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This article explores the potential of an emerging group of farmers in Kenya, namely the growing segment of urban-based medium-size farmers, often called “telephone farmers”. To what extent do they benefit from an emerging ecosystem to support them in operating their farms, and what does that mean for the Hidden middle of agricultural value chains, the actors between the farmers and consumers? Unlocking the potential production of telephone farmers will require more services from collectors, traders, transport firms, the storage facilities, wholesalers and processing units and retailers. Ultimately, optimized telephone farm production benefits the business of Hidden middle value chain actors, increases incomes and jobs and improves food security.

Based on a survey and in-depth interviews a profile of the telephone farmers is given and their role as innovators is analyzed. The Latia Resource Centre (LRC) provides assistance to medium-size farmers, like the telephone farmers, helping them to prepare business plans and use modern technology and contributing to an emerging ecosystem providing support to all farmers.

The article analyzes the medium-size telephone farmers. It documents the contributions of this new agricultural actor to developing value chains and a dynamic ecosystem. The paper profiles the telephone farmers first and then identifies what they need and the support they receive. The emerging innovative ecosystem impacts agricultural productivity and production and hence the development of value chains. Small farmers gain access to opportunities offered by telephone farmers, working for them as outgrower or farm worker.

The authors used a small sample of 51 farmers and covered only a two-year period.

Small farmers are being helped through the emerging eco-system and farm labor acquire skills, which they can also you on another or their own farm.

Based on the analysis an even more effective ecosystem is suggested and policy recommendations are formulated before the conclusion is drawn that these medium-size farmers contribute to innovation diffusion, inclusive value chain development and food security and are becoming part of this expanding, innovative ecosystem. Following the debate on food security the results suggest to pay more attention to the development of telephone farmers given their role in developing agricultural value chains and innovative ecosystems.

The paper aims to analyse bottom of the pyramid (BoP) customers’ (e.g. Bangladeshi farmers) use and appropriation of mobile telephony and to critically identify a suitable research strategy for such investigation.

Concentrated ethnographic immersion was combined with both methodological and investigator triangulation during a four-month period of fieldwork conducted in Bangladeshi villages to obtain more robust findings. Concentrated immersion was required to achieve relatively speedier engagement owing to the difficulty in engaging with respondents on a long-term basis.

The farmers’ use of mobile telephony went beyond the initial adoption, as they appropriated it through social and institutional support, inventive means and/or changes in their own lifestyle. The paper argues that technology appropriation, being a result of the mutual shaping of technology, human skills and abilities and macro-environmental factors, enables users to achieve desired outcomes which may not always be the ones envisaged by the original designers.

The paper contributes to two major areas: first, it identifies technology appropriation as an important and emerging concept in international marketing research; second, it suggests a concentrated form of ethnographic engagement for studying technology appropriation in a developing country context.

A good understanding of the dynamic interplay between users’ skills and abilities, social contexts and technological artefacts/applications is required in order for businesses to serve BoP customers profitably.

The paper presents a dynamic model of technology appropriation based on findings collected through a pragmatic approach by combining concentrated ethnographic immersion with methodological and investigator triangulation.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the distribution channels of vegetable sectors in Indonesia, its economic impact on the performance of vegetable sales and the factors affecting marketing channels selected by producers.

The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods. A market survey was qualitatively conducted at producer, intermediary, wholesaler, hotel and food processing company as well as retailer levels. Producer survey was quantitatively conducted at the farm level, by interviewing 556 randomly selected farm households. Structural equation modelling was employed to accomplish the objectives of the study.

Marketing channels for vegetables in Indonesia was complex and relatively long. Farmers decided to select particular channels because of business circumstance and their knowledge. Distance and gentleman’s agreement with traders limited farmers to choose the desirable marketing channel. Marketing channels affect business performance in terms of high sales and profit.

This study only pays attention to the supply side of vegetables. The effect of marketing channels also encumbers the consumers, which are beyond this study. Other studies are expected to highlight the consumer side.

This study focused on smallholder agribusiness players. This study uses two surveys as data sources: market survey and producer survey. The market survey serves as vital information to design producer surveys.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how Bangladeshi farmers interact with mobile telephony and how they negotiate the resulting difficulties. In doing so, the paper seeks to identify how farmers integrate mobile telephony into their daily lives, and what factors facilitate and limit their use of mobile telephony.

The research was based on ethnographic observation, interviews and focus group discussions, collected through four months of fieldwork, conducted in two remote areas of Bangladesh.

It was found that Bangladeshi farmers' use of mobile telephony is inhibited due to language barriers, a lack of literacy, unfamiliar English terminologies, inappropriate translation to local language (Bengali) and financial constraints. However, the social, occupational and psychological benefits from mobile telephony motivate them to use and appropriate it through inventive use and adaptation.

The findings suggest that current understanding of usability needs to be interwoven with that about the appropriation of technology in order to develop a better understanding of the use and consequent integration of a technology in daily lives.

The paper adds to the argument for a bottom‐up approach for ICT‐enabled intervention in development activities and for the mobile telephony manufacturers and network providers it contributes to understanding of the rural consumer market of a developing country.

The paper presents an original conceptual diagram that combines the concept of usability and appropriation.

Numerous advantages exist for farmers as food producers and for restaurateurs as food sellers to be engaged in business relationships. While in many situations such relationships would seem a very “natural” process that would also benefit consumers, to date very little research has been conducted in examining the extent to which farmers are engaged in such relationships. The present paper aims to explore these areas from the farmers' perspective.

Semi‐structured telephone interviews and two on‐site face‐to‐face interviews were conducted among 30 farm owners/operators in the state of Alabama, USA.

A very weak relationship was noticed between farms and hotels/restaurants in this study. While geographic distance or isolation could be assumed to be an impediment for both farms and hospitality businesses to interact, only two businesses mentioned such constraint as a reason for not engaging in business relationships. In contrast, not being contacted by hospitality businesses or not starting the contact, as well as concerns of not receiving the “right price”, or convenience by selling their produce by other means (on‐site, farmers' markets) were some of the reasons farmers mentioned.

The low number of respondents and the selection of only those businesses that were advertised are acknowledged limitations in this study.

Engaging in business relationships with restaurants may help farmers maximize the price they receive for their hard work, have a steady source for their product, or educate a new “breed” of consumers who value the importance of consuming fresher foods. To achieve these benefits, stronger interactions between both industries are needed, especially in cases where both restaurants and farms are geographically close to one another.

The study investigates an area that has been neglected in contemporary research.

This study explores how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry in Puerto Rico can enhance resilience to cope with critical infrastructure (CI) collapse due to natural disasters. This study aims to validate the food supply chain (FSC) resilience model for SMEs in rural areas.

This study used qualitative in-depth interviews to gather data and a coding process for the analysis. The participants were members of the FSC located in the municipality of Adjuntas and nearby towns in Puerto Rico. For this study, the sample participants selected to conduct the interviews were the farmers, producers and retailers.

The results show the importance of local CI backup, networks and flexibility among FSC members in alternating supply chain logistics and distribution. Other transportation modes include drone pilots, aerial and land, facilities to transport and deliver merchandise and positioning farmers and producers as important players in the FSC.

A modified FSC resilience model from previous research is presented to include SMEs located in highly vulnerable remote zones, where access to resources is limited after a disruptive event, and a typology of enterprises with local CI backup according to their level of adoption of resilient practices. This study contributes to enhancing resilience and mitigating the vulnerabilities of SMEs after the CI collapses.

This paper aims to examine factors which influence how tacit knowledge is built and applied by client-facing consultants.

Qualitative methods (interviews, thematic analysis) were used to gather and analyse data from 15 consultants in an agricultural extension context.

Twenty-six factors about how tacit knowledge is built and applied to action emerged, and are presented grouped into four areas: tacit knowledge needed to be successful; how tacit knowledge is presently built; challenges in turning knowledge into action; and ways that building tacit knowledge might be better supported by the organization.

How the building of tacit knowledge can be accelerated for new organizational members will be of interest to those not only in agricultural extension, but more generally to those managers in organizations who must design and implement training and mentoring programmes for those who support customers and users of their products and services.

The findings provide insight into the mechanisms of building tacit knowledge in client-facing consultants. The experience-based perceptions about effective knowledge-building processes and strategies may contribute to more effective intake and training programmes for consultants.

In Uganda, smallholder farmers produce about 70% of the food but receive very low prices on the sales channels they use. To improve farmers' livelihoods, other innovative sales channels such as farmers' markets (FMs) have to be explored. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the potential of establishing farmers' markets in Uganda, focusing on Kampala district.

A qualitative methodology was used to understand farmers' perceptions and the factors that could influence the success of the farmers' markets. In addition, the potential of FMs has been analyzed through the components of the Localized Agri-Food System (LAFS).

The respondents had a positive perception of the farmers' markets, and farmers have an urgent need for other sales channels that could be profitable for them. Factors that could influence the success of the FMs were highlighted, including infrastructure in the marketplace, transportation and taxation by the government.

The study had a limited sample size of the farmers, and it was carried out in 3 divisions of Kampala district, an urban area; thus, the findings cannot be generalized to fit the other regions of Uganda.

The LAFS showed that the foundation for establishing FMs is available; however, it has to be strengthened through the coordination of different stakeholders that work with the farmers.

The purpose of this paper is to seek to segment CSA members based on their motivations to join a CSA.

Data obtained from an online survey of 565 members belonging to a New York state CSA were analyzed using a combined hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis.

Based on their motivations to join a CSA results reveal four distinct types of segments among CSA members: No-Frills Member, Foodie Member, Nonchalant Member, and Quintessential Member. Results show all four clusters differ statistically across demographic characteristics including gender, political affiliation, and household income. The clusters differed across psychographic characteristics such as attitudes toward the treatment of animals, treatment of farm workers, pesticide use, the environment, food miles, and limiting factory farm purchases. Quintessential Members emerge as most concerned with food purchasing decisions while No-Frills Members are least concerned.

The study employs a non-random purposive sample of CSAs in New York state. Respondents were recruited indirectly to participate in an online survey. The length and complexity of the survey, absence of an email address for respondents, levels of digital fluency, and technical glitches may result in lower participation rates.

This paper offers recommendations to farmers for retaining and attracting different types of CSA members.

This is the first study that segments CSA members in the USA based on their motivations to subscribe to a CSA, and it differentiates CSA member clusters based on their demographics, psychographics, and food purchasing decisions.

This study aims to describe in detail, a system dynamics-based study that was used to show how a large vertically integrated aquaculture company should approach its stepwise capacity expansion program, without undermining its financial performance or affecting the performance of the value chain.

The company and its aquaculture value chain are used as case study. A system dynamics model is developed on the basis of generic end-to-end agribusiness and aquaculture supply chain models. The model includes the unique dynamics relating to an aquaculture supply chain. Also modelled is the working capital management rules of the company, with the effects of the capacity expansion program on its working capital, market share and its supply chain obligations. The model is used to determine the long-term impact of the company’s working capital management under different modes of financing and rate of expanding the capacity.

For a large vertically integrated company that wants to increase its capacity, there is a systematic approach to working capital management that can be used to avoid financial distress or value chain distortion.

Extended the scope of system dynamics modelling within multiple disciplines, namely, agribusiness supply chain finance, supply chain capacity investment, financial management in large companies, supply chain working capital management and aquaculture value chain.

The developed model can be used to manage supply chain working capital in large vertically integrated agribusinesses, and also to assess supply chain financial risk.

To enhance the model build, discrete event simulation was used to model aspects of the system. The eventual system dynamics-discrete event simulation model is a form of hybrid simulation modelling that was used to provide a deeper understanding of how supply chain financial decisions affect an entire value chain system.