scholarly journals Who is the African Farmer? The Importance of Actor Representations in the Debate About Biotechnology Crops in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen Beumer ◽  
Jac. A. A. Swart
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Biotechnology ◽  
Agricultural Change ◽  
World Summit ◽  
Crucial Aspect ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Main Fault ◽  
Biotechnology Crops ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe discussion about the impact of agricultural biotechnology on Africa is deeply divided and contains widely diverging claims about the impact of biotechnology on African farmers. Building upon literature on the ‘good farmer’ that highlights that farmers identities are an important factor in explaining the success or failure of agricultural change, we argue that the identity of the farmer is an undervalued yet crucial aspect for understanding the debate about the impact of agricultural biotechnology on African farmers. In this article we therefore investigate what farmers’ identities are implicated in the arguments about the impact of biotechnology on African farmers. We aim to identify the main fault lines in different accounts of the African biotechnology farmer by analysing the identities ascribed to them in two prominent cases of controversy: the debates at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and the discussion about the impact of biotechnology on smallholder farmers in the Makhathini flats in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Our findings demonstrate that arguments about biotechnology are informed by diverging conceptions of who the African farmer is, what is important for the African farmer, and what role the African farmer has in relation to agricultural biotechnology. These findings remain relevant for current discussions on gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas. Openly discussing these different views on the identity of smallholder farmers is crucial for moving forward in the biotechnology controversy and can inform future attempts to elicit the farmer’s voice.

A Behavioural Explanation of Smallholder Entrepreneurship with Empirical Evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fortunate Nosisa Zaca ◽  
Edilegnaw Wale ◽  
Unity Chipfupa
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Entrepreneurial Spirit ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Social Grant ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the impact of social grant dependence on on-farm entrepreneurial spirit of smallholders. A sample of 175 farmers was obtained from two communities in KwaZulu-Natal. The study employed Principal Components Analysis and Tobit regression. The entrepreneurial spirit indices were constructed from revealed preference-based questions. The study found a positive relationship between the social grant and on-farm entrepreneurial spirit. The positive impact on rural household farming activities implies that the prevailing low entrepreneurial levels among farmers are not the result of social grant dependence but lack of opportunity and other resource constraints. However, to remain effective, policy should ensure that the grant money benefits (directly/indirectly) the intended beneficiary and their households. The other factors found to be associated with on-farm entrepreneurship include age of the farmer, gender, psychological capital, access to training, access to education, access to land, inadequate farming assets, water insecurity, extension, off-farm income and group membership. The study also recommends the need for strategies that improve psychological capital and thus enhance positive on-farm entrepreneurial behaviour among smallholder farmers. Addressing institutional and farming constraints related to access to resources and services (land, credit, extension, and water) and collective action will positively contribute to on-farm entrepreneurship.

Does the Contract Type Matter? Impact of Marketing and Production Contracts on Cashew Farmers’ Farm Performance in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Dubbert ◽  
Awudu Abdulai
Keyword(s):  
Driving Forces ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Spot Markets ◽  
Switching Regression ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Production Contracts ◽  
Marketing Contracts ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Substantial Heterogeneity

Abstract Many studies show that participation in contract farming has positive impacts on farm productivity and incomes. Most of the literature, however, does not take into account that contracts vary in their specifications, making empirical evidence scarce on the diverse impacts of different types of contracts. In this study, we investigate the driving forces of participation in marketing and production contracts, relative to spot markets. We also study the extent to which different contract types add additional benefits to smallholder farmers, using recent survey data of 389 cashew farmers in Ghana. To account for selection bias arising from observed and unobserved factors, we apply a multinomial endogenous switching regression method and implement a counterfactual analysis. The empirical results demonstrate that farmers who participate in production contracts obtain significantly higher cashew yields, cashew net revenues, and are more food secure compared to spot market farmers. We also find substantial heterogeneity in the impact of marketing and production contracts across scale of operation. Small sized farms that participate in production contracts tend to benefit the most. Marketing contracts, however, do not appear to benefit cashew farmers.

scholarly journals Smallholder perceptions of land restoration activities: rewetting tropical peatland oil palm areas in Sumatra, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Ward ◽  
Lindsay C. Stringer ◽  
Eleanor Warren-Thomas ◽  
Fahmuddin Agus ◽  
Merry Crowson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Land Restoration ◽  
Peatland Restoration ◽  
Drainage Canals ◽  
Perceived Impacts ◽  
The Government ◽  
Restoration Target ◽  
Peat Fires ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe Indonesian government committed to restoring over 2 million ha of degraded peatland by the end of 2020, mainly to reduce peat fires and greenhouse gas emissions. Although it is unlikely the government will meet this target, restoration projects are still underway. One restoration strategy involves blocking peatland drainage canals, but the consequences of this for smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are dependent on agriculture are unclear. This paper investigates perceived impacts of canal blocks on smallholder farmers and identifies factors that affect their willingness to accept canal blocks on their land. We use data from 181 household questionnaires collected in 2018 across three villages in Jambi province, Sumatra. We found that the majority of respondents would accept canal blocks on their farms, perceiving that the blocks would have no impact on yields or farm access, and would decrease fire risk. Respondents who would not accept blocks on their farms were more likely to use canals to access their farms and perceive that canal blocks would decrease yields. The majority of farmers unwilling to accept canal blocks did not change their mind when provided with an option of a block that would allow boat travel. Our results improve understanding of why some smallholders may be unwilling to engage with peatland restoration. Further research is needed to understand the impact of canal blocks on smallholders’ yields. Engaging with stakeholders from the outset to understand farmers’ concerns, and perceptions is key if the government is to succeed in meeting its peatland restoration target and to ensure that the costs and benefits of restoration are evenly shared between local stakeholders and other actors.

The impact of life skills education on adolescent sexual risk behaviors in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Magnani ◽  
Kate MacIntyre ◽  
Ali Mehyrar Karim ◽  
Lisanne Brown ◽  
Paul Hutchinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Sexual Risk Behaviors ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Adolescent Sexual Risk ◽  
Skills Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Life Skills Education

Does cooperative membership impact the yield and efficiency of smallholder farmers? Evidence from potato farmers in Mongolia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Ahado ◽  
Jiří Hejkrlík ◽  
Anudari Enkhtur ◽  
Tserendavaa Tseren ◽  
Tomáš Ratinger
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Agricultural Cooperative ◽  
Education Participation ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of agricultural cooperative membership on potato production and technical efficiency.Design/methodology/approachA combination of propensity score matching technique and sample selection stochastic frontier framework that addresses potential selection bias due to observable and unobservable attributes is used to estimate the effect of participation between cooperative members and non-members. Using a stochastic meta-frontier approach, the technical efficiency of farmers was estimated and compared.FindingsThe empirical results show that the effect of participation in agricultural cooperatives is associated with increased yield and technical efficiency. A comparison of group-specific frontiers indicates that cooperative members perform better than non-members. Cooperative membership decisions is significantly associated with household and farm characteristics (e.g. education, participation in off-farm work, total farmland, distance to market and geographic location).Practical implicationsThe findings of this study demonstrate that cooperative organisations can be an important tool to enhance the productivity and efficiency of smallholder farmers. Successful cooperative models together with training programs designed to enlighten farmers on the importance and tangible benefits of collective action should be used to enlarge participation in cooperative organisations. In addition, governments and development agencies should implement targeted investment and capacity building programs related to irrigation management, gender-sensitive awareness and development of the internal institutional mechanisms in cooperatives for the transfer of knowledge and mutual learning so that all members benefit from cooperatives.Originality/valueDespite the pervasive evidence of the impact of cooperatives on productivity and technical efficiency in the Asian region, this study is probably the first attempt in the crop sector in Mongolia. It provides a rigorous empirical analysis of the impact of agricultural cooperative membership on potato production and technical efficiency through a counterfactual design.

Quantifying the impact of foliar insects on two Eucalyptus hybrids in Zululand, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-135
Author(s):  
Lindokuhle S Dlamini ◽  
Keith M Little ◽  
Benice Sivparsad ◽  
Ryan Nadel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Linkage to primary care after home-based blood pressure screening in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a population-based cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e023369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J Siedner ◽  
Kathy Baisley ◽  
Joanna Orne-Gliemann ◽  
Deenan Pillay ◽  
Olivier Koole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Linkage To Care ◽  
Sampling Weights ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Blood Pressure Screening ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rural South Africa

ObjectivesThe expanding burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally will require novel public health strategies. Community-based screening has been promoted to augment efficiency of diagnostic services, but few data are available on the downstream impact of such programmes. We sought to assess the impact of a home-based blood pressure screening programme on linkage to hypertension care in rural South Africa.SettingWe conducted home-based blood pressure screening withinin a population cohort in rural KwaZulu-Natal, using the WHO Stepwise Approach to Surveillance (STEPS) protocol.ParticipantsIndividuals meeting criteria for raised blood pressure (≥140 systolic or ≥90 diastolic averaged over two readings) were referred to local health clinics and included in this analysis. We defined linkage to care based on self-report of presentation to clinic for hypertension during the next 2 years of cohort observation. We estimated the population proportion of successful linkage to care with inverse probability sampling weights, and fit multivariable logistic regression models to identify predictors of linkage following a positive hypertension screen.ResultsOf 11 694 individuals screened, 14.6% (n=1706) were newly diagnosed with elevated pressure. 26.9% (95% CI 24.5% to 29.4%) of those sought hypertension care in the following 2 years, and 38.1% (95% CI 35.6% to 40.7%) did so within 5 years. Women (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.41, 95% CI 1.68 to 3.45), those of older age (aOR 11.49, 95% CI 5.87 to 22.46, for 45–59 years vs <30) and those unemployed (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.65) were more likely to have linked to care.ConclusionsLinkage to care after home-based identification of elevated blood pressure was rare in rural South Africa, particularly among younger individuals, men and the employed. Improved understanding of barriers and facilitators to NCD care is needed to enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure screening in the region.

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