scholarly journals How Are Smallholder Farmers Involved in Digital Agriculture in Developing Countries: A Case Study from China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Lin Xie ◽  
Biliang Luo ◽  
Wenjing Zhong
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Agricultural Transformation ◽  
Digital Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Business ◽  
Large Farms

Digital transformation in agricultural practices may lead to a "digital divide" between small and large farms, owing to the characteristics and availability of digital technology. This paper sought to use a case study in Chongzhou County, Sichuan Province in China, to analyze how smallholder farmers in developing countries access such digital agriculture and share the benefits of digital agricultural transformation. Small farmers may own a larger scale farm through forming cooperatives; they are also indirectly involved in digital agriculture through agriculture outsourcing. The outsourcing market is expected to grow, which will allow for the evolution of a digital agricultural service platform, the development of a digital agricultural business organization consortium, and the continued expansion of a healthy digital ecology. This paper revealed important policy implications, stemming from the fact that the implementation of inclusive digital agriculture relies on two key shifts: (1) transformation from land scale operations to service scale operations and (2) from inclusive technological progress to inclusive organization innovation.

scholarly journals PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SECTOR AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Anup Chowdhury ◽  
Nikhil Chandra Shil
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
New Public ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

This research explored in depth the evolution of performance measurement systems in the context of new public management initiatives in Australian public sector. A governmental department in the Australian Capital Territory was selected for the purpose of the exploration. The qualitative research approach was adopted and data was collected following case study tradition. The main data sources were archival official documents and interviews. In addition, the researchers used direct observation to supplement and corroborate the archival documents and interview data. The empirical evidence presented in this research supports the fact that the selected Australian government department has implemented performance measurement systems in the line of new public management to illustrate the department’s commitment to efficiency and accountability. The research undertaken was in-depth, using a case study and though generalization is not possible from this single case study, the findings may be expected to add knowledge to existing literature and provide some important lessons for other public sector entities of the developing countries who are interested in adopting performance measurement systems as their control devices. Keywords: public sector, performance measurement systems, new public management, developing countries, Australia.

The Evolution of the Digital Divide across Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
pp. 1554-1570
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Anna Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emerging Patterns

This chapter aims at investigating the evolution of the digital divide within a set of developing countries between the years 2000 and 2005. In doing so, it moves away from the traditional analysis of the digital divide, which compares developed countries and developing countries, and examines the existing gap within a relatively homogeneous group of countries. On the basis of the theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars in different disciplines, we select a series of socioeconomic and technological indicators and provide an empirical assessment of the digitalization patterns in a set of 51 low income and lower-middle income countries. By means of cluster analysis techniques, we identify three emerging patterns of the digital divide and derive a series of policy implications, related to the implementation of an effective strategy to reduce digital backwardness. The characteristics of each pattern of digitalization can be also usefully employed to understand whether past interventions, especially in the area of competition policy, have been successful in addressing country-specific issues.

Transnational Institutions in Developing Countries: The Case of Iranian Civil Aviation

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Carney ◽  
Mehdi Farashahi
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Organizational Practice ◽  
International Civil Aviation Organization ◽  
World War ◽  
Technical Factors

The proliferation of transnational institutions in the form of protocols, conventions, regimes and standards is a growing influence on organizational practice. Recent work on the origins and impact of transnational institutions focuses upon processes in ‘core’ states, but their influence in developing countries has not received much attention. In this paper we narrate a case study of the diffusion of two institutional regimes represented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Iranian civil aviation. The case study describes a seemingly frictionless and uncontested embedding of the emergent international aviation regime in post-World War II Iran and a severe challenge to those institutions in the years following Iran's Islamic revolution. We characterize the rise and decline of these regimes as a double process of institutionalization and de-institutionalization, and identify political and technical factors that drive institutional change. We discuss several theoretical and policy implications stemming from the experience of transnational aviation institutions in Iran.

scholarly journals Bridging the Digital Divide: Case Study of the Distribution of Tablets to First Years at the University of Johannesburg

10.28945/2162 ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zenia Barnard ◽  
Derek Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
First Year ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Small Measure ◽  
The University

The digital divide between those more and those less technologically skilled is a reality and has been for many years. This divide is especially prominent in developing countries such as South Africa and in societies that suffer from socio-economic disadvantage. There are many reasons for the continued presence of this divide and these are briefly described in this paper. The negative consequences that flow from this divide, is also briefly discussed. It is not only social and economic deprivation, though, that contribute to the divide. A project at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to provide tablets to first year students is discussed in some detail. The challenges that arose from the implementation of this initiative make it apparent that factors such as psychology and managerial efficiencies also contribute in no small measure to a perpetuation of the divide. A multi-disciplinary approach to the eventual bridging of the divide is proposed. Such an approach takes account of the need to recognize and develop a host of solutions as necessary preconditions for sustainable technological advancement in developing countries.

scholarly journals Trends In Credit To Smallholder Farmers In South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Chisasa ◽  
Daniel Makina
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Bank Credit ◽  
Smallholder Farmer ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Before And After

Access to credit for smallholder farmers remains a challenge in most developing countries. This paper examines the trend and pattern of bank credit to smallholder farmers in South Africa, both before and after the attainment of democratic government. The analysis of the trend and pattern of bank credit to smallholder farmers was conducted within the confines of the same agricultural sector, across all economy sectors and in relation to GDP. Our analyses show that bank credit to smallholder farmers is (and continues to be) a small fraction of total credit to the private sector and is a very small proportion of GDP. The smallholder farmer sector is observed to face the same constraints to credit as SMEs, a category of enterprises to which they also belong. In light of the importance of agriculture, in general, and smallholder farmers, in particular, to South Africas poverty alleviation and food security drive, our results have important policy implications.

The Evolution of the Digital Divide across Developing Countries

2010 ◽  
pp. 58-74
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Anna Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emerging Patterns

This chapter aims at investigating the evolution of the digital divide within a set of developing countries between the years 2000 and 2005. In doing so, it moves away from the traditional analysis of the digital divide, which compares developed countries and developing countries, and examines the existing gap within a relatively homogeneous group of countries. On the basis of the theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars in different disciplines, we select a series of socioeconomic and technological indicators and provide an empirical assessment of the digitalization patterns in a set of 51 low income and lower-middle income countries. By means of cluster analysis techniques, we identify three emerging patterns of the digital divide and derive a series of policy implications, related to the implementation of an effective strategy to reduce digital backwardness. The characteristics of each pattern of digitalization can be also usefully employed to understand whether past interventions, especially in the area of competition policy, have been successful in addressing country-specific issues.

scholarly journals Assessment of Agricultural Advisory Messages from Farmer-to-Farmer in Making a Case for Scaling Up Production: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nana Afranaa Kwapong ◽  
Daniel Ankrah ◽  
Dominic Boateng-Gyambiby ◽  
Joseph Asenso-Agyemang ◽  
Lydia Oteng Fening
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Study Approach

Inadequate access to agricultural extension services often results in poor farm practices, affecting yields and subsequently the income and wellbeing of smallholder farmers. Given the high demand for agricultural information and the limited capacity of extension services, a farmer-to-farmer extension approach has been explored by many underserved farmers. In this study, we use a qualitative case study approach explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business. Our research question was: what lessons can be learned from the lived experience of these farmers to address current challenges of cassava farming? The results of our study revealed diversity in advisory messages from farmer to farmer and agricultural extension agents. Farmers’ messages focused on encouraging farmers’ commitment and motivation towards farming business, availability of needed financial resources for the entire production season, willingness to reinvest profits, and access to farmland for future expansion. In contrast, the traditional messages from agricultural extension agents focused on encouraging group formation to address marketing challenges, diversification of farm operations, and good agricultural practices. These results show the need for pluralistic extension approaches to ensure farmers get access to necessary information.

scholarly journals Support for smallholder farmers through Islamic instruments

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishrat Hossain ◽  
Aliyu Dahiru Muhammad ◽  
Binta Tijjani Jibril ◽  
Simeon Kaitibie
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Fair Price ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Income Uncertainty ◽  
Institutional Demand

Purpose In societies with strong presence of Islam, Islamic instruments with more scope for fairness and equity can be innovatively harnessed to play an increasing role in the development process and poverty alleviation schemes. Poor smallholder farmers dominate agricultural production in many developing countries and contribute a significant portion of global food production. This paper aims to develop a scheme to improve poor smallholder farmers’ vulnerable financial situation through the application of Zakah and Salam contract, using Bangladesh as a case study. Secondary goals are to show the effect of the scheme on food security and relevance to Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The authors explore the existing traditional modes of financing available to poor smallholders, identify their challenges and propose an appropriate Islamic financing scheme. Findings With the Zakah-based Salam forward contract, the proposed scheme would procure food through Institutional Demand to offer interest free financing, fair price and access to new marketing channels and reduce income uncertainty for the rural smallholders. The discussions indicate that the local food security will be enhanced through incentivized farming activities and disbursement of food from the food bank to the Zakah-eligible food insecure local people. Research limitations/implications This proposal brings forth a potentially powerful idea that needs further empirical validation. Originality/value The religion-based Institutional Demand initiative to promote smallholder agricultural development and social protection is a novel one. The attempt to apply the framework to Nigeria context shows the potential of the framework to generalize for other Muslim developing countries with similar characteristics, especially the poorer agriculture-based countries.

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