The Effects of Commercial Orientation on (Agro) Pastoralists’ Household Food Security: Evidence from (Agro) Pastoral Communities of Afar, Northeastern Ethiopia

Commercialization has been increasingly promoted for (agro) pastoral communities as an intervention to improve incomes and food access. Using households from rural Afar, this study examines the food security effects of the livestock commercial orientations of (agro) pastoralists by employing propensity score matching (PSM) procedures. The results show that, despite the fact that the market production of (agro) pastoralists is stressed by a broad range of factors, identified as cultural, infrastructural, and production risks, participation in livestock sales significantly decreased the severity of food insecurity in both the household food insecurity access score (HFIAS), and the reduced coping strategy index (rCSI) measures. However, the results failed to find consistently significant effects via the per capita consumption expenditure measure, in which case, the ‘subsistence’ and ‘commercially’ oriented groups are alike. Yet, given the factors depressing market production, properly addressed with policy measures, the income generated from livestock sales improved the welfare of (agro) pastoralists, at least by some (the HFIAS and rCSI) of the livelihood indicators. This highlights the importance of combining market infrastructure investments with culturally sensitive policy measures in order to sustain the traditional livestock husbandry of (agro) pastoralists. Therefore, in order to sustainably improve the food security situations in (agro) pastoral areas, the promotion of market production through the broadening of market access for both sales and purchases is important.

Implications of Mediated Market Access—Exploring the Nature of Vertical Relationships within the Croatian Wine Industry

The aim of this research was to provide a better understanding of factors influencing the performance of (small) agricultural producers. Considering the importance of agricultural producers, not just for maintaining a steady supply of products but also for the preservation of the population (and cultural tradition) of rural areas, the development of sustainable agricultural business is a matter of public interest. This paper considers wine producers and their market channels, i.e., the factors influencing the relationship between wine producers and market intermediaries, by applying ideas taken from agency theory. We developed a conceptual model with our defined measure of agency costs as the mediator variable between multiple regressors and the firms’ financial and non-financial performance as regressions. We used the approach of Baron and Kenny to investigate whether agency costs act as a mediator variable. The data needed to test the proposed conceptual model were collected through questionnaires and contextual interviews with the Croatian wine producers (n = 124). We found that more self-reliance in the distribution process, supported by factors related to the bargaining strength, had a positive influence on wine producers’ performance. The results also support the assumption that agency costs act as a full mediator variable between a producer’s attributes and its performance.

Market access of Chinese patent medicine products to healthcare security system in China: implications for international integration of traditional medicine into health systems

Background China has introduced a series of polices and practice to manage the market access of Chinese patent medicine (CPM) products into its healthcare security system, which is less analyzed and reported in current literature. Therefore, this paper aimed to investigate the mechanisms managing market access of CPM products into healthcare security system in China, expecting to provide implications for international integration of traditional medicine products into health systems. Method This paper used a documentary analysis approach as a qualitative research method. Data were collected from four sources and analyzed in a thematic way. Results Four mechanisms to manage entry, price adjustment, and exit of innovative brand and generic CPM products are identified, including: (1) price negotiation, mechanism of new entry of innovative brand CPM products into the national reimbursement list; (2) price re-negotiation, mechanism of price adjustment of innovative brand CPM products within the national reimbursement list; (3) mass procurement, mechanism of generic CPM products to healthcare security system; and (4) direct removal, mechanism of removal from the national reimbursement list. Conclusions China has established market access framework of CPM products by focusing on price negotiation for innovative brand CPM products and mass procurement for generic CPM products. Further studies of CPM products based real-world data are needed to provide clinical and pharmacoeconomic evidence to support market access of CPM products into healthcare security systems.

Agroforestry: Opportunities and Challenges in Timor-Leste

Agro forestry is a land management system that integrates trees, agriculture crops, and animal farming in order to provide a diverse range of ecosystem services. Timor-Leste, the newest country and one of the least developed counties, has faced multidimensional challenges on land use management, including deforestation, land degradation, and poverty. The agroforestry system is recognized as one of the viable options for balancing the socio-economic needs and ecological functions of the lands in Timor-Leste. The system has been practiced traditionally by farmers in the country; however, the lack of knowledge and experience, limited institutional capacity, and lack of funding have impeded the wider implantation of the agroforestry system in Timor-Leste. The Strategic Development Plan of Timor-Leste has recommended sustainable agriculture and natural resources management in the rural areas of the country to generate income and create employment for the youths. The paper presents the initiatives, challenges, and opportunities of agroforestry application in Timor-Leste to support sustainable forest management and livelihood improvement. Learning from existing initiatives, capacity building, market access, and financial incentives could promote the agroforestry system in the country.

The role of e-purchasing in government procurement fraud reduction through expanding market access

This study aims to analyze the effect of e-purchasing implementation on the reduction of fraud in government procurements in Indonesia. This study also analyzes the role of market access in mediating the effect of e-purchasing implementation on government procurement fraud. The study was conducted in all Procurement Service Units (ULP) of cities and districts in Indonesia. The questionnaires were sent electronically to 520 ULPs, but only 120 respondents could be used in this study. In analyzing data, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used with the support of the program Partial Least Square (WarpPLS 7.0) to examine the relationship between variables studied. The results show that the implementation of e-purchasing directly reduces the level of fraud in government procurements in Indonesia. Other findings of the study also indicate that the implementation of e-purchasing expands market access. The rise of market access in implementing e-purchasing will affect the level of frauds relating to procurement practices in the Indonesian government.

Policies for Promotion of Malaysian SMEs Go Global in the Digital Economy

The main purpose of this study is to seek industrial players' inputs on fiscal and monetary policies necessary to enhance SME export performance. The authors use survey data from 215 small and medium enterprises having export markets. They report the most essential governmental export support policies from the perspective of the industry players. The study revealed that accessing to financing is the top request to the government. Other policy recommendations are related to market access, human capital development, tax regimes, infrastructure and technology adoption, legal and regulatory environment, and monetary policies. This study gives implications for Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) policymakers and export-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The study contributes to the Malaysian SMEs in relation to inputs to the government to improve their export performance especially using e-commerce.