How Fair Is Fair-Trade: How Much Do Coffee Buyers Know About Grower Food Security & Nutrition? (P04-080-19)

Abstract Objectives There is currently no information on what buyers know about nutrition of their fair trade coffee grower's nutrition and therefore are missing the opportunity to improve the condition of their grower families, many of whom are headed by women. Our objectives are to highlight knowledge and awareness of buyers and consumers; identify best practices to address needs of coffee growers and families to improve nutrition resources; and develop “Nutrition Actions for Coffee Growers” for companies to implement. Methods Review evidence and secondary data; review U.S. Government programs supporting small-scale farmers and their effectiveness to address grower nutrition; conduct key informant interviews with coffee buyers and companies identified during the Specialty Coffee Expo, April 2019 and Sustainability Consortium TSC10 Conference. Research protocol: Internet-search (pubmed, other sources); synthesize evidence from studies, publications, research; attend Specialty Coffee Expo and Sustainability Consortium TSC10; identify key informants among TSC10, International Women's Coffee Association (IWCA), coffee buyers and companies focusing on fair trade coffee; develop interview instruments; conduct interviews. Results This abstract is focused on methods and protocol for our research which will be the first of its kind. Conclusions This study will provide insight into fair trade purchasers’ understanding and recommend actions companies can take to enable women growers and their families to improve family food security and nutrition. Women provide up to 70% of labor in cultivating and harvesting coffee and 20–35% of coffee-producing households are female headed (International Coffee Organization, ICC 121, 2018). Even when growers get a price premium for fair trade or organic certification, it is not enough to support family livelihoods (Bacon, 2008; Méndez, 2010; Beauchelt, 2012, 2011). Better understanding among fair trade coffee buyers and companies will provide opportunities for growers to ensure better household nutrition. These actions could be scaled to other fair trade products like cocoa, essential oils, artisanal textiles. Funding Sources Global Food & Nutrition Inc. provided funding for the literature review and conference participation.

Download Full-text

Globalization and small-scale farmers: Customizing “fair-trade coffee”

The Asymmetries of Globalization ◽

10.4324/9780203962299-20 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 180-194

Keyword(s):

Fair Trade ◽

Small Scale ◽

Fair Trade Coffee ◽

Small Scale Farmers

Download Full-text

Linking Small-Scale Farmers and Upstream Research in the Cassava Biotechnology Network: A Case of Cooperation for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation

Sustainability of Agricultural Systems in Transition - ASA Special Publication ◽

10.2134/asaspecpub64.c11 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

William A. Payne ◽

Dennis R. Keeney ◽

Srinivas C. Rao ◽

Ann Marie Thro

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Poverty Alleviation ◽

Small Scale ◽

Small Scale Farmers

Download Full-text

Fair Trade Certification and Livelihoods: A Panel Data Analysis of Coffee-growing Households in India

Agricultural and Resource Economics Review ◽

10.1017/age.2016.3 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 436-458 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sabina Khatri Karki ◽

Pradyot Ranjan Jena ◽

Ulrike Grote

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Panel Data ◽

Fair Trade ◽

Panel Data Analysis ◽

Small Scale ◽

Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽

Regression Methods ◽

Fair Trade Coffee ◽

Participation Decision ◽

Positive Effect

This study analyzes the participation decision and income impacts of fair-trade coffee certification on small-scale coffee producers in the Araku valley in India using panel data for 183 households and endogenous-switching and quantile regression methods. The results show that fair trade certification has a positive effect on income; the income of certified farmers is 17 percent higher on average than the income of uncertified coffee producers. Furthermore, fair trade certification has a “bottom of the pyramid” effect in that the largest income gains accrue to farmers in the poorer quantiles.

Download Full-text

The timing of agricultural production in hazard-prone areas to prevent losses at peak-risk periods: A case of Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique

Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies ◽

10.4102/jamba.v8i2.179 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Leandri Kruger

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Small Scale ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Residual Moisture ◽

Resilient Communities ◽

Small Scale Farmers

Hazard-prone areas in southern Africa experience many natural hazards, which include cyclones, floods and droughts. The severe climatic conditions of southern Africa have an especially large impact on the agricultural practices of small-scale farmers. These hazards should be mitigated to ensure more resilient communities and food security. This study mainly focuses on the timing of agricultural production in hazard-prone areas to prevent losses at peak-risk periods by adapting the agricultural cycle. This study focuses on the agricultural activities of small-scale farmers in Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique. A literature review is presented, and a mixed-method research design were followed to determine the timing of production followed by these small-scale farmers and its impact on production and food security. Although this study found that the small-scale farmers generally plant with the first rains, it is recommended by literature that early planting should be practised to ensure optimal production. It is also recommended that small-scale farmers should implement watermanagement techniques for dry periods, and when farmers practice late planting, the use of residual-moisture retention should be utilised as a mitigation measure. This will in effect ensure that the communities are less vulnerable during peak-risk periods by improving or ensuring food security. Therefore, adapting the planting and production time in these hazardprone areas at peak-risk periods could limit losses and increase communities’ resilience.

Download Full-text

From the field: Empowering women to improve family food security in Afghanistan

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170514000209 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 15-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Clair Sophia Wilcox ◽

Stephanie Grutzmacher ◽

Rebecca Ramsing ◽

Amanda Rockler ◽

Christie Balch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Small Scale ◽

Poultry Production ◽

Farmer Field Schools ◽

Extension Educators ◽

Kitchen Gardens ◽

Food Security And Nutrition ◽

Field Schools ◽

The University ◽

Women In Agriculture

AbstractKitchen gardens may improve family food security and nutrition. While these gardens are the domain of women in Afghanistan, women face unique challenges accessing training and resources to maximize small-scale agricultural output. The University of Maryland's Women in Agriculture Project builds capacity among female extension educators to work with vulnerable women to implement and maintain kitchen gardens. Extension educators use experiential methods to teach vegetable gardening, apiculture, small-scale poultry production, post-harvest handling and processing, nutrition and marketing through workshops, demonstration gardens and farmer field schools. This paper explores contextual factors related to women's food security and agricultural opportunities, describes key project activities and approaches and discusses project success and challenges, sustainability and implications for future programs.

Download Full-text

Small-scale Farming and Access to Market: Challenges and Opportunities in South Africa

Journal La Sociale ◽

10.37899/journal-la-sociale.v2i5.491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

pp. 50-63

Author(s):

Confidence Ndlovu ◽

Mandla Masuku

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Household Income ◽

Crop Production ◽

Arable Land ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Small Scale ◽

Limited Access ◽

Small Scale Farmers

The paper has aimed to explore the effectiveness of small-scale farmers in improving household income and food security, particularly looking at the barriers to market access in rural areas. This study was undertaken in rural areas of Kanyamazane, Clau-Clau and Nyongane, South Africa, where small-scale producers depend on low-risk and low-return markets to generate household income from production, thus ensuring food security. To achieve the aim of this study, a qualitative approach was used to provide in-depth interpretation of the perspectives, experiences, and behavioural patterns of the small-scale farmers faced with market related issues. Small-scale farmers, agricultural extension officers, and municipal officials were purposefully selected to share their views, perceptions, and experiences on the effectiveness in accessing markets. The findings revealed that there was limited access to formal markets by small-scale farmers because of limited knowledge and capacity to meet market requirements. The study confirmed that a lack of marketing skills, institutional support services, and limited access to arable land, have directly negative effects on achieving livelihood outcomes. This study recommends a sustainable crop production method which reduces the costs of farming resources, such as pesticide and fertilizer, through organic methods to ensure food safety and enhanced nutrient quality. This study further encourages inclusive rural development, where small-scale producers are treated as stakeholders in agricultural policy formulation to enable access to financial resources and increase in production through the formation of cooperatives.

Download Full-text

Potentials of hybrid maize varieties for small-holder farmers in Kenya: A review based on swot analysis

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.57.11360 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (57) ◽

pp. 7562-7586

Author(s):

C Schroeder ◽

◽

T Onyango K’Oloo ◽

NB Ranabhat ◽

NA Jick ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Small Scale ◽

Maize Production ◽

Marginal Areas ◽

Maize Varieties ◽

Small Scale Farmers ◽

Hybrid Maize

Maize is the primary staple crop in Kenya and plays an important role in the livelihood of the people of Kenya. Its availability and abundance determines the level of welfare and food security in the country. In Kenya, future increases in maize production to meet domestic demand will have to rely on improvements in yield per hectare rather than on the expansion of maize production area. Enhanced maize productivity can be achieved by increased use of modern production techniques such as the adoption of hybrid maize varieties, the use of chemicals and fertilizer application. Small-scale maize prodcution plays a major role in Kenya’s maize economy and adoption of hybrid technology by small-scale farmers would have the potential to address sustainability and supply issues. However, such modern technologies are still rarely used by Kenya’s small-scale farmers, particularly by those in marginal areas. This study, therefore, tries to review the reasons for the low rate of adoption of hybrid maize varieties among small-scale farmers with focus on those smallholders in Kenya’s marginal areas. Lack of awareness of existing or newly released hybrid varieties, lack of hybrid varieties adapted to marginal areas, lack of confidence in the quality of some hybrid maize seeds, poor access to stockists, low profitability due to high seed cost, inadequate access to credit, the need for fertilizer application and low literacy level have been found to be important factors explaining the low adoption rates by smallholder maize producers in marginal areas. In addition, these constraints might also explain the widespread practice of recycling hybrid grain among small-scale farmers once they have adopted hybrid maize varieties. Therefore, it is hoped that by overcoming these constraints, the adoption of hybrid maize varieties among smallholder farmers could be greatly enhanced, which in turn could lead to a significant positive impact on the country’s food security situation.

Download Full-text