Sri Lanka Social Enterprise Needs Assessment and Advisory

Authored in collaboration with Oxfam, this research maps social enterprises within the agriculture sector, identifies the key challenges they face, and makes recommendations for donors and development agencies looking to support the space in Sri Lanka. Findings and recommendations developed based on secondary research and field survey of social enterprises in Sri Lanka

The Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report 2018-2019

An inclusive, digitally-enabled agricultural transformation could help achieve meaningful livelihood improvements for Africa’s smallholder farmers and pastoralists. It could drive greater engagement in agriculture from women and youth and create employment opportunities along the value chain. At CTA we staked a claim on this power of digitalisation to more systematically transform agriculture early on. Digitalisation, focusing on not individual ICTs but the application of these technologies to entire value chains, is a theme that cuts across all of our work. In youth entrepreneurship, we are fostering a new breed of young ICT ‘agripreneurs’. In climate-smart agriculture multiple projects provide information that can help towards building resilience for smallholder farmers. And in women empowerment we are supporting digital platforms to drive greater inclusion for women entrepreneurs in agricultural value chains

COOPERATIVE MARKETING IN SPECIALTY GRAINS AND IDENTITY PRESERVED GRAIN MARKETS

Marketing of specialty and identity preserved grains has become an important strategy in the grain marketing industry and is being driven, in part, by consumer and processor demand and an interest in non-GM products. This study provides background and practices of numerous organizations involved in marketing of specialty/identity preserved grains. Supporting marketing activities are reviewed. Key factors in the success (or failure) of their efforts are identified. Major challenges facing the participants in the specialty/IP grain marketing industry are discussed. The primary focus is on the role of agricultural cooperatives and producer owned alliances.identity preservation, IP, segregation, traceability, specialty products, genetically modified, GM, non-GM, cooperative, alliance., Agribusiness,

Food Safety and Sustainability: The Case of the New Organizational Arrangements between Rural Producers and Consumers of Organic Products in Japan

The relationship between consumers and producers is changing, and has impacted governments, organizations, production, and the agribusiness. New standards in food consumption, with a strong emphasis on safety food and production sustainability have becoming worries for these agencies. The Seikatsu Club Consumer's Cooperative (SCCC), case study focused in this paper, can help spread these concepts, improving the relationship with the natural environment. In Japan, this type of cooperative has new contractual arrangements between rural producers and final consumers, called Teikei System, that it was build from of a trusty commitment of them. A brief history of Japanese immigration in Brazil and their large contribution to the Brazilian agriculture development, it was discussed the possibility of these arrangement can established in some cooperatives of rural producers Nikkeys (descendent of Japanese) in Brazil.sustainability, network consumers-rural producers, organics food consumption, Japan, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR AND IMPACTS OF ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING A NEW GENERATION COOPERATIVE: THE CASE OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA SOYBEAN PROCESSORS

Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries,

Before the Bricks and Mortar: A Case Study of a New Generation Cooperative’s Planning Process

To generate additional income for their members, many cooperatives consider forward integrating into processing activities. However, many market, industry, and economic issues must be considered before choosing a value-added processing activity to pursue. Gathering the necessary information to evaluate various processing opportunities is a considerable undertaking and may require the expertise of university personnel, economic development specialists, and possibly professional consultants. Using an Oklahoma new generation cooperative case study, this paper outlines a market assessment process for value-added ventures.market entry strategies, “matrix†assessment, new generation cooperative, strategic planning, Financial Economics, Marketing, Productivity Analysis,

The Geography of Internet Adoption by Retailers

Up till now, the literature on Internet adoption by retailers paid little attention to spatial variables. Using data on 27,000 retail outlets in the Netherlands, we investigate the geographical diffusion of Internet adoption by Dutch retailers. More precise, we examine to what extent retail Internet adoption differs between shopping centers, cities, and regions, while controlling for product and organizational variables. Results of the linear and multinomial logistic regressions suggest that shops at city centers are more likely to adopt the Internet than shops located at shopping centers at the bottom of the retail hierarchy. Furthermore, shops in large cities have a higher probability to adopt the Internet than shops in small cities. On the regional level, the likelihood of Internet adoption is higher for shops in core regions than for retail outlets in the periphery. In conclusion, geography seems to matter for retail Internet adoption.evolutionary economics, internet adoption, retailing

CO-OPERATIVE ORGANIZATION IN RURAL CANADA AND THE AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN CHINA: A COMPARISON

Agribusiness,

E-commerce adoption by local cooperatives in Morocco based on Technology Acceptance Model

E-commerce has become an increasingly popular form of consumption, with many factors influencing consumer acceptance. The paper is a systematic literature review to explore the adoption of e-commerce by local cooperatives in Morocco and to identify the factors that influence this adoption process based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) which is often used to study e-commerce adoption, focusing on his two key factors: Recognized technology usefulness, Ease of use of perceived technology. Research also shows that external factors such as social pressure and resource availability can influence e-commerce adoption. We conducted extensive searches in electronic databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using a predefined set of keywords. We included qualitative and quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2022. The findings of this review indicate that the adoption of e-commerce by local cooperatives in Morocco is influenced by several factors, including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived trust, perceived risk, and social influence. Moreover, the results suggest that the majority of local cooperatives in Morocco are still in the early stages of e-commerce adoption, and face significant challenges related to infrastructure, internet connectivity, and lack of technical skills. The practical implications of this study are significant, as it provides valuable insights for local cooperatives in Morocco to develop and implement effective e-commerce strategies. Specifically, our findings suggest that local cooperatives need to invest in improving their technological infrastructure, enhancing trust and security measures, and providing training and support to their members to increase their technical skills and knowledge.   Keywords: E-commerce, Local cooperatives, local Product, Technology Acceptance Model JEL Classification: M31 Paper type: Theoretical Research Résumé : Le commerce électronique est devenu une forme de consommation de plus en plus populaire, avec de nombreux facteurs influençant l'acceptation par les consommateurs. Ce document est une revue systématique de la littérature visant à explorer l'adoption du commerce électronique par les coopératives locales au Maroc et à identifier les facteurs qui influencent ce processus d'adoption en se basant sur le modèle d'acceptation de la technologie (TAM) qui est souvent utilisé pour étudier l'adoption du commerce électronique, en se concentrant sur ses deux facteurs clés : L'utilité reconnue de la technologie, la facilité d'utilisation de la technologie perçue. La recherche montre également que des facteurs externes tels que la pression sociale et la disponibilité des ressources peuvent influencer l'adoption du commerce électronique. Nous avons effectué des recherches approfondies dans des bases de données électroniques telles que Scopus, Web of Science et Google Scholar en utilisant un ensemble prédéfini de mots clés. Nous avons inclus des études qualitatives et quantitatives publiées entre 2015 et 2022. Les résultats de cette revue indiquent que l'adoption du commerce électronique par les coopératives locales au Maroc est influencée par plusieurs facteurs, notamment l'utilité perçue, la facilité d'utilisation perçue, la confiance perçue, le risque perçu et l'influence sociale. En outre, les résultats suggèrent que la majorité des coopératives locales au Maroc en sont encore aux premiers stades de l'adoption du commerce électronique et qu'elles sont confrontées à des défis importants liés à l'infrastructure, à la connectivité Internet et au manque de compétences techniques. Les implications pratiques de cette étude sont significatives, car elle fournit des informations précieuses aux coopératives locales au Maroc pour développer et mettre en œuvre des stratégies de commerce électronique efficaces. Plus précisément, nos résultats suggèrent que les coopératives locales doivent investir dans l'amélioration de leur infrastructure technologique, dans le renforcement de la confiance et des mesures de sécurité, et dans la formation et le soutien de leurs membres afin d'accroître leurs compétences et leurs connaissances techniques.   Mots clés :  E-commerce, coopératives locales, produits de terroir, théorie d’acceptation de la technologie Classification JEL : M31 Type de papier : Recherche théorique   &nbsp

Access to financial services in Colombia : the"unbanked"in Bogota

The authors look at the depth of the financial sector in Bogota in terms of the"financial exclusion"of those, particularly poorer citizens, who operate without accounts in formal financial institutions-the unbanked. They begin with a review of the overall decline in financial intermediation from 1998 to 2003, which explains, in part, the high percentage of unbanked-61 percent in a recent household survey in Bogota. The authors next look at the banking system today, concluding that the present challenge is to increase financial intermediation overall, especially with the poor. Their analysis shows that Colombia's banks provide costly services mainly catered toward high-income clients. Existing fees and costs of checking, savings, and loan services average 5-10 percent of a monthly minimum wage, making them hard to afford for low-income clients. The authors also explore the characteristics and impacts of financial exclusion associated with lower and more uncertain incomes, lower education, and closer links to the informal sector. They cite the household survey conducted in Bogota, showing that 70 percent of the unbanked earn less than one minimum wage per month, are three times more likely to be unemployed than the banked, and have lower education levels. The unbanked save and borrow largely in the informal sector, at greater risk and greater cost. At the same time, however, high home ownership rates show that the unbanked have the capacity to build assets, demonstrating that they have"bankable"characteristics. The authors conclude with recommendations for government and for the financial sector to broaden access for the benefit of public and private sectors, and for the unbanked.Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Economic Theory&Research,Financial Intermediation,Settlement of Investment Disputes