Food System Dynamics (E-Journals)
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Ten Years Later: a Comparison between the Results of Early Simulation Scenarios and the Sustainability of a Small-Scale Agro-Industry Development Program
Get PDFAgro-industrialization promotion is a policy option to aggregate value to a primary product and increase revenues for small farmers. However, experience has shown the vulnerability of small-scale agro-industries (SSAI) when facing a competitive environment with technological, institutional and managerial bottlenecks. A system dynamics model was built to simulate the financial behavior of agrifood processing enterprises promoted by Brazilian SSAI development programs after the mid 1990’s. Ten years after the modeling exercise, an assessment of selected enterprises supported by distinct programs largely confirmed the simulation results. Modelling suggested conditions for long-term SSAI sustainability were corroborated and the importance of the promotion programs was further evidenced
Developing New Value Chains for Small‐Scale and Emerging Cattle Farmers in South Africa
Get PDFIn this paper we look back on the first year of a three‐year project which aims to undertake the researchnecessary to develop a wider range of market outlets, products and value chains for beef produced by thesmall‐scale and emerging sector in South Africa. We discuss the difficulties encountered in designing andimplementing the project, and we review progress towards achieving the economic, social and environmentaloutcomes that we are seeking
Payment for Environmental Services (psa) as Capital Driver and Promoter of Environmental Conservation: the Case of Brazilian Livestock
Get PDFThis article aims to discuss the power of finance capital as environmental conservation promoter by building Payment for Environmental Services mechanisms, specifically livestock chain Brazilian court, listing the barriers to its full operation.The creation of cattle, started and accompanied the colonization and development of Brazil at first predominated by an extensive model, with animals coming from Portugal and Spain, with low performance in the tropics and without a systematic work of selection and breeding. It is now one of the main value chains of Brazilian agribusiness, with a herd of more than 200 million head and total export around US $ 7.4 billion in 2014.However, the period in years of livestock development in Brazil, it was often linked to pressure on the deforestation of native forests, mainly in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes.While groups linked to the productive sector argue that deforestation was linked to the Forest Code of 1973 and the national sovereignty of policies in food production from the Federal Government, groups linked to civil society organizations claim that the effect of this expansion is due to market interest and it is funded by national and international financial capital.Financial capital and agricultural production, as theoretical objects of research have generally been treated separately in the context of the economy and even the social sciences in general.In the Amazon, the expansion of the agricultural frontier created in March geo-graphic "Arc of Deforestation", which advances the replacement of natural forests for agricultural production. An expensive process that requires huge sums of financing, mostly coming from public financial institutions.In 2012, with the aprovoção the new version of the Brazilian Forest Code, replacing the version 1973, the Federal Government authorized the creation of support programs and incentives for conservation of the environment, as well as adoption of technologies and best practices that reconcile agriculture and forest productivity.Provided through a literature review, it was identified barriers to building an economic arrangement for structuring a permanent mechanism for Payment for Environmental Services, which would meet the demand created by the new federal law.Interviews with actors and significant entities financially and politically to the livestock sector, were held at the beginning and end of the research to understand the barriers and potentials in the use of Payments for Environmental Services - PSA in the targeting and use of finance capital.It was identified that the most frequently cited beneficiaries are owners and land owners, farmers and traditional communities and indigenous peoples. Still, few laws indicate which eligible land supportable categories for projects and actions of PSA. Furthermore, the legal uncertainty caused by the lack of a specific law for paying agents, agent receiver and inspection agent of PSA prevents actions to migrate the level of models and projects on a national scale
The network staircase – marketing and sales collaboration for small food producers
Get PDFSmall food producers are often advised to collaborate with other small food producers to solve marketing and sales activity jointly. The small food producers have to operate many different activities to run their company, so the idea to collaborate may help them to work more efficient. However, good ideas is not always enough and many network of small food producers struggle to succeed.In a case study of different small food producers and producers of food specialties and local food, we studied the collaboration between the producers. We found networks, which had developed over time and seemed to function well while other networks still struggled after years with collaboration. A closer look at the different participants in the network uncovered that the different producers had different goals or opinions of what function the network should have. It became even more difficult when the activities in the network had a price label, because the producers conduct the functions themselves without calculating the costs.The findings resulted in the development of the network staircase model. We identified five different steps of collaboration based the function/goal of the network, producer requirements and obligations. We labelled the steps as community of interest, marketing collaboration, sales collaboration, distribution collaboration and a fifth step of sales management. The farther up the stairs, the more commitment will be on the participants. When they start sales collaboration, someone have to conduct activities and need salary.The investigations revealed that struggling networks seemed to have participants on different steps in the stair; some wanted marketing collaboration and other wanted distribution collaboration. They had never asked the fundamental question of what each of them wanted and if the network could help them solve these functions. The more successful networks had made statements of what kind of functions the network should perform.The network staircase model may help small food producers and even other small firms to discuss and clarify what function the network can have for them. Small food producers are diverse and we cannot expect everyone to fit into a particular network, and certainly should everyone be able to choose a network appropriate to their needs. This also indicates that there may be good reasons for small food producers to stay outside seemingly suitable network in their area. The network staircase may serve as a tool for advisors to help the small food producers in their development processes. Different producers have different opinions of the purpose of the network, and they will find themselves at different steps of this staircase
The Theory of Planned Behaviour and Food Choices: The Case of Sustainable pre-packed Salad
Get PDFThe demand for sustainable food products is in continuous growth. There are many different instruments that can be used in order to signal to consumers environmentally-friendly characteristics of food products, among which product labelling. Organic certification is probably the most well-known. Many studies have investigated consumer preferences towards organic products (Andersen, 2011; Bravo et al., 2013; Breustedt et al., 2011; Falguera et al., 2012; Gil et al., 2000; Gracia and De Magistris, 2008; Meike and Ulrich, 2014; Krystallis et al., 2006; Lee Wan-Chen et al., 2013). Despite the relevance of this aspect, other crucial labelled product attributes related to the sustainability have not yet been widely investigated (Bazoche et al., 2014; Govindasamy and Italia, 1998; Magnusson and Cranfiled, 2005; Yigezu et al., 2013).The paper aims at understanding the main factors affecting consumer purchase of products that report environmentally-friendly labelled features. The analysis refers to minimally processed pre-packed salad with environmental-friendly labelled characteristics related to integrated pest management. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985) represents the conceptual framework of this analysis.Purchases of such products show a steady upward trend in Italy (Freshfel, 2015). Most of the research about the food category of minimally processed vegetables focuses on microbiological quality, safety, processing and packaging issues (Fusi et al., 2016) . The analysis on the determinants affecting consumers preferences towards environmental characteristics of such products are still underdeveloped (Sillani and Nassivera, 2015).The paper is organized as follow. The next section will introduce the conceptual framework. Afterword, the methodology is presented. Results and some preliminary final remarks are placed at the end
Modelling the Pig Supply Chain: a Network Analysis Applied to the Italian Case
Get PDFVarious economic theories and many approaches in the study of food chains have produced, over the years, a variety of models.They are used as tools for analysis and forecasting, and often offer a basis for the development in software of various kinds.In an earlier stage of our field research we developed a model mapping the dense network of links connecting the actors of thesupply chains of products of animal origin of the Italian territory. An initial version of the model has shown the basic characteristicsof the system and already provided a number of interesting insights (Clemente et al., 2015a, 2015b). The Eva.CAN model(Evaluation of Complex Agro‐food Networks) is a complex network model representing together the chains of milk (cow, goat,sheep and buffalo), and beef and pig meat along with all their products, fresh and matured, in which the links represent theeconomic exchanges between the different actors.In this next phase of analysis our aim is to show, in particular, a study of the structure of the Italian pig meat sector (fresh and curedproducts), the dynamics of import of raw materials and export of processed products, and also those of consumption on the Italianterritory. A special attention is given to our PDO products, considered among the best in the World as for quality and quantity. Thepig production in Italy reached 1.6 million tons. The meat of more than 70% of the bred animals is destined to the production ofPDO products (In Italy the PDO products are 21 out of a total of 36 European). The industry imports nearly 1.2 million tons of meat that is intended in part to fresh consumption and in part to the transformation. In the analysis we use a higher amount of actual data pertaining to a greater number of years compared to the previous works.We apply network analytic methods to assess the topology (structural characteristics) of the network which is known to affect the overall functionality and dynamics (Newman, 2010). For the analysis of the sector it is important to understand what is the mix of processed products destined to domestic consumption and exports that allow the company to get the best economic performance.On this basis a series of simulations can provide different development scenarios. The evidence resulting from these allows examining possible strategic suggestions for what concerns business management and policies to be adopted in the whole sector
Developing Exchange in Short Local Foods Supply Chains
Get PDFThe supply chain management of foods is commonly associated with modernistic large-scale production. This involves long transport distances of foods to reach consumers. In the case of local foods, supply chains are shorter. Based on a case study of five local foods producer's supply of their products to a common retailer, the supply chain of local foods is modelled conceptually and modes of development are pointed out based on contingency theory and supply chain management literature. Findings reveal that since these chains are transparent, reciprocal interdependency is abundant mainly because human perception creates a sufficient understanding of the operations management issues pertinent within this simple inter-organisational structure. Local foods supply chains are similar to service supply chains. This includes that both are short in nature and associated with bi-directional interaction between the customer and supplier. Developing short supply chains in local foods supply is associated with improving the exchange economy found in short supply chains. This also implies that development of local foods supply is associated with two paths which may be complementary. First, the use of improved intensive technology associated with reciprocal interdependency to develop efficiencies in the bi-directional and somewhat complex interaction. Alternatively local foods suppliers may seek to reduce this form of reciprocal interdependency thereby increasing the impact of pooled interdependencies and enabling using mediating technology involving standardising interaction such as through increased standardised products and packaging as well as automation of information connectivity
Quality Seals in the Food Sector: Consumers Information Needs and Sources
Get PDFThis study analyzes consumers’ information needs concerning quality seals in the food sector. A survey was conducted taking one of the most well-known quality labels for food products in Austria (the AMA Quality Seal). Apparently, there is a lack of consumer-oriented information. Up to now, the type of information con-sumers of AMA sealed products demand is more or less unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to identify consumers actual use of information and (2) their information needs about the AMA Quality Seal in order to provide needs-based consumer information
Leadership in Sustainable Agribusiness, Innovation, and Solar Thermal Renewable Energy: Opportunities for Sustainable Agribusiness
Get PDFJohn Hollick, P.Eng, is the President of Conserval Engineering, a private company in Toronto with subsidiaries in Buffalo NY and Paris France. John is a Professional Engineer, an inventor, and a business person. His technology, SolarWall (SW) is one of the top 2% solar technology firms world-wide, as assessed by the US Government. It captures and makes conveniently available a very high proportion of solar radiation, over 90%, dwarfing the efficiency of photo voltaic panels (PV). The original technology is extremely sustainable requiring almost no maintenance, offering long term production with a life expectancy of several decades.Over the years, John has obtained several patents for his inventions, the last one awarded in December 2014. These patents reflect the continuous development of new technologies, new solutions built around the SW. Today SW offers solutions combining PV and thermal energy capture, or systems that may work to provide heating in the cold season and cooling in the warm season. All of the technologies are very cost effective.The case concerns possible agribusiness applications of one or more of the technology solutions developed by Conserval Engineering: the case users have been retained by John – thanks to their knowledge of agribusiness in their own country – to suggest possible applications of these technologies to local agribusiness industry. Mr Hollick has agreed to share a recent proposal (2010) to apply one of these technologies to solve the energy requirements of Food in Italy, while providing a significant carbon footprint reduction. He thinks that the analysis of this proposal and the material presented in the appendices will provide an opportunity to reflect on the potential of his technology and on the complex nature of the decision making process, and on some distortions resulting from public subsidies to some but not all sustainable technologies. That notwithstanding, the reflection on the first part of the case should reflect on the multiple gains that can be achieved with the adoption of these technologies in the specific local context.So, the case users armed with their reflections, their knowledge of agribusiness in their own country, and the short and essential description of the different technologies offered by Conserval Engineering, are asked to provide an illustration of what they consider the most promising applications to their own country’s agribusiness industry. Yes, the case does not provide actual costs of the different technologies, other than for the proposal to Food in Italy. At the same time the case users can certainly provide a qualitative perspective, based on the fact that these are the most advanced and cost effective technologies in the solar thermal industry.Part 1 of the case will primarily be structured around the discussion of these practical application to the local agribusiness.* Part 2 will focus on business sdevelopment. In using the case in teaching, parts 1 and part 2 could be linked to two different days
The corporatization of the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market in South Africa towards creating an enabling institutional environment: A case study
Get PDFThe global food sector is a highly interdependent and competitive sector that strives for food security, food affordability and sustainability. In South Africa, Fresh Produce Markets (FPMs) are faced with increasing competition in the form of direct contracting by retailers in response to consumer demand for better quality. These FPMs lack the ability to compete with retailers. Over the past two decades there has been an increased pace of corporatization of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE). The main focus of this research is to determine, by using the method of paired comparisons, whether corporatization into a Municipal Entity is indeed the best solution to allow for faster adaptability and improved performance