Driving and motivational factors for producing wool : views from Western Australian wool producers

The aims of this study are: (i) to explore and identify the driving and motivational factors to produce wool; and (ii) to model and test for the significant driving and motivational factors to produce wool.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1046/thumbnail.jp

Livelihood strategies and risk behavior of cacao producers in Ecuador : effects of national policies to support cacao farmers and specialty cacao landraces

This thesis addresses the Ecuadorian cacao value chain through three interrelated chapters. Small producers linked to this chain face significant trade-offs between the two main available varieties for planting: the fine flavor variety (known as national cacao-CN) and the hybrid bulk variety (known as CCN-51), that is more productive and profitable but of lower quality than the former. In the first chapter, the behavior and characteristics of cacao production are analyzed both at worldwide and Ecuadorian level. Ecuador is the sixth producer of cacao in the world and the first of the CN variety. The global cacao value chain is generally characterized by asymmetric power relationships with increasing control by a few leading companies that have the ability to decide how and where value is created and distributed throughout the global chain. The Ecuadorian cacao value chain is fairly fractionated at the producer level, where approximately 79% of the producers develop their activity in plots of less than 5 hectares, while the production of CCN-51 is growing in comparison with the CN. In fact, in 2017 72% of the cacao produced in Ecuador corresponds to CCN-51, a variety that is sown by 54% of the producers. The second chapter identifies the livelihood strategies of small cacao producers located in the coastal region of the province of Guayas, Ecuador, where the two varieties of cacao are grown. For this purpose, theoretical frameworks for sustainable rural livelihood strategies and household livelihoods were adopted, and a detailed survey was conducted with a sample of188 households. Based on activity variables, four latent profiles of livelihood strategies were identified, which were related to the endowment of capital assets and income share variables. The results showed that there was no clear gap between the cultivation of CN and CCN-51, since 60% of the sampled households simultaneously cultivated both varieties. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate incentives could threaten the future cultivation of CN, since the National policy for CN rehabilitation has had little impact on the profiles most driven by cacao cultivation and that also have a lower endowment of assets. Finally, the third study analyzes risk attitude, risk perceptions and risk management strategies of Ecuadorian cacao producers, as well as the relationships between these risk components. Adopting the same sample of respondents as in the previous chapter, experimental lotteries were applied to measure risk attitudes, while perceptions and strategies were measured by means of Likert scales. The theoretical model to determine the relationships among risk components was tested using variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) with the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. The results show that risk perceptions are more important than risk attitudes when deciding risk mitigation strategies. In addition, perceptions play a mediating role between farmers' risk attitudes and the risk management strategies adopted by them. These results advocate for policy measures oriented towards targeting farmers' perceptions of risk in order to implement successful risk management strategies.En la presente tesis, se desarrollan tres estudios relacionados con la cadena de valor del cacao en Ecuador y su participación en ella de pequeños productores, quienes se ven enfrentados a la disyuntiva entre sembrar cacao fino de aroma o cacao híbrido, que presenta algunas ventajas sobre aquel, especialmente relacionadas con su mayor productividad. En el primero estudio, se analiza el comportamiento y las características de la producción de cacao a nivel mundial y de Ecuador en particular, país que es el sexto productor de cacao en el mundo y el primero de la variedad conocida como cacao fino de aroma. La cadena de valor del cacao a nivel global se caracteriza en general por una relación de poder asimétrica con un creciente control de unas pocas empresas líderes que son las que tienen capacidad de decisión sobre cómo y dónde se crea y distribuye el valor a lo largo de la cadena. La cadena de valor del cacao en Ecuador se encuentra bastante fraccionada en su eslabón de producción, donde alrededor del 79% de los productores desarrollan su actividad en parcelas de no más de 5 hectáreas y en la que la participación de la variedad híbrida, conocida como CCN-51, es cada vez mayor en comparación con la variedad nacional fino de aroma (CN). De hecho, en 2017 el 72% del cacao producido en Ecuador, corresponde a CCN-51, variedad que es sembrada por el 54% de los productores. El segundo estudio identifica las estrategias de subsistencia de los pequeños productores de cacao en la región costera de Guayas en Ecuador, donde se cultivan las dos variedades de cacao. Para ello se adopta el marco metodológica de estrategias de medios de vida y capitales, realizándose una encuesta detallada de 188 hogares. A través de un análisis de clases latentes realizado en tres pasos que permite incorporar de forma robusta y optimizada variables externas, se identifican cuatro perfiles de estrategias de medios de vida. Estos perfiles se relacionaron con la dotación de activos de capital y variables de ingresos. Los resultados mostraron que no existe una brecha clara entre el cultivo de CN y CCN-51, ya que el 60% de los hogares muestreados cultivaron simultáneamente ambas variedades. Los hogares con una baja proporción de la tierra asignada a CCN-51 mostraron estrategias de diversificación de ingresos más altas y viceversa. Este estudio también muestra que la falta de incentivos apropiados puede amenazar el futuro del cultivo de CN ya que la política nacional para la rehabilitación de CN ha tenido poco impacto en los perfiles que más dependen del cultivo de cacao y que tienen una menor dotación de activos. Finalmente, en el tercer estudio se analizan la actitud, percepciones y estrategias de gestión de riesgos de los agricultores de cacao ecuatorianos, así como las relaciones existentes entre estos componentes del riesgo. Con la misma muestra de agricultores del segundo estudio se aplican loterías experimentales para medir actitudes de riesgo, mientras que percepciones y estrategias se miden a través de escalas likert. Toda la información se integra en un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales y se analiza con a través de modelos PLS-SEM. Los resultados muestran que las percepciones de riesgo son más importantes que las actitudes ante el riesgo para decidir las estrategias de mitigación de riesgo. Además, las percepciones juegan un papel mediador entre las actitudes de riesgo de los agricultores y las estrategias de gestión de riesgo que aplican. Las consecuencias que de aquí se derivan para los diseñadores de política, se relacionan fundamentalmente con incidir en las percepciones de riesgo de los agricultores a fin que implementen las estrategias que resulten más adecuadas.Postprint (published version

Prospects of commercialization among small scale potato farmers in Bizana

ThesisThe study examined the potential for commercialization among selected small-scale potato farmers. Fifty eight farmers in Mbizana were purposively sampled for the study, which reviewed production challenges, investigated the potato supply market in the area and also estimated the farmer’s level of commercialization. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain information from the farmers and potato sellers, key agricultural stakeholders in the area were interviewed, and reports from published materials consulted. The study utilized the household commercialization index (HCI) and an ordinary least square (OLS) regression model as its main analytical tool, while using descriptive statistics produced from the SPSS (Version 15.0) statistical software to characterize the respondents and their production and marketing features. The study’s finding show that the farmers are producing on small sized farms allocated by community leaders, rely on rain-fed cropping systems and do not have access to formal credit for farming. While few of the farmers are still subsistent producers, most of the respondents sold surpluses through informal market channels, as bottlenecks existed in accessing formal markets. Average commercialization level among the respondents was estimated to be 0.48, indicating that most of the farmers were below the half-way point to a fully commercialized status. Access to credit, farm size and years of farming experience were determined to be significant factors affecting commercialization among the respondents. Though there is some support from a number of stakeholders, the study recommends increased targeted support, through interventions that improve production practices, access to credit and markets

MEATabolomics: Muscle and Meat Metabolomics in Domestic Animals

In the past decades, metabolomics has been used to comprehensively understand a variety of food materials for improvement and assessment of food quality. Farm animal skeletal muscles and meat are one of the major targets of metabolomics for the characterization of meat and the exploration of biomarkers in the production system. For identification of potential biomarkers to control meat quality, studies of animal muscles and meat with metabolomics (MEATabolomics) has been conducted in combination with analyses of meat quality traits, focusing on specific factors associated with animal genetic background and sensory scores, or conditions in feeding system and treatments of meat in the processes such as postmortem storage, processing, and hygiene control. Currently, most of MEATabolomics approaches combine separation techniques (gas or liquid chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis)–mass spectrometry (MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches with the downstream multivariate analyses, depending on the polarity and/or hydrophobicity of the targeted metabolites. Studies employing these approaches provide useful information to monitor meat quality traits efficiently and to understand the genetic background and production system of animals behind the meat quality. MEATabolomics is expected to improve the knowledge and methodologies in animal breeding and feeding, meat storage and processing, and prediction of meat quality

Innovation capability, disruptive technology and SME's performance in Malaysia

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between innovation capacity (IC), and firm performance (FP) mediated by disruptive technology (DT) among SMEs within Selangor, Malaysia. The theoretical model is based on the Resource-Based Theory and the Theory of Innovation. To answer the research questions, four hypotheses were formulated. They are; (i) There is a significant relationship between innovative capacity and SMEs performance, (ii) There is a significant relationship between innovative capacity and disruptive technology, (iii) There is a significant relationship between disruptive technology and SMEs performance, (iv) There is a significant relationship between innovative capacity and SMEs performance mediated by disruptive technology. Self-administrated questionnaires were distributed to 800 owner-managers of SMEs in Selangor. A total of 150 firms responded in this study. This study utilised the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to establish validity and reliabiliy of measurement model and test the relationships. The results show a positive and significant relationship between innovation capacity and firm performance mediated by disruptive technology. Owner-manager of SMEs should emphasize innovativeness on all four (4) dimensions of innovations to ensure better firm performance. The results of this study also provides a better insight for various stakeholders to further understand the effects of IC and DT on SMEs performance. The study provides empirical evidence for theoretical relationship hypothesized in the research framework and also adds to knowledge on the importance of innovativeness in all aspects of firm’s offering along with adoptation of disruptive technologies in predicting firm performance. The study is confined to firm operating in Selangor. It is recommended that future research should also include other state(s) in Malaysia

Factors that influence entrepreneurial intentions among undergraduates of South-south and Southeast Nigeria

Research shows intentions as the best predictor of behaviour or action, more so if the behaviour requires some unknown time lags to get it realised. This mixed methods research is conducted to explain what factors encourage or discourage entrepreneurship among undergraduates in South-south and Southeast Nigeria and to know whether the factors are the same across the two regions. It surveys 1,129 indigenous final-year undergraduates from 11 states, in 15 universities across 12 faculties and 68 departments in the two regions studied plus four focus groups of 42 participants. It uses a partial least squares structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM) to analyse the survey data. It finds the personal attitude construct as the strongest influence on the entrepreneurial intentions variable, followed by the perceived behavioural control construct. The next influence is the perceived barriers construct; it acts as a discouraging factor. The focus group interview results find that the undergraduates explained the factors that influence them as being transformational, affective, push, personal fulfilment motives and personality traits. Moreover, the results indicate that the undergraduates would more likely embrace entrepreneurship if courses were taught in a more practical or application-oriented approach than theory-oriented. Also, if relevant internships were introduced in their courses, entrepreneurship lecturers were experienced entrepreneurs, and universities had a strong collaboration with relevant industries too. The partial least squares multi-group analysis detected no significant differences in any of the 18 relationships hypothesised, based on the model paths. This result suggests that, conceptually or theoretically, the factors modelled as influencing the South-south and Southeast students toward entrepreneurship are fundamentally the same. Nevertheless, in practice as well as in the wider society, the pattern between the two regions might somewhat differ. The reason is that the participants in the focus group interviews consistently demonstrated that they observe and, therefore, perceive the people of Southeast Nigeria as exhibiting a more peculiar flair for entrepreneurial activities in practice. The participants offered various explanations for their position to include: apprenticeship, serial mentorship, crave for independence, early childhood introduction to business by family, and profit motives as the factors that they believe, are more likely to distinguish the Southeast people from their South-south counterparts in entrepreneurship pursuits. They believe, also, that graduates from the two regions would probably follow the same observed patterns of entrepreneurial behaviours. Thus, a major implication would be that in undertaking undergraduate entrepreneurship research, accommodating multi-logical approaches that also encourage views of the students could offer more useful solutions for policy on what students perceive would attract them toward entrepreneurship