Analysing granulated brown sugar – panela – market in Western Honduras

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Macario Rodríguez-Entrena ◽  
Melania Salazar-Ordóñez ◽  
Rosa Cordón-Pedregosa ◽  
Jose L. Cardenas
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Consumer Preference ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Brown Sugar ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sugar Market ◽  
White Sugar

Purpose – Starting from a territorial development project in Western Honduras (Copán and Ocotepeque), farmers aimed to increase and add value to agricultural production by producing and commercializing granulated brown sugar (panela). The Western Honduras sugar market was studied, from the supply and demand side, in order to particularly understand consumer preference which is considered a key to increase smallholder farmers’ income in rural areas. Design/methodology/approach – The research included a qualitative study by means of six visits for observation and data compilation to stores, four face-to-face open semi-structured interviews with store owners and a focus group with local producers to acquire a global picture of the main regional sugar market characteristics from the supply side. Moreover a quantitative analysis applying a Choice Experiment to study consumer preferences was performed acquiring higher knowledge from the demand side. Findings – First, it was found that Honduras sugar market could be experiencing monopolistic practices and white sugar to 9 lempiras per pound was the most popular product according to the qualitative study. Second, for consumers who knew dulce de panela, granulated brown sugar was preferred over refined white sugar. Consumers who had a high level of education, came from rural areas, considered brown sugar to be healthier and read nutritional information were more prone to consume granulated brown sugar. On the other hand, the estimated selling price was around 16 lempiras/pound, but consumers were willing to pay at the most 11.59 lempiras/pound. Nevertheless, market share simulation showed a market niche to comercialize granulated brown sugar – panela. Originality/value – This research is of academics, farmers and policy makers value. There are no studies analyzing consumer behavior regarding granulated brown sugar in Honduras. The results provide information about the previous steps which need to be given for smallholders in order to commercialize this novelty product; and it stressed the necessity of highlighting health claims on panela which would involve political actions.

Effects of village savings and loan association on agricultural value productivity in Northern Region of Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dawuni ◽  
Franklin Nantui Mabe ◽  
Osman Damba Tahidu
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Savings And Loan

PurposeAgriculture in Ghana is dominated by smallholder farmers in rural areas. Majority of these farmers are resource-poor and faced with serious challenges in accessing formal financial services towards farming needs attributed to the stringent requirements. To bridge this gap, village savings and loan associations (VSLA) have been promoted in rural areas as an alternative to meeting the credit needs of smallholder farmers. Credit plays a vital role in input acquisition among farmers for improved agricultural value productivity. This study assesses the contribution of VSLA to agricultural value productivity in the Northern Region of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is a primary cross-sectional data collected with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. This study, therefore, applied a propensity score matching (PSM) to assess the effects of VSLA on agricultural value productivity.FindingsResults from the PSM revealed that extension contact, contract farming, television set ownership, participating in “Planting for Food and Jobs” and nature of roads, including receiving VSLA information from members' increases participation decision of farmers in VSLA. Conversely, age of a farmer, household size, distance to output market and farmers in the Sagnarigu Municipality have negatively influenced VSLA participation. The propensity score matching estimates showed that members of VSLA obtained 38.2% higher agricultural value productivity than non-members.Originality/valueVillage savings and loans associations can be promoted among smallholder farmers as an effective alternative to formal financial service for inclusive development.

Rural entrepreneurship and transformation: the role of learnerships

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 734-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siphokazi Koyana ◽  
Roger B. Mason
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Rural Entrepreneurship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the lessons that could be learnt from the first year of implementing the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority’s Rural Development Programme. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory, qualitative study involved unemployed people from a rural location in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A focus group and in-depth interviews were held with the current learners, the programme manager, the skills training providers, and the royal custodian of the locality. Findings While highlighting the factors that enhance success as well as those that impede development, the study found that the learnership contributed significantly to social transformation through rural entrepreneurship. It empowers disadvantaged women and youths to gain access and skills which, if the recommended measures to sustain the programme are implemented, could enable them to grow bigger businesses. Research limitations/implications Since this was an exploratory, qualitative study, the limitations of a small, convenience sample need to be overcome by a larger, quantitative study, and a more complete collection of accurate secondary data. Originality/value Despite the obvious limitations, this study has contributed to the literature on both rural entrepreneurship and transformation in South Africa. Both are under-researched topics, despite transformation being a socio-political imperative and entrepreneurship, especially in rural areas, being a key to overcoming South Africa’s high unemployment rate.

Costly moves: a strong brand, Dentonic loses its power

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Mohammad ali Meghani
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Consumer Preference ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Marketing Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Concept ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Competitive Prices

Subject area Marketing Management. Study level/applicability BBA Students of Marketing Management. Case overview The brand ⇓Dentonic” by Ala Chemicals was originally launched as a tooth powder meant for the middle and lower socioeconomic classes. The tooth powder was a hugely successful product. Dentonic tooth powder held the highest market share in the category at 80 per cent in the 1990s. However, the tooth powder market in the urban areas is declining and consumer preference is slowly moving to toothpastes. Although tooth powder is still used in the rural areas, some toothpaste manufacturers have extended their reach at the lower end of the market offering consumers “value propositions” in the shape of toothpaste at the comparable price of tooth powder. The market for dental cleaning products has seen a shift in terms of young consumers switching from powder to the lower-priced toothpaste brands. The company Ala Chemicals did not want to sit back and face a declining tooth powder market. Therefore, they launched a premium quality toothpaste by the same brand name, Dentonic, and made efforts to penetrate the premium segment of toothpaste. However, the marketing strategies did not have the desired effect and the company was unable to get consumers to accept Dentonic as a premium toothpaste. Although Ala Chemicals indulged in promotional spending, using social media, offering a high-quality product and making it accessible with competitive prices, somehow they were unable to create the required pull. Expected learning outcomes This study provides an example of how “over positioning” of a brand can be an impediment in the case of a brand extension, especially when a lower end brand is positioned as a premium brand. It is also meant to show that the product concept alone cannot lead to marketing success and consumer acceptance. It also exposes students to the requirement of creating a Unique Value Proposition in a brand and the difficulties of pursuing a segment invasion, without considering the entry barriers, and the marketing strategies/positions of competitors. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

The importance of off-farm employment for smallholder farmers in Rwanda

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Ildephonse Musafiri ◽  
Pär Sjölander
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Agricultural Business ◽  
On Farm

Purpose Based on unique data the authors analyze the Rwandan non-farm employment expansion in rural areas and its relation to agricultural productivity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that determine off-farm work hours in Rwanda, and how farmers’ off-farm employment affects agricultural output. Since production efficiency may depend on off-farm work and off-farm work depend on production efficiency (Lien et al., 2010), both production and off-farm work are endogenous. While controlling for endogeneity, the authors investigate the relationship between off-farm work and agricultural production. Design/methodology/approach In this paper the authors use a unique panel data set spanning over 26 years originating from household surveys conducted in the northwest and densely populated districts of Rwanda. Econometric estimations are based on a random effects two-stage Tobit model to control for endogeneity. Findings The study confirms theoretical and empirical findings from other developing countries that off-farm employment is one of the essential conditions for having an economically viable agricultural business and vice versa. Research limitations/implications The study is carried out in only one district of Rwanda. Even though most rural areas in Rwanda have similar features the findings cannot necessarily be generalized for the entire country of Rwanda. As in any study, the raw data set suffer from a number of shortcomings which cannot be fully eliminated by the econometric estimation, but this is a new data set which has the best data available for this research question in Rwanda. Practical implications The authors can conclude that there are synergy effects of investing government resources into both on-farm and off-farm employment expansions. Thus, in Rwanda on-farm investments can actually partly contribute to a future natural smooth transformation to more off-farm total output and productivity and vice versa. Though there are still limited off-farm employment opportunities in the studied area, there are considerable potentials to generate income and increase agricultural production through the purchase of additional inputs. Social implications The findings imply that a favorable business climate for off-farm businesses creates spill-over effects which enhance the smallholder farmers’ opportunities to survive, generate wealth, create employment and in effect reduce poverty. Originality/value From the best of the authors’ knowledge, similar studies have not been conducted in Rwanda, nor elsewhere with this type of data set. The findings provide original insights regarding off-farm and agricultural relationships in rural areas under dense population pressure. The results provide some indications that off-farm employment in developing countries (such as Rwanda) is one of the essential conditions for having an economically viable agricultural business and vice versa. The second wave of data was collected by the authors and was used solely for the purpose of this paper.

Exploring demand-side barriers to credit uptake and financial inclusion

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshu Singh
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Targeted Interventions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the demand side factors affecting financial inclusion in general and credit uptake in particular.Design/methodology/approachThe present study is descriptive and exploratory in nature and is purely based on primary data. The data collection instrument has been scientifically after thorough review of literature and seeking expert opinion. Primary data have been collected from the respondents of lower socioeconomic class in selected rural areas in the State of Maharashtra, India. Exploratory technique like factor analysis and structural equation modelling have been used to identify the inter-relations between financial inclusion and underlying barriers.FindingsThe study concludes that there are major latent issues that determine the uptake and usage of financial services, major being “operational and implementation challenges”, “financial literacy” and “affordability”. The “usage” aspect further impacts financial inclusion along with “access” variable. These are some of the most important factor for creating demand-driven approach towards financial products and services specially credit. The author concludes that the identified latent barriers with respect to the “usage” dimension of financial inclusion require greater policy attention so that it can complement the supply-side measures.Practical implicationsThe study establishes that merely having “access” through bank account ownership will not fulfil the objective of financial inclusion, and it is the “usage”, which is also important to realize the full potential of financial inclusion at the bottom of the pyramid. So, policy actions should be directed toward enhancing the “usage” aspect of financial services. The “usage” dimension could be enhanced through targeted interventions to mitigate the effect of identified latent barriers.Originality/valueThough researchers have made a mention of demand-side barriers to financial inclusion, detailed study on the topic is missing. The study is one of its kinds in exploring the severity of various demand-side barriers that determine financial inclusion. In the context of emerging economies like India, financial inclusion is often measured in terms of banking outreach and “access”. There are limited studies capturing the “usage” dimension of financial inclusion.

Towards a framework for identifying and engaging rural tourism route stakeholders in southern Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-32
Author(s):  
Linde Mclaren ◽  
Ernie Heath
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Rural Tourism ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Employment Creation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Tourism Service

Several southern African governments view rural tourism development as a strategy for employment creation in rural areas where few other opportunities for poverty alleviation exist. Rural tourism routes can attract tourists from developed tourism nodes to rural areas. On both the strategic and operational levels, rural tourism routes can only function effectively if they have the support and co-operation of the wide range of stakeholders in the route. While some stakeholders are readily identified, others are not immediately apparent or may not be recognised as stakeholders in the route. Based on a qualitative study, a framework is developed to identify and link the range of stakeholders in southern African rural tourism routes. Three different groups of stakeholders are identified; each play different roles in the sustainable success of a rural tourism route, namely demand-side stakeholders or visitors, core stakeholders or tourism service providers on the route, and enabling stakeholders, who influence both the route operations and the environment in which the route operates. Finally, recommendations are made for rural tourism route organisations to engage with a range of stakeholders through an inclusive membership structure of the route organisation. Further research is also suggested on the nature and format of route organisation and membership structures to ensure sustainable route development.

Choice of marketing outlets among smallholder cowpea farmers in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Millicent Adei Kotey ◽  
Faizal Adams ◽  
Fred Nimoh ◽  
James Osei Mensah ◽  
Seth Etuah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return On Investment ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Marketing Channel ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Margin

PurposeTo help address the problem of imperfections in the performance of cowpea markets in Ghana, the study sought to understand the costs and benefits associated with different market outlets and factors influencing farmers' choice of these outlets.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage sampling technique was adopted to collect data from 300 cowpea farmers through purposive sampling of communities and simple random selection at the farmer level in Ejura Sekyedumasi municipality of Ghana. Analytical methods including profitability measures such as gross margin, net margin, return on investment and multinomial logistic (MNL) regression model were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results showed that production and marketing of cowpea is profitable with farmers who trade in wholesale markets recording the highest gross margin (Gh₵1245.85 (US$227.76)), net margin (Gh₵1029.37 (US$188.18)) and return on investment (ROI) of 63%. Important nonfarm-related factors including household size, farming experience, membership of farmer-based organization and extension contact were found to significantly influence the choice of marketing outlets in the study area. In addition, market attributes such as produce selling price, volume of cowpea sold and post-harvest value addition were also key determinants of cowpea market outlet choices.Practical implicationsThe results of the study are vital to agricultural administrators in devising efficient cowpea market systems for smallholder farmers in Ghana. Likewise, the study provides important information to smallholder farmers in the choice of market outlets that maximizes their returns.Originality/valuePrevious studies on marketing of cowpea in Ghana emphasized on direct retail or consumer marketing to maximize farmers' returns. Meanwhile, there are claims to suggest that the sale of cowpea grains in the country are carried out through varied market outlets which come with differing costs and benefits implications for smallholder farmers. Therefore, the present study comprehensively compared associated costs and benefits in all available cowpea market outlets so as to settle the confusion surrounding most profitable and efficient marketing channel for smallholder farmers toward poverty reduction.

Gender bias in hospital leadership: a qualitative study on the experiences of women CEOs

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Soklaridis ◽  
Ayelet Kuper ◽  
Cynthia R. Whitehead ◽  
Genevieve Ferguson ◽  
Valerie H. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospital Leadership ◽  
Purposeful Sampling ◽  
Women Ceos ◽  
Hospital Ceos ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Systemic Discrimination

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of gender bias among women hospital CEOs and explore to what these female leaders attribute their success within a male-dominated hospital executive leadership milieu. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study involved 12 women hospital CEOs from across Ontario, Canada. Purposeful sampling techniques and in-depth qualitative interview methods were used to facilitate discussion around experiences of gender and leadership. Findings Responses fell into two groups: the first group represented the statement “Gender inequality is alive and well”. The second group reflected the statement “Gender inequity is not significant, did not happen to me, and things are better now”. This group contained a sub-group with no consciousness of systemic discrimination and that claimed having no gendered experiences in their leadership journey. The first group described gender issues in various contexts, from the individual to the systemic. The second group was ambivalent about gender as a factor impacting leadership trajectories. Originality/value Representations of women’s leadership have become detached from feminism, with major consequences for women. This study reveals how difficult it is for some women CEOs to identify gender bias. The subtle everyday norms and practices within the workplace make it difficult to name and explain gender bias explicitly and may explain the challenges in understanding how it might affect a woman’s career path.

scholarly journals 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 ◽  
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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