scholarly journals The Nairobi Pork Value Chain: Mapping and Assessment of Governance, Challenges, and Food Safety Issues

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice K. Murungi ◽  
Dishon M. Muloi ◽  
Patrick Muinde ◽  
Samuel Maina Githigia ◽  
James Akoko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Food System ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

The Nairobi pork food system is a growing livestock sub-sector which serves as a source of food and livelihood to its inhabitants. The study aimed to map Nairobi's pork value chains, assess their governance, operational challenges and their impacts on food safety risks and management practices. Qualitative data were collected in seven focus group discussions and 10 key informants' interviews on animal movements and product flows, stakeholders' interactions, perceptions on system governance and challenges, and on their potential impact on food safety management. Quantitative data were obtained to show the importance of flows, business operations and market share. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes that provide understanding on the governance, challenges and food safety practices in each profile. The predominant chains identified were [1] The “large integrated company” profile which accounted for 83.6% of pork marketed through abattoirs, and was based on a well-structured supply system, with owned farms (representing 50% of their supply), contract farms and semi-contract farms and [2] Local independent abattoirs, accounting for 16.4%, are privately owned small-scale production, supplied mainly (70%) by small farmers from the immediate neighboring areas. The main challenges associated with governance themes included; (i) Inadequate/lack of enforcement of existing regulation (ii) Negative effect of devolution system of governance (iii) Pig traders' dominance (iii) Lack of association at all system nodes, and (iv) Male dominance across the pig system. The main challenges reported included; (i) Lack of capital to upscale (ii) Poor infrastructure (iii) Pig shortage (iv) Excessive regulation (v) Lack of training (vi) Diseases (v) Lack of knowledge (vi) Unfair competition. Food safety themes were associated with (i) Inadequate slaughter facilities forcing traders/farmers to undertake home slaughter (ii) Lack of knowledge on disease management (iii) Lack of training on hygienic practices in the slaughterhouse and (iv) Lack/insufficient capital to purchase equipment's to ensure proper hygiene e.g., boilers. The study provides insights into the structure of the pork system supplying Nairobi, the governance issues important to the stakeholders, challenges and food safety issues. The framework obtained can be used by policy makers and researchers to investigate and develop pork industry and for food safety and disease control programmes.

scholarly journals Chemical vegetable safety in China: “supermarketisation” and its limits

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (11) ◽  
pp. 3433-3449
Author(s):  
Lita Alita ◽  
Liesbeth Dries ◽  
Peter Oosterveer
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Value ◽  
Better Than

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the process of supermarketization in the vegetable retail sector in China and its impact on food safety.Design/methodology/approachData from food safety reports by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) are used to investigate the degree of vegetable safety in different value chain types. To assess the predictors of the degree of vegetable safety, a logistic regression model is applied.FindingsSupermarketization has led to the reorganization of the vegetables provision system, through closer coordination along the supply chain and the use of secured production bases. We identify four types of vegetable value chains in China based on their form of coordination. Supermarkets improve vegetable safety even when they rely on external suppliers, but also wet markets perform significantly better than other small-scale retailers in terms of vegetable safety.Originality/valueThe study has expanded the knowledge of the supermarketization in urban China by collecting data from CFDA. Furthermore, the study used the theory of food value chain to understand determinant factors in securing food safety. Moreover, this study reveals that wet markets also have prospects in solving vegetable safety problems in China, especially in underdeveloped areas.

scholarly journals Agri-Food Globalisation and Rural Transformation in Chile: Smallholder Livelihoods in the Global Value Chain for Raspberries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Edward R. T. Challies
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food System ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Public And Private Sector

<p>As transnational capital continues to penetrate the agricultural sectors of developing countries, agri-food production-consumption is increasingly organised at the global scale. This has profound implications for small-scale farmers in the global South, who are being integrated into a globalising agri-food system geared towards the provision of agricultural commodities to meet the demands of wealthy consumers in Northern markets. Chile is one country that has purposefully inserted itself into the world trading system as an agri-exporter - a strategy that has fundamentally transformed Chilean agriculture. Framed within an examination of agrarian transformations in Chile and a world-historical account of agri-food globalisation, this thesis critically examines local-global linkages engendered by agri-food globalisation through a case study of export-oriented Chilean smallholder raspberry growers. The study aims to understand the structure and dynamics of the global value chain for raspberries, and to determine the livelihood implications of smallholder growers' participation in it. A detailed, locality case study was conducted in Yerbas Buenas - an important site of raspberry production within Chile - combining analysis of the raspberry value chain, and an in-depth survey of grower livelihoods. The value chain component focuses on key chain actors and functions within Chile, examining the role of public and private sector organisations governing and coordinating activities along the chain. The livelihoods component examines the significance of raspberry production within diversified household livelihood strategies, considering key assets, capabilities and mediating factors shaping smallholders' access to the value chain. Additionally, the research seeks to explore synergies and tensions between global value chain and sustainable rural livelihoods approaches, and to consider their integrative potential. The thesis finds that increasing competitive pressures, particularly arising from the evolving quality requirements of key overseas buyers, are seriously undermining the capacity of smallholder growers to participate in the chain. While existing private and public sector support is necessary for the participation of the smallest growers, it is not sufficient to secure their survival. It is argued that the neoliberal macroeconomic model represents a major barrier to smallholder participation, as the modernising agri-export-led growth strategy that it underpins can not accommodate the degree of intervention or the redistribution of resources required to address socio-economic inequality in the Chilean countryside.</p>

American Processed Kosher

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
jeffrey yoskowitz
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Orthodox Jewish ◽  
Labor Rights ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
American Jews ◽  
Kosher Food ◽  
Processing Techniques

As America's food system became increasingly industrialized in the twentieth century, it became increasingly difficult for the Jewish community to regulate the foods it ate to comply with kosher law. As American Jews strayed from religious lives, major Orthodox Jewish organizations sought to win back adherents by adapting the ancient ritual of Jewish dietary law to the most complex, modern processing techniques. The result was an elaborate third-party certification system, the first of its kind, which is now the backbone of a billion-dollar industry that thrives today. Within a short span of time, major food corporations were printing kosher certification labels on their packages. Today, two-fifths of food sold in the supermarket come kosher certified. How Jews eat—purchasing packaged products with kosher seals of approval—has fundamentally transformed from the immigrant days on the Lower East Side and the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Consequently, kosher food has become overly reliant on large-scale food production. Small efforts to further adapt the kosher industry to small-scale production and fair-labor rights are underway, though a long way off.

scholarly journals Promoting Food Safety in Local Value Chains: The Case of Vegetables in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6902
Author(s):  
Laura Enthoven ◽  
Goedele Van den Broeck
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Background: Food quality and safety concerns in low- and middle-income countries are often addressed using stringent standards and formal contracts between farmers and buyers. Many studies have investigated the welfare implications of these control mechanisms for small-scale farmers in modern value chains, including exports and supermarkets. Conversely, few studies have focused on the potential of certification and contracts to tackle food safety issues within local traditional value chains. Methods: This study uses a discrete choice experiment to explore the preferences of vegetable farmers (n = 301) in northern Vietnam for different types of certification schemes–including third-party certification and participatory guarantee systems–and contracts. Results: Farmers are willing to accept a 49% lower price per kilogram for their vegetables to enter into a contract with a buyer, provided that pesticide use restrictions are feasible and the buyer is fully committed and trustworthy. However, they are strongly averse to organic farming, as they would require a 40% premium per kilogram to produce organically. They would also request a 21% premium to accept selling to an unknown buyer. Farmers highly value contracts that entail large purchase quantities, long duration and pesticide provision. Although the estimated willingness-to-accept values may seem very large, they make sense in the context of highly perishable produce. Conclusion: Our findings urge both policy makers and researchers to not only focus on modern value chains but also on local traditional value chains to tackle food safety issues in low- and middle-income countries, as we show that farmers are willing to produce safe vegetables for the local market when trading with buyers under beneficial conditions.

scholarly journals Assessing Impacts of COVID-19 on Aquatic Food System and Small-Scale Fisheries in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiqur Rahman Sunny ◽  
Sharif Ahmed Sazzad ◽  
Gopal Chandra Datta ◽  
Ashoke Kumar Sarker ◽  
Md. Ashrafuzzaman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food System ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Aquatic Food ◽  
The Government

COVID-19 is now a major global health crisis, can lead to severe food crisis unless proper measures are not taken. Though a number of scientific studies have addressed the possible impacts of COVID-19 in Bangladesh on variety of issues, problems and food crises associated with aquatic resources and communities are missing. Therefore, this study aimed at bridging the gap in the existing situation and challenges of COVID-19 by linking its impact on aquatic food sector and small-scale fisheries with dependent population. The study was conducted based on secondary data analysis and primary fieldwork. Secondary data focused on COVID-19 overview and number of confirmed, recovered and death cases in Bangladesh; at the same time its connection with small-scale fisheries, aquatic food production, demand and supply was analyzed. Community perceptions were elicited to present how the changes felt and how they affected aquatic food system and small-scale fisheries and found devastating impact. Sudden illness, reduced income, complication to start production and input collection, labor crisis, transportation abstraction, complexity in food supply, weak value chain, low consumer demand, rising commodity prices, creditor&rsquo;s pressure were identified as the primary affecting drivers. Dependent people felt the measures taken by the Government should be based on protecting the health and food security, although it could be detrimental to economic growth in the short term. The study provides insight into policies adopted by the policy makers to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on aquatic food sector and small-scale fisheries.

Food safety in urban China: Perceptions and coping strategies of residents in Nanjing

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenzhong Si ◽  
Jenelle Regnier-Davies ◽  
Steffanie Scott
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Food System ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The One ◽  
And Coping

Food safety has become an increasingly pressing sociopolitical issue in China due to the outbreak of food safety scandals since the 2000s. Existing studies have highlighted the socio-economic context of this issue, its drivers and implications. Yet, few studies have examined the perceptions of food safety conditions and strategies undertaken by consumers in their daily lives to cope with the challenge. Based on a city-wide survey of 1210 households and 36 interviews in Nanjing, China, this research adopts an ‘everyday’ perspective of analysis to investigate Nanjing residents’ perceptions of, and strategies to cope with, the food safety challenge. Perceptions include the severity of the food safety problem, the least safe foods, as well as causes and responsibilities. Coping strategies include various approaches to food access and food preparation. This article also compares the validity of potential sources of trust in food. On the one hand, the study demonstrates how the structural changes in China’s food system (i.e. chemical intensive food production and elongated food supply chains) constitute the major problems and causes of food safety issues. On the other hand, it reveals the considerable latitude within which Nanjing residents proactively exercise their agency when facing food safety challenges.

scholarly journals Effect of Vegetable Commercialization on Food Safety

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbiti Job M'ithibutu ◽  
Elisha Otieno Gogo ◽  
Fikirini Lugogo Mangale ◽  
Gregory Baker
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Preparation Method ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Vegetable Samples ◽  
Freeze Dried ◽  
Chemical Residues ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Farming

The commercialization of fresh vegetables is crucial in enhancing revenues from commercial vegetable farming and ensuring reliable supply of high-quality produce for consumers. However, this is only guaranteed under ethical application of agrochemicals beyond which can lead in a more pronounced public health as well as environmental hazards. The present paper sought to examine the influence of commercialization on food safety. Vegetable samples weighing between 1 to 2 kg were purchased from randomly selected producers in two major producing counties (Kiambu and Kirinyaga) in Kenya. All samples were freeze-dried and stored in an ice chess box, to minimize contamination. Then the samples were labeled, and transported to the laboratory for processing and testing. All approved samples were subjected to the QuEChERS preparation method for pesticides and quantified using gas chromatography equipped with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Lab results tested positive for 13 problematic pesticides including known carcinogens and highly hazardous agrochemicals such as Malathion, chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. The most common agrochemical was carbofuran (67%) in terms of insecticide. For the case of fungicides, the most common was mancozeb (60%) and metalaxyl (58%). Food safety issues are caused mainly by not observing preharvest intervals, excessive application of chemicals and use of illegal agrochemicals. Chemical residues in food mainly results in carcinogenic diseases (43 to 49%), stomach related problems (15 to 19%), eye related problems (10 to 15%), and skin related problems (11 to 14%) and breathing difficulties (10 to 12%). This study demonstrates that there is a problem of agrochemical use and food safety concerns and kale and tomato value chain.

scholarly journals Agri-Food Globalisation and Rural Transformation in Chile: Smallholder Livelihoods in the Global Value Chain for Raspberries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Edward R. T. Challies
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food System ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Global Value Chain ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Public And Private Sector

<p>As transnational capital continues to penetrate the agricultural sectors of developing countries, agri-food production-consumption is increasingly organised at the global scale. This has profound implications for small-scale farmers in the global South, who are being integrated into a globalising agri-food system geared towards the provision of agricultural commodities to meet the demands of wealthy consumers in Northern markets. Chile is one country that has purposefully inserted itself into the world trading system as an agri-exporter - a strategy that has fundamentally transformed Chilean agriculture. Framed within an examination of agrarian transformations in Chile and a world-historical account of agri-food globalisation, this thesis critically examines local-global linkages engendered by agri-food globalisation through a case study of export-oriented Chilean smallholder raspberry growers. The study aims to understand the structure and dynamics of the global value chain for raspberries, and to determine the livelihood implications of smallholder growers' participation in it. A detailed, locality case study was conducted in Yerbas Buenas - an important site of raspberry production within Chile - combining analysis of the raspberry value chain, and an in-depth survey of grower livelihoods. The value chain component focuses on key chain actors and functions within Chile, examining the role of public and private sector organisations governing and coordinating activities along the chain. The livelihoods component examines the significance of raspberry production within diversified household livelihood strategies, considering key assets, capabilities and mediating factors shaping smallholders' access to the value chain. Additionally, the research seeks to explore synergies and tensions between global value chain and sustainable rural livelihoods approaches, and to consider their integrative potential. The thesis finds that increasing competitive pressures, particularly arising from the evolving quality requirements of key overseas buyers, are seriously undermining the capacity of smallholder growers to participate in the chain. While existing private and public sector support is necessary for the participation of the smallest growers, it is not sufficient to secure their survival. It is argued that the neoliberal macroeconomic model represents a major barrier to smallholder participation, as the modernising agri-export-led growth strategy that it underpins can not accommodate the degree of intervention or the redistribution of resources required to address socio-economic inequality in the Chilean countryside.</p>

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