scholarly journals Food waste valorization through composting and bio-drying for small scale fruit processing agro-industries

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. e9623
Author(s):  
Laura Patricia Brenes-Peralta ◽  
María F. Jiménez-Morales ◽  
Rooel Campos-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Technical Parameters ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Fruit Processing ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Agri-food industries entail a relevant economic activity, with major opportunities to improve food security, the economy, and the environmental performance of food systems. However, those opportunities can be challenged by Food Waste (FW), since estimates suggest that 55% of certain groups of food products, such as fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted along the food supply chain. The Latin American and Caribbean region is one of the most relevant in the world supply of fruits, based in a high number of small-scale farmers and agri-processors. Strategies that aid in better management of FW consider the recovery and recycling of still valuable materials from the waste. In consequence, this study focused on comparing technical parameters of four biowaste treatments, to valorize the FW that is originated by small fruit-processing agroindustry in the Latin American country of Costa Rica. The main results indicate that the Takakura-type composting method in tumblers presents appropriate technical conditions to valorize this type of FW, due to the obtention of compost for potential use in agricultural or gardening. The bio-drying alternative will aid in case the treated waste needs to be stored or transported for further uses or disposal since it is a stabilized material, hence less weight, and humidity content, and potentially fewer emissions are expected. However, the observed conditions of this study, indicate it is not advisable to use this later directly as a soil amendment since the temperatures reached during the experiment might not assure the inactivation of possibly present pathogens. Agri-food industries entail a relevant economic activity, with major opportunities to improve food security, the economy, and the environmental performance of food systems. However, those opportunities can be challenged by Food Waste (FW), since estimates suggest that 55% of certain groups of food products, such as fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted along the food supply chain. The Latin American and Caribbean region is one of the most relevant in the world supply of fruits, based in a high number of small-scale farmers and agri-processors. Strategies that aid in better management of FW consider the recovery and recycling of still valuable materials from the waste. In consequence, this study focused on comparing technical parameters of four biowaste treatments, to valorize the FW that is originated by small fruit-processing agroindustry in the Latin American country of Costa Rica. The main results indicate that the Takakura-type composting method in tumblers presents appropriate technical conditions to valorize this type of FW, due to the obtention of compost for potential use in agricultural or gardening. The bio-drying alternative will aid in case the treated waste needs to be stored or transported for further uses or disposal since it is a stabilized material, hence less weight, and humidity content, and potentially fewer emissions are expected. However, the observed conditions of this study, indicate it is not advisable to use this later directly as a soil amendment since the temperatures reached during the experiment might not assure the inactivation of possibly present pathogens.

Evaluating the capacity of small farmers to adopt aquaponics systems: empirical evidence from Brazil

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Alexandria Brewer ◽  
Jose F. Alfaro ◽  
Tadeu Fabricio Malheiros
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Product Placement ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Abstract Aquaponics technology has recently been offered as a good option for sustainable food systems among small-scale farmers, particularly those seeking an organic production or dealing with land quality constraints, such as urban farmers. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence for the capacity of small farmers to adopt the technology. The unique requirements of aquaponics may create technical, economic and even cultural constraints and opportunities. This paper uses empirical evidence gathered with small-scale farmers in São Carlos, State of São Paulo, Brazil, to present the capacity of adoption for the technology, including possible limiting factors and incentives for farmers. The study conducted interviews with owners of ‘agriculturas familiares’ (Portuguese for small family owned farms) within 30 km of São Carlos. The interviews revealed that there is widespread interest in the potential profitability of aquaponics systems, significant interest in environmentally friendly practices, familiarity with organic production and hydroponics and a large base of agricultural knowledge in the community that can drive adoption. However, lack of initial financing, limited human power and concerns about product placement were significant barriers to adoption. For settlement farmers (those working on land formerly abandoned) poor soil quality and water scarcity are key issues that could be alleviated by the technology. The city of Sao Carlos present program for purchasing specific types of products from these farms could be used as a model for increasing aquaponics adoption and relieving success concerns.

scholarly journals Food pedagogy for transformative social change

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Klinke ◽  
Gertrude Korkor Samar
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food Studies ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Urban Farming ◽  
Transformative Engagement ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The contemporary global agrarian regime has altered the patterns of food production, circulation, and consumption. Its efforts towards food security vis-á-vis capitalist modes of mechanized cultivation have produced large-scale climatic and socioeconomic ramifications, including the dispossession of small-scale farmers from their lands and positions in market value-chains. In an effort to improve the dynamics of contemporary agro-food systems, food practitioners and scholars are engaging in critical analyses of land-grabbing, the feminization of agriculture, extractive-led development, and more. However, we argue that there is a gap between Food Studies scholarship and community-based transformative engagement. To support social justice frameworks, our paper calls for an academic paradigm shift wherein learner-centered experiential classrooms bridge academic-public divides and enhance student learning. Through a case-study of urban farming in Calgary, we also explore topics in place-based learning and participatory approaches that acknowledge and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, being, and connecting. Our paper provides strategies for supporting local food systems through activist scholarship, capacity building of leadership and technical skills in advanced urban farming, and intercultural relationship building. We conclude by evaluating the success of our approach, presenting potential benefits and challenges, and providing recommendations for best practices in food scholarship to support transformative change.

Who and what set the price of walnuts for small-scale farmers in Southwest China?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Yan ◽  
Anne Terheggen ◽  
Dagmar Mithöfer
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Village Level ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Village

Purpose Domestic demand for walnuts has been on the rise for the last decades. Consumption outstrips domestic production capacities, which led to increasing prices until recently. Small-scale farmers are at the centre of walnut tree planting and walnut collection efforts. Farmers are now integrated into rapidly expanding agrifood value chains. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the walnut value chain originating in Yunnan (the dominant producer of walnuts in China). The authors are especially interested in the position of small-scale farmers in the chain and the factors affecting the price that they receive. Design/methodology/approach Price and intra-chain governance information were collected through structured interviews with value chain actors like certified and conventional small-scale farmers, traders, processors, food manufacturers and wholesalers. The resultant price data set was analysed using a multiple regression analysis. Findings Timing of harvest, distance to market and sales volume are correlated with the village-level price. Farmers are in a market governance segment of the chain. Lead firms (e.g. supermarkets) are price-setters and determine the value distribution, with farmers receiving a smaller share relative to downstream actors’ shares. Research limitations/implications Improved connectivity to markets, transparency of standards and price (formation), processing and certification could improve farmers’ profits. Originality/value The authors contribute to the growing literature of value chain studies focussing on farmers’ integration into food systems at different scales. The authors investigated the price determinants at the village level and additionally provide information on an organic marketing arrangement.

scholarly journals Equity, Health, and Sustainability with PROVE: The Evaluation of a Portuguese Program for a Short Distance Supply Chain of Fruits and Vegetables

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 5083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Craveiro ◽  
Sibila Marques ◽  
Ana Marreiros ◽  
Ruth Bell ◽  
Matluba Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
National Sample ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

PROVE is a Portuguese program that empowers small-scale farmers organized into local networks to directly commercialize baskets of locally produced fruits and vegetables to consumers. This study applied a post-test-only non-equivalent group design to evaluate the resulting influence on the social empowerment of farmers and on consumer diets. The method included conducting a survey of PROVE farmers (n = 36) and a survey of PROVE consumers (n = 294) that were compared against matched samples of Portuguese respondents of international surveys (European Social Survey, n = 36 and the INHERIT Five-Country Survey, n = 571, respectively). PROVE farmers reported higher scores for perceived influence on the work environment than the national sample. PROVE consumers were more likely to eat five or more portions of fruits and vegetables a day in comparison to the matched sample of Portuguese citizens (average odds ratio: 3.05, p < 0.05). Being a PROVE consumer also generated an impact on the likelihood of consuming no more than two portions of red meat a week (average odds ratio: 1.56, p < 0.05). The evaluation study suggests that the promotion of short supply chains of fruits and vegetables can make a positive contribution to a healthier, more sustainable, and fairer future in food consumption.

scholarly journals Growing and Eating Food during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Farmers’ Perspectives on Local Food System Resilience to Shocks in Southern Africa and Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8556
Author(s):  
Nicole Paganini ◽  
Kustiwa Adinata ◽  
Nomonde Buthelezi ◽  
David Harris ◽  
Stefanie Lemke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The COVID-19 outbreak forced governments to make decisions that had adverse effects on local food systems and supply chains. As a result, many small-scale food producers faced difficulties growing, harvesting, and selling their goods. This participatory research examines local small-scale farmers’ challenges as farmers but also as consumers and their coping strategies during the month of April and one week in June 2020. The study was initiated and conceptualized in collaboration with small-scale farmer members of an existing research network in selected urban and rural areas in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia. Participants co-designed the research, collected and uploaded data through digital survey tools, and contributed to data analysis and interpretation. A common observation across regions is that the measures imposed in response to COVID-19 highlighted and partly exacerbated existing socio-economic inequalities among food system actors. Strict lockdowns in Cape Town, South Africa, and Masvingo, Zimbabwe, significantly restricted the production capacity of small-scale farmers in the informal economy and created more food insecurity for them. In Maputo, Mozambique, and Toraja and Java, Indonesia, local food systems continued to operate and were even strengthened by higher social capital and adaptive capacities.

scholarly journals The Importance of Contract Farming to Small-scale Farmers in Africa and the Implications for Policy: A Review Scenario

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-86
Author(s):  
Douglas Ncube
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Contract Farming ◽  
Supply Chain Governance ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis

Introduction: Contract Farming (CF) has been largely believed to have the ability to promote the chances of Small-scale Farmers (SSFs) from less developed nations to participate in intensive agricultural production and lucrative export markets, thereby integrating them into the latest way of doing agri-business. Problem statement: A perennial issue of SSFs in Africa is a subsistence agricultural productivity due to lack of proper markets, credits and technology in recent years, aggravated by unstable prices of energy and food and lately by the global financial crisis. Methodology: The study is purely qualitative in nature, making use of secondary data (literature from journals, working papers, unpublished theses and other publications was analysed). The study reviewed CF definitions, the origins, evolution, models on CF, SSFs and CF, objectives, policy-issues and implications to conclusions and recommendations. Results: The study has shown that adjustments in agri-food systems globally are producing an increased new interest in CF as a supply-chain governance strategy. It has been established that small and medium size farmers in Africa are suppressed by market bottlenecks or unfairness, for example, restricted access to loan facilities, insurance and specialised agri-inputs at above-average costs. Conclusion: Government and the private sector must formulate contractual laws that will govern agricultural production and marketing agreements between agri-businesses and farmers in addition to establishing and strengthening contract-enforcing institutions to protect both parties contract from any contractual problems, for example, side marketing. Contract Farming brings out the best outcomes for farmers when they have sufficient bargaining power to negotiate the terms of the contract.

scholarly journals Where do "localphiles" shop?: A mixed-methods case study of food-buying habits

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Emily McKee
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Mixed Methods Case Study ◽  
Regional Food Systems ◽  
Attitude Behavior ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Why, with local food’s rising popularity, do small-scale farmers report declining sales? This study used a mix of survey and interview methods to examine the priorities and buying habits of food shoppers in one midsized, lower-income metro­politan area of the U.S. Midwest. The study focuses on individual consumers’ decision-making because it aims to be useful, in particular, to small-scale farmers and advocates of their participation in local and regional food systems. Among shoppers’ stated priorities, the survey found broad support for local food and relatively low competition be­tween price and local origin as purchasing priori­ties. However, findings also show an attitude-behavior gap, with only a limited increase in ten­dency among self-defined “local” shoppers to purchase from locally oriented venues. As explana­tion for this attitude-behavior gap, survey and interview data point to differential definitions of “local food” and situational barriers (primarily inconvenience and lack of variety) preventing shoppers from buying local food. One factor off­setting these barriers was past experience growing one’s own food. Study findings are used to identify particular avenues for intervention by farmers, eaters, and other food systems builders to broaden access to local food through adjustments to mar­keting strategies, better alignment of wholesale outlets’ practices with the priorities of farmers and eaters, and improved public education about the food system.

Challenges of agri-food supply in city region food systems: an emerging economy perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samanthi Kumari Weerabahu ◽  
Premaratne Samaranayake ◽  
S.W. Sarath Dasanayaka ◽  
Chaminda Nalaka Wickramasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
City Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Food Value

PurposeThis paper explores the challenges of food security from source to consumption of agri-food value chain by considering urban–rural linkages in city region food systems (CRFSs) and proposes a strategic framework for CRFS identifying strategies to promote urban–rural linkages among multiple stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study approach to a fruit and vegetable value chain from rural source to consumption in the Colombo City region identifies the challenges of food security. A snowballing sampling method was used to gather information from retailers, wholesalers, commission agent, farmers and consumers. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews, observations and secondary data sources. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsChallenges in food security in the value chain related to five areas: input and production, infrastructure, public institutional support and policy, finance, and food market. Colombo city is heavily dependent on food sourced from other cities due to limited land and lack of locally situated commercially oriented farmers.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to a selected number of fruits and vegetables in the Colombo city region and leaves out other food items.Originality/valueThis study contributes to informing policy and decision-making processes to promote a more balanced rural to city food value chain in Colombo City that could benefit all stakeholders from rural small-scale producers to urban consumers.

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