Research Articles (Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/1745

This collection contains some of the full text peer-reviewed/ refereed articles published by researchers from the Department of Agricultural Economics Extension and Rural Development

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 504

Farmers’ willingness to adopt precision agricultural technologies to reduce mycotoxin contamination in grain : evidence from grain farmers in Spain and Lithuania
(Springer, 2024-10) Owusu-Sekyere, Enoch; Hatab, Assem Abu; Lagerkvist, Carl‑Johan; Perez‑Ruiz, Manuel; Sarauskis, Egidijus; Kriauciuniene, Zita; Almoujahed, Muhammad Baraa; Apolo‑Apolo, Orly Enrique; Mouazen, Abdul Mounem; Carl‑Johan
PURPOSE : This study examines the willingness of Spanish and Lithuanian grain farmers to adopt a combined approach of preventive site-specific spraying (PSSS) and selective harvesting (SH), two precision agricultural technologies (below referred to as PSSS-SH) aimed at mitigating the risk of mycotoxin contamination in barley and wheat. METHODS : Data were collected from 190 commercial grain farmers using a choice experimental survey. The empirical analysis relied on the estimation of mixed logit and integrated latent class models. RESULTS: The surveyed farmers were heterogeneous in their preference for the PSSS-SH technology, with a majority (81%) reporting that they were willing to adopt and pay for the PSSS-SH technology. Furthermore, the farmers’ willingness to adopt PSSS-SH technology was influenced by the trade-offs between the potential production, economic and environmental changes. CONCLUSION : Profit maximization is not the only motivation for a farmer’s decision to adopt PSSS-SH, there are also important non-financial benefits that align with the observed choices. Furthermore, the perceived usefulness of the technology, the willingness and readiness to use the technology, and the farmer characteristics (e.g. cooperative membership, employment status, share of household income from grain production and past experience with precision farming technology) were positively associated with uptake of the PSSS-SH technology. Therefore, extension programmes should have a special focus on the perceived usefulness of the technology, the willingness and readiness of farmers to use it, and its unique characteristics.
Role of exposure in adoption and intensity of tree planting practices among smallholder households in Rwanda
(Springer, 2025-05) Kegode, Hilda; Jourdain, Damien; Woldeyohanes, Tesfaye; Hughes, Karl; Karuaihe, Selma Tuemumunu; u20487623@tuks.co.za
Agroforestry, widely promoted across Sub-Saharan Africa to restore degraded landscapes and improve livelihoods, has the potential to positively impact Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG15 (life on land) and contribute towards the achievement of SDG2 (food security) and other SDGs. However, despite substantial investment in agroforestry programs, evidence of program effectiveness in enhancing adoption is inadequate. This paper employed the augmented inverse probability weighting method to analyze the impact of exposure to agroforestry practices on the adoption and intensity of tree planting using panel household data from Eastern Rwanda. The findings show that exposure increased the probability of adoption by 7% (p = 0.03). A higher probability of adoption (15%, p = 0.01) was observed in households that were exposed both before and after the baseline period, suggesting cumulative effects of exposure over time. Exposure modestly enhanced the diversity of trees and the number of trees in cropping fields, but farmers tended to adopt more exotic than indigenous species. A higher probability of adoption and higher tree numbers were observed when male household members were exposed, and seedling provision enhanced tree numbers and species among adopters. Our findings underscore the need for continuous engagement of farmers and targeted gender-sensitive interventions. We also recommend a more structured approach to training and information dissemination, and a focus seedling availability and a suitable policy environment.
Constraints to the value chain activities of bambara groundnut, cowpeas and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes in Mpumalanga, South Africa
(African Scholarly Science Communications Trust, 2025-04) Oloyede, Waliyat O.; Jordaan, D.; u16273720@tuks.co.za
There is a renewed interest in integrating underutilized crops (UC) into the food market to ensure access to nutritious and affordable food. Underutilized crop species are still recognized in the local, national and international communities. Still, they are out of reach due to challenges facing the value chain activities of the crops. Current research in South Africa has mainly been at the production level with limited focus on constraints to the value chain activities of underutilized crops. There is enough literature on the qualitative perceptions of the challenges along the value chain activities of underutilized crops. The quantitative understanding of challenges facing value chain activities of underutilized crops in South Africa remains unknown. This study analysed the constraints to value chain activities of underutilized crops (Bambara groundnut, cowpeas and Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP)) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. One hundred and fifteen (115) value chain actors were selected for the study using the snowballing technique. The study employed the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify important constraints facing the value chain activities of the selected underutilized crops. The PCA results revealed that the most critical constraints to Bambara groundnut, cowpeas and OFSP production were low-quality inputs, storage facilities and adverse weather conditions. The PCA results showed that farmers' most important constraints to UC marketing were poor storage and processing techniques, high cost of processing, high cost of transportation and lack of contractual agreement. The PCA results for constraints to Bambara groundnut, cowpeas and OFSP marketing by traders were improper stall structures, lack of vehicular access to the market, poor marketing channels and irregular/insufficient crop produce. These constraints were evident in the fragmented nature of the selected underutilized crop value chain activities. The absence of other actors like processors and distributors made the constraints obvious, and there is a need for all relevant stakeholders to address these barriers to the value chain activities of the underutilized crops. District, provincial and national governments should invest in raising awareness and promoting the usage of underutilized crops to address food insecurity in the country. Farmers and other value chain actors are encouraged to form cooperatives to strengthen their bargaining power, enhance access to credit and improve their influence on government policies.
A comprehensive analysis of forest restoration practices across Europe : ecological, economic, social and policy dimensions
(Elsevier, 2025-04) Menéndez-Miguélez, M.; Rubio-Cuadrado, A.; Bauhus, J.; Cañellas, I.; Crowther, T.; De-Miguel, S.; Erdozain, M.; Hoffmann, J.; Kremer, K.; Sotirov, M.; Lapin, K.; Lundhede, Thomas Hedemark; Jacobs, S.; Schatzdorfer, E.; Werden, L.; Alberdi, I.
Scaling up ecosystem restoration is essential to halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss and ensure future functionality and resilience. However, the implementation of concrete restoration initiatives will present many challenges, such as setting appropriate and realistic goals, selecting or developing the most effective and efficient restoration practices, as well as carrying out effective short- and long-term monitoring of success. Furthermore, there is a lack of information to facilitate the implementation of effective restoration interventions. To address this knowledge gap we gathered information on the ecological, economic, social and policy challenges faced by restoration practitioners across Europe using a widely distributed online survey. Based on the 398 responses received from practitioners working in 31 countries we assessed how practical and scientific knowledge form an integral part of restoration initiatives. The focus of more than 40% of respondents from restoration projects was on increasing the population of species (plant species) and promoting their regeneration. Two common elements emerged across the wide diversity of responses: 1) a prevalent belief that restoration enhances multiple ecological aspects simultaneously, and subsequently, 2) the importance of developing monitoring frameworks that holistically evaluate restoration effectiveness, given the difficulty in defining a single, exclusive indicator of restoration success, as this could oversimplify the outcomes in complex ecosystems. Furthermore, respondents emphasized the importance of taking a holistic approach to restoration design, encompassing not only ecological aspects but also social, economic, and policy dimensions. The findings from the analysis of this survey provide, for the first time, a comprehensive view of the ecosystems and restoration activities that European countries are prioritizing, along with evaluation by the stakeholders involved.
Evaluating the impact of fodder purchase as a drought mitigation strategy for smallholder cattle holdings in South Africa
(University of Brawijaya, 2024-07-31) Nketiah, Prince; Ntuli, Herbert; Tetteh, Bright K. D.; nketiah.prince@tuks.com
The study set out to investigate how fodder-purchase as a drought response strategy impacts smallholder cattle farmers' (SCF) cattle inventory during drought years. Information on self-financed fodder purchasing as a drought mitigation strategy is thin in the literature. We used pooled survey data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) collated in the years 2015 and 2017 in South Africa. The nationally representative data was comprised of smallholder cattle households that experienced 2015 to 2017 sustained drought events in South Africa. Propensity score matching method (PSM) was used for the analysis. Factors that influence SCF's decision to adopt fodder purchasing as a drought mitigation strategy include age, income, market participation, crop farm ownership, recipients of secondary off-farm income, social support beneficiaries and land ownership. The PSM result shows that fodder-purchase significantly and positively impacts smallholder cattle production during drought.
Quantifying risk in the South African Customs Union
(Routledge, 2025) Mlipha, S.S.B.; Kalaba, Mmatlou W.
Most of the risk literature provides evidence on the impact of individual risk events on trade from the perspective of North–North (N–N) and North–South (N–S) regional trade blocs. Given the numerous risks facing South–South (S–S) regional trade agreements (RTAs), there is a need for a framework that will identify and quantify the risk in an S–S trade bloc. Such a framework should present a more holistic approach to risk identification, assessment, and management. The analysis has to explore interdependencies and spill-over effects between events that initiate impact flows between otherwise unrelated events. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), with a good mixture of lower- and upper-middle-income countries, was used as a case study in this paper. The more developed countries, i.e. South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, had the least risk and the risk indices of the more developed countries in the bloc also show a downward trend over time.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration framework for post-harvest loss reduction : the case of tomato value chain in Iringa and Morogoro regional in Tanzania
(SpringerOpen, 2025-02) Izdori, Fides John; Mkwambisi, David; Karuaihe, Selma Tuemumunu; Papargyropoulou, Effie
Globally, one-third of the food produced for human consumption globally is wasted, a figure projected to rise with increased food production. Collaborative efforts across food supply chains can mitigate post-harvest losses, playing a crucial role in enhancing food security. However, frameworks for multi-stakeholder collaborations remain underdeveloped, particularly in developing countries. We address this gap by focusing on the case study of tomato food supply chain in Tanzania. Using value chain analysis with farmers, traders, and transporters in the Iringa and Morogoro regions, findings reveal that 28% of post-harvest losses stem from climate and weather conditions, followed by limited market knowledge (12.5%) and inadequate storage facilities (11%). The results further show that only a small proportion of the tomato is transported to the market due to bad roads and there is limited number of processing industries, exacerbating the issue. Farmers have no knowledge as to how much they will produce or where they will sell in the next season. Building on these findings, the study revises Bhattacharya and Fayezi’s (Ind Mark Manag 93: 328–343, 2021) framework to propose a tailored multi-stakeholder collaboration framework for the Tanzania food supply chain context. This framework aims to empower smallholder farmers to reduce losses and increase incomes while fostering sustainable collaborations applicable to other value chains and regions.
Protecting everyday nature
(Oxford University Press, 2024-08) Layard, Antonia; Marshall, Adam; De Vito, Laura; Few, Roger; Hatzisavvidou, Sophia; Mabon, Leslie; Selomane, Odirilwe
‘Everyday nature’, understood as people’s ability to access nature nearby, should be protected in law and planning policy, facilitating three key benefits: (1) human health and wellbeing; (2) intrinsic and extrinsic ecological advantages; and (3) supporting the UK’s 30by30 nature conservation commitment. Yet there are three obstacles to the protection of everyday nature: (1) the prioritisation of ‘special’ and ‘priority’ nature conservation habitats; (2) the lack of protection for Local Wildlife Sites; as well as (3) counter-intuitively, the rise of biodiversity as a preferred governing concept. Addressing these obstacles, the paper develops the concept of everyday nature, making four proposals for change: (1) improved conceptual analysis; (2) confirming current policy on Local Wildlife Sites; (3) implementing the concept of everyday nature in legislation and planning policy; and (4) implementing the Government’s target that everyone lives within a 15-minute walk from a green or blue space.
Assessing the ecological and economic transformation pathways of plastic production system
(Elsevier, 2025-02) Issifu, Ibrahim; Dahmouni, Ilyass; Sumaila, Ussif Rashid
Plastic's incredible versatility drives its continuous production growth, contributing to 4.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With an unsustainable 4% annual production growth rate, plastics' environmental impact is significant. Our study, using climate and economic models, assesses the effects of a voluntary plastic levy imposed on the top 100 resin producers. The results suggest a potential 70% reduction in global plastic production emissions by 2050, lowering emissions from business–as–usual levels to 1.62 Gt CO2e. The proposed USD 82.5 billion levy over 25 years could fund recycling initiatives, increasing recycling rates by 73%. To align with the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 °C, plastic production growth would need to drop to approximately 2.9%–3.1% annually, achieving a 25% decrease by 2050. Implementing this levy could significantly enhance recycling and reduce emissions, mitigating climate change.
The role of contract farming on household food security in Kenya and Madagascar
(EL-AYACHI, 2024-05) Fitawek, Wegayehu; Hendriks, Sheryl L.; wegayehu.fitawek@up.ac.za
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND: Contract farming has been promoted as a more 'inclusive business model' in which local smallholder farmers can participate in and benefit from the wider benefits of investments in rural areas such as infrastructure development (power supply, roads, water supply), spillovers from increased incomes and, in some cases, mandatory development of education and health facilities. Contract farming models could have a positive impact on agricultural development and innovation in developing countries. Contract farming creates a system that links smallholder farmers with domestic and international buyers. Contract farming could secure existing local land rights of smallholder farmers by continuing farming on their land, promoting investments by investors and fostering the commercialization of smallholder farmers. Contract farming could enhance local food security. However, contract farming models do not always have a positive impact. Sometimes contractors make a profit without supporting or, sometimes, exploiting contracted smallholders. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES: The primary focus of this paper is to analyze the impact of contract farming on household food security. The paper will address the following research questions: What are the determinant factors that affect participation in contract farming? and What is the impact of contract farming on household food security in Kenya and Madagascar? METHODOLOGY: This study used three internationally recognized food security indicators to measure the food security status of the household: household dietary diversity score (HDDS), food consumption score (FCS) and the months of adequate household food provisioning (MAHFP). This study used an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model to estimate the impact of contract farming on household food security. The research is purely empirical research is based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher RESULTS: AI can be effectively applied by Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBT) to enhance their businesses and enhance competitiveness. There are several AI applications accessible to ICBT within their operational context. Although the adoption and utilization of AI in Africa are still in their infancy, there is considerable promise for the future. Africans must address the challenges hindering the adoption and utilization of AI, as technology is advancing rapidly, and opportunities await those who embrace it.
Ethiopia's land certification program : effect on soil conservation investment by rural and peri-urban farmers
(EL-AYACHI, 2024-09) Tesfay, Hailay; Machethe, Charles Lepepeule; charles.machethe@up.ac.za
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, farmers do not have individual property rights to the land they occupy and cultivate since the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution clearly states that land belongs to the state and the peoples of Ethiopia. To address concerns about the insecure tenure of farmers that could result from the absence of enduring private ownership of land, to eliminate land disputes, to promote sustainable use of land resources, and to support long-term land-related investments, such as soil conservation measures, the Ethiopian government introduced a land registration and certification program in 1998. In addition, cities and towns are also rapidly expanding horizontally, encroaching on fertile agricultural land, which could reverse the land tenure security expected from the land certification program. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the effect of Ethiopia's land certification program on the soil conservation practices of rural and peri-urban farming households in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: The study employs descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model to empirically assess the effect of the Ethiopian land certification program on investment in soil conservation practices. RESULTS: The study found that 54.59%, said they conserved their plots, while the remaining 45.41% had not engaged in soil conservation practices. Conversely, 60.11% of the certified peri-urban respondents stated they did not conserve their plots. The logit model’s marginal effects indicated that the influence of the Ethiopian land certification program on the probability of soil conservation depended on the geographic location of the farmers. Specifically, rural program participants were more likely to engage in soil conservation practices.
Obligations of agricultural economists in South Africa’s policy formulation
(Taylor and Francis, 2024) Ntombela, Sifiso M.
The address aims to add value and strengthen the understanding of what an agricultural economist is and what the obligations of an agricultural economist are in a public policy formulation process. In response to these questions, the address explores the policy evolution in agriculture and assesses the performance of the sector over the first three decades of democracy in South Africa. In the reviews undertaken, the influence of agricultural economists in shaping and formulation of policies was investigated to reflect on whether agricultural economists have executed their role effectively. The obligations of agricultural economists in ensuring that the country promulgates and implements the appropriate sectoral policies are emphasized in the address by outlining the good, the bad and the ugly developments that have been observed in the past 30 years. The address shows that agricultural economists have been instrumental in building a reformed, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector in South Africa, however, the changing political, economic and social landscapes demand them to be agile and adaptive to these new realities.
Disponibilite en eau et orientation des agriculteurs : facteurs d’adoption de pratiques ecologiquement intensives dans les oasis de Kebili en Tunisie
(EDP Sciences, 2024-04) Mansour, Nada Ben; Hanafi, Anissa; Faysse, Nicolas; Jourdain, Damien
Dans le gouvernorat de Kébili au sud de la Tunisie, les zones irriguées se sont fortement développées ces 30 dernières années. Le système oasien traditionnel, fondé sur des cultures organisées sur trois étages et sur les complémentarités entre agriculture et élevage, a été fragilisé. De nombreux agriculteurs se sont limités à la production de dattes, à la fois dans les oasis traditionnelles et dans les nouvelles zones irriguées. Le présent article mesure l’influence de la disponibilité en eau et de différents facteurs relatifs aux orientations des agriculteurs, sur leur décision de mettre en oeuvre des pratiques agricoles écologiquement intensives. Les principales pratiques étudiées sont la culture d’arbres fruitiers sous les palmiers et l’utilisation du fumier comme fertilisant. Cinquante agriculteurs, qui ont obtenu au début des années 2000 la gestion de terres agricoles dans lamunicipalité de Jemna, ont été interrogés. La disponibilité en eau est un facteurmajeur facilitant les pratiques écologiquement intensives. Ces pratiques sont aussi favorisées par le fait que le revenu familial soit avant tout tiré de la parcelle dans la zone d’étude.Un autre facteur important est l’intérêt pourune gestion durable de l’exploitation agricole – au contraire d’unegestion visantunerentabilité à court terme. Des agriculteurs de Kébili, qui veulent faire de l’agriculture un projet économique et un projet de vie, sont ainsi prêts àmettre enoeuvre des pratiques écologiquement intensives. La baisse de l’agrobiodiversité observéedans les oasis traditionnellesduSudtunisienn’est pas inéluctable, si l’accès à l’eau estamélioré et si de tels projets de vie fondés sur l’agriculture sont plus aisément réalisables.
The optimal combination of pastoral activities and wildlife conservation in the Serengeti ecosystem
(Wiley, 2024-05) Kibira, Gerald; Muchapondwa, Edwin; Ntuli, Herbert
There is competition for land between Maasai pastoralists and the park agency in the Serengeti ecosystem. The park agency wants to use the land for wildlife conservation while the pastoralist community wants to use it for livestock grazing. Predatory wildlife kills livestock while herbivorous wildlife competes with livestock for water and grazing. In retaliation, the Maasai hunt predators and grazers to protect their livestock and also to supply the black market for wildlife products. With both the Maasai and animal populations growing, increased conflicts are inevitable. This paper develops a bioeconomic model with three animal species to analyse the optimal combination of pastoral activities and wildlife conservation in the Serengeti ecosystem. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, the market problem for each agent is optimized and compared to the social planner's outcome. Results show that the market solutions are suboptimal because of negative externalities affecting both agents and inadequate regard to biodiversity conservation values. Mathematical simulations of the bioeconomic model are used to generate a solution in which the Maasai pastoralists and park agency can optimally share the land for their mutual benefit. The policy implication is that the government should establish an independent regulatory institution with a primary mandate of balancing the contested socioeconomic and ecological needs of stakeholders in prime ecosystems such as the Serengeti.
Factors influencing smartphone usage of rural farmers : empirical analysis of five selected provinces in China
(Sage, 2024) Ma, Wanglin; Owusu-Sekyere, Enoch; Zheng, Hongyun; Owusu, Victor
The increasing usage of smartphones by practitioners in various fields of expertise is attracting global attention. However, scanty evidence exists on smartphone usage among rural farmers in developing countries. Using data collected from 1286 rural farming households in five provinces in China, this study investigates the factors influencing rural farmers’ decisions to use smartphones. The findings from a Probit model reveal that education, health condition, asset ownership, income levels, peers’ smartphone usage, internet access, cooperative membership, access to credit, and off-farm work participation are the main factors driving smartphone usage of rural farmers. The age of the farmer rather affects smartphone usage negatively and significantly. Further heterogeneous analysis shows that the influences of factors on smartphone usage vary across the survey provinces.
The impact of behavioral attributes on rural youth’s propensity to participate in non-primary agribusinesses : evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
(Taylor and Francis, 2024) Baloyi, Raesetse; Wale, Edilegnaw; Chipfupa, Unity
Youth participation in agriculture in general and agribusinesses in particular remains limited in Africa and empirical insight on the enablers and inhibitors is limited. This paper aims to investigate the impact of behavioral attributes (such as entrepreneurial spirit and business skills endowment) on the potential participation of rural youth in non-primary agribusinesses. Principal Component Analysis and Fractional Logit Model were employed on a data set of 152 rural youth. The results show that most rural youth are endowed with entrepreneurial spirit and relatively well capacitated with business skills. The results further show that rural youth endowed with entrepreneurial spirit are less likely to engage in non-primary agribusinesses. Other factors that influence rural youth potential participation included psychological capital, agricultural perceptions, and demographics. The results suggest that interventional programs should consider behavioral attributes when aiming to attract rural youth into the sector.
A cost-benefit analysis of alternative management strategies for red deer in Denmark
(Springer, 2024-10) Jensen, Frank; Lundhede, Thomas Hedemark; Sunde, Peter
In this paper, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of five alternative management strategies for red deer in Denmark: free harvest, trophy hunting, maximum harvest and two cases for natural demographic population compositions. To capture the outcome under each strategy we use a biological sex- and age-structured population model. The net benefit function includes meat values, recreational values, browsing damage costs and traffic damage costs and these values and costs are assumed to differ for the various sex and age classes of red deer. We show that the maximum harvest strategy leads to a reasonably high positive total net benefit, while the free harvest strategy yields a small positive net benefit. On the other hand, the trophy hunting strategy generates a high negative net benefit, while small negative net benefits are obtained under the two strategies for natural demographic population compositions.
Preferences for index-based pasture insurance : a choice experiment in Limpopo Province, South Africa
(Routledge, 2024) Manganyi, Bernard; Jourdain, Damien; Karuaihe, Selma Tuemumunu
South African subsistence livestock farmers rely heavily on traditional mitigation and coping mechanisms to deal with the eﬀects of drought. However, these methods have proven ineﬀective in managing the full impact of drought. Consequently, policymakers are increasingly interested in promoting Index-based Pasture Insurance (IBPI). This paper aims to assess subsistence livestock farmers’ preferences for IBPI. A simple random sampling method was used to select 110 subsistence livestock farmers for data collection. A discrete choice experiment—Conditional Logit and Latent Class models and incentivized lottery games were used to elicit preferences for insurance contracts and loss aversion. The ﬁndings indicate that subsistence livestock farmers have a favourable attitude toward IBPI contracts that protect against drought-related pasture degradation. The Conditional Logit model shows that farmers prefer transparent contracts that reimburse with feed and vouchers rather than cash. However, they derive negative marginal utility from basis risk and premium. However, the Latent Class model reveals heterogeneous preferences for IBPI among farmers. Farmers are also loss-averse, but loss aversion did not inﬂuence their preference for IBPI. Therefore, the primary recommendation for insurance providers is to consider customizing IBPI attributes to increase adoption among subsistence farmers.
Managing trade-offs between communities’ welfare and nature conservation : the case of wildlife management systems in and outside protected areas in Africa
(Annual Reviews, 2024-10) Muchapondwa, Edwin; Ntuli, Herbert; herbert.ntuli@up.ac.za
Successfully analyzing and managing trade-offs between community welfare and wildlife conservation are complex tasks that require a multidisciplinary approach and consideration of various factors. Bioeconomic modeling provides a structured quantitative framework for understanding and evaluating the complex interactions between biological systems and economic activities, aiding in the crafting of more effective and sustainable conservation and rural development strategies. Combined with results from other methods such as economic valuation, institutional analysis, impact evaluation, and framed-field experiments, they can provide guidance on reaching the social planner’s optimum. The literature suggests significant roles for comanagement, benefit-sharing, and sustainable financing of conservation as the key ingredients for managing the trade-offs between communities’ welfare and nature conservation in Africa. However, comprehensive research tackling multiple problems simultaneously is required to fully understand and manage the trade-offs. Further, mainstreaming gender and climate change in studies of the trade-offs is increasingly becoming an obligation.
Gender differentials in primary processing and market participation by mopane worm harvesters in Zimbabwe : insights from the COVID-19 pandemic phase
(BioMed Central, 2024-09) Musara, Joseph P.; Bahta, Yonas T.; Mapuranga, Rangarirai; Musiniwa, Fredy; Hatab, Assem Abu; Owusu-Sekyere, Enoch
BACKGROUND: Gender disparities in access to inputs, markets, financial inclusion, and participation in strategic value chains are major developmental challenges in emerging economies. Participation in the edible insect value chain has become an essential source of income, food, and nutrition in some African countries. This paper uses a bivariate probit model to examine the gender differentials for primary mopane worm harvesters’ participation in primary processing and market participation during COVID19 in Southeastern Zimbabwe. Using a structured questionnaire, the data were gathered from 393 primary harvesters in five purposively selected wards in the Gwanda District of Zimbabwe. This study examines the gender differentials for primary mopane worm harvesters’ participation in primary processing and market participation during COVID19 in Southeastern Zimbabwe. RESULTS: Results show that women are likelier to participate in primary value addition to preparing for the lean season opportunities. There are gender differentials in the participation in markets during COVID19. Results show a significant negative relationship between participants’ ages and female engagement in mopane processing and a positive correlation with female involvement in lean COVID19 season marketing. Male harvesters’ participation in the lean market during the COVID19 pandemic was significantly correlated positively with age and education level, while the choice to participate in the lean market was negatively correlated with the dependency ratio. CONTRIBUTIONS: Collaborative, community centric, and gender accommodative development of the mopane worm value chain is important. Focal issues are on supporting primary value addition for lean season market participation and during market shocks such as COVID19. This can be a leap towards gender equality and improving livelihoods of women and men in mopane harvesting areas. The study recommends marketing and district specific policies explicitly addressing mopane worm harvesting and marketing affects market participation and primary value addition decisions.

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