INSPIRE Hackathons and SmartAfriHub – Roadmap for Addressing the Agriculture Data Challenges in Africa

Digital farming holds enormous potential for agricultural development, and giving farmers the tools to boost productivity and profitability. Although the benefits of digitalization are numerous, farmers feel they are not the ones benefiting from the value of data collected on their farms. Several issues were identified as factors restricting farmers from benefiting from data-driven agriculture. From the farmers’ perspective, there is a distinct lack of awareness of the issues surrounding farm data, and the complexity of these issues. This feeds into the imbalance that exists between individual farmers and larger agribusinesses wherein the former lack enough resources to address and analyse the significance of data, and so cannot take advantage of the value in it. There is also limited legislation for the generation, flow, exchange and use of data; where legislation does exist, it is not well understood by farmer organisations. From a policy perspective, moreover, there is very little guidance as to which agricultural data can be considered personal data, and therefore protected by privacy laws. This paper analyses the interactions and effects of the 5 Concepts: Open Agricultural Data, Open-Source Software, Citizen Science, privacy and legal and ethical issues that are assumed to advance the digitalization of African Food System (AFS and the enabling Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) - SmartAfriHub (https://www.smartafrihub.com/home).

The Janus Face of Agricultural Policies, Kisans and Sethias: Local and Global

Indian agriculture is at a crossroads. We can plan out the phasing of reforms or force the pace and mess up the process. The Supreme Court had taken a practical stand on the Farm Trade Laws—implement them after consultation and with a well-defined framework spelt out. They had also appointed an expert amicus curiae. But this was not acceptable to the agitating farmer organisations in view of the stated views the experts had. It is possible that experts can re-examine their position as the Court said, but not highly probable. So going back to direct negotiations led to the stand the government has taken of holding the laws in abeyance for a year or a year-and-a-half. This will provide time for discussion of the details of agricultural reform which was needed since the laws were passed in a hurry on a single day. To begin with, it has to be understood that in a continental country one-size-fits-all will not work. The policy bind India is in is therefore a difficult one, even if the arguments are not ideologically anti-trade or those that lack policy interest. If a feasible alternate transitional policy set exists, a sensible approach would be to try to establish a roadmap of economic policies for, say a few major crops, and see if feasible alternatives exist.

An Exploratory Analysis of the FAIRTRADE Certified Producer Organisations

The main objective of this research was to provide an exploratory analysis of the Fairtrade producer organisations’ network, focusing mainly on the revenues that certified organisations derive from their participation in Fairtrade. Using descriptive statistics and regression techniques, we analysed the Fairtrade affiliated organisations from the comprehensive dataset on worldwide Fairtrade certified producers. The database comprises 1016 producer organisations and plantations, distributed in 65 developing countries during 2015 including all products and countries. We identified some features of farmer organisations that affect the creation of revenues, and we investigated the fraction of revenues that producer organizations derive from FT compared to their overall revenues. The results highlight the different approaches to FT by the certified organisations and do not reveal any dominance in terms of revenues by any type of producer organisations or by organisations involved in FT for the longest time. This research contributes to deepening the knowledge about Fairtrade operations and provide useful information to the debate on the role of Fairtrade in developing profitable value chains for producer organisations in developing countries.

ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AGROCHEMICALS USAGE AMONG VEGETABLE FARMERS IN MAIDUGURI AND ITS ENVIRONS, NIGERIA

The study assessed health hazards associated with agrochemicals usage among vegetable farmers in Maiduguri and its Environs, Nigeria. Multi - stage sampling techniques was employed to select 160 vegetable farmers for this study. Both descriptive (frequency distribution and percentages) and inferential (logit regression) statistics were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that majority (59.37%) of the respondents were members of vegetable farmers’ organization and half (50.00%) of them were visited by extension agents less than thrice with majority (85.00%) of them had no access to credit during the period under study. The study revealed the most common symptoms of health hazards associated with agro-chemicals usage among respondents were skin problems (67.70%), dizziness (57.50%) and headache (52.50) in the study area. The logit regression revealed that extension contact had a positively significant influence at p < 0.05 level, while access to credit, sources of credit, availability of agro-chemicals shop and membership of FBOs had significant influence at p < 0.10 level each on wearing of PPEs during agro-chemicals application. The most important constraint affecting PPEs use was high cost of PPEs as reported by 55.00% of the respondents. The study recommended that vegetable farmers in the study area should be encouraged to form strong farmer organisations that will enable them to work as a team in order to eradicate or minimize the constraints of high cost of PPEs by obtaining subsidized PPEs from government for improved use of the same.

Determinants of Success and Sustainability of Farmer Organizations in the North West Region of Cameroon

Aims: This article seeks to evaluate the determinants or factors that contribute to the success of Farmer Organizations and their sustainability. Study Design: The research method was based on field surveys. Duration of Study: The study was carried out between August 2018 and October 2019. Methodology: Sample: Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and 299 respondents (255 Farmer organisations members, and 44 community members) were selected using the multi-stage cluster and purposive sampling techniques. Data from the study was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Results revealed that the main problems witnessed by Farmer Organisations which slow down their growth include capital accumulation (86.4%), unavailability of loan (79.5%), and lack of skilled personnel (65.9%) and high illiteracy level of members (43.2%). While mismanagement of group funds by leaders (13.6%), government interference (29.5%), was of low impact. Factors that contribute to the success and sustainability of farmer organisation among others are good group leadership skills (90.2%) members, meeting the needs of the members (84.3%), assist in community development (58.8%) other factors include origin of group, assistance, communication and members involvement in decision making, membership participation, guiding principles and regulations, type of activity and profitability. Conclusion: For farmer organizations to be successful and sustainable government agencies and NGOs in the sector should help the farmer organizations by providing financial assistance, farm inputs and seeds, provide post harvest infrastructures, regular extension services and the Farmer organizations should be market and advocacy oriented.

Effect of the Common Agricultural Policy on Agriculture and the Increasing Role of Nongovernmental Organisations

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has considerably contributed to changes in the rural environment of Latvia after its accession to the European Union (EU). The accession provided new opportunities and considerable financial support for agriculture, yet the competition of farms under the conditions determined by the CAP has changed the composition of final agricultural output in Latvia. As the number of EU Member States increased and the CAP became more complicated, an increasing role in defending the interests of farmers is played by farmer organisations.

SUPPORTING SMALLHOLDER COMMERCIALISATION BY ENHANCING INTEGRATED COORDINATION IN AGRIFOOD VALUE CHAINS: EXPERIENCES WITH DAIRY HUBS IN KENYA

SUMMARYRecent literature suggests that to make value chains in changing agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa more inclusive, intermediary institutions should foster coordination. The hub concept has been applied as such an intermediary institution that coordinates advisory services, input supply and smallholder access to markets. This study unravels hub coordination in smallholder dairy in Kenya, conceptualising the hub as a mix between a broker of relationships, a one-stop-shop for services and a cluster of producers and service providers, enabling horizontal coordination (between smallholders) and vertical coordination (between smallholders and value chain actors and service providers). Findings indicate that, in resolving challenges that limit smallholders’ integration in value chains, synergies emerged as the hub combined different types of horizontal and vertical coordination. This was done by simultaneously organising clusters of farmers and input and service providers (clustering role) and actively facilitating delivery (broker and one-stop-shop role), where the hub structure stimulated the matching of demand (better articulation) to supply (better organised access). However, tensions emerged in the combination of horizontal and vertical coordination as farmer organisations as hub operators had to balance a role as an honest broker between farmers with the intent of enhancing collective action and as a business-oriented entity which resulted in the exclusion of some farmers who cannot deliver the quantity and quality required to minimise coordination costs. Given these tensions and capacity problems of farmers’ organisations, complementary intermediary arrangements may be necessary to fulfil some coordination roles.