Production Value Chain Research Articles

Modern Animal Traction to Enhance the Supply Chain of Residual Biomass

Throughout history, the use of animals for agricultural and forestry work has been closely associated with human societies, with multiple references to animal power being utilized for various tasks since the Neolithic period. However, the advent of industrialization has fundamentally transformed the reality of society, leading to a significant shift towards the mechanization of processes. Despite this, animal traction continues to play an important role as a workforce in many developing countries and developed nations, where there is a renewed interest in the use of animal traction, particularly for tasks intended to have a reduced environmental impact and a smaller carbon footprint. The present study conducted a SWOT analysis to examine the potential of animal traction as an alternative for the recovery processes of forest residual woody biomass, particularly when the use of mechanical equipment is not feasible. This can contribute to the creation of value chains for residual products, which can be harnessed for energy recovery. The utilization of modern animal traction can promote the sustainable development of projects at the local and regional level, with efficient utilization of endogenous resources and the creation of value for residual forest woody biomass. This approach can thus facilitate the optimization of supply chains, from biomass to energy.

The Effect of Global Value Chain Participation on Carbon Embodied in Forest Product Exports: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from the Financial Crisis Shock

Abstract Reasonable assessment of the environmental benefits of integrating forest products into global value chains (GVCs) is important to promote sustainable development. Based on the forest product sector data for 41 countries from 2002 to 2014, this paper explores the impact of GVC participation on carbon embodied in exports using the 2008 financial crisis, a quasi-natural experiment of negative global value chain shocks. We found that deepening backward participation in forest product value chains led to more substantial increases in carbon emissions than did forward participation. Countries with large decreases in GVC participation reduced more carbon embodied in forest product exports after the financial crisis (relative to countries with small decreases) through a larger reduction in the scale of forest product exports, and a decrease in the growth rate of capital-intensive products as a result of the relative decline in capital investment. They increased the embodied carbon of exports through a decrease in the growth rate of skilled personnel. Strengthening the technology effect of GVCs with the guidance of skilled forestry personnel is a key way to decrease exported embodied carbon.

Economic complexity of green hydrogen production technologies - a trade data-based analysis of country-specific industrial preconditions

Countries with high energy demand but limited renewable energy potential are planning to meet part of their future energy needs by importing green hydrogen. For potential exporting countries, in addition to sufficient renewable resources, industrial preconditions are also relevant for the successful implementation of green hydrogen production value chains. A list of 36 “Green H2 Products” needed for stand-alone hydrogen production plants was defined and their economic complexity was analyzed using international trade data from 1995 to 2019. These products were found to be comparatively complex to produce and represent an opportunity for countries to enter new areas of the product space through green diversification. Large differences were revealed between countries in terms of industrial preconditions and their evolution over time. A detailed analysis of nine MENA countries showed that Turkey and Tunisia already possess industrial know-how in various green hydrogen technology components and perform only slightly worse than potential European competitors, while Algeria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia score the lowest in terms of calculated hydrogen-related green complexity. These findings are supported by statistical tests showing that countries with a higher share of natural resources rents in their gross domestic product score significantly lower on economic and green complexity. The results thus provide new perspectives for assessing the capabilities of potential hydrogen-producing countries, which may prove useful for policymakers and investors. Simultaneously, this paper contributes to the theory of economic complexity by applying its methods to a new subset of products, and using a dataset with long-term coverage.

70. Environmental Sustainability of Internal Fixation Hardware

PURPOSE: Environmental sustainability has become a critical initiative among several industries, but it is rarely mentioned in healthcare. The environmental footprint of surgical procedures is not only based on the resource utilization of operating rooms, but rather on the entire value chain of intraoperative products utilized. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the corporate environmental responsibility of two leading manufacturers of internal fixation hardware. METHODS: The sustainability practices of two leading internal fixation hardware manufacturers were investigated based on self-reported corporate environmental data. Data were standardized per $1 million USD in revenue. Recent corporate initiatives and their resulting sustainability impact were analyzed over the last six years, specifically within the categories of greenhouse emissions (in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, MTCO2e), water withdrawal (in cubic meters, m3), solid waste (in metric tons), and energy utilization (in gigajoules, GJ). RESULTS: Regarding greenhouse emissions, Company S most recently reported 10.0 MTCO2e per $1M in revenue, while their competitor Company D reported 12.0 MTCO2e per $1M in revenue. Company S recently reduced its carbon footprint at a rate of 1.9 MTCO2e per $1M per year, which has been nearly twice as fast as Company D at 1.0 MTCO2e per $1M per year. Regarding water withdrawal, Company S utilized 5.6 m3 per $1M in revenue, whereas Company D utilized only 1.43 m3 per $1M in revenue. Neither company has made substantial changes to their water withdrawal rates. Regarding solid waste, Company S only produced 0.34 tons of solid waste per $1M in revenue, whereas Company D produced 1.22 tons of solid waste per $1M in revenue. Company D currently recycles an impressive 86.9% of its nonhazardous solid waste. Over the past five years, Company S has diverted 25 million pounds of waste from landfills by reprocessing end of lifecycle products. Regarding energy utilization, Company S utilized 123.2 GJ per $1M in revenue, whereas Company D utilized 155 GJ per $1M in revenue. Both companies have made large strides in their energy reductions, such that Company S has reduced their energy utilization by 2.5 GJ per $1M per year, and Company D has reduced their energy utilization by 7.0 GJ per $1M per year. Company S more than doubled its renewable electric power utilization from 102.7 GJ per year to 241.7 GJ per year. While this is impressive, it still only represents 13.6% of its total purchased energy utilization. CONCLUSION: There are substantial differences in the business practices between internal fixation hardware suppliers. Physician leaders need to begin discussing responsible resource procurement. Future research over the coming months will investigate various other suppliers to analyze the supply chain footprint of each of our procedures, as well as the supply chain footprint of our plastic surgery department overall.

Challenges and opportunities for inclusive value chains of niche forest products in small island developing states: Canarium nuts, sandalwood, and whitewood in Vanuatu

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of nations with unique development challenges, such as skill shortages, lack of economies of scale, high transport and energy costs, poor infrastructure, small domestic markets with a heavy reliance on a few distant external markets, and limited opportunities for private sector growth. A development strategy based on natural resources where local and regional producers can secure some level of intellectual property value has been recommended for Pacific SIDS to break out of commodity and low value-added trade. This paper explores the potential for developing niche forest product value chains that are inclusive of small-scale producers in the island nation of Vanuatu. Using existing academic and grey literature and on- site research for three forest products, the paper describes the current situation with the industry and then proposes inclusive value chains (IVC) that improve on the business-as-usual scenario. Our results indicate that although market analyses confirm the potential for smallholders to benefit from participating in niche product value chains, difficulties inherent in sourcing from smallholders, which are aggravated in SIDS, must first be overcome. Problems such as small production volumes in numerous dispersed plots with difficult access, high transport costs, low technical know-how, difficulties in accessing inputs and finance, unreliability of supply in terms of quality and quantity, and lack of reliable information about the resource base hinder IVC development. Increased vertical and horizontal coordination within the value chains address many of these issues, but in the Pacific context, some forms of coordination may be more feasible than others. The Pacific region does not have a strong cooperative tradition, so temporary horizontal coordination, long-term agreements, and contracts between producers, processors, and buyers may be necessary to make IVCs for niche island products achievable.

The Quest for Regionalization of Global Value Chains in a Pandemic Global Business Environment

Covid - 19 has affected global value chains (GVCs) and firms’ behaviours within GVCs to a large extent. Firms need to find flexible solutions to stabilize production and rethink value chain governance and supplier relationships. Thus, GVCs recover from the initial shock, and the GVCs reconfiguration becomes essential for managers. We reviewed recent literature focusing on the GVCs, the role of governance and Covid – 19 effects on it as well as the regionalization trend. Thus, this study aims to give empirical evidence on the reconfiguration of GVCs, particularly the changes in the structure of suppliers in the global apparel industry, by using the Bloomberg Supply Chain Analysis tool in the period of 2017-2021. We analysed the structural changes in selected leading apparel multinational companies’ GVCs - Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. (Inditex), Hennes &Mauritz AB (H & M) and adidas AG. The findings provide insights on the current state of the theoretically discussed and widely expected regionalization trend in GVCs. The study concludes that two out of three cases provide evidence indicating an ongoing trend toward GVCs regionalization. The contribution of this study consists of empirical evidence of the changes in GVCs supplier structure in the apparel industry in response to pandemic global business environment. Practical implications and recommendations for businesses and policy makers are related to the revealed theories and testable models by using Bloomberg’s Supply Chain Analysis data and linking causes and effects of the GVCs regionalization processes.

Sustainable food packaging: An updated definition following a holistic approach

Food packaging solutions need to be redesigned to be more sustainable, but determining which solution is ‘more optimal’ is a very difficult task when considering the entire food product value chain. Previous papers paved the way toward a sustainable food packaging definition, but it is far from being commonly accepted or well usable in the broad food systems domain, which further results in uninformed choices for sustainable food packaging made by all stakeholders in the value chain: producers, distributors, practitioners and consumers. Therefore, this work aims first at giving a state-of-the-art overview of sustainable food packaging terms (38 similar terms were identified and grouped into four clusters: Sustainable, Circular, Bio and Other sustainable packaging) and definitions using systematic (narrative) review analysis and ‘controlled expert opinion feedback’ methodology. Second, it aims to offer an updated definition for sustainable food packaging, which is also specific to food packaging and be simple, coherent, easily understandable, and communicable to everybody. The applied holistic approach intends to include all aspects of the food-packaging unit, to consider food safety and packaging functionality, while taking into account different disciplines and challenges related to food packaging along the supply chain. Being a balancing act, a sustainable food packaging may not be a perfect solution, but contextual, suboptimal and in need of constant validation.

Research on Global Supply Chain Model of Multinational Corporations Based on Global Production Network Theory--Apple Corporation as an Example

From the 20th century, with the development of manufacturing Industry, the concept of division of labor and globalization had become more and more important, manufacturing companies have formed a global production network based on the division of labor in the product value chain. As a well-known company, Apple has built a global supply chain based on this theoretical foundation, as a result, brought Apple huge commercial profits and increase its proportion in the market share. This paper analyzes how Apple flexibly uses the global production network to reduce its production costs and increase profits, as well as the problems that may appears by using this theory. The analysis show that Apple has become a leading company in the electronic technology industry by maximizing the use of global resources and high-precision production processes and techniques, giving it a discourse power of choosing manufacturers. At the same time, Chinese manufacturers are basically in the middle or lower level of Apple's supply chain, which can be most easily abandoned and replaced.

Marine plastic: The solution is bigger than removal

Despite the increase in the documentation on, and interest in marine debris, there remains a gap between the analytic information available and the recommendations developed by policy and decision makers that could reduce this pollutant. Our paper summarizes some successful initiatives across policy, industry, infrastructure and education; and where they sit in the value chain of plastic products. We suggest that a multidisciplinary approach is required to most effectively address the marine plastic litter problem. This approach should emphasize (1) minimizing plastic production and consumption (where possible), and waste leakage; by (2) improving waste management (taking into consideration the informal sector) rather than focussing on clean-up activities. We then suggest some steps that once addressed would assist policy professionals, and a wide variety of entities and individuals with decision-making to reduce marine plastic litter. We suggest the creation of a user-friendly framework (tool) would facilitate transparency and democratization of the decision-making process across stakeholders and the wider community. This tool would be most useful if it comprised information on (i) defining appropriate metrics for quantifying plastic waste for the study/work case; (ii) providing a list of possible interventions with their key associated enabling and disabling factors, (iii) identifying the main influential factors specific to the situation/region; (iv) recognizing the risks associated with the selected interventions and the consequences of these interventions on the most influential factors; (v) objectively ranking solutions using the information gathered (metrics, targets, risks, factors) based on the regional, national, and/or international context. This tool then provides an opportunity for user groups to explore different suites of options for tackling marine plastic pollution and co-create a suite that is optimum for them.

EARLY STAGE DECISIONS IN MARINE SYSTEMS DESIGN FOR DEEP-SEA MINING

This article studies the prospects for deep seabed mining as a future viable maritime industry, and discuss the commercial, operational, and technical viability of deep seabed mining. By the use of a business development approach originating from the maritime industry, we analyse opportunities for a virtual deep seabed mining project, and identify aspects of stakeholder performance expectations, contextualised by the competitive positioning and identification of related project risks. We discuss strategies and pit-falls when positioning a deep seabed mining venture within the wider mining and metal production value chain, and use a case example in the Northern Atlantic Ocean to study the prospects for a deep seabed mining operation and subsequent system design implications. Furthermore, we contrast to well-established industries like offshore oil and gas, and traditional land-based mining. The study promotes several critical aspects and problem areas when approaching marine systems design for deep seabed mining.

Evaluation of Glyoxal-Based Electrolytes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are among the most promising next generation battery technologies. First prototype cells show higher specific energies than conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and the active material is cost-effective and ubiquitously abundant. However, Li-S batteries still suffer from several limitations, mainly the cycle life, inflation of cells, and also the lack of a component production value chain. As this battery system is based on a complex conversion mechanism, the electrolyte plays a key role, not only for specific energy, but also for rate capability, cycle stability and costs. Herein, we report on electrolytes based on glyoxylic-acetal based solvents, Tetraethoxyglyoxal (TEG) and Tetramethoxyglyoxal (TMG). These solvents have been examined before for supercapacitors and LIBs, but never for LSBs, although they exhibit some beneficial properties, and the production value chain has already been well established as they are precursors for several chemicals. A specially adapted electrolyte composition is established by adjusting solvent ratio and LiTFSI concentration in a TXG:DOL solvent blend. The obtained electrolytes show long cycle life as well as high coulombic efficiencies without the use of LiNO3, a component leading normally to cell inflation and safety issues. In addition, a successful evaluation in a multilayer Li-S-pouch cell was performed. The electrolytes were thoroughly characterized, and their sulfur conversion mechanism is discussed.

Value Chain Analysis of Tomato: A Case Study in Anis District - Dhamar Governorate, Yemen

This study considered an analysis of the value chain of tomato production and its related activities, conducted in Anis district - Dhamar governorate, to carry out a financial analysis of the whole chain in order to assess the added value and the distribution of profit margins between the different actors. This article maps and analyzes the tomato value chain in Anis District . Primary data was collected through a survey method adopting a multistage random sampling technique. The value chain highlighted the involvement of various actors, who directly or indirectly participated in the value chain. The different actors identified in the study area were input suppliers, farmers, traders, wholesalers, retailers and finally consumersThe result revealed that the main actors in the value chain are input suppliers, tomato producers, tomato pickers, small and large traders, processors and consumers. The market share of the producers shows that the producers get the largest share, which is 1350 YER. The main problems facing the tomato value chain are found to be low prices, high perishable nature, lack of access to credit, inadequate storage and processing facilities, lack of market information, and lack of financing for cultivation. While farmers rated low price as the most worrisome constraint, poor transportation facilities for the region producing tomatoes were rated as the most pressing constraint for value chain players.

Evaluating the potential of innovations across aquaculture product value chains for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh and India

Evidence is presented that innovation across aquaculture value chains can contribute to poverty reduction through income generation and increased consumption of nutritious aquatic foods. Innovation is defined and contextualized in relation to aquaculture development. Opportunities for aquaculture innovation across value chains for poverty reduction and sustainable production are described. Contemporary trends in aquaculture development in Bangladesh and India, with a focus on 2011-2020, are reviewed, as understanding transformative change to aquatic food systems during this period could benefit millions of poor and marginal consumers. Market-led commercial production, instigated by private sector entrepreneurs for domestic markets, has underpinned the surge in freshwater fish culture in key geographical locations. In contrast booms in shrimp production have been associated with export opportunities and related cycles of boom-and-bust have been described, with busts attributed to falling market prices and disease outbreaks. Innovation could safeguard supplies of affordable fish to poorer groups (especially young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women) and enable better health management of aquatic animals including coordination of surveillance and disease control measures. Innovation to effectively promote better management practices and integrated services provision to large numbers of small- and medium-scale producers could contribute to poverty reduction. Opportunities for future innovation to ensure that aquaculture development is sustainable are critically reviewed. Innovative strategies to add value to by-products and utilize waste resources could avoid negative environmental impacts, recycle nutrients and create income generating opportunities. A new paradigm for development assistance that identifies and supports promising innovation trajectories across jurisdictions, product value chains, institutional regimes and food systems is needed. Government agencies must be responsive to the needs of businesses throughout aquatic food systems and devise policies and regulatory regimes that support transformative and sustained growth of the aquaculture sector. Investment in capacity-building, education, research and training and action to promote an enabling institutional environment must be regarded as essential elements to maximize and share equitably the benefits arising and avoid potential negative impacts of inappropriate innovations.

Farmers’ constraints to production and post-harvest handling of selected neglected food crops in South-east and South-south Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine constraints to the production and post-harvest handlings of selected neglected food crops (Bambara nuts, Bread fruits and Bush mango) in South-east and South-south Nigeria. Production and post-harvest handling challenges have made some of the indigenous crops that are capable of improving food security in the nation to be neglected and underutilized by the farmers. The specific objectives of the study were to; ascertain the socio-economic characteristics of farmers of selected neglected food crops in the study area; determine the constraints militating against production of selected neglected crops; identify the challenges encounter during post- harvest handling of the selected neglected food crops and identify areas of research needs along production and post-harvest handling value chain of the neglected food crops in the study area. Purposive and snow-ball sampling procedure were used to sample 120 farmers of selected neglected crops in southeast and South-South Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the respondents and analyzed using percentage and mean. The results revealed that the mean age of the respondents in the study area was 43.3 years, majority (42.5%) of the farmers attended primary school. The mean for years of farmer’s farming experience was 13.3years.The production constraints to farmers in the study area were lack of financial support (3.8), lack of improved cultural varieties (3.6),ignorance of the crop nutritional value (3.4) and susceptibility to pests and diseases (3.1) while the constraints to farmers during drying were, rain (75.8%), Animal (29.2%) and dust (75.8%). Majority of the farmers (68.3%) mentioned mold growth on stored crops as a major storage challenge All the farmers (100%) mentioned storage problem as area of research needs, while majority of the farmers (95%) suggested improvement on post-harvest handling on neglected crops in the study area., simple and effective storage and processing innovation should be developed by research institutes and made available in the study area.

Contingent impacts of COVID relief policies under global value chain shortage

AbstractThis paper empirically investigates how governments' COVID‐19 relief policies have affected firms in 14 post‐communist economies under the global value chain shortage between May 2020 and January 2022. We construct a panel dataset with firms that were continuously observed in three rounds of the World Bank's COVID‐19 survey to comprehensively evaluate the dynamic changes in the firms' value chains, production, and finances. We further estimate the determinants of these changes, especially the roles played by the government. We find that under the impact of COVID‐19, (1) reduced production capacity or reduced supply significantly increased the likelihood of reduced production and finances, whereas reduced demand had the opposite impact; (2) receiving support from the government augmented the impacts of affected production capacities and value chains; (3) among firms with restricted capacity or supplies, receiving government support increased the likelihood of reduced production and finances; and (4) among firms with abundant capacity and supplies, receiving government support lowered the likelihood of reduced production and finances. Other variables, such as firms' size, remote workforce, online businesses, and exports, also exhibit significant influences.

Growth Kinetics of Bacteria Isolated from Laboratory Prepared Cheese Made From Different Milk Sources

Background: Dairy food products constitute a major part of our routine diets and it is fundamental to the food industry globally. However, the need for quality control cannot be over-emphasized. A microbiological guideline must be used to define the differences between unacceptable and acceptable food products as food-borne related diseases have been associated with milk and dairy products. Aim of Study: The study aims to evaluate the growth kinetics of cheese prepared in the laboratory from different milk types over a 96 hour period in order to determine its bacteriological quality and assess the effect of storage time on the pH of the various cheeses. Methods: The laboratory cheese was prepared from fresh Goat, cow, sheep and soybeans using the traditional method. Thereafter, 10g of the cheese samples were stored in sterile 250 ml conical flasks at temperature of 28±2 oC for duration of 96 h. The samples were analyzed every 12-24 h interval using Nutrient Agar, MacConkey Agar, Mannitol Salt Agar and De Mann Rogosa and Sharpe Agar for their bacterial, coliform, staphylococcal and lactobacilli load respectively. Results: At 96 h the highest heterotrophic bacterial load, coliform, staphylococcal and lactic acid bacteria counts were observed in sheep milk cheese (8.27 ± 0.02 Log10cfu/g), (7.10 ± 0.33 Log10cfu/g), (7.40 ± 0.34 Log10cfu/g) and cow milk cheese (8.19 ± 0.05 Log10cfu/g) respectively. At 0 h the highest pH was recorded in Soybean milk cheese (5.76±0.01) while the least was cow milk cheese (4.97±0.11). The highest pH at 96 h was Soybean milk cheese (6.96±0.01) while the least pH was recorded in sheep milk cheese (6.12±0.00). Comparing results of this present study with that of the European Union microbiological regulations (EUMR) and the Gulf Standards Organization (GSO) for foods, the bacteria load of all cheese samples at 12 h was within the acceptable or permissible limit. Conclusion: The present study indicates that laboratory prepared cheese contains a repertoire of significant public health microorganisms in numbers above the permissible limit. It is recommended that appropriate aseptic procedures should be strictly upheld by dairy handlers across the entire chess production value chain.

Production Value Chain Model for Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Abstract In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, manufacturing firms face more competitive environments, rapidly changing information and communication technologies (ICTs), and customers’ preferences than ever before. This paper analyzes relevant literature and proposes a systemic customer-centric knowledge-based production value chain (KPVC) to leverage distinctive core competencies (DCCs) and create sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in manufacturing contexts. The paper introduces an integrative customer-centric KPVC model that enables companies to respond to environmental drivers, leverage DCCs, and create SCA. It adopts an exploratory approach to developing a unified and inherently interdisciplinary model based on a review of relevant scholarly literature. The KPVC integrated model comprises production value chain (PVC), knowledge management (KM) processes, and business process re-engineering (BPR) enabling activities. A successful move to KPVC requires a fully integrated and automated system allowing firms to define, track, and manage their work processes. Effective KPVC is a principal approach for leveraging DCCs in the quest for achieving SCA in today’s competitive business world and generating better values for customers and companies.

Strategies for maximizing the gastronomic value of the chinampero products from Xomichilco area in Mexico city. Experiences from a Higher Education Institution

The aim of this article is to analyze the strategies that have been applied by a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to value the chinampero products within the gastronomic scene of Mexico City, in order to show its role as a key actor within the value chain of local-growth products, and the effects it has in the food system of Mexico City. Through a qualitative approach structured under a retrospective analysis of a series of strategies related to the mis-en-scene of chinampero products within the gastronomic arena, this study seeks to explain how a university can be observed as an agent of legitimization for the value of products and practices related to a specific way of production, through the recognition of different organoleptic attributes of its products, and the study of new food representations around social, environmental and cultural value associated with them. Thus, this study highlights the importance of the HEI, and especially those that are more intensely dedicated to food and/or gastronomic studies, to include concern for and promotion of food systems in their fields of both research and social action of the territories they are part of.

Can Industry Counteract the Ecological Crisis? An Approach for the Development of a New Circular Bioeconomic Model Based on Biocomposite Materials

The ecological crisis we are facing, in addition to depleting non-renewable raw materials, has driven the emergence of biocomposite (BC) materials as a sustainable alternative that can create new opportunities for industrial product design and development. The use of biological resources in economic processes, as the bioeconomic (BE) model proposes, can lead to a transformation from the traditional linear extractive production logic to a new productive paradigm. This paper analyses technical and scientific information on the valorisation of agri-food waste to which innovative and efficient techniques and technologies have been applied, resulting in natural resource use in new products. Our review aims to explore and assess the production, development and industrial exploitation of renewable biological resources as a way to bridge the transition from the linear economic model to a circular bioeconomy (CBE) paradigm shift. For a detailed exploration and assessment of the research problem, this paper presents a comparative study between two paradigmatic projects organised and financed by different R&D programmes of the European Union (EU). We identify the agents and strategies of a potential BC innovation system, and we propose a conceptual model for the creation of an innovative and alternative industrial-scale productive value chain to replace petrochemical-based composite materials with BC and establish a new paradigm of production and consumption.

An analysis of the broiler value chain and economics of broiler production in Senegal: status quo after two decades of import restrictions

PurposeThis study analyzed the state of broiler production in Senegal after nearly two decades of poultry import restrictions. It provides a synopsis of the Senegalese broiler value chain and evaluates the performance and economics of different broiler farm types.Design/methodology/approachA multi-stakeholder workshop and interviews were conducted with key informants to investigate the structure and activities of the Senegalese broiler value chain. The typical farm approach (TFA) was used to construct and analyze “typical” farms that represent the most common broiler production systems in Senegal.FindingsThe current situation in the Senegalese broiler value chain is favorable for hatcheries, feed mills, producers and poultry traders. However, the slaughterhouses are not faring well. The farm economic analysis demonstrates that typical medium-scale broiler farms are performing well, due to the use of high-quality feed, chicks and good husbandry. Additionally, the analysis revealed that feed and day-old chick (DOC) costs are the most significant in conventional broiler production in Senegal. Despite the high costs of feed and DOCs, broiler production is profitable for typical farms.Research limitations/implicationsAthough this study provides detailed insights into broiler farm economics in Senegal, it does not include typical integrated large-scale broiler farm-types. Based on our findings, we can predict that such farm types may be more efficient and have lower production costs due to the use of high-quality inputs (chicks and feed), and economies of scale. However, future studies will need to verify this prediction.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, only a few unpublished studies on broiler farm economics in Senegal exist. These studies only provide a basic analysis of the cost of production and profitability, with little consideration of various production systems. Contrastingly, this study provides a detailed economic analysis of different types of conventional broiler farms in key production regions.