Thesis (M.Sc. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The agricultural sector in the Limpopo Province, comprises both commercial and subsistence farming. The smallholder farmers in the province are mainly producing for subsistence purposes and play an important role in poverty alleviation and livelihood creation. These smallholder farmers produce lower quantities of products that are also of low quality. Consequently, their products are rejected in the markets and by processors, and this affects the extent to which they participate in the market. This presents a challenge since the smallholder farming is highly labour intensive and represent the main source of income-generating occupations and a source of economic relief for the majority of people residing in the former homeland areas of the Limpopo Province. This study examined the factors influencing production and market participation among smallholder tomato farmers in Madibong and Manganeng Villages, at Makhuduthamaga Municipality in Greater Sekhukhune District, using the Multiple Linear and the Logistic Regression Models. The Multiple Linear Regression Model was used to analyse the socio-economic factors influencing tomato production among smallholder farmers in the study area. The results of the model indicated that extension access, fertiliser application, marital status, use of agricultural equipment and income from production output significantly influence tomato production among smallholder farmers. The Logistic Regression Model was used to analyse the socio-economic factors influencing market participation among smallholder tomato farmers in the study area. The Logistic Regression results indicated that factors such as educational level, gender of the farmer, farming experience, marital status, and farm size positively and significantly influence market participation while market distance negatively influences market participation among smallholder tomato farmers in the study area. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the local municipality invest more in rural adult education in order for the farmers to adopt new farming skills and utilise the market information provided. In addition, the investment in adult education has the potential to contribute to rural development and job creation in the study area. The study recommends that there should be a comprehensive producer support such as input subsidies, that focuses primarily on subsidising smallholder farmers when purchasing production input such as fertilisers and pesticides. / NRF (National Research Foundation)

Pulses (common beans and cowpeas) provide a major alternative source of protein, and the rapid rise in food prices has led to an increase in the consumption of inexpensive pulses. The slow growth in pulse production has, however, led to a decline in availability. Thus, to overcome this decline in production, this study concern in expanding pulse production in Mozambique by using the agricultural research survey known as TIA. In addition, this study identified and analysed the critical drivers influencing production, as well as constraints and opportunities to expand pulse production in Mozambique. In studying the participation of smallholder farmers in pulse markets, the Heckman two-step approach was applied to avoid sample selection bias. In the first step a Probit model was estimated to capture the household’s decision of whether or not to participate in the market. The second step comprised of an OLS estimation to determine the significance of variables that contribute to the level of pulse sold. At national level, results indicate that the majority of households receive price information, but few households receive information on fertilizers and improved seed use. Most households also have poor access to credit and improved extension services, and low levels of membership of agricultural associations. A very small percentage of household farmers are engaged in pulse production, with male farmers more dedicated to the production of common beans and female farmers more dedicated to the production of cowpeas. In terms of market participation, the results reveal that female-headed households are less likely to participate in pulse markets. The critical factors that discourage entry into the pulse market are distance to the market and yield loss. The factors that give incentives to smallholders to participate in the pulse market are land size, price information and pulse price. The trade volume of common beans is relatively high and is affected by land size, pulse price and price information. In contrast, the trade volume of cowpeas is highly affected by bicycle ownership and ownership of livestock for animal traction. Cowpea prices also have a positive effect on the volume of cowpeas sold. Yield loss is a major factor that negatively affects the pulse trade, while land size has a negative effect on the volume of cowpeas sold. Land availability and price information provide good opportunities, in Mozambique, for expanding pulse production. The expansion of pulse production is however constrained by household access to public goods and services such as extension services, credit and membership to an agricultural association. Moreover, the expansion of pulse production in the country is also constrained by the absence of the use of productive technologies such as improved seed and fertilizer. Based on the results of the study, the recommendations are to expand extension services, improve access to improved technology, facilitate access to agricultural finance, and improve infrastructure and storage facilities. This would facilitate and give incentive to smallholder to expanding pulse production in Mozambique. / Dissertation (MSc Agric)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Problem Statement: The world population is expected to rapidly increase, raising food security concerns across the world. This will impact Africa most severely. The use of innovative farming techniques and technology has proven to accelerate the production yields and improve resilience to vulnerabilities which impact agricultural productivity. The use of smart technologies in farming is mainly present among largescale commercial farms, with minimal representation in the smallholder farming sector. On the other hand, a substantial amount of food in developing countries is produced by small scale farmers. Research Objective: The purpose of the study is to investigate the usage of smart technologies by smallholder farmers in South Africa, and to establish how smart technology could support smallholder farmers in increasing productivity through a three-dimensional view that takes into consideration capital, labour, and land utilization. To this end, an interpretive research philosophy was adopted. Research Design: The study collected the data using semi-structured interviews. The sample for the study constituted of 10 smallholder farmers and 12 subject matter experts within the agriculture and technology domain. To strengthen rigour within the study, the interviews were supported by documents containing viewpoints about how technology is applied in the African context and how it may be introduced and ultimately applied in the South African context. The study employed a deductive approach to theory, applying the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as theoretical underpinning for the study. SLA consists of a pentagon of livelihood assets: physical, social, human, natural, and financial assets. The framework was extended to include technology as an asset due to its potential to contribute to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Findings: The study found minimal to no use of smart technologies by smallholder farmers in South Africa. The factors which limited the use of technology include PEST (Political, Environmental, Social and Technological) factors. To achieve successful usage of smart technologies, collaboration is required from government, the private sector, smallholder farmers, and communities. Research Contribution: The study aimed to expand on the limited literature on the use of smart farming in the context of smallholder farmers in a developing country context. In addition, it contributed to extending the pentagon of livelihoods to include smart technologies with respect to smallholder farmer livelihoods. Therefore, the findings of this study contributed to the broader body of knowledge. In addition, insights from this study may be gained by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, smallholder farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs and technologists in formulate developmental strategies and policies to improve the productivity of smallholder farmers as well as their livelihoods as a strategy to increase their contribution to food security in Africa while alleviating household poverty.

Cash crops such as coffee, cotton, and tea have been an important income for farmers especially smallholder farmers in the Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). However, many farmers started to turn in to new cash crops with higher market prices. Vanilla (planifolia) is one of such alternative cash crops which has been attracting more and more smallholder farmers in Tanzania in the past three decades. This study explored vanilla and its sustainability in Tanzania using a Sustainability Opportunity Study (SOS) approach. The aim of this study is to research whether vanilla could bring new opportunities on poverty reduction for smallholders in the SSA. The thesis selected Kagera region in Tanzania as the case study area for being the first and leading vanilla production region in the country. Key stakeholders and their sustainable impacts such as the farmers’ cooperative Maendeleo Ya Wakulima (Mayawa) have been identified. Sustainable vanilla production in Tanzania is defined as generating maximal economic profits for the main stakeholders with minimal harm to the society and the environment. Results illustrate that vanilla is beneficial for smallholder farmers in many ways. However, it is currently not sustainable with a huge gap between the current performance and potential performance for key stakeholders. Both smallholder farmers and Mayawa have the improvement potentials for more income. The opportunity is there but with several serious challenges such as price fluctuations, climate change, smuggling, lacking stable market, and so on. Vanilla farmers cannot stop farming vanilla even when facing an unstable market. This study suggests that smallholder farmers and Mayawa must work together for a sustainable development of vanilla production in Tanzania.

The research draws on an ethnographic research and explores the everyday practice of collective action in Ugbawka in Enugu State by using interviews and participant observation. The study reveals that smallholder collective action is not best fitted into formal institutional arrangement but takes place within a complex and intricate process that involves interaction with diversity of institutions and actors. Equally, the interactions that occur amongst actors are mediated at the community level through interplay of socio-cultural and political factors. This study recognises and places emphasis on understanding of agency and the exercise of agency at the local level arguing that smallholder farmers are not robot but active individual who exercise their agency purposively or impulsively depending on conditions and the assets available at their disposition as well as their ability to navigate the intricate power dynamic inherent at local context. The thesis thus questioned the simplistic use of formal institutional collective action framework in smallholder collective action at the community level and argues that institutions are not static and do not determine outcomes but are informed by the prevailing conditions at the community level. The study emphasises the role of existing institutions and socially embedded principles in community governance and argues that actors should be the focus of analysis rather than the system in understanding smallholder collective action. The study concludes by advocating for further research that could explore the possibility of hybrid approach that accepts the advantages of both formal and informal institutional forms of smallholder collective action.

The new philanthropy is increasingly seen as a panacea and an alternative source of global development finance for rural development, especially in developing countries. The theoretical underpinning of the new philanthropy entails the idea that the private sector, led by philanthropists and civil society organisations in social policy issues can lead to more effective outcomes through partnership. The existing literature on the new philanthropy mainly focuses on its economic or commercial impact. This is particularly the case in the rural parts of Ghana; there has been very little research on the new philanthropy’s impact on the livelihoods of the poorest segments of society. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of new philanthropy on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana in order to fill the gap. The study employed ethnographic research, utilising qualitative techniques involving 20 stakeholders in philanthropy and livelihood affairs and 100 smallholder farmers. The research findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between philanthropic sponsored interventions in Ghana and an increase in smallholder farmers’ yields. The few farmers who purchased improved seeds and other agricultural inputs registered significant increases. However, this study identified some bottlenecks inhibiting access to agricultural inputs by smallholder farmers. Majority of smallholder farmers revealed that they could not afford them (seeds, chemical fertilizer and other inputs) despite the subsidies. Furthermore, rainfall variability gives rise to fluctuating food production from one season to another; meanwhile, there is a lack of strategy from philanthropic practitioners to address the variability in rainfall. Through philanthropy, other methods of faming such as irrigation farming agroecology, and permaculture could be exploited to the benefits of smallholder farmers. The outcomes of this study have policy implications for philanthropic practitioners. This study shows that the failure to involve farmers directly in decisions that affect their livelihoods is a major cause of livelihood interventionist programme failures in Ghana. Thus, this study argues that understanding the socioeconomic dynamics in the Northern Region and amongst the farmers should be an important part of policy formulation for philanthropic involvements seeking to improve livelihood of smallholder farmers. Lastly, the study called for a separate policy framework for philanthropy that would have a key objective of mobilising private philanthropic resources to support steady economic growth and sustainable development, dealing directly with recipients. / Government of Ghana.

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This study examines rural household food security and its determinants in drought-prone Amhara Region of Ethiopia by focusing on Lay Gaint district as a case study site. A range of factors from physical environmental circumstances to policy and institutions-related issues determine households‟ vulnerability to food insecurity and livelihood outcomes. The survey results showed that the majority (74%) of the sampled households experienced food insecurity. The situation was worse among female-headed households such that 86% of them were food insecure. The study revealed that, despite the low level of productivity related to local environmental constraints, rural livelihoods remain undiversified with small scale rain-fed agriculture to provide the primary source of livelihood for the large majority of households (~93% of respondents). Only about 25% of the respondents participated in some form of non-farm or off-farm activities, but with only little contribution to their total annual incomes. Food insecurity is a chronic problem in that, on average, households in the study area consume from own production for only about six months. The study found out that the majority of households (about 80%) perceived annual rainfall to be inadequate to support the growing of crops and grazing of animals. The main adaptive strategies employed by the majority of households included diversifying livestock kept, planting trees and diversifying crops. The study revealed that incidence, depth and severity of food insecurity of the food insecure households showed that Woina-Dega and Kolla agro-ecologies are prone to vulnerability to food insecurity. This suggests that development interventions that are geographically differentiated; and build household assets will improve household food security in the study area, and in other similar environments in the country. / Geography

This study examines rural household food security and its determinants in drought-prone Amhara Region of Ethiopia by focusing on Lay Gaint district as a case study site. A range of factors from physical environmental circumstances to policy and institutions-related issues determine households‟ vulnerability to food insecurity and livelihood outcomes. The survey results showed that the majority (74%) of the sampled households experienced food insecurity. The situation was worse among female-headed households such that 86% of them were food insecure. The study revealed that, despite the low level of productivity related to local environmental constraints, rural livelihoods remain undiversified with small scale rain-fed agriculture to provide the primary source of livelihood for the large majority of households (~93% of respondents). Only about 25% of the respondents participated in some form of non-farm or off-farm activities, but with only little contribution to their total annual incomes. Food insecurity is a chronic problem in that, on average, households in the study area consume from own production for only about six months. The study found out that the majority of households (about 80%) perceived annual rainfall to be inadequate to support the growing of crops and grazing of animals. The main adaptive strategies employed by the majority of households included diversifying livestock kept, planting trees and diversifying crops. The study revealed that incidence, depth and severity of food insecurity of the food insecure households showed that Woina-Dega and Kolla agro-ecologies are prone to vulnerability to food insecurity. This suggests that development interventions that are geographically differentiated; and build household assets will improve household food security in the study area, and in other similar environments in the country. / Geography