New trends in supermarkets procurement system in South Africa: the case of local procurement schemes from small-scale farmers by rural-based retail chain stores

In contrast to the centralised fresh produce procurement systems of South African retailers relying on preferred commercial suppliers, this paper draws on an in-depth analysis of the innovative procurement schemes of two rural-based supermarket chain stores in the Limpopo Province to source fresh vegetables locally from small-scale farmers. The objective is to derive lessons to guide public and private sector actors in promoting greater participation of small-scale producers in dynamic supply chains, through the exposure of the key drivers and success factors affecting the inclusion of small-scale vegetable farmers. The critical factors affecting the up-scaling and / or replication of this type of procurement relates to operation in a remote, emerging market, franchise stores with flexible procurement options, small-scale farmers with potential and land in close proximity to the supermarket, good communication and coordination, long term commitment, technical support, interest-free farm loans and diversity in product supply among farmers. Key indicators of mutually beneficial engagement are consolidated farming systems, improved farming income, low cost procurement of fresh vegetables (short supply chain), as well as fostering of the stores' broader community involvement strategy. Up-scaling/replicating the scheme would probably require the involvement of external actors and the definition and establishment of public private partnerships. These should be tailored to the specific local conditions and capacities of the different stakeholders. Specific emphasis should be put on support towards the development of critical skills at local community level to empower small-scale farmers to sustain beneficial participation in the market.Agribusiness,

The quality turn in South Africa: insights from a comprehensive investigation into the food quality behaviours, perceptions and knowledge of South African consumers with a focus on middle and upper socioeconomic groups

Internationally, alternative food quality movements have given rise to a quality turn from the mass consumption model toward an increasing qualitative differentiation of products and demand (Allaire, 2002). While food quality trends and their implications have been widely analyzed internationally, little has been written on the local quality dynamics in South Africa, a country with clear dualistic socio-economic features. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of South African consumers’ present food quality evaluation with a specific focus on ‘conventional’ and ‘advanced’ quality attributes associated with fresh food produce (fruit / vegetable and meat). Primary data was collected during 2009 through an extensive nationally representative consumer survey (n=420) (LSM 7 – 10), preceded by focus groups and retailer observations of actual quality claims on fresh food labels. Statistical analysis involved descriptive and comparative analyses and Kmeans cluster analysis in SPSS 17.0. The paper substantiates the fact that when selecting food purchase outlets and fresh food products, South African consumers largely apply ‘conventional’ quality and convenience considerations (e.g. appearance, taste). Even though ‘advanced’ / credence attributes (e.g. animal welfare, environmental practices, safety) are generally less important the results also demonstrate that they already have a relatively significant foothold in the local market, being more established for higher LSM groups in particular and suggesting potential opportunity for market growth.. The complexity of consumers’ behaviours and evaluation towards advanced food quality issues is also pointed out. Implications surrounding guaranteeing bodies and small-scale farmers’ market access are also addressed, as well as study limitations and recommendations for future research.Farm Management,

Determinants of small scale farmers' participation in restructured food markets in South Africa: The case of the Tomato sector

This paper discusses the effects of markets restructuring on small-scale farmers in South Africa by analysing the determinants of small-scale farmers’ market choices in the tomato sector in two Provinces. South Africa has a very dualistic agricultural sector with a highly performing large-scale capital intensive agriculture on one hand and a traditional, semi subsistence small-scale communal sector on the other. Small farmers’ participation in modern markets (i.e. supermarkets, agro-processors and national fresh produce markets) is thus very low. Furthermore, results from our survey indicate that small-scale tomato growers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces prefer supplying informal markets than modern markets. The econometric analysis of household level data indicates that access to land is a key determinant of their participation in modern markets. As confirmed by our survey, small-scale farming systems in South Africa are still very poorly capitalised. While still not being widely used, the key non-land asset variable is whether they can produce under greenhouses, thus supplying consistent quality demanded by the modern local channels. Other factors such as education and location in a good tomato producing area are also significant determinants of participation in modern markets. Interestingly, ownership of a cell phone as well as the number of market channels to which the farmers are connected are significant in determining market choices but they are negatively related to modern markets choice, which is to be related to the different natures of the transactions. Modern markets propose fixed prices or at least very stable prices under some forms of contractual arrangements while informal markets offer relatively flexible prices, price discovery and price risk management (through multiple marketing strategies) thus being much more important. The econometric analysis also shows that supplying modern markets does not improve small-scale farmers’ income whereas the access to a cell phone does, which supports the importance of the cell phone in price management as well as the preference for informal markets.Marketing, Restructuring markets, small-scale farmers, market channel choice,

Indications géographiques de produits agricoles et artisanaux. Fonder la protection sur la force du lien à l'origine

International audienceThe recognition of geographical indications (GIs) by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has led many countries to establish a specific legal framework to protect their traditional local products, whether agricultural, foodstuff or handicraft. These changes are taking place within a heterogeneous international legal context. The European Union, for example, only protects GIs for agricultural products and foodstuffs. This regulation deprives designations of traditional handicraft goods, which are numerous in the countries of the South, of protection on the European market, and fosters risks of misuse. Historical analysis of the protection of GIs and practices in Europe and India nevertheless show that there is no justification for treating products differently according to their nature. Hence the proposal to create a new international and European legal framework based on the strength of the link between the product and its geographical origin. The strength of this link would be assessed using criteria pertaining to natural and human factors, whether individually or combined, which are relevant whatever the product is.La reconnaissance des indications géographiques (IG) par l'Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC) a conduit de nombreux pays à mettre en place un cadre juridique spécifique pour protéger leurs produits traditionnels localisés, qu'ils soient agricoles ou artisanaux. Ces évolutions s'inscrivent dans un contexte juridique international hétérogène. Ainsi, l'Union européenne ne protège que les IG désignant des produits agricoles et alimentaires. Cette réglementation prive les appellations de produits artisanaux, nombreux dans les pays du Sud, d'une protection sur le marché européen, et autorise les risques d'usurpation. L'analyse historique de la protection des IG et des pratiques en Europe et en Inde montre pourtant qu'un traitement différent selon la nature du produit ne se justifie pas. D'où la proposition de créer un nouveau régime juridique international et européen fondé sur la force du lien entre le produit et son lieu d'origine. La force du lien à l'origine serait évaluée à l'aide de critères relevant de facteurs naturels et de facteurs humains, pris seuls ou combinés, critères pertinents quel que soit le produit

Linking farmers to markets through valorisation of local resources:the case for intellectual property rights of indigenous resources

This is the scientific report from a research programme which explored the current lack of a suitable public system for protecting GIs in Southern Africa. In contrast to the European Union, the current South African legal framework only provides for the protection of GIs as collective and, in certain circumstances, as certification trademarks. The lack of a public system through which to valorize GIs was identified as excluding resource poor farmers (but also commercial larger scale farmers) from a potentially useful tool for improving their market access. The need for a public system of protection also emanates from the significance of the wild resources found in South Africa and Namibia, which are often the only source of income for resource poor communities and which is threatened by bio‐piracy. It thus appeared important to assess the merits of developing an institutional framework for protecting GIs in Southern Africa and to evaluate the needs for a sui generis legal system. Secondly, an analysis was done of the local dynamics based on specific agro‐food products. Two central questions were therefore addressed in this study: "How can local communities successfully protect their resources and differentiate their production through GIs?" and "What is the nature and extent of the required institutional and legal framework to achieve this objective?”.Geographical indications; indigenous resources; intellectual property rights; collectivae action; Southern Africa

Linking farmers to markets through valorisation of local resources: the case for intellectual property rights of indigenous resources

Agribusiness,

Synthèse d'études de cas sur l'évaluation d'impact de la recherche agronomique dans les pays du sud

Partant des limites rencontrées dans les méthodes conventionnelles d'évaluation de l'impact de la recherche, ce rapport d'étude rédigé par un groupe de travail du Cirad explore les contributions méthodologiques que peuvent révéler quatre études de cas concernant respectivement : la diffusion d'hybrides de café au Nicaragua, le contrôle de la peste des petits ruminants au Maroc, la création de collections variétales sur le manguier en Afrique de l'ouest, le conseil de gestion à l'exploitation familiale au Burkina Faso. Cette exploration mobilise un référentiel méthodologique de chemin d'impact (Impact pathway). Ce faisant, elle caractérise comment des recherches partenariales dans les pays du sud structurent différentes modalités d'impact de la recherche sur le développement. Elle met en lumière quatre ressources générées par la recherche qui s'avèrent stratégiques dans la génération de l'impact : le capital social, le capital humain, les dispositifs techniques et la fonction intégrative. Ces résultats interrogent la nécessité d'innovations méthodologiques permettant de mieux introduire les indicateurs de la mesure dans les évaluations qualitatives

Developments and considerations around geographical indications in the developing world

The paper explores the question of geographical indications (GIs) in developing countries. It begins with GIs in the TRIPS agreement and the positions of developing countries within these negotiations and how these countries have been implementing the obligation to protect GIs within their territories. The paper explores the potential benefits of GIs for developing countries but cautions that developing countries are likely to face considerable constraints in developing GI strategies. It makes the point that while GIs offer significant benefits, legal protection alone will not bring about the desired effects. Instead, it calls for developing countries to follow a well-informed and locally grounded approach in the design of GI strategies

Rights transfers in Madagascar biodiversity policies: achievements and significance

International audienceDecentralization and people's participation have been key features of government environmental policy since the 1990s. In Madagascar, the policy of Secured Local Management of Natural Resources, known as the GELOSE act, has created a framework for the transfer of rights from central government to local communities. This article analyses the practical implementation of this policy by focusing on the nature of the rights transferred and on the nature of the contracts and incentives developed. The Aghion and Tirole model for allocation of formal and real authority in an organization is used to shed light on the contractual definition process and on the trade-offs between giving responsibilities to local communities and losing control over natural resources management. It is shown that a congruence of interests between the parties is crucial for effective delegation of authority to local communities and that this congruence may emerge in relation to the transfer of exclusion right

Linking farmers to markets through valorisation of local resources:the case for intellectual property rights of indigenous resources

This is the scientific report from a research programme which explored the current lack of a suitable public system for protecting GIs in Southern Africa. In contrast to the European Union, the current South African legal framework only provides for the protection of GIs as collective and, in certain circumstances, as certification trademarks. The lack of a public system through which to valorize GIs was identified as excluding resource poor farmers (but also commercial larger scale farmers) from a potentially useful tool for improving their market access. The need for a public system of protection also emanates from the significance of the wild resources found in South Africa and Namibia, which are often the only source of income for resource poor communities and which is threatened by bio‐piracy. It thus appeared important to assess the merits of developing an institutional framework for protecting GIs in Southern Africa and to evaluate the needs for a sui generis legal system. Secondly, an analysis was done of the local dynamics based on specific agro‐food products. Two central questions were therefore addressed in this study: "How can local communities successfully protect their resources and differentiate their production through GIs?" and "What is the nature and extent of the required institutional and legal framework to achieve this objective?”