Poor Smallholder Research Articles

Assessment of livestock husbandry practices and production constraints among smallholder mixed crop-livestock production systems in the Majang zone, southwest Ethiopia

Livestock production plays a significant role in improving the livelihoods of poor smallholder farmer households in the Majang zone. However, despite its importance, there is limited information on husbandry practices and constraints on livestock production to design and implement effective interventions to maximize productivity. The aim of this study was to assess husbandry practices and major constraints on livestock production in the Majang zone, southwest Ethiopia. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 168 households (HHs) through a face-to-face interview from January to May 2021. The results revealed that mixed crop-livestock farming is the dominant livestock production system in the study area. The overall average herd size per household (HH) was 2.15 ± 0.11 cattle, 0.15 ± 0.01 sheep, 0.31 ± 0.09 goats, 0.10 ± 0.02 donkey, 0.04 ± 0.00 mule, 0.13 ± 0.02 horses and 0.24 ± 0.02 chickens. Overall herd size did not differ significantly by AEZ except for sheep (p < 0.05). The primary reason for keeping cattle, goats, sheep, equines and poultry were milk production (27.4 %), meat for home consumption (33.9 %), cash income (33.3 %), transportation (85.1 %), and meat for home consumption (72 %), respectively. In the dry and wet seasons, natural pasture, crop residues, indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTSs), nonconventional feed resources (NCFRs), crop stubbles and improved forages were the main livestock feed resources. The majority (60.1 %) of respondents practiced free-grazing systems. Separate sheds, family dwellings, kraals, and open-walled sheds were the main housing systems used for animals. The majority (79.2 %) of respondents used rivers as a source of livestock drinking water. Trypanosomiasis (18.45 %), African horse sickness (66.1 %) and Newcastle disease (47.02 %) were the most important diseases of livestock. Diseases (35.7 %), lack of access to artificial insemination (35.7 %) and inadequate veterinary services (11.3 %) were identified as the top three constraints limiting production. It is recommended that constraints identified by farmers should be considered in developing and implementing effective interventions to improve livestock productivity and their contribution to poverty alleviation in the study area.

POVERTY STATUS AND PRODUCTIVITY AMONG SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMERS IN IKOT EKPENE AGRICULTURAL ZONE, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

This study analyzed the Poverty status and productivity of smallholder rice farmers in Akwa Ibom State. The data were collected from 80 smallholder rice farmers in Ikot Ekpene Agricultural Zone of Akwa Ibom State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, FGT poverty index, TFP index, and the ordinary least squares model. The findings indicated a high poverty incidence of 61.4% in the study area. The study further revealed that the total factor productivity estimates of the smallholder rice farmers peaked among the non-poor category with average TFP index of 3.3, but lesser in the poor category with an average TFP index of 2.3. Education (0.159), experience (0.023), farm size (2.779), quantity of seeds (0.263) and pests and diseases (0.818) significantly affected TFP of smallholder rice farmers in both categories. it is recommended that, financial and other credit facilities should be made accessible and affordable to the rice farmers in the study area to reduce poverty and increase productivity. Again, the productivity index was higher among the non-poor category than the poor and pooled category. As such various productivity parameters such as improved varieties, incentives and subsidies should be made available to the poor smallholder rice farmers so as to push them above the poverty line.

Hybrid Bt cotton is failing in India: cautions for Africa

This paper reviews the ongoing failure of hybrid transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton unique to India. The underlying cause for this failure is the high cost of hybrid seed that imposes a suboptimal long-season low plant density system that limits yield potential and has associated elevated levels of late-season pests. Indian hybrid Bt cotton production is further complicated by the development of resistance to Bt toxins in the key pest, the native pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders, PBW), resulting in increased insecticide use that induces ecological disruption and outbreaks of highly destructive secondary pests. Rainfed cotton production uncertainty is further exacerbated by the variable monsoon rains. While hybrid cotton produces fertile seed, the resulting plant phenotypes are highly variable preventing farmers from replanting saved seed, forcing them to buy seed yearly (i.e., market capture), and effectively protecting industry Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The lessons gained from the ongoing market failure of hybrid Bt cotton in India are of utmost importance to its proposed introduction to Africa where, similar to India, cotton is grown mainly in poor rainfed smallholder family farms, and hence similar private–corporate conflicts of interest will occur. Holistic field agroecological studies and weather-driven mechanistic analyses are suggested to help foresee ecological and economic challenges in cotton production in Africa.High-density short-season (HD-SS) non-hybrid non-genetically modified irrigated and rainfed cottons are viable alternatives for India that can potentially produce double the yields of the current low-density hybrid system.

Does bundling credit with index insurance boost agricultural technology adoption? Evidence from Ghana

AbstractThe adoption of advanced agricultural technologies in Sub‐Saharan Africa remains disappointingly low, particularly among the millions of poor smallholders who account for most of the agricultural production. We conducted a randomized control trial in Ghana to assess the impact of easing drought‐risk constraints in the agricultural credit market, by bundling joint liability agricultural loans with index insurance, on smallholder farmers’ agricultural technology adoption decisions. In the micro‐insurance treatment, any index insurance payouts go directly to farmers, while in the meso‐insurance treatment, payouts are issued to banks to be used to expunge farmers’ debts. We find evidence that bundling joint liability lending with micro‐insurance increases adoption of fertilizer.

Is policy convergence required to improve women’s empowerment in agriculture? Evidence from West Bengal

ABSTRACT Farmers’ use of agricultural technology is necessary for reducing poverty. However, women make up most poor smallholder farmers in India and are generally unable to access relevant opportunities. Tandem to supporting women farmers in technology adoption is increasing their empowerment. While women’s empowerment has been on policy agendas in India for several years, progress has been slow and results are mixed. Using primary data from West Bengal, this study finds that female farmers with access to agricultural technologies will likely have social advantages over those without, but institutional and social support is necessary to facilitate real empowerment and overall development.

The contribution of goats in the future redesigning of livestock activities and value chains

While the evolution of goat farming around the world has been in line with the prospects set out in the early 2000s, we explore how environmental, social and climate change issues could reconfigure goat activities for the next decades. Our starting point is that the need to reduce their environmental footprint and their greenhouse gas emissions, will deeply affect all farming activities. Driven by the growing demand for goat milk products, the goat industry has continued to develop dairy production and its intensification in Europe but also on other continents either for niche markets or in emerging countries like China and India. One main characteristic of goats and in particular of local breeds is to be very resilient and adaptable to climatic stresses. In addition, they have the ability to make use of irregular and low quality fodder resources such as those of the large areas of often-abandoned scrublands in the Mediterranean pastoral areas and elsewhere. Most of the goats are today, more and more kept by poor small holders from Africa, Asia or America. We characterize the contribution of goat farming to climate change compared to other species and analyze its prospects for mitigating its impact. For this industry, the mitigation perspectives of environmental impacts of goats could be important by the implementation of Precision Livestock farming (PLF). The designing of new production models to increase the valuation and manage these spontaneous fodder resources while improving the performance of goats from an agro-ecological perspective constitutes a major challenge for the future of goat farming and invites us rethink more generally the relationship between people and their resources.

Whose Carbon Capture? A Bit of Good News

Global policy, policy makers and government representatives in the OECD countries routinely ignore the potential role to be played by carbon sequestration from crop waste biochar made by poor smallholders in the developing world. This paper argues that this is a mistake and makes the case for the design, development and distribution of low-cost, low-tech biochar making equipment to the world’s poorest farmers living on small farms and possessing only widely and thinly spread biomass resources on rough terrain. It argues that paying attention to the crop wastes of poor farmers can reduce GHG and PM2.5 emissions considerably and contends that the private motivations that underpin this approach can replace the talk of large-scale social behavior change with a self-replicating system built on farmers’ envy.

A behavioural livelihoods approach to address psychosocial constraints to empowerment

AbstractLittle is known about psychosocial or ‘internal’ behaviours that can perpetuate chronic poverty and how to alleviate them in development programmes. This paper presents a conceptual and evaluation framework examining the relationship between a person's psychosocial behaviours, empowerment and economic wellbeing. The framework shows empowerment is enabled or limited by internal behaviours – including one's identity, aspiration, hope and confidence. We tested the framework on a behaviour change intervention among 1508 extremely poor smallholder farmers in Zambia. The intervention was a six‐session curriculum for promoting positive mindsets using faith‐based messages. We used concurrent mixed methods to examine changes and differences in levels of empowerment for individuals exposed to the intervention and those not. We found significant correlations between participation in the intervention and improvements in participants' internal attitudes and overall empowerment. The framework and mixed methods evaluation offer insights into how to design programmes to address internal constraints to empowerment.

English

The high diversity in pineapple fields and farmers provide huge challenges in farm management in already dwindling pineapple production sector in the center region of Cameroon. A first step to overcome these production challenges is to manage the afore-mentioned diversity to a reasonable level without loss of detail and specific management interventions for each category or typology proposed. Field surveys were conducted in two pineapple producing areas in the center region of Cameroon (Awae and Bokito), with a view to collect data on pineapple farms and producers. Data collected was later subjected to multivariate analysis. 67% of farms variability was captured within 02 components: Investment, plant density, soil fertility, and input factors. Cluster analysis captured 03 pineapple farming systems typologies: (1) subsistence poor resource smallholder farmers; (2) market oriented, low to medium resource farmers; and (3) market oriented, high resource large-scale farmers, representing 62.1, 32.1 and 5.8%, respectively of farms. The unexplained 33% of variability between farms was attributed to biophysical characteristics of pineapple producing area. Pineapple production in the center region of Cameroon demonstrates enormous potential for improvement. Understanding these bio-physical production potential is a satisfactory approach for pineapple production intensification. Key words: Farming system, smallholder farmers, typology, pineapple.

Medical emergencies and farm productivity in Côte d'Ivoire

AbstractThe lack of health insurance for smallholder farmers in most sub‐Saharan African countries hurts the families and can also negatively affect agriculture production, exports, and tax revenues. This paper analyzes the linkage between medical emergencies and agriculture exports and the corresponding tax revenues for smallholder farmers in Côte d'Ivoire. It uses two complementary datasets: the 2016 Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) smallholder survey and the 2015 Côte d'Ivoire living standard survey. The paper finds that a medical emergency is negatively and significantly associated with a decrease in the likelihood that a smallholder farmer cultivates cocoa of 3.9 percentage points, driving them into poverty and reducing productivity at the lower quantiles. The paper then estimates that medical emergencies can be correlated with the decline in cocoa exports of $853 million and in tax revenues of $125 million, representing 0.2% of the Ivorian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017.

Clusters of Agrocredit Suppliers in Tanzania and their Associated Transaction Costs: A Scholarly Personal Narrative

This paper blends the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) with desk reviews of selected literature on the key concepts and their applications in understanding the key features of agrocredit supply in rural areas. The findings of this exploratory study indicate that the informality of agrocredit supply is associated with low transaction cost, low levels of credit and low levels of repayment rates. It is also noted that the formalised and regulated suppliers are more associated with higher levels of transaction cost with relatively higher levels of repayment. Transaction costs related to searching for potential borrowers, negotiation and enforcement are higher for most regulated suppliers because they involve third parties. Where the transaction involves small volumes of agrocredit, the transaction cost increases due to supplier’s compliance to legal formalisation and licensing. In-kind agrocredit supply models are recommended to be the most plausible models for resource poor smallholder farmers due to the fact that in-kind credit is not agile and that it can be used on intended cause. It is also recommended that in order to reduce transaction cost, agrocredit suppliers of in-kind agrocredit should deal with the farmer groups or primary cooperatives which act on behalf of member farmers.

Environmental and socio-economic benefits of a circular economy for bioethanol production in the northern part of Ghana

Sweet sorghum grains (SSG) cultivation are the primary source of income and subsistence for approximately 80% of poor smallholder farmers in the northern part of Ghana. Regrettably, sorghum prices in rural markets are constantly falling, resulting in a small income for smallholder farmers and a negative impact on their socioeconomic lives. This study presents a shift towards a circular sweet sorghum supply chain in the northern part of Ghana through bioethanol production from excess sweet sorghum. The study looks at using excess red and white sweet sorghum grains (RSG and WSG) grown in northern Ghana to produce bioethanol. The SSG was pre-treated and fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast to produce 87.6 g/L and 84.24 g/L of WSG and RSG bioethanol, respectively. This was equivalent to an estimated yield of 91.57% (WSG) and 89.24% (RSG). Likewise, the bioethanol volumetric production of SSG was between 3.50 g/h·L and 3.70 g/h·L, indicating that its production was efficient after 24 h of fermentation. The fuel properties of the bioethanol were also found to be acceptable for commercial use in bioethanol cookstoves, reducing the reliance on firewood in the northern part of Ghana. A sweet sorghum supply chain based on two different models was developed and could be implemented in the northern sector to benefit smallholder farmers and to save the environment.

Use of inorganic fertilizer on climate-smart crops improves smallholder farmers' livelihoods: Evidence from Western Kenya

The main challenges facing smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are soil fertility decline and climate change, culminating in increased food insecurity. The double effect of climate change and soil fertility decline could be devastating among the poor rural smallholder farmers, who solely depend on rain-fed agriculture with little investment in adaptive mechanisms. Using inorganic fertilizers and careful selection of climate-resilient crops such as sorghum could improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through improved soil health and crop yields. However, information on the effects of inorganic fertilizer on sorghum production remains uncertain, especially in SSA. We evaluated the effects of inorganic fertilizers on sorghum yields among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional survey and collected data from 300 smallholder sorghum farmers. We employed a multi-stage sampling procedure to collect data from the specific smallholder farmers from the target population. We employed endogenous switching regression (ESR) modeling to control observed and unobserved bias in predicting the effects of inorganic fertilizer use on productivity. Smallholder farmers applied a limited amount of inorganic fertilizer. We established that hired labor, agricultural training, and farmers' perception of soil erosion were significant positive determinants of inorganic fertilizer use. Location and access to weather forecast information were key negative determinants of inorganic fertilizer use. The use of inorganic fertilizer increased crop yields by 14%. The findings suggested that inorganic amendments could promote food security and improve purchasing power, thus enhancing smallholder farmers' capacity to cope with declining soil fertility and climate change-related challenges. Therefore, agricultural policies targeting improved productivity of smallholder sorghum farmers could enhance inorganic fertilizer use while considering the determinants.

Livelihood Vulnerability Index: An Approach to Assess Vulnerability of Crop Farmers to Climate Variability and Change in Ghana

Climate change has emerged as a global concern, especially its negative impacts on agriculture, particularly amongst poor subsistence and smallholder farmers because of the sector’s dependency on rainfall. The impacts of climate change and climate related extreme events may vary among farmers within the same locality based on the interplay of factors such as differences in households’ socio-demographic and economic characteristics. The extent of the impacts of climate change depends on the capacity of farmers and appropriateness of the adaptation measures undertaken to mitigate such impacts. This study adopts the Livelihood Vulnerability Index to assess the vulnerability of the two districts (Atwima Mponua and Ejura-Sekyeredumase) in different agro-ecological zones (Semi-Deciduous Forest and Transition Zone respectively). The study used household questionnaires to collect primary data from150 farming households from each district as well as using secondary data on rainfall and temperature from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index was used to assess the vulnerability of the two districts. The overall LVI indicates that Ejura-Sekyeredumase District may be more vulnerable to climate change impacts than Atwima Mponua District. The vulnerability triangle indicates that Ejura-Sekyeredumase District is more sensitive to climate change and variability impacts than Atwima Mponua District. Although Atwima Mponua District may have a higher adaptive capacity than Ejura-Sekyeredumase District, the difference is relatively small. The study found that while it is important to have generic policies that address the main agricultural issues in Ghana, development and implementation of region-specific adaptation policy is crucially important. Keywords: Climate variability and change, Livelihood Vulnerability Index, exposure, sensitivity, adaptative capacity DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-1-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

Overcoming digital poverty traps in rural Asia

AbstractThe rapid spread of information and communication technology (ICT) in Asia offers the promise of a “digital revolution” for agriculture. But realizing such gains will depend on overcoming digital poverty traps, whereby significant numbers of poor smallholders inhabiting remote regions are unable to take advantage of the benefits of ICT for agriculture and thus remain mired in poverty. This phenomenon is illustrated in a model of a poor household located in a remote region that cannot accumulate sufficient ICT skills. To avoid such outcomes, policies need to be targeted at both the lack of access by smallholders to ICT for farming and their insufficient skills to use the new technologies. Increased public investments to extend “last‐mile infrastructure” in digital services are necessary but not sufficient. Complementary investments in developing rural infrastructure, appropriate ICT business models and services, and improvement of the digital literacy of smallholders are also essential.

A Review of Sustainable Agroforestry Practices as Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation Strategy in Nigeria

Agroforestry is one of the most conspicuous land use systems across landscapes and agroecological zones in Nigeria. With food shortages and increased threats of climate change, interest in agroforestry is gathering for its potential to address various on-farm adaptation needs, and fulfill many roles in mitigation pathways. Agroforestry provides assets and income from carbon, wood energy, improved soil fertility and enhancement of local climate conditions; it provides ecosystem services and reduces human impacts on natural forests. Most of these benefits have direct benefits for local adaptation while contributing to global efforts to control atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. This paper presents recent findings on how agroforestry as a sustainable practice helps to achieve both mitigation and adaptation objectives while remaining relevant to the livelihoods of the poor smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Keywords: Review, sustainable, Mitigation, adaptation, climate change, strategy, Nigeria DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-12-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Genetic survey in smallholder dairy production system of Southern province of Zambia.

Milk production among the smallholder dairy farmers in Zambia is reported to be low despite improvements in milk collection infrastructure and unmet demand by the populace. This study was conducted to characterize cattle breeds and the breeding strategies of the smallholder dairy production system in the Southern province of Zambia. The study was conducted using questionnaires to obtain responses from identified respondents in six districts considered the main dairy cattle producing areas. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered and available for descriptive statistical analysis. The cattle genetic groups included local (Tonga and Angoni) breeds and their crosses (40.0%); beef (Boran and Brahman) breeds and their crosses (23.3%); Friesian breed and its crosses (28.8%); Jersey breed and its crosses (4.9%); and Fleckvieh breed (3.0%). Calving rate was found to be to be between 36% and 50% for the dairy herds. Compared to the other genetic groups, it was noted that Friesian and its crosses had higher milk production (3.55 L vs. 1.4L). The low milk yield reported could be attributed to the period of study, which coincided with the long dry season between April and October. The Friesian and its crosses recorded earlier age at first calving (2.65 vs. 2.8 years), shorter longevity (10.5 vs. 12.25 years), and shorter lactation length (7.5 vs. 9.25 months). Jersey and its crosses, on the other hand, had an above average performance for all indices of economic importance such as milk production, lactation length, age at first calving, longevity, and number of calves produced. The results indicated natural mating was practised by 85% of the farmers. Farmer-preferred traits include size and conformation (23%); performance and colour (16% and 15%, respectively) in the choice of a bull. Selection by farmers were thus based on simple observation without pedigree or performance-based genetic evaluation. It was apparent that the smallholder dairy production system is in a shifting trend to transform the mainly local and beef breed animals into dairy herds through crossing with exotic dairy breeds. The production system is, however, faced with the challenges of water and feed supply to meet nutritional requirements, and high disease burden. Jersey breed was found to be a logical choice for the resource poor smallholder dairy farmers. The development and management of the smallholder dairy breeding schemes should be all-inclusive and directed at the prevalent production systems with the aim of also improving the feeding and management practices.

Mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity using GIS-based indicators: A case of Western Kenya

Food insecurity elimination is a major focus of the Sustainable Development Goals and addresses one of the most pressing needs in developing countries. With the increasing incidence of food insecurity, poverty, and inequalities, there is a need for realignment of agriculture that aims to empower especially the rural poor smallholders by increasing productivity to improving food security conditions. Repositioning the agricultural sector should avoid general statements about production improvement, instead, it should tailor to location-specific recommendations that fully acknowledge the local spatial diversity of the natural resource base that largely determines production potentials under current low input agriculture. This paper aims to deconstruct the complex and multidimensional aspect of food insecurity and provides policymakers with an approach for mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity. Using a set of GIS-based indicators, and a small-area approach, we combine Principal Component Analysis and GIS spatial analysis to construct one composite index and four individual indices based on the four dimensions of food security (access, availability, stability, and utilization) to map the spatial dimension of food insecurity in Vihiga County, Kenya. Data were collected by the use of a geocoded household survey questionnaire. The results reveal the existence of a clear and profound spatial disparity of food insecurity. Mapping food insecurity using individual dimension indices provides a more detailed picture of food insecurity as compared to the single composite index. Spatially disaggregated data, a small area approach, and GIS-based indicators prove valuable for mapping local-level causative factors of household food insecurity. Effective policy approaches to combat food insecurity inequalities should integrate spatially targeted interventions for each dimension of food insecurity.

Pigs as a shortcut to money? Social traps in smallholder pig production in northern Uganda

Recent decades have seen a growing market for pork in Uganda. The government and donors have promoted pig rearing as a potential route out of poverty for poor smallholders. The idea is that upscaling and commercialisation of smallholder pig production can be a successful way out of poverty. Drawing on the concepts of trust and social traps, this article describes how pig production fails as a pathway out of poverty in post-conflict communities in northern Uganda due to tensions created by the focus on individual wealth creation. Results from ethnographic fieldwork reveal that there is a strong moral obligation in the studied communities for individuals who fare better to contribute to the community and share their wealth. Social tensions remaining from the period of conflict are stoked by the focus on individual wealth creation in pig production, resulting in acts of harming, stealing and killing other people's pigs. Locally these acts are said to be caused by “jealousy”, which for many smallholders is a more significant problem than disease in pig production. The findings suggest that poverty reduction measures would be more successful if they focused on distributed approaches aimed at raising the general level of welfare in communities and supporting the collective rather than the individual.

Partnerships Blending Institutional Logics for Inclusive Global and Regional Food Value Chains in Ghana; with What Smallholder Effect?

We witness a promotion of hybrid partnerships, where actors with different competences and resources collaborate for smallholder inclusive value chain development. To better understand the functioning of these partnerships, we used institutional theory and studied the context of a global and emerging regional food value chains in Ghana, the blending of logics by key actors in Innovation Platforms and Public Private Partnerships, and their effect on value chain relations of smallholder farmers. In the global value chain of cocoa, partnerships adhered to ‘green revolution’ and ‘free-market’ logics, and provided all farmers material support. In the more informally organised regional food sector, local executing partners selectively coupled their logics with those of poor smallholders, who rely on low-input agriculture and solidarity logics to make ends meet. This improved the position and transaction costs of smallholders to participate in the value chain. Hence, it is more likely for partnerships to create smallholder inclusive governance in informally organised regional food value chains, than highly structured global value chains controlled by international buyers. To gain insight in the variety of political effects this triggers in different social–historical shaped farmer communities, households and actors, we recommend complementary local research from a critical institutional perspective.