scholarly journals UP-SCALING FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS AND RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFICATION AMONG SMALLHOLDER TEA PRODUCERS IN KENYA: OPTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES AND EMERGING LESSONS

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-158
Author(s):  
Stephen Wambugu Maina ◽  
John Gowland-Mwangi ◽  
Dave Boselie ◽  
Davies Onduru ◽  
Betty Chelang’at Buses
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Current System ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Good Agricultural Practices ◽  
Development Agency ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Rainforest Alliance ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
Up Scaling

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has been encouraging small-scale tea (Camellia sinensis) producers through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) to adopt good agricultural practices since 2006. The up-scaling of FFS and Rainforest Alliance (RA) certification to 560,000 tea producers remains a big challenge. Hence the need to learn about options, opportunities and emerging lessons for up-scaling FFS and RA certification among smallholder tea producers in Kenya. This study sought to improve tea stakeholders’ understanding on how successful innovations such as FFSs and RA certification can be up-scaled to more stakeholders and how to produce tea sustainably. It also sought to describe the options, opportunities and emerging lessons related to up-scaling. The study used a Cross-Sectional design to collect data from a two-stage random sample of 514 small-scale tea growers drawn from KTDA factories. A semi-structured questionnaire validated by extension experts, whose 0.92α reliability was above the 0.70 acceptable was used to collect data. Face-to-Face interviews, document analysis, record reviews, site visits, observations, living the system and a stakeholders’ workshop were carried out to ensure triangulation. Data were analyzed using Chi-square at 0.05α set a priori. The results indicated that maintaining the current system with some improvements was the best option for up-scaling FFS and RA certification. The researchers concluded that FFSs and RA certification can be up-scaled by increasing resources, improving communication, training and educating non-FFS members using different methods. They showed that up-scaling training for certification and FFS come with a need for additional investments and eventually will alter KTDA’s cost and revenue model of the sustainable tea production. To sustain this system, the true costs and benefits of sustainable tea are incorporated in the KTDA business model, which implies that donors strategically move from subsidizing costs to strategic investments in human resource development, capacity building and extension technologies. Key words: certification, emerging lessons, farmer field schools, good agricultural practices, Kenya Tea Development Agency, Rainforest Alliance, opportunities, options.

scholarly journals COST AND BENEFITS OF RUNNING A TEA-BASED FARMER FIELD SCHOOL IN KENYA

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-177
Author(s):  
Stephen Wambugu Maina ◽  
John Gowland-Mwangi ◽  
Dave Boselie
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Good Agricultural Practices ◽  
Development Agency ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Training Cost ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Field Schools

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), through its extension workers, has been educating tea producers on good agricultural practices using Farmer Field Schools (FFS). Information on training cost and benefits of running a tea-based FFS in Kenya were not readily available. Such information would enable tea stakeholders to develop a strategy for up-scaling FFS. This study sought to determine and describe the cost and benefits of running a tea-based FFS among small-scale farmers in the Rift Valley. The study used a Cross-Sectional research design to collect data from 514 small-scale tea growers drawn randomly from KTDA factories. A questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.92α was used after validation by extension experts. Face-to-Face interviews and a stakeholders’ workshop were used for triangulation purposes. Data were analyzed qualitatively and reported using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that training a farmer in a tea-based FFS in a year costs Ksh 6,076/= (US$71). The training gave farmers skills to improve their tea husbandry, yields, level of empowerment and leadership skills. The researchers concluded that training tea farmers in FFSs was cheap, sustainable and effective in changing their behavior. Stakeholders in the tea-value chain should increase funding and use of FFS in training tea farmers. Key words: benefits, cost, farmer field schools, good agricultural practices, Kenya Tea Development Agency.

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

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals An Impact Analysis of Farmer Field Schools on Hog Productivity: Evidence from China

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 972
Author(s):  
Jinyang Cai ◽  
Fengxiang Ding ◽  
Yu Hong ◽  
Ruifa Hu
Keyword(s):  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Crop Cultivation ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Hog Production ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades, pigs and pork have been the central elements of Chinese agricultural systems, food security, and diet. China’s rapid income growth has induced a significant change in food consumption patterns, and hog production has received utmost attention from both, the Chinese government and the public. While the impact of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on crop cultivation has been widely studied, few studies have examined the impact of FFS on hog production. This study uses data collected from 222 hog farmers in Beijing to examine the impact of FFS on the productivity of hog production, focusing on its three main indicators: feed conversion ratio and the mortality of sows and piglets. We found that farms that participated in FFS programs significantly improved the feed conversion ratio of hog production, particularly in small scale hog farms. On average, FFS reduced the feed conversion ratio for herd sizes of 1000, 500, and 200 by 6.8%, 10.7%, and 14.0%, respectively. We did not find evidence that farms that participated in FFS programs had a significant impact on minimizing the mortality of sows and piglets. This study suggests that the knowledge training model of the FFS program could also work in fields other than crop cultivation. Furthermore, we suggest that more attention could be paid to extension services diffusing knowledge of vaccination and disinfection in hog FFS programs.

scholarly journals Adoption of Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) in Aquaculture: Evidence From Small-Scale Shrimp Farming

2022 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
NGUYEN THI KIM QUYEN ◽  
◽  
TRAN THI BACH YEN ◽  
ANNA KARIA LERØY RIPLE
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Shrimp Farming ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Good Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cluster Membership ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
Shrimp Farms

The increasing demand by international customers for high-quality shrimp products has led to the introduction of various certificates of traceability intended to validate quality products in Vietnam. The Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP), better known in aquaculture as the Vietnamese good aquaculture practices, has emerged as a reliable certificate for small-scale farmers and a prerequisite for international certification. This study investigates factors affecting applications for VietGAP by small-scale shrimp farmers in Vietnam. Cost-benefit analysis and binary logistic regression approaches were used to categorise shrimp farms with and without VietGAP certification. Findings indicated that while the adoption of VietGAP raised production costs by 14.5 %, it could increase net profit by up to 22 %. The increase in net profit is from increased productivity and antibiotics and chemical-free products in shrimp farming, helped fetch better prices. The results also revealed three factors that positively influenced the farmers’ decision to acquire VietGAP; education, farm size, and production system. Shrimp farmers with longer schooling years, larger farms, and those who possess cooperative/farming cluster membership are more likely to acquire VietGAP certification. The results imply that the VietGAP certification should be better promoted to cooperative production forms of farming, by strengthening the schooling year of farmers and increasing awareness of VietGAP certification to farmers who operate shrimp farms of 5,000–9,000 m2.

Effects of the Use of Good Agricultural Practices on Aflatoxin Levels in Maize Grown in Nandi County, Kenya

Sci ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Marete ◽  
Laetitia Kanja ◽  
James Mbaria ◽  
Mitchel Okumu ◽  
Penina Ateku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Good Agricultural Practice ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Field Schools

Aflatoxin contaminated maize is of public health concern in Kenya. Training farmers on good agricultural practice (GAP) has been touted as a mitigative measure. Little is known of the effect of such training on aflatoxin levels in maize grown in Kenya. This study evaluated what effect training farmers on GAP has on aflatoxin levels in maize grown in Kaptumo, Kilibwoni, and Kipkaren divisions in Nandi County, Kenya. Ninety farmers were recruited into farmer field schools and a questionnaire on GAP administered to each farmer. Maize samples were collected from the farmers and analyzed for aflatoxins using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). All farmers weeded their farms before planting, prepared the land, correctly spaced the seedlings, sorted the maize after shelling, cleaned stores before use and knew that aflatoxins were harmful to humans and animals. Eighty-one farmers did early planting, 88/90 did stooking after harvesting, 89/90 applied fertilizer, 89/90 cleared bushes around the stores, 87/90 used wooden pallets to store maize, 89/90 dried maize after harvesting, 83/90 did crop rotation, and 89/90 used clean transport. Moreover, 62/90 had a relative who had died from liver cancer, 13/90 had fed damaged/rotten seeds to animals, and 45/90 had stored harvested seeds on the ground. The mean aflatoxin levels in season 1 were significantly different from season 2 (1.918 ± 1.065; 1.301 ± 1.501). Our findings suggest that some aspects of the training on GAP were better received than others. Training farmers on GAP results in a decrease in aflatoxin levels in maize grown in Nandi County. Farmers in other maize growing areas of Kenya may benefit from similar training on GAP.

scholarly journals KINERJA AGRIBISNIS MANGGA GEDONG GINCU DAN POTENSINYA SEBAGAI PRODUK EKSPOR PERTANIAN UNGGULAN

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Ening Ariningsih ◽  
NFn Ashari ◽  
Handewi P. Saliem ◽  
Mohamad Maulana ◽  
Kartika Sari Septanti
Keyword(s):  
Economic Value ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Good Agricultural Practices ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
On Farm

<p>Gedong gincu mango is a specific mango variety in West Java Province, which has a high economic value and the prospect of being a superior export commodity of Indonesia. Despite its increasing production and high market prospect, gedong gincu mango agribusiness still faces various problems, both in on-farm and off-farm aspects. This paper aims to study the agribusiness of gedong gincu mango, covering both on-farm and off-farm aspects and export prospects. In general, gedong gincu mango farmers are small-scale farmers who practice traditional cultivation, harvest, and post-harvest management; are not yet market-oriented; practicing conventional marketing that relies on collecting traders, and have weak institutional. These conditions cause low productivity and diverse quality of gedong mango and are not continuously available throughout the year, which hinder the potential for wide-open exports from being appropriately utilized. It needs improvement in both on-farm and off-farm to improve the production and marketing of gedong gincu mango. At the on-farm level, efforts to increase competitiveness can be made by improving fruit production, productivity, quality, and continuity, by applying good agricultural practices. At the off-farm level, this can be done through improving facilities and infrastructures, institutions, and regulations. These efforts should involve all parties, including farmers (producers), marketing agents (collectors, traders, exporters), and policymakers.</p>

Food Safety on the Farm: Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices – Packing Operation Sanitation

EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesscia A. Lepper ◽  
Aswathy Sreedharan ◽  
Renée Goodrich Schneider ◽  
Keith R. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Good Agricultural Practices ◽  
Produce Safety ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Safety Rule ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Voluntary Program ◽  
Federal Guidelines

Good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good handling practices (GHPs) encompass the general procedures that growers, packers and processors of fresh fruits and vegetables should follow to ensure the safety of their product. GAPs usually deal with preharvest practices (i.e., in the field), while GHPs cover postharvest practices, including packing, storage and shipping. This factsheet covers GAPs relating to packing operation sanitation. There are seven other Florida Cooperative Extension factsheets in the ‘Food Safety on the Farm’ series that focus on specific aspects of the GAPs program and how they relate to Florida crops and practices. Under the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), GAPs are a foundation of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Other than for round tomatoes in Florida (T-GAPs regulation), GAPs have mainly been a voluntary program. Additionally the PSR mandates all non-exempt operations to follow these new FSMA federal guidelines (6), but all exempt commodities and for those producers exporting to foreign countries, GAPs may still be required. Both the mandatory PSR and GAPs aim to reduce the foodborne illness burden associated with produce.

scholarly journals Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Management Strategy Success Factors for Small-Scale Contractors in Zambia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4696
Author(s):  
Mwewa Mambwe ◽  
Erastus M. Mwanaumo ◽  
Wellington D. Thwala ◽  
Clinton O. Aigbavboa
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Electricity Industry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Scale

Small-scale contractors (SSCs) require management strategies in implementing occupational health and safety (OH&S) performance at projects to reduce accidents, injuries, fatalities and diseases. Management strategy success factors have been acknowledged to be of great benefit in improving in OH&S performance. Hence, the study sought to assess the management strategy success factors for the improvement of OH&S performance by SSCs in Zambia’s electricity industry. Using quantitative methods, data was collected using a survey questionnaire from 246 respondents representing firm owners, managers, project managers and OH&S representatives at electricity industry projects at 70.3% response rate. Descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted as methods of data analysis using exploratory factor analysis. After analysis, the success factors were clustered into three construct categories within OH&S performance namely, compliance and workplace processes, policy and human resource development, and leadership and structure significant values ranging from 0.513 to 0.972. The independent reliability was tested using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. The study exposed management strategy success factors are well recognised by most SSCs and contributed to the body of knowledge in this mastery by introducing three success factors for OH&S performance. It is recommended that these factors be adopted and considered to improve OH&S performance management by SSCs in the electricity industry in Zambia.

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