration and overall effectiveness. These were linked together in SC framework. Two potato chains were investigated, one formal, the other informal. The informal potato chain involves small holder farmers, input suppliers and local markets including kai bars and the urban market. The chain originates and ends within the Western Highlands Province. The formal potato chain has farmers, input suppliers, wholesaler/marker, transport companies (trucking and coastal shipping agents), supermarkets, hotels and kai bars. This chain originates in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province and ends in Port Moresby, National Capital District. The effectiveness of both the formal and informal chains was identified, and comparisons were made to see how each chain differed. The informal chain was found to have different problems to the formal chains. However, participants to both chains demonstrate a high entrepreneurial behavior. A key finding of the study was that the chains spread their risk by operating in multiple market segments and this can help to solve issues with variable quality. The marketers in each chain position themselves in these different market segments. It was clear from this work that focusing on functions and not the whole chain can lead to a distorted view of chain performance. For example, for the informal chain, a focus on logistics issues, particularly poor roads and problems with availability of seeds, can misrepresent the effectiveness of this chain. Therefore, it was concluded that it is important to look at the overall performance of each chain rather than looking specifically at particular chain functions in isolation.

The Philippines has a primarily agricultural economy, with many rural residents relying on farming for their livelihoods. The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) was established in 1992 to support smallholder farmers in the country through research and technology development related to carabaos. The PCC's national headquarters in Nueva Ecija's Science City of Muñoz maintains a herd of approximately 400 carabaos and uses a drum sieve to separate the vermicompost from the carabaos for sale and efficient manure management. Vermicomposting is a profitable form of agriculture in the country, utilizing African night crawler worms to convert biodegradable waste materials into organic fertilizer. However, many smallholder farmers who wish to start vermicomposting do not have access to a sieve machine as they are often too expensive. Neighboring farmers often form cooperatives with at least 15 members who work together towards common goals. Because these cooperatives offer services such as loans, training, and equipment access, they would be able to provide a sieve machine for their members and therefore the individual farmer would have a greater chance to be able to start vermicomposting. This study was aimed at designing a more accessible sieve machine for low-income smallholder farmers. The resulting design is a manually-driven machine operated through a pedal mechanism. The machine is smaller, easier to maintain and has no drift costs in comparison to the existing machine at PCC. It has integrated wheels and brakes, a brush for clearing clogged holes, and a collector. However, no physical prototype was made to verify its implementation. The concept is made of a mix of raw materials and purchased components, with the raw materials sourced from the Philippines and the components possibly imported. The estimated price was around PHP 58,468, which was less than the PCC machine, considered reasonable for cooperatives but may not be affordable for individual smallholder farmers. / Filippinerna huvudsakligen en jordbruksbaserad ekonomi, många invånare på landsbygden förlitar sig på jordbruk som sin huvudsakliga inkomstkälla. Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) grundades 1992 för att stödja småskaliga jordbrukare genom forskning och teknikutveckling relaterat till carabao. PCC:s nationella huvudkontor i Science City of Muñoz i Nueva Ecija har en flock på cirka 400 carabaos och använder en trumsikt för att separera maskkompost av carabaos för försäljning och effektiv gödselhantering. Maskkompostering är en lönsam form av jordbruk i landet, där afrikansk nattkrälande maskar används för att omvandla nedbrytbara avfallsmaterial till organisk gödsel. Småbrukare som önskar börja med maskkompostering saknar dock tillgång till en siktmaskin då de ofta är för dyra. Grannbrukare bildar dock ofta kooperativ med minst 15 medlemmar som arbetar tillsammans mot gemensamma mål. Eftersom dessa kooperativ erbjuder tjänster såsom lån, utbildning och tillgång till utrustning skulle de kunna tillhandahålla en siktmaskin för sina medlemmar och därmed öka chansen för den enskilda småbrukaren att kunna börja med maskkompostering. Syfte med det här arbetet var att utforma en mer tillgänglig siktmaskin för låginkomsttagande småskaliga jordbrukare. Den resulterande designen är en manuellt driven maskin som drivs med en pedalmekanism. Maskinen är utformad för att vara mindre, enklare att underhålla och har inga driftkostnader jämfört med den befintliga maskinen på PCC. Den har integrerade hjul och bromsar, en borste för att rensa igensatta hål och en samlare. Framtida arbetet är att ta fram en fysisk prototyp för att kunna verifiera konceptet. Maskinen består av en blandning av råvaror och inköpta komponenter, där råvarorna kom från Filippinerna och komponenterna möjligen var importerade. Maskinens uppskattade pris blev cirka 58 468 PHP, mindre än ursprungliga PCC-maskinen, och anses rimligt för kooperativet, men kanske inte överkomligt för enskilda småskaliga jordbrukare.

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