Some underutilized indigenous timber trees with high medicinal values: Its challenges and prospects

Underutilized species is referred to species to which little or no attention is paid by the policymakers, agricultural researchers, and plant breeders. Medicinal plants used in traditional medicine have a natural origin, are effective, and less expensive. Traditional doctors in African countries make use of plants in treating millions of people. Albizia zygia, Alstonia boonei, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Newbouldia laevis and Canarium schweinfurthii are the underutilized indigenous timber trees with high medicinal value that were discussed. Different parts of these trees like the bark, root, leaves, flower, stem, gum are used as medication in treating diverse diseases such as painful urination, epilepsy, convulsion etc. This study aims at reviewing the underutilized indigenous timber trees with high medicinal values, their challenges, and prospects. Methods are derived to increase the value chain of underutilized timber trees which can contribute to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders mainly through income generation.

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Prevalence of Aflatoxin- and Fumonisin-Producing Fungi Associated with Cereal Crops Grown in Zimbabwe and Their Associated Risks in a Climate Change Scenario

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10020287 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 287

Author(s):

Juliet Akello ◽

Alejandro Ortega-Beltran ◽

Bwalya Katati ◽

Joseph Atehnkeng ◽

Joao Augusto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Liver Cancer ◽

Value Chain ◽

Management Practices ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Change Scenario ◽

Elevated Concentration ◽

African Countries ◽

Small Grains ◽

The Eu

In most sub-Saharan African countries, staple cereal grains harbor many fungi and some produce mycotoxins that negatively impact health and trade. Maize and three small grain cereals (sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet) produced by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe during 2016 and 2017 were examined for fungal community structure, and total aflatoxin (AF) and fumonisin (FM) content. A total of 800 maize and 180 small grain samples were collected at harvest and during storage from four agroecological zones. Fusarium spp. dominated the fungi associated with maize. Across crops, Aspergillusflavus constituted the main Aspergillus spp. Small grain cereals were less susceptible to both AF and FM. AF (52%) and FM (89%) prevalence was higher in maize than in small grains (13–25% for AF and 0–32% for FM). Less than 2% of small grain samples exceeded the EU regulatory limit for AF (4 µg/kg), while <10% exceeded the EU regulatory limit for FM (1000 µg/kg). For maize, 28% and 54% of samples exceeded AF and FM Codex guidance limits, respectively. Higher AF contamination occurred in the drier and hotter areas while more FM occurred in the wetter year. AF exposure risk assessment revealed that small grain consumption posed low health risks (≤0.02 liver cancer cases/100,000 persons/year) while maize consumption potentially caused higher liver cancer rates of up to 9.2 cases/100,000 persons/year depending on the locality. Additionally, FM hazard quotients from maize consumption among children and adults were high in both years, but more so in a wet year than a dry year. Adoption of AF and FM management practices throughout the maize value chain coupled with policies supporting dietary diversification are needed to protect maize consumers in Zimbabwe from AF- and FM-associated health effects. The higher risk of health burden from diseases associated with elevated concentration of mycotoxins in preferred maize during climate change events can be relieved by increased consumption of small grains.

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Pharmacognostical and pharmacological activity of Justicia gendarussa burm.f.: a comprehensive review

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11i3.2475 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 3384-3390

Author(s):

Ashish ◽

Anjali ◽

Dixit Praveen K ◽

Nagarajan K ◽

Sahoo Jagannath

Keyword(s):

Pharmacological Activity ◽

Chemical Constituents ◽

Biological Action ◽

Andaman Islands ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

Medicinal Value ◽

Anti Oxidant ◽

Phytochemical Constituents ◽

Pharmacologically Active ◽

Different Parts

Justicia gendarussa Burm .f. (family Acanthaceae) which is also known as willow-leaves and commonly known as Nili-Nirgundi, it is very commonly found nearby to China and its availability is very common in larger parts of India and Andaman islands. Traditionally it is used to treat various sorts of disorders such as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiproliferative, anti-arthritic etc. Justicia gendarussa is one of the crucial herbs which has been used in the Ayurveda. Majorly leaves parts of the plant shows the pharmacological activity but the root of the plant Justicia gendarussa is also have the important medicinal values. A large variety of pharmacologically active constituents i.e., alkaloids, flavonoids, saponin, carbohydrates, steroids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, aminoacids, tannins, phenolics, coumarines and anthaquinones are also present in this plant and they makes the plant pharmacologically important. The activity of the plant is also dependent on the solvent which is used for the extraction the various vital chemical constituents. The different- different parts of the plants having the different medicinal values also differ in the chemical values. This review is not only focused on the essential phytochemical constituents which is available in the plant but it also explains their necessary medicinal value to shows the essential biological action and phytopharmacological actions of various parts of the plant.

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Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11050462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 462

Author(s):

Hongyu Wang ◽

Xiaolei Wang ◽

Apurbo Sarkar ◽

Lu Qian

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Poverty Alleviation ◽

Poverty Reduction ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Multidimensional Poverty ◽

Well Being ◽

Reduction Degree ◽

Poverty Level ◽

Storage Technology

Market-based initiatives like agriculture value chain (AVC) are becoming progressively pervasive to support smallholder rural farmers and assist them in entering larger market interventions and providing a pathway of enhancing their socioeconomic well-being. Moreover, it may also foster staggering effects towards the post-era poverty alleviation in rural areas and possessed a significant theoretical and practical influence for modern agricultural development. The prime objective of the study is to explore the effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain for availing rural development and poverty alleviation. Specifically, we have crafted the assessment employing pre-production (improved fertilizers usage), in-production (modern preservation technology), and post-production (supply chain) participation and interventions of smallholder farmers. The empirical data has been collected from a micro survey dataset of 623 kiwifruit farmers from July to September in Shaanxi, China. We have employed propensity score matching (PSM), probit, and OLS models to explore the multidimensional poverty reduction impact and heterogeneity of farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain. The results show that the total number of poor farmers who have experienced one-dimensional and two-dimensional poverty is relatively high (66.3%). We also find that farmers’ participation in agricultural value chain activities has a significant poverty reduction effect. The multidimensional poverty level of farmers using improved fertilizer, organizational acquisition, and using storage technology (compared with non-participating farmers) decreased by 30.1%, 46.5%, and 25.0%, respectively. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of male farmers using improved fertilizer and participating in the organizational acquisition is greater than that of women. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of female farmers using storage and fresh-keeping technology has a greater impact than the males using storage and improved storage technology. Government should widely promote the value chain in the form of pre-harvest, production, and post-harvest technology. The public–private partnership should also be strengthened for availing innovative technologies and infrastructure development.

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Adoption of Improved Mungbean Production Technologies in Selected East African Countries

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11060528 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 528

Author(s):

Frank Mmbando ◽

Emmanuel Mbeyagala ◽

Papias Binagwa ◽

Rael Karimi ◽

Hellen Opie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Dissemination ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Women Farmers ◽

Farm Size ◽

East African ◽

African Countries ◽

Household Asset ◽

Access To Credit ◽

Household Assets ◽

Production Technologies

This study analyzes the factors that influence the probability and extent of the adoption of mungbean production technologies in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, using multivariate probit and Poisson regression models. The results show that the probability and extent of the adoption of mungbean production technologies are influenced by gender of the household, household size, farm size, livestock size, household assets, access to extension services and access to credit. The study suggests that policy interventions that aimed at targeting women farmers, increasing household asset and information dissemination, such as field demonstrations and training programs, are crucial in enhancing technology adoption among smallholder farmers.

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Multi-criteria decision-making model for supporting manufacturing settlements location in Africa after COVID-19

International Journal of Engineering Business Management ◽

10.1177/18479790211023348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 184797902110233

Author(s):

Stefania Bait ◽

Serena Marino Lauria ◽

Massimiliano M. Schiraldi

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Value Chain ◽

Multinational Enterprises ◽

Value Added ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽

African Countries ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Location Selection ◽

Decision Making Model

The COVID-19 emergency is affecting manufacturing industries all over the world. Notably, it has generated several issues in the products’ supply and the global value chain in African countries. Besides this, Africa’s manufacturing value-added rate grew only 1.5 since 2018, and the foreign direct investment (FDI) from multinational enterprises (MNEs) remains very low due to high-risk factors. Most of these factors are linked to a non-optimized location selection that can adversely affect plant performance. For these reasons, supporting decision-makers in selecting the suitable country location in Africa is crucial, both for contributing to countries’ growth and companies’ performance. This research aims at presenting a comprehensive multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) to be used by MNEs to evaluate the best countries to develop new manufacturing settlements, highlighting the criteria that COVID-19 has impacted. Thus, it has affected countries’ performance, impacting the plant location selection choices. A combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods have also been used for comparative analysis. The criteria used in the proposed approach have been validated with a panel of MNEs experts.

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African Botanical Heritage for New Crop Development

Afrika Focus ◽

10.21825/af.v21i1.5058 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Patrick Van Damme ◽

Céline Termote

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Value Chain ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Income Generation ◽

African Continent ◽

Wild Plant Species ◽

Crop Development ◽

Subsequent Crop ◽

Practical Implications ◽

New Crop

The African continent is rather poor in plant biodiversity when compared to other continents on and around the equator. Nevertheless, lots of useful plant species have been domesticated from Sub-Sahara Africa material. Ethnobotanical research offers the possibility to collect information on the use and utility of wild plant species from traditional peoples often living in or close to a challenging natural environment. This type of information then allows us to find new candidates for domestication and subsequent crop development for income generation and increased food security. The case of Gnetum africanum illustrates the practical implications of developing a lesser-known species, and highlights the institutional problems that go together with niche crop development. The latter are subsequently presented and discussed in extenso, and solutions proposed in a second part of this review text. Key words: Ethnobotany, Domestication, Non-timber Forest Product, Value Chain, Marketing

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Food for All in Africa

10.7591/cornell/9781501743887.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Gordon Conway ◽

Ousmane Badiane ◽

Katrin Glatzel

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

New Technologies ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Sustainable Intensification ◽

Rural Poor ◽

Agricultural Policies ◽

Agriculture Sector ◽

Agricultural Transformation

Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate for Africa, that recognizes the continent's diverse environments and climates, and that takes into account its histories and cultures while benefiting rural smallholder farmers and their families. This book describes the key challenges faced by Africa's smallholder farmers and presents the concepts and practices of sustainable intensification as opportunities to sustainably transform Africa's agriculture sector and the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The way forward, the book indicates, will be an agriculture sector deeply rooted within sustainable intensification: producing more with less, using fertilizers and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, improving natural capital, adopting new technologies, and building resilience at every stage of the agriculture value chain. This book envisions a virtuous circle generated through agricultural development rooted in sustainable intensification that results in greater yields, healthier diets, improved livelihoods for farmers, and sustainable economic opportunities for the rural poor that in turn generate further investment. It describes the benefits of digital technologies for farmers and the challenges of transforming African agricultural policies and creating effective and inspiring leadership. The book demonstrates why we should take on the challenge and provides ideas and methods through which it can be met.

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The Impact of IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme to Rice Yield and Income Among Smallholder Farmers in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria

Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Technology ◽

10.36630/jasft_21007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 66-74

Author(s):

E.D Oruonye ◽

◽

Tukura Ejati Danladi ◽

M Joseph ◽

Menwo Ukechi Wilson-Osigwe

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Rice Yield ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Development Programme ◽

T Test ◽

Rice Farming ◽

Intervention Programme ◽

Rice Farmers ◽

The Impact

The study assesses the impact of IFAD-VCDP on rice yield and farmers’ income, as well as constraints to IFAD-VCDP implementation in the study area. A purposive sampling method was adopted to select 220 rice farmers. Primary and secondary data were used. Questionnaires were used to collect information from the beneficiaries of the programme. The respondents verified the claims of the programme with respect to the provisions of farm inputs, extension service and basic infrastructures. A paired-samples t-test was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that 55% of the respondents have yields between 1–10 bags (100kg) and after the intervention, 52% of the respondents had yield of 61–80 bags (100kg). Similarly, 43% of the respondents have income between N51,000-N70,000 before the intervention programme and after the intervention, 52% of the respondents have income between N141,000-N170,000 and 42% have between N171,000-N200,000. This shows significant positive impacts on crop yield and income. The results of the paired-sample t-test show that there is difference in the mean income of rice farmers before IFAD-VCDP intervention (M = 2.54, SD = .81) and after IFAD-VCDP intervention (M = 4.35, SD = .59) at the .05 level of significance (t = 27.25, df = 219, n = 220, p< .05, 95% CI for mean difference 1.68 to 1.94). Given the positive impact of the IFAD-value chain development programme on rice farming in the study area, there is a need to extend it to other rice-producing LGA in Taraba State. Keywords: Ardo Kola, IFAD, Rice farming, Smallholder farmers and VCDP.

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Using ICT to Overcome Constraints in the Agriculture Value Chain

Enterprise Resource Planning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4153-2.ch041 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 689-699

Author(s):

Siegfried Kofi Debrah ◽

Isaac Kwadwo Asare

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Farming Communities ◽

Development Partner ◽

Management Context ◽

Pertinent Information ◽

Real Time Information ◽

And Control

Development partner efforts and private sector initiatives on ICT applications in agriculture have brought new opportunities for farmers and traders to reduce transaction costs and increase incomes. The applications are primarily used for linking actors in the agricultural value chain, accessing real time information on prices, buyers and sellers, transport and haulage, and other relevant information services in the agricultural value chain. Limited evidence from Ghana and elsewhere show that cell phone applications have resulted in increased incomes but the impacts and sustainability of other ICT applications have proven elusive. The role of ICT in overcoming the key constraints in the agricultural value chain and for making evidence-based decisions will be greatly enhanced if farmers, aggregators, and other stakeholders in the value chain pay attention to their business scope and schedule planning, executing, monitoring and control, procurement, risk planning, and stakeholder communications in a “project management” context. When this is done, ICT applications will facilitate supply chain management through sharing of timely and pertinent information on producers, buyers and other services, thereby helping to promote industry competitiveness. The major challenges to the widespread use and sustainability of ICT remain access to the appropriate ICT tool, poor road and storage infrastructure (particularly in the farming communities) and illiteracy on the part of the majority of smallholder farmers.

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Distribution of agricultural productivity gains in selected Feed the Future African countries

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies ◽

10.1108/jadee-01-2018-0009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 78-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Charles B. Moss ◽

Andrew Schmitz

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

African Countries ◽

Maize Production ◽

Content Type ◽

Traded Goods ◽

A Value ◽

The Future ◽

Cassava Production ◽

Feed The Future ◽

Productivity Gains

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine investments in selected Feed the Future countries in Africa. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine three investments in Feed the Future countries (e.g. Rwanda and Uganda) in the context of non-traded goods, exports and imports. These investments include research and development in Ugandan cassava production, a value chain intervention in the coffee market channel in Rwanda and a program to increase the use of fertilizer for maize production in Rwanda. The authors also stress the importance of distributional impacts in terms of policymaking. Findings The results show that while there can be net gains from each investment discussed, the distributional effects of each are very different. Originality/value The findings will be useful for the development community and agribusiness policymaking.

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