Abstract
The aim of the study was deepening the knowledge of livestock innovations knowledge on small-scale farms in developing countries. First, we developed a methodology focused on identifying potential appropriate livestock innovations for smallholders and grouped them in innovation areas, defined as a set of well-organized practices with a business purpose. Finally, a process management program (PMP) was evaluated according to the livestock innovation level and viability of the small-scale farms. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of PMP on the economic viability of the farm. Information from 1650 small-scale livestock farms in Mexico was collected and the innovations were grouped in five innovation areas: A1. Management, A2. Feeding, A3. Genetic, A4. Reproduction and A5. Animal Health. The resulting innovation level in the system was low at 45.7% and heterogeneous among areas. This study shows the usefulness of the methodology described and confirms that implementing a PMP allows improving the viability an additional 21%, due to a better integration of processes, resulting in more efficient management.
Highlights
Small-scale farms represent 19% and 12% of the world’s production of meat and milk, respectively
The GGAVATT model is based on training farmers in organizational routines and it has use in the decision-making oriented to management, animal feeding, genetics, reproductive planning, health programs, milk quality, etc
The dependent variable, viability, is dichotomic (1/0) and it represents the viability of farms; the independent variable is whether the process management program (PMP) is implemented or not
Summary
Small-scale farms represent 19% and 12% of the world’s production of meat and milk, respectively. The dual-purpose (DP) bovine farms in the tropical region in Latin America constitute key organizational mechanisms in terms of security, supply, access and stability of food [1] These smallholders live on the threshold of poverty and marginalization, within very fragile ecological systems, with great potential for mitigating emissions of greenhouse gasses as a consequence of their low dependency on external inputs. The use and adoption of innovation are the result of knowing the objectives of the farms, the agroecosystems’ limits and the synergies between different activities [4,21] In this way, [2] indicate the importance of deepening the knowledge of objectives, potentials, limitations and “right of being” of the farms. The impact of innovations on the farm’s performance will be evaluated
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