Using a Discrete Choice Experiment to Elicit the Demand for a Nutritious Food: Willingness-to-Pay for Orange Maize in Rural Zambia

Using a discrete choice experiment, this paper estimates the willingness to pay for biofortified orange maize in rural Zambia. The study design has five treatment arms, which enable an analysis of the impact of nutrition information, comparing the use of simulated radio versus community leaders in transmitting the nutrition message, on willingness to pay, and to account for possible novelty effects in the magnitude of premiums or discounts. The estimation strategy also takes into account lexicographic preferences of a subset of our respondents. The results suggest that (a) orange maize is well liked and can compete with white maize in the absence of a nutrition campaign, (b) there is a premium for orange maize with nutrition information, and (c) the mode of nutritional-message dissemination does not have a large impact on consumer acceptance, and (d) novelty effects do not translate into higher willingness to pay for orange maize.

Consumer acceptance of provitamin A orange maize in rural Zambia:

This study analyzes consumer acceptance of biofortified orange maize in rural Zambia by eliciting consumers' willingness to pay. It attempts to examine the impact of nutrition information, comparing the use of simulated radio versus community leaders in transmitting the nutrition message, on consumer acceptance. Finally, it assesses whether product experience in a home-use setting influences the magnitude of premiums or discounts. The results suggest that (a) the negative perception of yellow maize does not affect orange maize which is well liked, (b) there is a premium for orange maize with nutrition information, (c) the mode of nutritional-message dissemination does not have a large impact on consumer acceptance, and (d) product experience does not translate into lower willingness to pay for orange maize.maize, willingness to pay, consumer acceptance,

Unlocking the potential of agribusiness in Africa through youth participation: an impact evaluation of N-Power Agro Empowerment Program in Nigeria

Open Access Journal; Published online: 16 Jul 2020In a country of about 200 million people, the government has over the years constituted various initiatives to address the issue of unemployment, food security, and youth involvement in agriculture. However, the impact of these initiatives has been minimal due to the inconsistency in government policies, changes in government, inadequate implementation mechanism amongst others. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of the N-power Agro Program on youth employment and income generation through agribusiness in Nigeria. Six hundred and forty-five respondents were randomly selected from the database of N-Power. Structured questionnaires were used in obtaining the data. The statistical analysis of collected data applied descriptive methods, logistic regression model, and regression discontinuity design. The value of ATE of the regression discontinuity design of the income of the participants of N-Power Agro is greater by N30,191.46 than for the nonparticipants. The result of the logistic regression model shows that age, level of education, years of agribusiness experience, and employment status significantly influenced the choice of creating employment through agribusiness and of participating in the N-Power Agro program. The impact of the N-Power Agro program for Nigeria’s young men and women on employment and income generation for participants was shown to be effective and positive with the RDD recording an increase in the beneficiaries’ income and a discontinuity in the design. Upscaling this program and wider implementation in other countries in collaborations with youth, rural communities and private sectors will ensure that the government can bridge the skills deficit in Africa’s youth, develop their capacities for entrepreneurship, and hence, increase jobs creation

Can food technology innovation change the status of a food security crop? A review of cassava transformation into "Bread" in Africa

Article purchased; Published online: 26 Sept 2016Reducing both hunger and high expenditure on food imports is a priority for most developing African countries. Countries that hitherto have relied heavily on food imports are seeking new approaches to increase the utilization of locally grown crops. This review uses the case of cassava to propose that scientific and technological innovations, supported by public investment and appropriate policies, offer opportunities for better utilizing locally grown crops, encouraging agro-industrial development, reducing import expenditure and providing much-needed income (“bread”) to smallholders. The review highlights areas that require further research in order to achieve sustainable development in the processing of raw cassava root into cassava flour for bread production

GAMBARAN ASUPAN NUTRISI AKIBAT KEHILANGAN GIGI SEBAGIAN PADA PASIEN DI BAGIAN GIGI DAN MULUT RSUDZA BANDA ACEH JUNI-JULI 2010

Kehilangan gigi sebagian maupun seluruhnya memiliki dampak, yaitu dampak emosional, sistemik, dan fungsional. Terganggunya proses pengunyahan akibat kehilangan gigi dapat mempengaruhi pemilihan makanan sehingga terjadi perubahan pada asupan nutrisi. Perubahan pada gambaran asupan nutrisi memiliki dampak bagi tubuh, seperti terjadinya penyakit kronis, penurunan kemampuan fungsional, dan peningkatan kejadian infeksi sehingga dapat mempengaruhi kualitas hidup pasien. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran asupan nutrisi akibat kehilangan gigi sebagian berdasarkan jumlah gigi yang hilang pada pasien di Bagian Gigi dan Mulut di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Zainal Abidin (RSUDZA) Banda Aceh yang berkunjung pada Bulan Juni-Juli 2010. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian Non Eksperimental dan bersifat Deskriptif Analitik melalui wawancara secara langsung menggunakan kuesioner dengan skala Likert. Tehnik sampling yang digunakan adalah tehnik penarikan sampel Non Propability secara Purposive, dengan jumlah sampel 120 orang yang terdiri dari 53 orang laki-laki (44,17%) dan 67 orang perempuan (55,83%). Sampel yang digunakan adalah pasien dengan kriteria berusia lebih dari 20 tahun, yang kehilangan gigi sebagian dan belum pernah menggunakan gigi tiruan. Pengolahan data dilakukan secara statistik dengan Program SPSS menggunakan uji Chi-Square dan Kruskal-Wallis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan gambaran asupan nutrisi akibat kehilangan gigi sebagian pada pasien dirasakan berubah lebih dari setengah jumlah pasien dengan persentase tertinggi pada perasaan kesulitan memakan makanan yang mengandung protein dan lemak, sedangkan persentase terendah pada perasaan kesulitan memakan makanan yang mengandung vitamin C. Gambaran asupan nutrisi akibat kehilangan gigi sebagian pada pasien berdasarkan jumlah gigi yang hilang secara keseluruhan dirasakan berubah paling tinggi tingkat kesulitannya pada kelompok jumlah gigi yang hilang 22-28 gigi (76,2%) dan terendah yang merasa kesulitan pada kelompok jumlah gigi yang hilang 1-7 gigi (46,8%). Kata kunci:asupan nutrisi, pasien, kehilangan gigi sebagian, tingkat kesulitan.Banda Ace

Analysis of technical efficiency among youth involved in crop production in Njombe Region, Tanzania

Open Access JournalThis study aimed to estimate the Technical Efficiency (TE) of youth crop farmers in Njombe Region of Tanzania, and analyze the determinants of technical inefficiency for crops produced. Data were collected from 572 youths in 16 villages of Njombe Region by using a random sampling technique. The Stochastic Production Function (SPF) model analysed technical efficiency among the youth crop farmers. Results show that youth crop farmers in the study region exhibited decreasing returns to scale, as confirmed by the Returns to Scale of 0.275. The mean TE of crops produced was 19.32%, implying that youth farmers still have room to improve their farming efficiency by 80.68% using the same land resources. Most youth farmers had technical efficiency scores from 18.5% to 20.5%. In addition, the estimated SPF model and inefficiency parameters showed that age, land ownership, and extension contact are factors which reduced technical inefficiency in the study region. Thus, more emphasis might focus on enhancing the accessibility of youth farmers to extension services, land ownership, and efficient use of farm inputs might improve the TE of youth crop farmers in Tanzania and the world as a whole

Assessment of factors influencing youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness in Tanzania: a case study of Njombe region

Open Access Journal; Published online: 10 Jul 2020Involvement of youth in horticulture agribusiness has become a vital approach to create employment opportunities among the youth in Tanzania. This study aimed at examining the extent of youth participation and factors influencing youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness with a focus on innovations in post-harvest management (PHM). Data were collected from a sample of 576 male and female youth in Njombe region using a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using an ordered logit model and descriptive statistics. Results of the ordered logit analysis showed that primary school education, Form IV and above, management innovation, access to credit, good perception of horticulture for agribusiness and improved packaging materials positively and significantly influence youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness. Gender and land size had a negative and significant influence on youth involvement in horticulture agribusiness, as indicated by higher percentages of male youth (59%) participation in the horticulture agribusiness. Therefore, this study suggests increased investment in capacity development of the youth on PHM innovations and the development of rural infrastructure such as agro-processing and storage facilities by the government and private sector. Increasing the availability of improved packaging materials and provision of youth-friendly credit schemes could encourage youth in horticulture agribusiness

Impact of informal institutions on youth agribusiness participation in southern Benin

Open Access JournalThe agribusiness sector development is often portrayed as an essential component of economic development. Though Benin is a country with inestimable agricultural potential, the agribusiness sector appears unappealing to the local youths. Prior investigations diagnosed the impeding factors as a paucity of financial resource and a dearth of land and technical knowledge. This article departs from past studies by considering the importance of informal institutions for youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Exploring a rich data set of 478 youths aged 15 to 35, collected in Southern Benin based on the stratified random sampling technique, the article uses propensity score matching to address selection bias and logistic regression on the matched sample to link informal institutions to youth participation in agribusiness. Results highlight that agribusiness-unfriendly informal institutions discourage youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Though easing access to finance is crucial for the youths to initiate agribusiness activities, findings make a case for long-term policies that aim to increase the societal levels of trust and desirability for the agribusiness sector

Perceived social norms and agripreneurial intention among youths in eastern DRC

Open Access Journal; Published online: 19 Mar 2021The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country with a high agricultural productivity potential; however, the agribusiness sector remains unattractive to youths. This study examined the extent to which perceived social norms and psychological capital affect youths’ intentions to pursue agribusiness opportunities in the Eastern DRC. Data was collected on a sample of 600 youths. We applied Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS−SEM) in order to examine the relationship between the variables. The findings indicated that most of the youths did not select agribusiness as their top career choice. The intention to engage in agribusiness activities was significantly higher among the youths who perceived that agribusiness was socially valued and supported. Psychological capital significantly and positively affects youths’ agripreneurial intention. The findings contribute to the underlying Theory of Planned Behavior by supporting a positive mediation role of psychological capital—and the moderating roles of educational level, gender, access to land, and location—on the relationship between perceived social norms and agripreneurial intention. The paper concludes that the provision of funds is not enough to promote youth agripreneurship in an environment in which agricultural-related social norms, youths’ psychological capital, gender, access to land, educational level, and location (rural versus urban) are not thoroughly considered