Consumer motivation and willingness to pay for “safer” vegetables in Ghana

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Iddrisu Yahaya, and Fred A. Yamoah, (2015) "Consumer motivation and willingness to pay for “safer” vegetables in Ghana", British Food Journal, Vol. 117 Issue: 3, pp.1043-1065, the version of record is available online at doi: 10.1108/BFJ-10-2013-0296. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2015 Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess consumer motivation and willingness to pay (WTP) for “safer” vegetables from the use of non-treatment options of wastewater use in urban/peri-urban vegetable production. Design/methodology/approach – As a theoretical basis, consumer theory of maximizing utility being an indicator of individual preference was examined through choice experiment (CE) method to measure the WTP for value of safety within the context of health reduced risk (pathogen reduction) of illness. WTP was tested empirically using survey data from 650 households in the two largest cities in Ghana (Accra and Kumasi) that are characterized by a number of well-established vegetable producers who use wastewater in their production and a large urban and peri-urban vegetable consumer market. Findings – Experience of vegetable borne diseases drives the need for safer vegetables and income and gender are key demographic factors influencing WTP. It was further found that consumers are willing to pay an average amount of GH¢ 4.7 ($2.40) per month for a technology change that would result in the production of “safer” vegetables. Research limitations/implications – Understanding WTP offers insight into consumer concerns, behaviour and their readiness to pay for safer vegetable options. However, a further consideration of the impact of the combinations of the various non-treatment options on pathogen reduction and the assessment of the financial viability of each option will collectively ensure an efficient and cost-effective implementation of the technologies. Practical implications – WTP insight gained has implications for vegetable production, marketing and public health policy. The understanding from the findings forms a solid basis to canvass for certification system for urban/peri urban vegetables. The information provided also helps to formulate effective public education on the safety of vegetables. Originality/value – Measuring WTP for safer vegetables by Ghanaian urban/peri-urban consumers is novel. The CE approach is robust and the findings can inform vegetable production and marketing decisions as well as public health policy formulation.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Essays on sustainable agricultural intensification practices: the case of two west African states

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Agricultural EconomicsDalton, Timothy J.Essay one evaluates two farmer field schools aimed at promoting conservation agricultural practices. The field schools were conducted and offered to approximately 1/3 of all individuals surveyed in a baseline in 2010. These same farmers were resurveyed in 2012 in order to determine whether their knowledge of conservation agriculture practices had changed using a double-difference approach. The approach was also used to determine whether innate perceptions and biases against conservation agriculture have changed over time due to training in the field schools. These findings are supported with enterprise budgets of conservation practices to determine whether knowledge or on-farm economics limit adoption of conservation practices. The data showed that farmer-to-farmer communications are effective tools for raising knowledge. Essay two examines the interdependence of sustainable agricultural intensification practices (SAIPs) in order to better understand the constraints and incentives for the adoption of components and “packages” of components. The impact of accumulated knowledge score on the adoption of SAIPs was assessed using data from 168 participant and non-participant farm households that completed a survey in 2014 and 2012 from the Upper West region of Ghana. From a three-step regression, our findings show knowledge of participant household improved with evidence of knowledge spillover to non-participant. Participation, age and gender of the head of household and experience were factors impacting farm household knowledge score change on SAIPs. The study found that, knowledge score through the treatment effect impacts adoption of SAIPs which are complementary. Younger household heads and experience in farming are also found to likely impact adoption. Essay three estimates technical efficiency (TE) scores for millet and sorghum and evaluates the impact of soil and water conservation methods on TE scores. The paper also examines the sensitivity of TE scores on the distributional assumptions of the one-sided error using data from 518 and 754 farm households producing millet and sorghum respectively from a random national household survey in Niger. A Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier model was used. The mean TE scores range from 52% to 66% and 35% to 60% respectively for adopters and non-adopters of soil and water conservation methods in millet production based on the distributional assumptions of the one-sided error. For sorghum production, the mean TE scores range from 47% to 63% and 39% to 63% respectively for adopters and non-adopters of soil and water conservation methods based on the distributional assumptions of the one-sided error. This suggests inefficiencies in the production of millet and sorghum and hence, the potential to improve output using existing technology. Adopters are relatively more efficient than non-adopters of soil and water conservation methods. The TE score differences in millet production are explained by location of household (rural), educational level and adoption of soil and water conservation. The efficiency score differences in sorghum can be explained by household size, educational level and soil and water conservation adoption. We also found TE scores are sensitive to the distributional assumptions of the one-sided error using the farm household level data

Utilization of organic fertilizer in Ghana: implications for crop performance and commercialization

Organic fertilizer commercialization may present a great opportunity to help deal with the issue of solid waste management and help improve the declining soil problems in many developing countries. Ghana’s solid waste is predominantly organic, which is suitable for organic fertilizer production. This paper seeks to establish relationship between organic fertilizer usage and crop farm performance and assess its commercialization potential. The study employed a farmer-survey and key informant interviews to generate data from 300 farmers randomly selected across three regions in Ghana. The computed organic fertilizer use rate is 42% among farmers surveyed, and organic fertilizer is primarily used in vegetable and maize production. The estimated current demand for organic fertilizer is about 0.7 million t/annum with a potential to rise to about 2.7 million t/annum in the long term. This will however require sensitization on its importance, availability, and affordability. The study has established a strong relationship between organic fertilizer adoption and farm performance increasing yield by 57%, income by 53%, and gross margins by 63%. There is obviously a cost reduction when organic fertilizer is adopted. Organic fertilizer adoption was found to be mainly related to farmer base organization membership status, access to extension services, access to organic fertilizer, and transport cost. Organic fertilizer commercialization has the potential to make Ghana a net exporter of fertilizer and create sustainable jobs for the youth. We recommend the use of organic fertilizer by farmers and highly recommend the commercial production of organic fertilizer

Soybean yield, nutrient use efficiency, and economic returns of phosphorus and potassium in Ghana’s interior savanna

IntroductionPhosphorus (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies are increasingly being reported in Ghana’s interior savanna soils. Smallholder farmers consider soybeans as a “zero-input” crop resulting in low yields and profitability. Studies indicate a positive response to P application; however, knowledge of the synergistic effect of P and K in soybeans is limited. A six-site year experiment was conducted to evaluate the synergy of P and K for soybean yield, partial factor productivity (PFP), agronomic efficiency (AE), rain-use efficiency (RUE), and variable-cost ratio (VCR).Materials and methodsThe treatments were 4 × 4 factorial combinations of P at 0, 25, 50, and 100 P2O5 (kg ha−1) and K at 0, 25, 50, and 100 K2O (kg ha−1), and their combinations laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The soybean cultivar “Favor” (TGx 1844–22E), released and registered by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), was used as the test crop.Results and discussionFlowering time was reduced at Nyankpala and Dokpong by 0.2 and 0.4 (days), while plant height was increased by 4%–18% over control. Yield and RUE increased as P and K rates increased, with the greatest yield from T15 (P100K50) in Manga (2.34 t ha−1) and Nyankpala (2.37 t ha−1), T16 (P100K100) at Dokpong (2.68 t ha−1), and RUE from T15 across locations. The PFP, AE, and VCR values decreased with increasing P and K rates, with the greatest PFP, AE, and VCR from T5 (P25K0) at Manga and Dokpong and T2 (P0K25) at Nyankpala. All treatments exceeded the VCR > 2.0 threshold, except T12 (P50K100) across locations, and T16 at Manga and Nyankpala. The greatest economic returns are T5 at Manga and Dokpong and T2 at Nyankpala.ConclusionBy all indications, the study justified the use of nutrient input in soybeans of P and K to enhance grain yield and profitability. Avoiding broadcast applications and adopting precision placement using the 4R nutrient principles of right placement, right fertilizer source, right rate, and the right time is key. The study recommends further experiments on different combinations of P and K in a long-term residual study

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

EFFECTS OF WEATHER-INDEX INSURANCE: THE CASE OF SMALLHOLDER MAIZE FARMERS IN NORTHERN GHANA

The study investigates the effect of weather-index insurance on intensity of fertilizer use and yields among 230 smallholder maize farmers in Northern Region of Ghana. Out of the total sample of selected farmers, about 35% purchased the insurance. Using an endogenous treatment regression model, the study showed that weather-index insurance purchase increased the intensity of fertilizer use but did not have a significant effect on maize yield. Past experience of crop failure due to drought, livestock ownership as well as the total area of land owned explained weather-index insurance purchase in the study area. Based on the results of this study, the Government of Ghana can use weather-index insurance as a policy tool to increase the use of fertilizer by smallholder maize farmers

Impact of Irrigation Ecology on Rice Production Efficiency in Ghana

Irrigation production is a means by which agricultural production can be increased to meet the growing food demands in the world. This study evaluated the effect of irrigation ecology on farm household technical, allocative, and economic efficiency of smallholder rice farmers. Cross-sectional data was obtained from 350 rice farmers across rain fed and irrigation ecologies. Stochastic frontier analyses are used to estimate the production efficiency and endogenous treatment effect regression model is used to estimate the impact of irrigation ecology on rice production efficiency. The impact of irrigation ecology on technical efficiency is about 0.05, which implies farmers producing under irrigation ecology are more technically efficient in their rice production than those in rain fed production. The impact of irrigation ecology on allocative efficiency is about 0.33, which shows that farmers participating in irrigation farming are more allocatively efficient in their rice production than those in rain fed production. The impact on economic efficiency is about 0.23, meaning that farmers participating in irrigation farming are more economically efficient in their rice production than those in rain fed production. Irrigation ecology has positive impact on production efficiency; hence farmers should be encouraged to produce more under irrigation for increased yield and profit

Impact of contract farming on rice farm performance: Endogenous switching regression

Contract farming (CF) is increasing been used as a strategy in rice production in Ghana while there is no empirical data supporting it. This study investigated the importance of CF in rice production. Cross-sectional farm household level data collected from 350 rice farmers randomly selected across the rice production areas of Ghana was used. The adoption and casual impact of CF was estimated using endogenous switching regression and propensity score matching methods. Results revealed positive and significant relationship between CF and farm performance measures (yield and gross margins). Results indicate that, CF increases yield and gross margins significantly. It further identified educational level, rice farm size and ISFM as positive determinants of contract participation. This evidence provides strong support for efforts to promote CF in Ghana. Educated farmers should be targeted for CF participation because their propensity to participate in CF is high. Sensitising our illiterate farmers to participate in CF should be vigorously pursued. CF should also be encouraged as a means to promote the adoption of ISFM technology. CF is recommended as a good tool for developing the local rice value chain in Ghana

Conservation Agriculture Improves Soil Quality, Crop Yield, and Incomes of Smallholder Farmers in North Western Ghana

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices are being widely promoted in many areas in sub-Saharan Africa to recuperate degraded soils and improve ecosystem services. This study examined the effects of three tillage practices [conventional moldboard plowing (CT), hand hoeing (MT) and no-tillage (NT)], and three cropping systems (continuous maize, soybean–maize annual rotation, and soybean/maize intercropping) on soil quality, crop productivity, and profitability in researcher and farmer managed on-farm trials from 2010 to 2013 in northwestern Ghana. In the researcher managed mother trial, the CA practices of NT, residue retention and crop rotation/intercropping maintained higher soil organic carbon, and total soil N compared to conventional tillage practices after 4 years. Soil bulk density was higher under NT than under CT soils in the researcher managed mother trails or farmers managed baby trials after 4 years. In the researcher managed mother trial, there was no significant difference between tillage systems or cropping systems in maize or soybean yields in the first three seasons. In the fourth season, crop rotation had the greatest impact on maize yields with CT maize following soybean increasing yields by 41 and 49% compared to MT and NT maize, respectively. In the farmers’ managed trials, maize yield ranged from 520 to 2700 kg ha-1 and 300 to 2000 kg ha-1 for CT and NT, respectively, reflecting differences in experience of farmers with NT. Averaged across farmers, CT cropping systems increased maize and soybean yield ranging from 23 to 39% compared with NT cropping systems. Partial budget analysis showed that the cost of producing maize or soybean is 20–29% cheaper with NT systems and gives higher returns to labor compared to CT practice. Benefit-to-cost ratios also show that NT cropping systems are more profitable than CT systems. We conclude that with time, implementation of CA practices involving NT, crop rotation, intercropping of maize and soybean along with crop residue retention presents a win–win scenario due to improved crop yield, increased economic return, and trends of increasing soil fertility. The biggest challenge, however, remains with producing enough biomass and retaining same on the field

Interdependence of Extension and Improved Variety Adoption

This paper, seeks to empirically establish the complementarity or otherwise between the decision to adopt improved soybean variety and the decision to participate in extension service training. The paper departs from the traditional binary dependent regression model (probit and logit) with extension treated as one of several covariates and instead model the binary outcomes of the decisions to adopt improved varieties, and access to extension services simultaneously using bivariate probit model. Data for the study is from 1432 farmers across the three regions of northern Ghana to jointly model the determinants of access to agricultural extension services and adoption of improved soybean variety (Jenguma). We found a positive correlation between the decisions to adopt improved soybean variety (Jenguma) and access to agricultural extension services. The implication is that, the decision to adopt the variety is interrelated with access to agricultural extension services. Hence, access to agricultural extension services is complementary to the decision to adopt new soybean varieties. Findings also indicate that, the decision to adopt improved soybean varieties is influenced by younger, less educated farmers with large farms and ownership of parcels. Given that agricultural extension service is a public good, we recommend that the government of Ghana allocates more human, financial, and technical resources to the extension services to enhance the delivery of extension services to farmers so as to improve the adoption of productivity enhancing technologie