Article
Environmental Studies
P. N. Ndlovu, J. M. Thamaga-Chitja, T. O. Ojo
Summary: The study investigates the factors influencing the level of value chain participation and implications on smallholder farmers in the Swayimane area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Results show that factors such as age, marital status, farm income, household size, cooperative membership, market information, radio, extension officer, and formal education significantly influence smallholder farmers' participation decisions in agricultural value chains. Additionally, off-farm income, access to credit, irrigation schemes, contact with NGOs, and formal education significantly impact the level of value chain participation among smallholder farmers.
Article
Business
Annalisa Caloffi, Ana Colovic, Valentina Rizzoli, Federica Rossi
Summary: Innovation intermediaries have become diverse, and this study aims to understand their activities. Using text mining and bibliometric techniques, seven different literature streams are identified, among which six refer to distinct types of intermediaries. The early contributions focused on university incubators and science/technology parks, while recent focus shifted to intermediaries supporting sustainable transitions. Despite differences, all literature streams share a common theoretical basis of open innovation and emphasize the role of science parks and incubators.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Nyarko Ayisi, Jozsef Kozari, Toth Krisztina
Summary: This study analyzes the innovation adopter categories and socio-economic attributes that influence the innovativeness of smallholder farmers in Ghana. The results show that a significant number of smallholder farmers belong to the late majority adopter category and are classified as low innovators. Factors such as farmer education and gender are found to be insignificant in influencing their innovativeness.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kitoga Byalungwa Kyotos, Jemimah Oduma, Raphael Githaiga Wahome, Catherine Kaluwa, Faduma Abdulahi Abdirahman, Angela Opondoh, Jeanette Nkatha Mbobua, John Muchibi, Brigitte Bagnol, Meghan Stanley, Marieke Rosenbaum, Janetrix Hellen Amuguni
Summary: This study examines the barriers preventing women smallholder farmers in Kenya from effectively accessing and adopting CCPP vaccination for their animals. The key constraints identified include lack of a cold chain for vaccine maintenance, inadequate and late delivery of veterinary services, lack of information and training, and limited financial capacity. The study suggests that providing more resources, information, and training to women farmers, as well as considering gender perspectives in policy development, can improve livestock productivity and increase agency for women.
Article
Agronomy
Suci Wulandari, Fadjry Djufry, Renato Villano
Summary: COVID-19 has impacted Arabica and Robusta coffee farmers in Indonesia, with the study highlighting coffee livestock integration as an important strategy for improving farmers' livelihoods and introducing an innovation sharing model for implementation.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Rami Al Sidawi, Teo Urushadze, Angelika Ploeger
Summary: Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in the dairy production sector in Georgia, but they are facing challenges such as heavy metal pollution. This research study examines the problems small farmers encounter in dairy production and the impact of ethical, cultural, and traditional factors on the dairy value chain.
Editorial Material
Food Science & Technology
Xue-Yan Liu
Summary: Agriculture-related air pollution in China has negative impacts on human and environmental health, but a county-level campaign demonstrates the possibility of coordinating efforts among smallholders for ammonia reduction.
Article
Horticulture
Xiaolei Wang, Apurbo Sarkar, Hongyu Wang, Fuhong Zhang
Summary: The value chain is crucial for connecting producers with suppliers, intermediaries, and marketplaces to enhance production and distribution by creating added value for goods or products. Various factors and actors influence the values of agricultural products, and linking them together is essential for fostering added values. Participation in the agricultural value chain can improve farmers' production performance, with factors such as gender, household expenditure, and use of improved fertilizers playing significant roles in the process. Collaboration, technical support, and policy improvements are crucial for promoting the AVC among smallholder farmers.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aravind Kundurpi, Linda Westman, Christopher Luederitz, Sarah Burch, Alexander Mercado
Summary: Small and medium-sized enterprises require external support for sustainability endeavors, highlighting the influential role of local governments and business networks. Lack of engagement from local government units in encouraging sustainability initiatives prompts other intermediaries to fill knowledge and resource gaps. Understanding the diverse roles of intermediaries in sustainability transitions is crucial for both incumbents and niche innovators.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Business
Kevin Christopher Go, Matthew Brummer
Summary: This study examines how innovation intermediaries exercise different types of power to improve their partners' position in the global value chains. Through case studies on two agri-food business non-government organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines, the study finds that these NGOs employ these powers in diverse ways and to varying degrees, revealing the critical importance of active non-firm actors in influencing power balance and shaping government response.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Giacomo Branca, Luca Cacchiarelli, Valentina D'Amico, Laifolo Dakishoni, Esther Lupafya, Mufunanji Magalasi, Chiara Perelli, Alessandro Sorrentino
Summary: This article examines the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in the cereal-legume value chain in Malawi, such as limited access to resources and market knowledge. It also discusses the constraints of national policies in enhancing smallholders' market access. Different interventions are needed for value-chain-ready farmers and non-value-chain-ready farmers, with market-based interventions for the former and non-market-based interventions for the latter to build their minimum asset thresholds for market participation. The importance of VC actors and policy harmonization in promoting a smallholder-friendly VC development is highlighted.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adeolu Babatunde Ayanwale, Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo, Adewale Adolphous Adekunle
Summary: This research examines the impact of IP adoption on the farm income of smallholder maize farmers in Nigeria, going beyond the standard mean impact assessment. The study employs a conditional instrumental variable quantile treatment effects strategy to address selection bias. The findings indicate that IP adoption significantly affects the revenue distributions of maize producers, particularly benefiting impoverished farming households. These results emphasize the importance of targeting and disseminating improved agricultural technologies to increase smallholder maize farmers' income in Nigeria.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shoufu Lin, Lian Xiao, Xiaojiong Wang
Summary: This study investigates the negative impact of air pollution on technological innovation, mainly manifested in hindering innovation output and crowding out innovation funds. Innovation fund input plays a mediating role between air pollution and technological innovation.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Liancui Wu, Runjie Du, Qiang Liu
Summary: This article examines the willingness of small farmers to continue cooperation with new farmers and empirically shows that satisfaction plays a crucial role. The article also proposes policy suggestions to improve satisfaction and promote the establishment of lasting cooperation between small farmers and new farmers.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Claire Holland, Adam McCarthy, Priscila Ferri, Philip Shapira
Summary: This research explores the missions and practices of innovation intermediaries involved in the convergence of digital technologies, focusing specifically on AI-enabled engineering biology. Despite the availability of responsible innovation frameworks that encourage attention to societal and sustainability implications, innovation intermediaries in the engineering biology domain still prioritize conventional scale-up and commercialization approaches.