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Article
Publication date: 9 November 2022

Madeeha Omer Lakhani, Sana Tauseef and Wajid Ali Chattha

This research aims to investigate the feasibility of formalizing an old, informal livestock financing practice in Pakistan known as Adhyara through assessment of estimated return…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the feasibility of formalizing an old, informal livestock financing practice in Pakistan known as Adhyara through assessment of estimated return and risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The hedonic pricing model was employed to estimate the impact of breed, weight, pregnancy status and milk yield on cattle sales price, and appropriate estimates were used for monetization. The stochastic simulation was then used to estimate the distribution of capital returns for investors in the informal livestock practice. Primary data on animal prices and attributes were obtained from a survey of dairy farms and data on terms of Adhyara deal were obtained from a survey of nomad pastoralists and current investors. In-depth interviews were also conducted with different stakeholders to get insights into this informal livestock practice and social elements.

Findings

Results from the hedonic model show that the animal prices in Pakistan are highly variable depending on the animal attributes of breed, weight, milk yield and pregnancy status with an average value of PKR (Pakistani Rupee) 191,771 and standard deviation of PKR 66,762. Our stochastic simulation reveals mean estimated real return of 24 per cent. This return is competitive considering local and international investment alternatives.

Social implications

The research identifies a lucrative and market competitive investment option and thus opens the window of opportunity to introduce grass root entrepreneurship in the livestock sector. Recommended formalization of this traditional livestock practice can boost investment creating substantial potential for the uplift of local communities and simultaneously contribute towards the goals of poverty eradication, food provision and employment generation for women.

Originality/value

This research lays out the possibility of formalizing the practice of a traditional livestock financing in an agricultural country.

Details

Agricultural Finance Review, vol. 83 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-1466

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 May 2023

Mustafa Nasiri, Birgit Gassler and Ramona Teuber

This study analyses consumers’ perception of meat quality and safety in Afghanistan at the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages.

Abstract

Purpose

This study analyses consumers’ perception of meat quality and safety in Afghanistan at the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data were collected through seven focus group discussions with 52 participants in Kabul and Bamyan, Afghanistan, between September and December 2020. A qualitative content analysis was undertaken using the Total Food Quality Model and the MAXQDA software.

Findings

At the pre-harvest stage, both sedentary and nomadic ruminants’ meat was perceived as high in quality and safety, with lower food safety hazards, unlike urban-raised ruminants’ meat. At the harvest stage, supermarket meat was perceived as better in hygiene, but not in freshness. Additionally, there were doubts about the Halal-slaughtering of this meat. Conversely, butchery meat was perceived as fresh, natural and trustworthy, but unhygienic. At the post-harvest stage, the most important quality attributes before purchase were color, freshness, place-of-origin, safety and Halal-slaughtering, and after purchase were taste and tenderness. Lack of consumer trust was also noticed for the formal institution, i.e. supermarket meat.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides valuable new results from Afghanistan that could be transferred to other Islamic-developing countries given the similarities in their meat industry, i.e. availability of both formal and informal institutions, and the sensitivity of Muslim consumers to Halal-slaughtering. Nonetheless, the qualitative nature of the study design demands further research, employing, e.g. a quantitative approach. Future studies conducted in other countries with similar context could validate the results of this paper.

Originality/value

Knowledge on consumer behavior in Afghanistan is scarce. The present study is one among a few that provides empirical evidence on Afghan consumers. Additionally, it is the first study to compare consumers’ perceptions of traditional butchery meat and supermarket meat.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 20 November 2023

Amanda Bowen, Claire Beswick and Richard Thomson

Upon completion of this case study, students should be able to apply lessons learned in core readings, analysis and discussion to a specific case study dealing with a current…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this case study, students should be able to apply lessons learned in core readings, analysis and discussion to a specific case study dealing with a current, real-world situation, specifically: critically assess Livestock Wealth’s case facts and present and justify their point of view – based on attentive reading, critical analysis and engagement – about the company; use a range of strategic tools such as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis, PESTLE analysis and the Ansoff matrix to thoroughly evaluate Livestock Wealth’s internal and external business environment for developing strategic options for business growth and improvements to marketing strategy; use strategic thinking to develop a range of creative solutions to guide the company’s business growth and improvements to marketing strategy; and assess their own growth and development in terms of personal preparation and organisation, collaboration, critical thinking, decision-making skills, participation and problem-solving.

Case overview/synopsis

By February 2022, Ntuthuko Shezi, the founder and chief executive officer of Livestock Wealth, had turned his idea of “crowd farming”, which enables anyone to invest in living farm assets and earn a profit at harvest, into a full-fledged business that was creating wealth for both investors and farmers. Underpinning this case study is Shezi’s vision of an African continent where there is “no ground that is not planted with something of value”, local economies are created in those areas, communities are wealthy, there is abundance, there is money for children to attend school and ultimately where “cows (and agricultural produce in general) are seen as money”. Shezi had grown up in a rural area with grandparents who owned a couple of cows, realizing that the cows were the bedrock of the family’s finances. Describing his business, he says, “Cattle are like a walking bank, and we see ourselves as the bank of the future, where every person who owns a cow can access financial services through Livestock Wealth, just like it has always been in Africa.” This case study describes the two key decisions that Shezi needed to make – what direction to take in terms of business growth and how to improve his marketing strategy (with a limited budget) to attract sufficient investment into Livestock Wealth to make his dreams a reality.

Complexity academic level

This case study is suitable for use for a post-graduate diploma in business, master of business administration or master’s in management.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2023

Jason Loughrey and Herath Vidyaratne

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the association between farm/farmer characteristics and unsubsidized farm insurance premium expenditure in Ireland. The distribution of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the association between farm/farmer characteristics and unsubsidized farm insurance premium expenditure in Ireland. The distribution of farm insurance expenditures is wide, and it is important to understand the extent to which individual factors influence demand for different levels of insurance premium.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantile regression approach and farm accountancy data from the Teagasc National Farm Survey are used to model the association between farm/farmer characteristics and farm insurance demand in Ireland.

Findings

Asset values (livestock, buildings and machinery) are positively associated with total insurance expenditure. Both forestry area and crop area are significantly associated with farm insurance expenditure with a stronger influence on the middle and upper part of the distribution. The interaction between farm income and farmer age is positively associated with insurance expenditure pointing to the importance of farm income protection.

Research limitations/implications

The research is mainly concerned with insuring against substantive risks, which are capable of threatening the asset base and continuation of the farm business. Future research can integrate questions in relation to farm safety and farmer health with research on the economic survival of the farm business.

Practical implications

Farmers in Ireland adopt unsubsidized farm insurance as a risk management tool. This situation is relevant to other EU member states including Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Sweden. The findings can be used to inform stakeholders and policymakers about the relative impact of different factors on insurance expenditure.

Originality/value

Previous research has typically focused on the linear relationship between farm/farmer characteristics and insurance demand without accounting for variability across the size distribution. This research is based on the quantile regression approach where the association between farm/farmer characteristics and farm insurance expenditure can be assessed at different points of the distribution.

Details

Agricultural Finance Review, vol. 83 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-1466

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 November 2021

Asael Islas-Moreno, Manrrubio Muñoz-Rodríguez, Vinicio Horacio Santoyo-Cortés, Norman Aguilar-Gallegos, Enrique Genaro Martínez-González and Wyn Morris

This study analyses the sequence of actions carried out by successful enterprises in the agricultural sector and aims to understand the logic followed with such actions and the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study analyses the sequence of actions carried out by successful enterprises in the agricultural sector and aims to understand the logic followed with such actions and the differences related to the types of families that develop them.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a multiple case study approach, the business and family trajectories of 14 successful agricultural enterprises in Mexico were analysed. The actions carried out by enterprises are conceptualized as strategic movements and are classified into seven categories: (1) growth and intensification, (2) reconversion, (3) diversification, (4) integration, (5) differentiation, (6) outsourcing and (7) digitization. Depending on their relationship with agriculture, entrepreneurial families are classified into three categories: (1) continuing families, (2) returning families and (3) incoming families.

Findings

The entrepreneurship logic follows three stages: evaluation, expansion and consolidation, through which different activities are tested, then the one that produces the best results is expanded and adopted as the main activity, and finally the expansion of the main activity and its evaluation are combined by comparing and complementing it with other agricultural activities. The difference is that continuing families adhere more to the traditional productivist model based on growth in scale and improved productivity of primary production. On the other hand, actions that imply a distinction in the quality of production such as integration and differentiation and that require links with other organizations such as outsourcing are more frequently carried out by returning and incoming families.

Research limitations/implications

The findings obtained through case studies cannot be statistically generalized to a specific population, however, our perspective can be transferred to other cases to obtain analogous findings.

Originality/value

The study is a unique piece in terms of the analysis of how families with different degrees of proximity to agriculture develop successful enterprises.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

Jamal Shah and Majed Alharthi

The agricultural sector is a critical component of global economic development, and its significance has grown significantly in recent years. The risks associated with agriculture…

Abstract

Purpose

The agricultural sector is a critical component of global economic development, and its significance has grown significantly in recent years. The risks associated with agriculture and the behaviors of farmers in handling these risks are becoming increasingly important, given the sector’s increasing dependence worldwide. Various activities related to agriculture are vulnerable to multiple risks, which can have severe consequences for farmers’ livelihoods. The purpose of this systematic review is to present a comprehensive analysis of the sources of risk faced by farmers and their choices in adopting risk management strategies worldwide.

Design/methodology/approach

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol was utilized to select relevant literature, and a total of 102 studies were analyzed. Through the use of Venn diagrams and graphical methods, the authors provide a transparent overview of the risks faced by farmers and the adoption of risk management strategies in developed and developing countries.

Findings

From the analysis, the authors found that, in terms of risk management strategies, diversification, reserve credit and accumulated assets are frequently used in developing countries, while developed countries tend to rely on future/forward contracts, crop insurance and hedging. Diversification is the most widely used risk management strategy across both developed and developing countries. Our study also highlights the different perceptions of weather-related risks among growers in developed and developing countries.

Practical implications

This systematic review provides valuable insights into the risks associated with agriculture and farmers' strategies in managing these risks, which could inform policy decisions and promote sustainable agricultural practices. For instance, understanding the individualistic nature of farmers' risk perception and the varying risk sources and management strategies depending on the locality and provide assistance to the farmers accordingly.

Originality/value

The paper explains how farmers behave during uncertainty in terms of risk perception and their decision to adopt risk management strategies in developed and developing countries.

Details

Management & Sustainability: An Arab Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-9819

Keywords

Expert briefing
Publication date: 2 February 2024

While this could help decarbonise the country’s industry and attract investments in offsetting projects, the exclusion of the agriculture and livestock sector from the…

Details

DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB284959

ISSN: 2633-304X

Keywords

Geographic
Topical
Case study
Publication date: 1 August 2023

Mihir Ajgaonkar and Tanvi Mankodi

This case will help students to analyse and develop insights into the concepts of servant leadership; to analyse and develop insights into women’s empowerment and a process to…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

This case will help students to analyse and develop insights into the concepts of servant leadership; to analyse and develop insights into women’s empowerment and a process to achieve such empowerment; and to explore the social business models for scaling up.

Case overview/synopsis

The Lakhpati Kisan programme under the aegis of Tata Trusts focussed on empowering women marginal farmers in the tribal belts in India to significantly increase their income from 2015. Ganesh Neelam, Executive Director, Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI), a nodal agency of Tata Trusts, advocated various livelihood options in agriculture, livestock, non-timber forest resources and water conversation. Initially, CInI faced the challenge of getting the farmers to sign up for the programme due to lack of trust. CInI facilitators educated the farmers about the purpose of the initiative and the benefits they would accrue and built trust. CInI created awareness through knowledge-sharing sessions on best practices in agriculture. They formed self-help groups of farmers for decision-making and for easy access to capital. CInI established farmer producer organisations (FPOs) to bring in a business perspective among farmers. The farmers as Board members and executives ran the FPOs like commercial organisations. CInI built capabilities to create a sustainable and autonomous ecosystem that looked impressive. But still the programme was falling short of the desired target. The farmers were so far reluctant to move forward independently. Ganesh felt that the social business model that CInI had evolved needed a re-look to achieve a significant and lasting impact on the majority of the marginal farmers in India.

Complexity academic level

The case can be used in the organisation behaviour, human resource management courses and courses on social enterprises as part of the MBA or post-graduate management programme or in executive education programmes.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 May 2023

Ruchika Jain, Aradhana Sharma and Dhiraj Sharma

Introduction: As the human population grows, consumer demand for digital services tailored to their specific needs also increases. To improve the financial performance of farms…

Abstract

Introduction: As the human population grows, consumer demand for digital services tailored to their specific needs also increases. To improve the financial performance of farms and meet the need for food of a growing population, farmers and agribusinesses have started incorporating distributed ledger technology into agricultural and farm management software. These developments in the agriculture sector may lead to realising sustainable development goals.

Purpose: Several researchers have done studies to explore the features and benefits of blockchain technology in the field of agriculture. There is a need to analyse the available literature to identify the use of this technology in agriculture and the scope of further research. This chapter will mainly focus on its publication trend, journal productivity and impact, prolific studies, and coherent themes.

Methodology: For a comprehensive review, bibliometric and content analysis of 71 open-access articles collected through a structured database of Mendeley is done. These articles were published during 2017–2021.

Findings: The execution of blockchain is continuously increasing in the agriculture sector, which has resulted in automation in supply chain management, land registrations, and crop insurance. The study revolves around supply chain management, digitisation of agriculture, and sustainable economic development. This study’s conclusions can help agriculturalists improve their understanding of blockchain implementation in agriculture. The study also gives directions for future research.

Details

Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Performance Management in a Global Digitalised Economy
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-416-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2023

Violla Nabawanda

This study aims at navigating the effects of climate change on the right to access to food within the East African Community region, using the case study of Uganda.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims at navigating the effects of climate change on the right to access to food within the East African Community region, using the case study of Uganda.

Design/methodology/approach

The author used doctrinal review of different policies and strategies that have been developed and implemented by the EAC to address the growing patterns of food insecurity and climate change.

Findings

Findings show that besides climate change, there are other factors that have played a major role in contributing to food insecurity in the region such as the impact of the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war, absence of food storage reserves/banks, scarring effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, inadequate implementation of agricultural policies on climate change, high post-harvest losses and food waste amongst others.

Originality/value

This research paper is the author’s sole writing and has never been submitted for publication in any journal.

Details

Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-0024

Keywords

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