Supply & value chain analysis of onions in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a developing country situated on Africa’s horn. Ethiopia ranks 173rd on United Nations human development index where the least developed country ranks 186. About 85% of all Ethiopians are employed in agriculture. Onion is one of the basic ingredients in the Ethiopian cuisine and thus an important crop. Previous studies on fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia points at post-harvest losses between 15% and 70%. To estimate the losses for onions in Ethiopia a supply and value chain analysis has been made. A literature review on supply chain management, value chain analysis, onion cultivation, and agricultural and logistical conditions in Ethiopia has been made in order to acquire a holistic view of the topic. Interviews with aid from interpreters have been made to gather the necessary information from the chain actors. The chain actors have been identified and the losses at each level of the chain quantified and analyzed. The value chain for onions in Ethiopia has been researched to identify the different actors and their activities carried out when the onions move from producer to consumer. All expenses related to the activities in each step has been studied to find the value added and to calculate the profit for each actor. The complete chain consists of six actors; farmer, broker, transporter, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. The onions can reach the end-consumer without passing through all steps; broker, transporter and retailer are not always involved. The conclusions from the supply chain analysis were: - The total amount of losses in the chain is about 13% and most of these losses occur at the end of the chain at consumer level. - The supply chain of onions is fragmented and thus not an integrated logistic system. - The fragmentation of the chain causes a non-collaborative system, which in turn results in higher losses at the end of the chain. The conclusions of the value chain analysis were: - The use of fertilizers and pesticides has a major impact in the value chain but differs widely between the farmers. A more controlled and effective use can have positive effect on both the economy and the environment for the farmer. - The actor making the biggest profit is the wholesaler. The farmers have a higher profit per kg of onions, but the fact that they only get three harvests per year makes the annual profit low. The wholesalers have (by far) the highest sale rate and the second highest profit per kg. - The wholesalers are not following the tax-regulations. None of the wholesalers include 15% VAT as a standard procedure, which they should. VAT is only added when the customers want a receipt. Only three of the nine wholesalers pay tax on their profit. - Wastes from onion production at farmer level can be used to produce electricity corresponding to 5.7% of the total electricity consumption in Meki and Ziway.Etiopien är ett utvecklingsland som ligger på Afrikas horn i nordöstra Afrika, Etiopien rankas på 173:e platsen i FN:s index för mänsklig utveckling, där det minst utvecklade landet rankas som nummer 186. Cirka 85 % av alla etiopier arbetar inom jordbruket. Lök är en basingrediens i det etiopiska köket och är därför en viktig gröda för bönderna och befolkningen. Tidigare studier på frukt och grönt i Etiopien pekar på fysiska förluster mellan 15 % och 70 %. För att uppskatta de förluster som finns för lök i Etiopien har en analys på Supply Chain och värdekedjan gjorts. En litteraturstudie om Supply Chain Mangement, värdekedjeanalys, lökodling, samt jordbruksförhållanden och logistiska förutsättningar i Etiopien har gjorts för att erhålla en helhetssyn på ämnet. Intervjuer med hjälp av tolkar har gjorts för att samla in den nödvändiga informationen från aktörerna i kedjan. Värdekedjan för lök i Etiopien har undersökts för att identifiera de olika aktörerna och deras aktiviteter som utförs för att löken ska komma från producent till konsument. Alla utgifter kopplade till de olika aktiviteterna i varje steg har undersökts för att hitta värdeförändringen och för att beräkna vinsten för varje aktör. De aktörer som finns i kedjan har identifierats och förlusterna på varje nivå i kedjan kvantifierats och analyserats. Hela kedjan består av sex aktörer; jordbrukare, mäklare, transportör, grossist, återförsäljare och konsument. Löken kan nå konsumenten utan att passera genom alla steg; mäklare, transportör och återförsäljare används inte alltid. Slutsatserna från Supply Chain Management analysen är: - Den totala mängden fysiska förluster i kedjan är ca 13 % och de flesta av dessa förluster uppstår i slutet av kedjan på konsumentnivå. - Leveranskedjan av lök är fragmenterad och är inte ett integrerat logistiksystem. - Uppdelningen av kedjan medför ett icke - samverkande system, vilket i sin tur leder till högre förluster i slutet av kedjan. Slutsatserna av analysen av värdekedjan är: - Användningen av gödningsmedel och bekämpningsmedel har stor inverkan i värdekedjan men skiljer sig stort mellan bönderna. En mer kontrollerad och effektiv användning kan ge positiva effekter på både ekonomin och miljön för jordbrukarna. - Den aktör som gör störst vinst på löken är grossiten. Jordbrukarna får den högsta vinsten per kilo producerad lök, men det faktum att de bara får tre skördar per år gör den årliga vinsten låg. Grossisterna har överlägset störst försäljningsgrad och näst högst vinst per kg - Grossisterna följer inte skattereglerna. Ingen av grossisterna inkluderade 15 % i mervärdesskatt som standardförfarande, vilket de borde. Mervärdesskatt läggs bara på när kunderna kräver kvitto. Endast tre av de nio grossisterna betalar vinstskatt. - Restprodukter från lökproduktionen hos jordbrukarna kan användas till att producera el motsvarande 5,7 % av den totala elanvändningen i Meki och Ziway

Abundance of White-fronted Parrots and diet of an urban parrot assemblage (Aves: Psittaciformes) in a green Neotropical city

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Are there educational disparities in health and functioning among the oldest old? : Evidence from the Nordic countries

With the ageing of the population and recent pressures on important welfare state arrangements, updated knowledge on the linkage between socioeconomic status and health in old age is pertinent for shedding light on emerging patterns of health inequalities in the Nordic countries. This study examined self-rated health (SRH), mobility and activities of daily living (ADL) according to level of education in the three oldest old age groups 75–84, 85–94, and 95+, in four Nordic countries. Altogether, 6132 individuals from Danish Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation study, Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old, the 5-Country Oldest Old (Sweden) and Vitality 90 + Study were analysed. First, associations of education level with SRH, mobility, and ADL were estimated for each individual study by means of age- and gender-adjusted logistic regression. Second, results from individual studies were synthesized in a meta-analysis. Older adults with higher education level were more likely to report good SRH, and they were more often independent in mobility and ADL than those with basic education when all age groups were combined. In mobility and ADL, differences between education groups remained stable across the age groups but for SRH, differences seemed to be weaker in older ages. With only a few exceptions, in all age groups, individuals with higher education had more favourable health and functioning than those with basic education. This study shows remarkable persistence of health and functioning inequalities in the Nordic countries throughout later life

Use of healthcare services and assistive devices among centenarians: results of the cross-sectional, international5-COOP study.

To measure the use of healthcare services and assistive devices by centenarians in five countries. Cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire. Community-dwelling and institutionalised centenarians living in Japan, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. 1253 participants aged 100 or in their 100th year of life, of whom 1004 (80.1%) were female and 596 (47.6%) lived in institutions. Recent use of medical visits, nursing care at home, home-delivered meals, acute care hospital stays overnight, professional assessments such as sight tests, mobility aids and other assistive devices. A set of national healthcare system indicators was collected to help interpret differences between countries. There was considerable variability in the healthcare services and assistive devices used by centenarians depending on their country and whether they were community-dwelling or institutionalised. In contrast to the relatively homogeneous rates of hospitalisation in the past year (around 20%), community-dwelling centenarians reported widely ranging rates of medical visits in the past 3 months (at least one visit, from 32.2% in Japan to 86.6% in France). The proportion of community-dwellers using a mobility device to get around indoors (either a walking aid or a wheelchair) ranged from 48.3% in Japan to 79.2% in Sweden. Participants living in institutions and reporting the use of a mobility device ranged from 78.6% in Japan to 98.2% in Denmark. Our findings suggest major differences in care received by centenarians across countries. Some may result from the characteristics of national healthcare systems, especially types of healthcare insurance coverage and the amounts of specific resources available. However, unexplored factors also seem to be at stake and may be partly related to personal health and cultural differences

Blood on the tracks : Life-course perspectives on health inequalities in later life

The overall aim of the thesis was to explore social inequalities in: a) mortality during mid-life, b) health in later life, and c) old-age mortality, from a life-course perspective. The studies are based on longitudinal Swedish survey and registry data. The results from Study I showed substantial inequalities in health, based on social class and gender, among older adults (aged 55+). Moreover, the magnitude of these inequalities did not change during the period 1991-2002. The results from Study II revealed social inequalities in cognitive functioning among the oldest old (aged 77+). Social turbulence and social class during childhood, education and social class in adulthood were all independently associated with level of cognitive functioning in later life. In Study III, social inequalities in mortality during mid-life (i.e., between ages 25 and 69) were explored. The results showed that childhood living conditions were associated with marital status and social class in adulthood and that, in turn, these conditions were associated with mid-life mortality. Thus, the results suggested that childhood disadvantage may serve as a stepping stone to a hazardous life-course trajectory. Study IV explored the association between income in mid-life, income during retirement and old-age mortality (i.e., mortality during retirement). The results showed that both income during mid-life and income during retirement were associated with old-age mortality. Mutually adjusted models showed that income in mid-life was more important for women’s mortality and that income during retirement was more important for men’s. Thus, the results of the present thesis suggest that there are substantial social inequalities in the likelihood of reaching old age, as well as in health and mortality among older adults. These inequalities are shaped by differential exposures throughout the life-course that affect health in later life both through direct effects and through processes of accumulation.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished  and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript

Trends in the social class inequalities in disability and self-rated health : Repeated cross-sectional surveys from Finland and Sweden 2001-2018

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Does the Swedish stock market exhibit mean reversion? : A study on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, its sectors and different market conditions

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the returns on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and its different sectors is mean reverting during the period 2003–2019. In addition to the examination of the entire period, the study also examines the periods before, during and after the global financial crisis. Daily, weekly and monthly data is used in combination with three different statistical methods in the form of ADF-tests, KPSS-tests and GPH-tests. The previous research conducted within the area yield different results but the tendency to find support for mean reversion increases during periods of economic uncertainty. The main standpoint used in previous literature and also this study is based on Famas (1970) publication about the efficient market hypothesis (EMH).  The results from the entire period are in line with the EMH where no robust indications for mean reversion is found neither for the specific sectors or the index itself. However, when the different periods are examined, in the period following the global financial crisis the healthcare and real estate sector show signs of mean reversion. In summary, the results show more support for mean reversion when the sectors are examined in relation to the entire Stockholm Stock Exchange. The conclusion based on these results is that an investor, in contrast to the EMH, can use the serial correlation in returns for these sectors as an indicator for when to buy and sell assets during periods as the one following the global financial crisis.

Does the Swedish stock market exhibit mean reversion? : A study on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, its sectors and different market conditions

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the returns on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and its different sectors is mean reverting during the period 2003–2019. In addition to the examination of the entire period, the study also examines the periods before, during and after the global financial crisis. Daily, weekly and monthly data is used in combination with three different statistical methods in the form of ADF-tests, KPSS-tests and GPH-tests. The previous research conducted within the area yield different results but the tendency to find support for mean reversion increases during periods of economic uncertainty. The main standpoint used in previous literature and also this study is based on Famas (1970) publication about the efficient market hypothesis (EMH).  The results from the entire period are in line with the EMH where no robust indications for mean reversion is found neither for the specific sectors or the index itself. However, when the different periods are examined, in the period following the global financial crisis the healthcare and real estate sector show signs of mean reversion. In summary, the results show more support for mean reversion when the sectors are examined in relation to the entire Stockholm Stock Exchange. The conclusion based on these results is that an investor, in contrast to the EMH, can use the serial correlation in returns for these sectors as an indicator for when to buy and sell assets during periods as the one following the global financial crisis.