scholarly journals The role of state- business relations in the performance of Zambia’s food processing sub-sector

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godfrey Hampwaye ◽  
Soeren Jeppesen

Abstract In ensuring growth and development collaborative State-Business relations (SBRs) matters, and with economic growth comes increasing levels of employment, options for poverty reduction and hence more equitable development. Whereas it is known that SBR matters at a macro-economic level, the concept of SBR has also been employed in a more or less all-encompassing way in the literature. Accordingly, while it is clear that SBRs work, there is lack knowledge about which dimensions of SBRs are the most important. Due to the continued importance of agriculture in many developing countries, processing of the food produced in the sector is a key manufacturing activity of high economic importance to many economies. Ensuring collaborative SBRs in the food processing industry is therefore of interest to growth and development, particularly as it is a sector about which little is known about the role of SBRs. The paper attempts to examine how and why SBRs matter to and influence the growth and performance of local owned firms in the food processing sub-sector in Zambia. In particular, the paper analyses the roles and influence of government regulations and policies compared to those of business associations for the performance of the food processing sector in Zambia. The paper draws on primary data from a survey of firms in the food processing sector which was conducted between 2013 and 2014. It is shown that while the majority of the Zambian food processing firms experienced growth over the last five years, with increased employment and in a number of cases growing earnings, this seems to have happened in spite of a business environment which is not particularly supportive. The firms’ experience is that the SBRs mainly constitute institutional barriers to the performance of firms and highlight that formal government institutions and polices are incapable of assisting the firms and in most cases government institutions formulate and enact insufficient support schemes.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Endro Gunawan ◽  
Bambang Irawan

<p class="A04-abstrak3"><span lang="EN-US">In order to reduce poverty in the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture implements the BEKERJA program, which is  an effort to empower poor farmers in farming multi-commodities, including laying hens, vegetables, fruit and plantation crops. The objective of this study is to understand the role of the program on increasing farmers' income and reducing poverty. This research was conducted in 11 provinces covering 38 districts which were the location of the BEKERJA program in 2018 and 2019. The data used were primary data collected through in-depth  interviews of farmers participating in the program. The results of quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis concluded that the program was quite successful in enhancing agricultural business activities among poor farmers, but it had not been able to increase farmers' income significantly. The number of poor farmers participating in the program only decreased by 1.48%. There are many challenges faced in empowering poor farmers, and therefore a strong commitment is needed to reduce poverty in the agricultural sector. To increase the effectiveness of these poverty reduction efforts, the empowerment of poor farmers in the future should be carried out as the following: (1) commodities developed are focused on the  laying hens and vegetables farming, (2) farmers empowerment and  provision of agricultural facilities should be continued  at least until the farming activities is financially profitable, (3)  technical guidance for cultivation should be strengthen, (4) beneficiaries of the program should be  prioritized to  young farmers, and (5) development a special program that is focussed for the poor farmers.</span></p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milosav Miličković ◽  
Dušan Jerotijević ◽  
Aljoša Kostić

The nation-states retained their target as the basic political units in international relations, with significant influence of the leading economic and military forces in them. Modern international organizations can be classified as government international organizations and non - government international organizations. In the first case, they are financed from government budgets, and non - governmental international organizations have funding sources mainly from state budgets, as well as from other institutions. (Andrew Duff, 2007) . International organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina carry out a large number of projects in the post-war period, and above all it relates to: improving the economy, increasing the competitiveness of producers, gender equality - Gender, improving institutions, supporting returnees, supporting small and medium-sized businesses, reducing unemployment, combating poverty etc. From the above, it can be concluded that a large number of projects are geared towards developing the economy and combating unemployment and poverty, which will be the primary research of this paper. The analysis of International Organizations raises the question of the very purpose of project design in the host countries. The assumption is that it is twofold, both for the host state and for the (state) institutions that fund it. The first is that governmental international organizations are preparing a good business environment for their markets through International Organizations, and are expanding their influence there. The public institutions and the host country’s domestic economy are preparing for the cooperation and eventual entry of their large companies and other interests. On the other hand, there are also non - governmental international organizations, which mainly deal with humanitarian projects and economic ones to a lesser extent. Accordingly, it is justifiable to set the basic aim of this paper’s research: To research and present in tables, graphically, and to interpret theoretically the extent to which international organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have had an impact in combating poverty and reducing the unemployment rate, and whether there is a difference between accesses in other host countries. In the preliminary research for this paper, it was established that there is no quality data on the invested funds in this segment by the International Organizations, so the primary data collection was started. Primary data were collected from representatives of international organizations, employees of international organizations, as well as foreign diplomacy. The results of the analysis show the impact of the projects they have implemented on poverty alleviation and unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the above, it is possible to set the basic hypothesis of the work, which states: International organizations represented in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not adequately answer the task when it comes to reducing unemployment and combating poverty. In addition to the basic hypothesis of the work, there is an auxiliary one, which reads: International organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have contributed more to poverty reduction than has been the case with reducing unemployment.


Author(s):  
Kim Virborg Andersen ◽  
Helle Zinner Henriksen

The chapter explores the role of institutional discourse on B2B e-commerce diffusion. Using the case of EDI in the Danish business environment, the analysis demonstrates a lack of active industry involvement and severe implications of the absence of large users in the policy forum for the national EDI-strategy. Government branches and business associations formulated by and large the visions and strategies without direct involvement of the successful EDI-players or companies that were the intended adopters. As a possible consequence, the EDI diffusion has evolved by the same companies exchanging still more messages and type of documents whereas the number of new companies adopting EDI has been fairly limited. The policy implications of the Danish EDI-case could be to have a more focused involvement of intended adopters of similar and future technologies that has high policy saliency.


2008 ◽  
pp. 2072-2114
Author(s):  
Kim Virborg Henriksen ◽  
Helle Zinner Andersen

The chapter explores the role of institutional discourse on B2B e-commerce diffusion. Using the case of EDI in the Danish business environment, the analysis demonstrates a lack of active industry involvement and severe implications of the absence of large users in the policy forum for the national EDI-strategy. Government branches and business associations formulated by and large the visions and strategies without direct involvement of the successful EDI-players or companies that were the intended adopters. As a possible consequence, the EDI diffusion has evolved by the same companies exchanging still more messages and type of documents whereas the number of new companies adopting EDI has been fairly limited. The policy implications of the Danish EDI-case could be to have a more focused involvement of intended adopters of similar and future technologies that has high policy saliency.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Taj Uddin ◽  
Najmul Hossain ◽  
Aurup Ratan Dhar

Bangladesh has experienced promising improvements in its overall economic, social and health conditions, but the progress is not up to the mark in Haor areas. Improvements in this sector can lead to increase in production, employment and poverty reduction. Aside from increased productivity, farmers need a supporting business environment where availability and access to agricultural inputs are ensured, fair returns to investment are secured. Keeping these issues in mind, the study was conducted to measure productivity, profitability, and price variation of inputs and outputs; and to identify business challenges and suggest policy options for overcoming constraints and exploring intervention strategies in Haor regions. Primary data were collected from Mohongonj upazila of Netrakona district and Mithamoin upazila of Kishoregonj district. A total of 120 farmers and 24 service providers were interviewed for data collection. Face-to-face interview, focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) were conducted to collect primary data. For analyzing the data, descriptive statistics and accounting method were used to achieve the objectives. The study revealed that average farm size of the respondents was 0.73 hectare. Most of the farmers (39.2%) followed the farming system of crop-livestock-fish catching (C-L-F). Fish catching was the most profitable enterprise with BCR 2.12. The differences in productivity of crop farming and poultry rearing between Haor areas and main land were found statistically significant. Remarkable differences in quantity and price of inputs and outputs were seen in Haor areas and main land. Favorable farm environment and proper utilization of agricultural resources were identified as major strength and opportunity in the study areas. Formation of agribusiness clusters involving input suppliers, credit/financial organizations and different support service providers will result in more income, better nutrition and improved livelihood of the Haor people. The study concludes that the business environment in the Haor areas has a high potential to be exposed with the integration of available local agricultural resources. Government price support and improved market management are recommended for accessibility and appropriate use of agricultural inputs, and for managing local productive resources in use of business prospects in the study areas. J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 17(1): 65–72, March 2019


2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70
Author(s):  
Paul Kilote Jumah ◽  
◽  
Thomas Githui ◽  
Martin Kweyu ◽  
◽  
...  

Organizational strategic feasibility studies are critical in mitigating uncertainty in the business environment and enhancing growth and performance. This study sought to ascertain the role of feasibility studies in the sustainability of supermarkets in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study's specific objectives were to determine the impact of technical feasibility, economic feasibility, operational feasibility, and legal feasibility on the sustainability of supermarkets in Nairobi County, Kenya. A descriptive research design was used for the study. The study's target population was seven major supermarkets: Naivas, QuickMart, Cleanshelf, The Game Store, Chandarana, Eastmatt, and Carrefour. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Findings indicated that technical feasibility is positively and significantly related to the business sustainability of supermarkets in Nairobi County. The findings also revealed that economic feasibility is positively and significantly related to the business sustainability of supermarkets in Nairobi County. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between operational feasibility and business sustainability of supermarkets in Nairobi County. Finally, the findings revealed that the legal feasibility and business sustainability of Nairobi County supermarkets are positively and significantly related. The study concluded that technical feasibility, economic feasibility, operational feasibility, and legal feasibility all have a positive impact on supermarket business sustainability. The study recommends that supermarkets should become acquainted with the technical technology that is available on the market and evaluate those that are appropriate for their needs. Managers of Nairobi County supermarkets increase the level of internal and external benchmarking in their supermarkets for economic benefit assessments. Keywords: Technical Feasibility, Economic Feasibility, Operational Feasibility, Legal Feasibility, Sustainability & Supermarkets.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trent Blare ◽  
Jason Donovan

AbstractGovernments and NGOs have enthusiastically promoted value chains for lesser-known indigenous fruits in the pursuit of poverty reduction and other development goals. This paper examines experiences in Peru in building the value chain for camu-camu—a fruit native to the Amazon that is in the process of being domesticated. We look at interventions to build the chain, the environment in which the chain operates, the implications of chain development on livelihoods, and prospects for future chain development. Information was collected from gray literature as well as from primary data from household and key informant interviews. The results of this study suggest that the emergence of the camu-camu chain has led to higher farm income without generating large trade-offs in livelihood activities or the environment. However, the results also demonstrate an unrealized potential to achieve greater impact at scale due to gaps in services and inputs, limited coordination among farmers and chain actors, and a risky business environment. Building value chains for lesser-known fruits will require more than a techo-managerial focus on smallholder production. Greater attention is required to build stronger public–private collaboration to expand and diversify markets, with particular attention on strengthening institutions and growing local markets for high-value products.


2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D. Taylor

Formal institutions such as business chambers have been assumed to be a key indicator of the health of state-business relations (SBR). Yet in Africa these organizations have seldom risen to the level of access and influence enjoyed by some of their counterparts elsewhere in the developing world. A number of recent studies of SBR in Africa continue to overstate the importance of business associations (BAs). Yet despite the widespread marginality of BAs in Africa, the receptiveness of African states to leading firms and business interests has increased markedly. While this poses certain risks of increased corruption, collusion and monopoly, the institutional and political environment for doing business has also improved, thereby fostering new opportunities for further business-related growth and business sector development among bona fide firms. Drawing on evidence from Zambia and elsewhere, this paper finds that the benefits provided to individual firms who enjoy state access can, paradoxically, contribute to an improved environment for other private sector actors whose interests are directly represented only in moribund formal associations. Even without strong BAs, when aided by the state, individual firms, and/or international actors, Africa's improved business environment has a salutary impact on growth.


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