University of Minnesota, Duluth
AgEcon Search - Research in Agricultural & Applied EconomicsNot a member yet
211830 research outputs found
Sort by
Relational autonomy highlights how interdependencies shift in the transformation of food provisioning
No full textIn the past decade, there has been a surge in the Netherlands in food initiatives that seek to transform the prevailing agro-industrial model of food provisioning. This has evolved into a wide range of values-based territorial food networks (VTFNs). This article aims to understand the evolving diversity in VTFNs by looking more deeply into how community, circular, and territorial-based food networks operate. In doing so, the article examines how citizens, rural workers, and farmers cooperate to change and create connections between livestock, land, water, and other resources. Furthermore, it aims to assess to what extent the evolving food provisioning practices of these VTFNs are re-embedded in the territory, how their collective capacity to transform food provisioning practices has expanded, and the impact that the expanded capacity has on the degree of relational autonomy over their operations. Twelve participatory observations and 16 interviews with farmers and citizens engaged in three different VTFNs are analyzed by identifying themes that emerged from the data, and themes that originate from the concept relational autonomy. Relational autonomy is introduced by feminist scholars and entails that autonomy is not an individual matter but is created in relationships. The concept allows for a deeper understanding of how a transformation of relations can raise the autonomy of all living beings, both human and non-human. The analysis demonstrates how relational autonomy in the three VTFNs studied is emerging along the three interdependent and co-evolving dimensions identified by Catriona Mackenzie (2019): determination, governance, and authorization. All three VTFNs studied crafted their own pathway toward relational autonomy by creating opportunities and building capacities. A relational autonomy lens enables us to articulate the interconnectedness between human and non-human systems; for example, phasing out agrochemicals increases our reliance on natural processes. This necessitates farmers and rural workers' ability to mimic these processes and requires a rearranging of market relations to share risks more equitably with citizens
Understanding smallholder dairy productivity and poverty reduction in Eritrea: An A-WEAI approach
No full textImproving the poverty status of smallholder dairy farmers in Eritrea necessitates an increase in dairy production efficiency. This study investigated the influence of empowerment programs on smallholder dairy production, specifically those aimed at fostering the development of knowledge and skills for both male- and female-headed households. The Abbreviated Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI) and an instrumental variable estimator (IVE) were used to analyze data collected from 379 households in three Eritrean communities. The findings show that male household heads are more empowered than their female counterparts. Analysis at the Zoba (regional) level showed disempowerments for all households in Anseba (65.42%), followed by Debub (57.02%) and Maekel (33.11%). Empowerment had a positive effect on labor productivity among male- and female-headed households, resulting in increases of 11.50% and 18.49%, respectively, and on poverty reduction, with empowerment increases of 10.57% and 9.91%, respectively. In addition, the level of education, the farmers’ age, and the price of milk had a negative effect on labor productivity among male and female dairy farmers. Dairy experience, labor cost, and membership in a cooperative had a positive effect on the labor productivity of male farmers. Herd size (with a positive coefficient), type of dairy production practice, and perception of government policies on dairy farming (with negative coefficients) were essential factors that affected labor productivity among male and female dairy farmers in Eritrea. Land rent, frequency of extension visits, milk unit price, dairy experience, and number of lactating cows affected asset accumulation among Eritrean dairy farmers. We recommend context-specific innovative empowerment strategies to boost productivity and market access and reduce poverty, particularly for female farmers. Gender disparities in Eritrean dairy farming show that women face greater disempowerment. Involving more women in these strategies can reduce the gender gap, promote gender equality, and support sustainable development in Eritrea
An account of labor market inequality in the craft beer industry
No full textFirst paragraph:
Handcrafted Careers by Eli Revelle Yano Wilson successfully describes the racialized, classed, and gendered dimensions of work in the craft beer industry. The book’s research question might be stated as: How does systemic inequality in the labor market manifest in the artisanal craft beer industry? Wilson proposes that artisanal jobs in this new economy are much more idiosyncratic and entrepreneurial, and thus subject to more variation than the expected patterns shaped by structures of race, class and gender. While most research on artisanal markets suggests the opposite—that whiteness and gentrification shape access to these artisanal spaces—Wilson poses the possibility that maybe, in spite of this research, craft beer will be different. However, he finds that privilege exerts its influence here as well. “Bearded white guys” enjoy access to exhibit pure passion in the creative pathway, whereas women typically end up on the service path, and minority males are assigned hard labor roles, such as distribution and canning. And so: labor market inequality in the craft beer industry must be addressed in terms of race, class, and gender and acknowledge that micro-level interactions reproduce an invisible system of power that shapes career choices. . .
“The ones who are on their best behavior keep coming”: H-2A farmworkers in Idaho
No full textH-2A farmworkers in the United States live in a state of liminality, navigating systemic precarity as they move between their home countries and employment in the U.S. While the H-2A program offers benefits such as legal passage across the border, a guaranteed minimum wage, housing, and transportation, the program also presents significant challenges. Some scholars claim the H-2A program is akin to modern-day slavery and argue temporary agricultural wodrkers experience unfreedom in their labor. In this paper, we share data related to H-2A farmworkers collected during a 2022 study on pesticide risk and exposure in Idaho. Drawing upon interview and survey data, we explore the precarity inherent in the H-2A program, and consider logistical, financial, and socio-emotional challenges facing H-2A workers, highlighting the experiences of a small group of farmworkers in Idaho. Through the analysis of this data, we find evidence that H-2A farmworkers in Idaho experience liminality, precarity, and unfreedom. This paper is a timely call for additional research on H-2A farmworker experiences. We highlight specific issues, concerns, and trends that warrant additional study
Urban farming as a form of the future food security in the Czech Republic
No full textThe article explores alternative ways of utilizing urban spaces for agricultural production, in contrast with permanent land occupation. The primary goal is to highlight the process of urban farming in the Czech Republic, where it is not yet widely practiced. The research component of the study assesses the production potential of newly identified suitable spaces that could partially meet the demand for food. Specifically, the urban farming production potential for vegetables in the city of Olomouc was determined based on currently available data and spatial analysis using ArcGIS Pro software. The results indicate that 408.04 hectares of land currently not used for agricultural activities in Olomouc could be repurposed for urban farming. This total area has a production potential of 7,099.9 tons, which would meet 42.68% of the total demand for vegetables. Given that current knowledge suggests it is not possible to generalize which locations will have high or low production potential, it is always necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of the specific area
Seeding resilience: Building knowledge and capacity through relationships among Black and Indigenous women farmers
No full textBlack and Indigenous women farmers face concurrent complex challenges in their farming operations such as a changing climate, institutional discrimination, and a historic wealth gap. The compounding nature of these challenges provides opportunities for agricultural technical assistance providers to create innovative educational approaches to support and build capacity towards greater resilience. American Farmland Trust, North Carolina Extension, and Black Family Land Trust piloted a “Get Climate Smart Food and Agricultural System’s Resilience Training” with 30 Black and Indigenous women farmers in North Carolina during 2023 and 2024. The training’s focus was to engage historically underserved women producers to (a) actualize conservation skills and climate smart practices, including monitoring and implementation; (b) improve technical skills regarding diversifying production and marketing systems for greater economic and food system resilience; and (c) develop leadership and mentoring skills to build community and social resilience around food and agriculture. All sessions were structured using a learning circle model that fostered collaborative, participant-driven learning compared to traditional instructor-led sessions; enrolled participants engaged in virtual, in-person, asynchronous, and hands-on activities. After the program concluded, the team conducted 18 in-depth semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants. Findings revealed that the program’s learning circle model and cohort network were highly effective for beginning and experienced Black and Indigenous women farmers, particularly by sustaining relationships and implementing climate smart practices on their land beyond the program timeframe. This article will review the program’s model and discuss how this type of program and its learning outcomes foster social sustainability by boosting individual, farm-scale, and local food resilience
Harvesting perspectives: A comprehensive review of two pivotal works on Indian agrarian transformation (review of Distress in the Fields: Indian Agriculture after Economic Liberalization, edited by R. Ramakumar, and Agrarian Reform and Farmer Resistance in Punjab: Mobilization and Resilience, by Shinder Singh Thandi)
No full textFirst paragraph:
As the Indian agricultural landscape continues to undergo transformative shifts, the need for nuanced literature addressing agrarian change becomes increasingly pronounced. In this review, we delve into two pivotal works—Distress in the Fields: Indian Agriculture after Economic Liberalization, edited by R. Ramakumar, and Agrarian Reform and Farmer Resistance in Punjab: Mobilization and Resilience, edited by Shinder Singh Thandi. As a scholar of agriculture, food systems, and history, I bring to the forefront a critical evaluation of these books, positioning them within the broader context of agrarian evolution in India. . .
Exchange Market Pressure, and the Magnitude of Exchange Market Intervention Index in Nigeria
No full textUsing monthly data from January 2004 to December 2022 and the two-stage least squares (2SLS) method to estimate the money demand and price equation, this study constructs the exchange market pressure (EMP) and the intervention index for Nigeria by utilising the (Weymark, 1995) model. Findings indicate the value of the Naira is mostly under pressure to depreciate. Notwithstanding the monetary authority's intervention to pressures of appreciation or depreciation, the intervention index indicates absorption of the pressure by the exchange rate (EXR), which is in tandem with floating regime. Hence, the study agrees with the IMF's (2022) Exchange rate Arrangement for as well as Reinhart & Rogoff's (2004) exchange rate analysis for Nigeria. The analysis also revealed the anticipated (EXR) is more erratic than the actual exchange rate
Impact of Institutional Quality on Inclusive Growth in Nigeria
No full textInclusive growth remains a critical challenge in Nigeria, as the nation grapples with persistent poverty, inequality, and unemployment despite periods of economic expansion. Understanding the role of institutional quality in fostering inclusive growth is essential, given its potential to address these systemic issues. This study empirically examines the relationship between institutional quality and inclusive growth in Nigeria from 1984 to 2020 using the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimator. The findings reveal that in the short run, institutional quality negatively and significantly affects income growth and inclusive growth, although it positively influences employment. In contrast, the long-run analysis indicates that institutional quality positively contributes to income growth, income equality, and inclusive growth at a 5% significance level, while its effect on employment remains statistically insignificant. Thus, institutional quality negatively impacts inclusive growth in the short run but positively influenced growth inclusiveness in the long run. The study underscores the need for policy reforms aimed at improving public service quality and institutional effectiveness to enhance the inclusiveness of growth in Nigeria over time
Exploring the Factors Behind Limited Dietary Diversity in Rural Households of Ogun State, Nigeria
No full textLack of dietary diversity is a challenge for rural communities in Nigeria whose diets are by default defined on starchy staples with inadequate animal products, fresh fruits and vegetables. The study therefore examined the determinants of rural household dietary diversity in Ogun State, Nigeria, using primary data collected from 320 households, with 9 questionnaires later discarded due to inconsistent responses. The data was analyzed using the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) model. The HDDS showed that majority of the respondents (61.5%) has low dietary diversity, 25.5% of the respondent’s household fall under medium dietary scores, while 13% the household have high dietary diversity scores. The MLR revealed that household with higher income is likely to have high diversity in their diets at 1% significant level. The MLR also indicated a positive significant relationship of 10% between sex and low dietary diversity, while education level was positively related to high dietary diversity at 5% significant level. Likewise, the result of the MLR revealed a negative significant correlation between household size and low dietary diversity at 5%. The study recommended that poor rural household should adjust their food combination towards rice, cocoyam, melon, cowpea, garri (Cassava flour), fish and palm oil which constitute the least-cost food items for the rural household