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Encouraging farmers to increase the use of organic fertilizer will be conducive to promoting the green transformation of farmers' production and realize sustainable agricultural development. As a long-term investment, the accuracy of farmers' access to organic fertilizer information and the supporting role of credit are important factors that affect their organic fertilizer application decisions. However, the existence of information asymmetry in the organic fertilizer market and the credit constraints in the financial market, which restricts the enthusiasm of farmers to apply organic fertilizer. In recent years, the rapid development of the Internet in China's rural areas has effectively alleviated the degree of information asymmetry in rural areas, and improved farmers' access to credit, which provides a new opportunity for farmers to increase the application rate of organic fertilizer. This study takes 1030 apple growers in the main apple production areas of China as the research object, and employs Tobit model, IV-Tobit model and mediation effect model to explore the impact of internet use on farmers' organic fertilizer investment. The results show that internet use can promote farmers' organic fertilizer investment. After addressing the endogeneity issue and the robustness test, the conclusion is still robust. Heterogeneity analysis shows that internet use has a more significant impact on organic fertilizer investment in the older generation and the large-scale group of farmers. The mechanism analysis shows that internet use affects farmers' organic fertilizer investment through improving access to credit. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously improve the construction of rural digital infrastructure, accelerate the development of the Internet in rural areas, and actively guide financial resources to agriculture, so as to effectively promote the green transformation of agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I evaluate the impact of a multidimensional national program implemented in Chile during the second term of President Bachelet to facilitate female entrepreneurs' access to credit, reduce gender gaps in financial inclusion, and change patriarchal stereotypes. I construct a difference-in-difference estimate of the program. My findings indicate that the program has successfully met its principal aim: the loans granted to women have increased, reducing the gender gap in this dimension. In addition, evidence of heterogeneity by the economic sector has emerged. This evidence aligns with prior research that has emphasised that public policies should not be designed and implemented under the logic of "one type of program fits all". The program analysed in this study is an example of a national public policy that has improved female entrepreneurs' access to funding, reduced gender gaps in a Latin American country, and potentially offered lessons to other Latin American and middle-income countries worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing impacts of climate change have adversely affected smallholder farmers across the world, leading to low output, decreased incomes, and high levels of food insecurity. As a result, farmers have been advised to find alternative ways of dealing with this phenomenon. The low adoption of climate-smart irrigation technology in Botswana warrants an investigation into the factors and the impact of adoption. This study used a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data from 271 smallholder maize farmers, who were selected through a multi-stage sampling approach. Descriptive statistics, probit regression, and propensity score matching technique (PSM) were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that the majority of the respondents (55%) were male and 62% of farmers were above 50 years. The majority (62%) of the participants had a farm size of less than 5 ha and were heavily reliant on family labour for farm operations. Despite high (66%) awareness of climate-smart irrigation technology, many (52%) farmers did not adopt smart irrigation in Botswana. Age, gender, and access to credit had a statistical and negative influence on adoption. However, level of education and farming experience had a positive influence on adoption. The result of the propensity score matching model indicated that farmers using climate-smart irrigation techniques experienced positive and significant improvement in crop yield compared to dryland farmers. The study recommends that relevant institutions in Botswana should design a strategy that will be tailored to addressing issues of access to credit, facilitate training and education on advanced irrigation methods, and encourage more young farmers to engage in farming activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' low agricultural productivity in East African countries is attributed to among other factors, the low application of modern agricultural technologies. Using meta-analysis this study intended to examine the determinants of adoption of agricultural technologies in East African countries recipients of Chinese Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers (ATDCs). A comprehensive review employed to gather 22 studies addressing the determinants of adoption of agricultural technologies such as improved varieties, agricultural mechanization, soil conservation, and animal breeding from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. The collected data were analyzed using STATA 17 software. The study used a random-effect model to estimate the determinants of agricultural technologies adoption. The findings demonstrated that access to credit, age, education, farming experience, farmer group membership, household size, and off-farm income have a significant influence on farmers 'adoption of improved varieties. Age, farm size, and education have a significant influence on the adoption of agricultural mechanization. Soil conservation practices are influenced by age, household size, and sex. Moreover, age, education, extension services, and farming experience have a significant impact on the adoption of animal breeding. It is recommended that East African governments, policymakers, and agricultural practitioners to focus on these common variables when planning for the intervention of new agricultural technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to credit plays an important role in the adoption of modern agricultural practices, such as better seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, as well as in the sustainable utilization of land by smallholder farmers. This study explores the dynamics of smallholders' access to and utilization of informal credit to manage local farming systems. The data were collected from rural households in the Dir Kohistan mountainous region of Pakistan in 2021. A bivariate probit model was employed to analyze the data from 300 randomly selected farming households. Our findings indicate that a significant proportion of respondents (70%) reported having access to informal credit, with 65% actively utilizing credit to bolster the economic viability of their farms. This study reveals various strategies that farmers employ in response to credit constraints. The majority of farmers (69%) prioritize meeting their own farm/household needs. Social networks, particularly friends, emerge as key sources of informal credit (58.1%). The results of the bivariate probit regression analysis identify positive relationships with fellow farmers and neighbors/relatives, along with a lower perceived risk, as the most significant factors influencing access to and utilization of informal credit. Therefore, our study recommends the promotion of relationships and linkages among farmers through facilitated networking events, introducing risk mitigation measures and promoting financial literacy programs to empower smallholder capacities on the credit market. Policymakers are urged to recognize the role of social relationships and consider policies that promote community credit practices for the overall financial well-being of farmers, especially in more isolated mountain areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the expected cost of conservation agriculture (CA) inputs becomes an issue for farmers, financial institutions (FIs) play an essential role in promoting CA, a set of agricultural management practices with multiple positive effects. This research aimed to determine influencing factors, to rank challenges, and identify mechanisms for farmers to access agricultural credit for adoption of CA management practices in Cambodia. It was administered by conducting a survey of 242 randomly selected households for face-to-face interviews and conducting key informant interviews from purposive samples of 28 participants in Battambang and Preah Vihear provinces. The results indicated that influencing factors, including the family, adult labor and total farm size, had a positive relationship with farmers' accessibility to agricultural credit, whereas age was negative. However, education year, farm size for main crops, on-farm income and farm experience were not significantly associated. High interest rates were the significant first-order challenge ranked, followed by document process complication, limited agricultural credit information, limited collateral security and a few other challenges. Support and improved process mechanisms to enhance credit accessibility are required to engage with multiple stakeholders, including farmers, FIs, non-government organizations (NGOs) and government officers. There has been a reduction in agricultural credit interest rates and incentives for importing CA inputs by the government, while provision of information support for agribusiness plans by NGOs which have implemented development project activities were considered as the main support mechanism. An improved process mechanism at the farmers' level needs to include access to credit with low interest rates and a straightforward documentation process, whereas the FI level requires a business plan for lending decisions. It is evident that high lending rates hinder access to agricultural credit and the improvement of support and improved process mechanisms are necessary to better promote CA practices among farmers in Cambodia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to enhance our knowledge on institutional bottlenecks for financial development, financial inclusion, and microfinance, using Mauritania as a case study. We used a mixed-methods' methodology that combines analysis of secondary data and an expert interview. First, a logit model with dummy independent variables was used to investigate the factors that impact the households' access to credit, the main advantage of this model being to avoid confounding effects by analyzing the association of all variables together. Our study found that access to financial services is equal in Mauritania between men and women, but that access to credit is higher for public sector employees, educated people, and households with smaller families. Second, using principal components' analysis, we found that the different regions of Mauritania can be divided based on unemployment, income, literacy, financial inclusion, and population density into two main dimensions, yielding four quadrants: Attractive, industrious, moderate, and resource cursed. We expected that sparsely populated countries would have less access to credit. Counterintuitively, we found that within a low-density country, people in the lowest-density regions have higher odds of getting credit. Third, based on an interview with an expert, we noted the key challenges that microfinance is facing in Mauritania and provided recommendations to overcome these. As in most case studies, external validity was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers in South Africa face issues related to water shortages and poor irrigation water management. This study investigated barriers to improving water-use efficiency (WUE) in smallholder production practices in Numbi, South Africa. The objectives were to identify barriers in redesigning production practices for higher agricultural productivity and analyze the relationship between irrigation water supply and the adoption of WUE methods. From a population of 7696 people, 141 smallholder farmers were sampled using a simple random sampling technique through Taro Yamane's sample size formula. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and descriptive statistics. Unreliable water supply (M = 3.78, SD = 0.85), poor soil water retention (M = 3.78, SD = 0.85), lack of water-efficient irrigation systems (M = 3.91, SD = 0.71), lack of water storage facilities (M = 3.85, SD = 0.93), limited access to credit (M = 4.09, SD = 0.85), income instability due to market fluctuations (M = 3.96, SD = 0.91), inadequate knowledge of irrigation management (M = 4.00, SD = 0.84), and harsh climatic factors were identified. A positive correlation (r = 0.339, n = 141, p < 0.001) between irrigation water source and WUE techniques was evident, indicating that irrigation water source had an insignificant impact on WUE methods. Resolving these barriers requires a holistic approach focusing on investments in irrigation infrastructure and targeted education initiatives by extension agents and other stakeholders, as this can enhance agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the economic and ecological impacts of straw returning technology among apple growers in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, China. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and survey data, the findings reveal that straw returning significantly increases farmers' incomes by 20.33% compared to those who do not adopt the technology. Additionally, the technology mitigates soil fertility decline by 11.07%, offering substantial ecological benefits. The heterogeneity analysis highlights that older farmers benefit more from the technology in terms of both income and soil fertility improvement, likely due to their experience and reliance on farming. Smaller-scale farmers also show greater gains in income and soil health, while larger-scale farms face complexities that may delay visible benefits. However, land fragmentation did not significantly influence the outcomes. The study recommends promoting straw returning through enhanced farmer training, financial incentives, and improved access to credit. Policymakers should consider tailoring support to different farmer demographics and orchard sizes. Future research should focus on long-term evaluations of straw returning's sustainability in terms of soil fertility and crop yields. Overall, straw returning technology offers a promising solution for enhancing both economic returns and environmental sustainability in apple production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant risk to the long-term viability of smallholder agriculture in developing countries. Climate change has a direct effect on agricultural output, ultimately impacting the food security of smallholder farmers. However, the link between climate change and food security in developing countries is underexplored. This article investigates the effect of climate change adaptation strategies on household food security. A survey was conducted among 400 smallholder farmers in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal using a stratified random sampling procedure. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that factors such as access to credit, access to government funding, and participation in agricultural groups play an important role in supporting adaptation to climate change. Adaptation to climate change is associated with reduced levels of food insecurity. These results underscore the important role of climate change adaptation in enhancing household food security. The study recommends that programmes that target smallholder farmers should focus on enhancing the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize remains the staple grain in Malawi; hence, the cropping system of most smallholder farmers is dominated by the crop, often mono-cropped for food security. Consequently, Malawi's agriculture sector is made vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. For instance, crop failure results in food insecurity and the low income of farm households. In response, there are coping mechanisms, which can be adopted by farmers to mitigate these negative climate change effects, namely maize–legume diversification, organic manure use, and the practice of agroforestry. Therefore, the underlying objective of this study was to assess the factors influencing smallholder maize farmers' decision to engage in the double-up adoption of climate change adaptation strategies in Malawi. Both descriptive statistics and the logistic regression model were employed to statistically analyze these factors, and the results of the analysis revealed that landholding size, inorganic fertilizer use, access to credit, seed access, adherence to extension services, and input coupon access were significant in influencing dual adoption. Furthermore, this study recommends policies, which underscore land access and safeguard the land rights of smallholder maize farmers, and also private sector engagement in complementing government efforts in ensuring increased access to seeds. Additionally, improving farmers' adherence to agricultural extension services is recommended. Thus, addressing the constraints of small-scale farmers observed in this study will act as an incentive for farmers to consider dual adoption, which is perceived to be a feasible method to combat climate change effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the factors influencing households' resilience capacities to shocks within Kenya's fisheries and aquaculture sectors and draws from primary data collected from 419 fish-dependent households across Kisumu, Busia, Mombasa, and Kilifi counties. The sample represents a total of 48,000 fishing households. The study adopted a quasi-longitudinal design and computed the household resilience capacity index (RCI) using the resilience index measurement and analysis (RIMA-II) model. The results indicate that male-headed households' mean household RCI scores (mean = 45.07 ± 10.43) were statistically significant to that of female-headed households (mean = 38.15 ± 9.25), suggesting that female-headed households are associated with lower resilience capacities than male-headed households. Moreover, the study identifies differences in resilience levels across various occupations within the sector. For instance, RCI scores among fish traders (mean = 40.71 ± 9.97), a function performed mainly by women, statistically differed (p < 0.005) from male-dominated cage farming (mean = 48.60 ± 10.47), whereas RCI scores at the production level for fisher folks (mean = 44.89 ± 10.09) and pond farmers (mean = 44.04 ± 12.07) showed no statistical difference (0 > 0.05. Additionally, households with more income sources tend to have higher resilience capacities. Seasonality in fishing cycles limited households' ability to recover from climate-induced shocks; the more months without fishing activity, the less the odds of recovery from shocks (OR = 0.532, 95% CI [0.163, 0.908], p = 0.022). Furthermore, households that lacked guaranteed market access and inputs during COVID-19 were less likely to recover during and after the shocks (OR = 0.401, 95% CI [0.161, 0.999], p = 0.05). Households organized in cooperatives with better access to credit showed a higher chance of recovery. The study recommends (a) adopting gender-sensitive approaches in fisheries and aquaculture interventions to empower women in trade, (b) strengthening policies to enhance access and adoption of climate-smart technologies such as cage fish farming, (c) promoting livelihood diversification to sustain households' income during fishing off-seasons, and (d) enhancing market linkages in the fish value chain through coordinated producer organizations. Further research should explore the possibilities of introducing index-based weather insurance and other tested suitable safety nets for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the role of agricultural cooperatives (ACs) in promoting sustainable agriculture and agrifood security, with a particular emphasis on Greece. A cross-sectional survey technique was employed, and data were collected from 400 farmers and professionals either employed by or associated with Greek agricultural cooperatives by administering an online questionnaire. A response rate of 96.5% was achieved. The study findings show that cooperative techniques bring about a positive shift in agrifood security and sustainable agriculture. Particularly, participants concurred that resource sharing among cooperative members increases farm productiveness and sustainability by 94.2% while improving access to credit and financial support by 91.5%. Moreover, 84.3% agreed that access to up-to-date information enhances the practice of sustainable agriculture, and 95.1% agreed that collective bargaining through cooperatives increases the prices of agricultural commodities. Regarding the application of advanced technologies in cooperative practices, 96.7% of the participants acknowledged that it improved farm efficiency. The cooperative model demonstrates how agricultural expansion may be achieved by collective bargaining, information sharing, resource sharing, and technological integration, while also considerably improving agrifood security and sustainability. These findings highlight the crucial importance of cooperatives in increasing the level of agricultural production, ensuring sustainability, and improving agrifood security in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue globally, exacerbated in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where rural communities face significant challenges in accessing nutritious food. The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is particularly vulnerable, with high levels of poverty and limited infrastructure contributing to food insecurity among its rural households. In response to these challenges, family food gardens have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance local food production, improve dietary diversity, and foster economic resilience within these communities. Despite the potential benefits of family food gardens, empirical evidence of their effectiveness in mitigating food insecurity at the household level in the Eastern Cape Province is scarce and remains limited. Understanding the factors that influence the success of these gardens, including socio-economic, environmental, and institutional determinants, is crucial for optimizing their impact and scalability. Hence, this study sought to comprehensively explore and investigate the role of family food gardens in improving food security within rural households in the Eastern Cape Province. It seeks to identify the determinants that contribute to the success of these gardens and their potential to alleviate food insecurity. The study made use of a descriptive research design, and the study utilized purposive sampling to gather data from 130 rural households via structured questionnaires. Data analyses incorporated in the study included the Household Dietary Diversity Score and logit regression model to explore the impacts and determinants of family food gardens on food security. The study findings underscore the significant positive contributions of family food gardens to rural communities. They serve as vital sources of fresh crops and vegetables, supplementing household nutrition and providing temporary employment. Constraints identified in the study include financial limitations, theft, water scarcity, inadequate fencing, and limited market access. The study insights highlight the fact that socio-economic and institutional factors such as age, gender, household income, and access to credit are critical influencers of family food garden success. These empirical results offer practical implications for policymakers, governmental agencies, and local communities seeking to promote sustainable agricultural practices and alleviate food insecurity. The research highlights how essential family food gardens are for improving food security among rural families in the Eastern Cape Province. The findings suggest that a joint effort is needed from the government, policymakers, NGOs, and local communities to overcome challenges and make the most of social and economic resources. By working together, these groups can enhance the role of family food gardens, making them a more effective solution for local food production and a stronger defence against food insecurity in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Agriculture worldwide has been challenged by how to grow sustainably to feed a rising population without depleting natural resources. This is also the case in Brazil and, in particular, for beef farming, which is carried out across the country in all biomes and plays a relevant role in Brazil's economy. This article reviews the major changes in beef farming over the last few decades toward a sustainable intensification of grass-fed beef. We also discuss the potential impact of technological developments on small- to medium-scale farms and reflect on some initiatives that may help farmers stay up-to-date with climate-friendly technologies. Their persistence will rely on their ability to remain competitive, which requires the incorporation of sustainable technologies, the development of new capabilities such as digital literacy, and access to credit and technical assistance. This study has implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and extension services. Brazil is the second largest beef producer and a leading exporter, contributing to some 3000 t CWE in global markets (27.7% of market share). The sector has experienced substantial development, but yields remain far below potential, and there are growing concerns regarding land use change and greenhouse gas emissions. The need for sustainable technologies, such as sound pasture management and integrated farming systems, is evident, but adoption may be low amongst farmers unable to keep up with technological advances. This article describes the historical developments of Brazilian beef farming towards sustainability and discusses possible socioenvironmental outcomes. We combined an extensive literature review, public data, and our own insights as senior researchers to achieve that. The trajectory shown here evidenced the technological intensification of Brazilian beef farming, with strong support of public policies for decarbonizing agriculture. Nonetheless, the pace of this transition may affect small to medium farmers with limited access to information, technologies, and credit. Our recommendations involve a broad program of technical assistance and training on sustainable technologies, including financial and digital literacy. A novel approach to financing farmers is suggested to support a sustainable and inclusive transition in beef farming in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-smart agriculture is one of the most important actions for agricultural climate change adaptation, especially in Togo, a sub-Saharan African country with a fragile ecology and where agriculture is profoundly impacted by climate change. Using a multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) and a multinomial endogenous treatment effect (METE) approach, we conducted empirical research to identify the factors influencing the adoption decisions of climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) and their impact on household food security among smallholder farmers in Togo. The findings of this study revealed that the adoption of CSAPs by farmers is influenced by a range of factors, such as age, marital status, the household head's gender, engagement in off-farm activities, level of education, farm size, agroecological zone, regional location, land ownership, distance between homestead and farm, access to credit, the presence of agricultural associations and cooperatives, and access to extension agents. On the one hand, the MESR analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between the number of adopted CSAPs and households' food consumption score. Similarly, greater adoption of CSAPs resulted in a significant reduction in the food insecurity experience scale. On the other hand, the METE model portrayed an increase in acceptable food consumption when households adopted up to three CSAPs. Likewise, it significantly alleviated severe food insecurity. Further results based on the propensity score matching technique showed that the adoption of a crop rotation system, utilization of improved varieties of seeds, plant protection products, inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and irrigation improved adopters' food consumption scores while reducing their level of food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that credit is crucial for the adoption of new agricultural inputs and technologies in developing countries. Hence, the issue about how financial institutions select farmer applicants to give loans to is very important. We used primary data from 401 rural households to show what kinds of farmers can get credit from banks in Sudan. The probit model is used to examine the factors that determine both farmers' access to credit and the adoption of new inputs, and to show the nexus of credit accessibility and the adoption of new input through other factors. The main findings show that farming experience, the number of close friends, hire labor, cultivated land, irrigation, and extension services, are the factors that significantly determine farmers' credit accessibility from banks. Some of these determinants, such as cultivated land and irrigation, also influence the adoption of new inputs. There exists a strong correlation between credit accessibility from banks and the possibility of using new input. In addition, an IV probit model shows that farmers' use of chemical fertilizers and improved varieties directly influences the loan decision from banks. This means farmers' credit demand induced by the chance of using new input actually has been satisfied by the banks in Sudan. The comparison results show that, for the subsample, for the Farmer's Commercial Bank (FCB) the nexus between credit accessibility and the adoption of new inputs is stronger than that of the Agricultural Bank of Sudan (ABS). Therefore, this study recommended that the Sudan government should choose FCB as the lender of subsidized credit to increase the banks' contribution to the development of plant production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate indebtedness is a powerful tool in determining a company's financial health with impacts on its image and reputation. The main objective of this research is to study the determining factors in corporate indebtedness in Portugal. It also has the secondary objectives of creating clusters of companies' behaviour in relation to the use of credit and verifying their differences in relation to the characteristics of the companies. It uses a quantitative methodology based on a questionnaire survey of 1957 Portuguese companies. The results of the factor analysis show the formation of six determining factors in corporate indebtedness, namely the negotiating relationship with banks, financing, cycle and indebtedness, company operating performance, guarantees used to obtain bank financing and financing risk analysis as well as secondary forms of bank financing. The application of cluster analysis to the six factors formed led to the classification of companies into three clusters: the resilient financial cluster, the operational excellence cluster and the strategic financial cluster. There are several statistically significant differences in the corporate financing factors in relation to the clusters to which they belong. The evidence of the factors and clusters explaining company financing provides insights for improving credit access practices and for implementing public policies that facilitate access to credit and promote economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of land fragmentation in rice production on household food insecurity in Vietnam. This study provides the first evidence on the effect of land fragmentation on household food insecurity in rice production. This study uses a relatively rich panel dataset of rice farming households across different regions from the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS) 2012, 2014, and 2016. The research applies the ordered probit model to identify land fragmentation and other factors affecting household food insecurity at different food insecurity levels. Findings indicate that land fragmentation and rice seed types are positively correlated with household food insecurity. Importantly, the odds of an increase of 1% fragmentation land index increase the probability of household food insecurity at a very high level of 4.79% after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Other factors such as total cultivated area, access to credit, and household savings help reduce household food insecurity. These findings suggest that the government needs to foster the process of consolidating fragmented rice plots to help households produce efficiently and reduce food insecurity for their families. In addition, other approaches such as increasing farm size for each rice farmer and access to credit can increase the probability of food security for rural households in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective adaptation to flooding risk depends on careful identification and combinations of strategies which, in turn, depends on knowledge of the determinants of flood adaptation. The main objective of this study was to examine the determinants of rural households' intensity of flood adaptation in the Fogera rice plain, Ethiopia. A three-stage stratified sampling technique was employed to select 337 sample household heads. Primary data was collected through a structured household survey. Data analysis was accompanied by a descriptive and generalised Poisson regression (GP) model. The descriptive analysis showed that households adopted an average of three (3) flood adaptation strategies. The generalised Poisson regression further revealed that family size, availability of off-farm income, previous flood experience, access to credit, access to extension services, and an early warning information system statistically significantly increase flood adaptation strategies' average number (intensity). However, the age of the household head negatively and significantly influences the intensity of flood adaptation. More specifically, households with off-farm income, previous flood experience, access to credit, access to extension, and an early warning information system were 20%, 94%, 13%, 30%, and 29% more likely to adopt more flood adaptation strategies, respectively. The findings call for immediate response and coordination among stakeholders to design strategies that enhance households' livelihood, access to credit, access to extension services, and early warning information systems for effective flood adaptation in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural credit policies have a strong impact on food production and food security. The attribution of credit policies to agricultural production is one of the main problems preventing the guarantee of agricultural expansion. In this work, we conduct family typology analysis applied to a set of research data to characterize different regions. Through genetic programming, a model was developed using user-defined terms to identify the importance and priority of each criterion used for each region. Access to credit results in economic growth and provides greater income for family farmers, as observed by the results obtained in the model for the Sul region. The Nordeste region indicates that the cost criterion is relevant, and according to previous studies, the Nordeste region has the highest number of family farming households and is also the region with the lowest economic growth. An important aspect discovered by this research is that the allocation of rural credit is not ideal. Another important aspect of the research is the challenge of capturing the degree of diversity across different regions, and the typology is limited in its ability to accurately represent all variations. Therefore, it was possible to characterize how credit is distributed across the country and the main factors that can influence access to credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the relationship between the Chinese government's Strategic Emerging Industry Support Program and the innovation level of strategic emerging industry firms. We use panel data of A-share-listed firms from 2007 to 2017 and apply a difference-in-difference model. We obtain evidence that firms exhibit strategic innovation behavior in response to the Strategic Emerging Industry Support Program, as evidenced by firms focusing solely on increasing their research and development (R&D) input and number of patent outputs, neglecting innovation efficiency and quality, and failing to convert patent results into firm profitability. Moreover, we observe that the aforementioned support program, through the provision of subsidies, tax incentives, and easy access to credit, as well as the reduction in stock liquidity, prompts increases in firm R&D input and, consequently, the number of patents firms are granted. Our results also indicate that for state-owned enterprises in strategic emerging industries, government support in the form of subsidies and tax incentives has the strongest effect on innovation; by contrast, for private firms, innovation is more strongly stimulated through convenient credit support, tax incentives, and reduced stock liquidity. This paper provides empirical evidence on whether industrial policy promotes firm innovation and argues more generally whether government industrial policy is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice agriculture provides millions of households with a steady source of income and employment. However, for small and marginal farmers, the exorbitant cost of production inputs presents a formidable obstacle in their pursuit of acquiring it. Credit constraints are a significant impediment to the adoption of agricultural technologies. Therefore, this paper identifies the determinant of access to rural credit and its impact on Boro rice production technology adoption in Bangladesh using cross-sectional data. The study employed probit regression, propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability weighting (IPW), and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) techniques. The findings indicate that age, family size, working members, and involvement in safety net programs negatively and significantly influence access to rural credit, while earning persons in the family, literacy, rice farming experience, remittance, and total income positively influence access to rural credit. The positive and significant ATT values suggested that access to rural credit has a positive and significant effect on technology adoption and the level of technology use. It was also found that access to rural credit has a heterogeneous effect. In particular, non-government organization (NGO) credit has a more significant impact on technology adoption than formal bank credit. Access to credit and the adoption of agricultural technologies can be greatly improved with the help of a location-specific rural credit policy and strong monitoring from the formal banking sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea productivity in West Africa is low due to several challenges, including limited access to high-quality seeds. Despite the development of improved varieties, smallholder farmers face difficulties in accessing certified seeds. This study interviewed 634 households in south-central Niger to assess how farmers access cowpea seeds. Most farmers (94.6%) relied on informal seed systems, with local markets being the primary source (72.8%). The formal seed sector, including the private sector, had a limited role. Farmers typically stored seeds for seven months utilizing pesticides (54.9%) and hermetic methods (42.6%). Interestingly, the price of seeds of improved cowpea varieties in local markets was 1.19 times higher than that of local varieties, but only 25% of the cost of certified seeds. Interventions to strengthen informal seed systems and improve access to credit could enhance the adoption of high-quality cowpea seeds and increase productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze and generalize the factors influencing credit decision-making in Turkey's service sector, which has seen substantial growth and increased dynamism post-2000, coinciding with accelerated economic development. The evolving competitive landscape and shifting consumer purchasing perceptions have led companies within this sector to seek differentiation strategies to attain a competitive edge. In this context, access to credit emerges as a crucial enabler for companies to expand and capture market share. The research focuses on the financial and non-financial characteristics of medium-sized service sector firms seeking credit, recognizing that both sets of variables play a pivotal role in the credit allocation process conducted by banks. The core of this study involves applying established assumption tests from extant literature, followed by an extensive regression analysis. The primary objective of this analysis is to identify and underscore the key financial and non-financial factors that significantly impact credit decisions in the service sector. By examining these variables, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the credit decision-making process, addressing the nuanced and varied nature of the service sector. This approach not only provides a deeper understanding of the sector's credit dynamics but also assists in formulating more informed strategies for businesses seeking financial support within this evolving economic landscape. The primary conclusion reached by the study is that non-financial variables exert a greater influence on credit decision-making in the service sector compared to financial variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to credit for businesses is an unresolved issue, especially in developing countries and transition economies. There has been a lot of research exploring factors affecting firms' credit accessibility. Particularly, factors related to borrowers and lenders are always placed under consideration. However, besides those factors, institutional elements could also play an important role in guiding companies' operations. In countries where the economy lacks transparency and low-level development is limited, informal institutional factors can have potential impacts. In this paper, we focus on exploring the relationship between firm–government links and credit access, thereby offering managerial implications through utilizing cross-sectional data sets at the firm level, with an initial sample of 26,849 observations from 38 countries at different levels of development around the world. The results show a positive correlation of firm–government connection with credit access. Moreover, this relationship may vary depending on the market in which the business primarily operates. Specifically, firms working internationally are less influenced by links with governments and tend to rely more on their own characteristics and conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices is crucial for enhancing resilience to climate change in rural communities, particularly in developing regions like the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This study provides an in-depth examination of the factors constraining farmers' adoption of cattle feedlots as a climate-smart practice in the rural communities of the Eastern Cape. The research aims to identify the barriers and challenges that hinder the widespread adoption of cattle feedlots and understand the underlying factors contributing to the farmers' decision-making processes. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews, to gather data from 250 farmers in rural communities of the Eastern Cape. The data were analyzed using regression analysis and thematic analysis to identify the key constraints inhibiting the adoption of cattle feedlots as a climate-smart strategy. The findings revealed several significant constraints that farmers faced in adopting cattle feedlots. Financial limitations, including limited access to credit and lack of financial resources, emerged as critical barriers. Infrastructure and resource constraints, such as inadequate water supply and electricity, hindered adoption. Knowledge and skills gaps, cultural and social factors, market limitations, and environmental considerations further contributed to the constraints experienced by farmers. To address these constraints, the study proposes interventions to promote the adoption of cattle feedlots as a climate-smart practice. These interventions include improving access to affordable financing options, providing capacity-building programs on feedlot management and climate-smart practices, disseminating information on feedlot benefits and best practices, developing the necessary infrastructure, strengthening market linkages, and creating a supportive policy environment. However, it is important to note the study's limitations, such as the small sample size and the cross-sectional nature of the data, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings in a broader context. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the factors constraining farmers' adoption of cattle feedlots as a climate-smart practice in the rural communities of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is Africa's second most-grown crop and is widely used as the staple food after maize. The demand for potato production is increasing and growth in the area under production is estimated at 1.25% a year. Potato has great potential when it comes to food security and farm returns for many smallholder farmers. However, potato productivity is relatively low due to many factors that contribute to the low yield (including drought, poor production practices, and limited access to high-quality seed) and inefficient use of resources. Potato farmers have no access to formal markets, which may reduce the profitability of their enterprises. Additionally, while many studies have been conducted on the resource aspect of vegetable crops, very little is known about the profit efficiency of potato producers in the country. At the same time, efforts to commercialize potato production have not delivered the expected outcomes. This study aimed to estimate the profitability of potatoes, evaluate farm-level efficiency, and identify the factors that influence the efficiency levels of potato farmers in the Eastern Cape Province who engage in irrigation farming. The study used multi-stage and snowball sampling to select 150 smallholder potato farmers from whom primary data were collected using close-ended questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive, gross margin analysis and translog stochastic profit frontier (SPF) modelling. The study found potato production to be profitable by as much as ZAR 7027.11 per annum. It is shown that farm size under potato, seed, pesticides, and fertilisers contribute positively towards the improvement of efficiency while labour and hired tractors negatively affect efficiency. The average technical efficiency of potato production among irrigated smallholder farmers was 89%, indicating that potato farmers could increase output by 11% without increasing inputs. Potato farm size, years spent in school, access to extension services, family size, and non-farm income are socio-economic and institutional factors influencing the farmers' technical efficiency. However, the farmer's age, access to credit, and cold storage had a negative effect on their productivity. The study recommends that government and non-governmental organisations strengthen the existing extension service provided to smallholder farmers and make efforts to provide farmers with long-term training and education to increase their productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the importance of landholdings in explaining income inequality among family farms in four districts in Georgia following the land reform of the 1990s. Income inequality is decomposed by sources of income and by determinants of income. The results indicate that farm income is a disequalizing source of income among family farms in these districts. In addition, a uniform increase in landholding is expected to reduce income inequality. Combining the two results, we conclude that the impact of land reform on farm household income inequality depends on the resulting distribution of landholdings. It can reduce inequality if land is distributed relatively equally, but inequality can increase if the wealthier farmers are able to gain control of more (and perhaps better) land resources. A possible implication of this result is that for land reform to be equalizing, distributing land to smallholders should be accompanied by additional policies and regulations supporting small farmers, such as land titling and registration, support for cooperation, and access to credit and other market services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Credit is considered as an essential tool to make informal labor's income better. In order to improve quality of their life, the state should have some supports them in credit access. This study analyzes factors causing credit access of informal labors to be changed in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data collected from 2020 VHSSL (2019–2020), this approach has two models including a binary logit model and a multinomial logit model (MLM). The results revealed that the positive factors including education, material, collateral, credit size, credit source, credit debt which are likely to affect to credit access, however age, family size, ethnicity, interest, paid money are negative. Besides, it also concludes that quality of life of informal labor is considerably influenced by credit access, collateral, credit source, credit debt from the observed samples. Additionally, this paper recommends some policies to enhance informal labor's access to credit and their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific evidence suggests that there is room for eradicating poverty and hunger by increasing food production through the adoption of modern agricultural practices by farmers. This study aimed, first, to explore the relationship between the farmers' awareness and adoption of improved wheat varieties. Second, it aimed to find the key factors that govern the farmers' awareness and adoption of extension-recommended innovations in the rainfed cropping system of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data were collected from 395 respondents. A binary logit model was used to analyze the effect of the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics on their awareness and adoption of the extension-suggested wheat varieties. Moreover, qualitative data from 40 key informants were collected for in-depth analysis. The results show a strong association between the farmers' awareness of a technology (improved wheat varieties) and its adoption. The results of the logit model show that their extension contacts, income from agriculture, and access to credit positively affected the farmers' awareness, whereas their education and household sizes negatively affected their awareness. Moreover, the factors that positively influenced the farmers' decision to adopt the technology included the extension contact, the confidence in the extension, the risk-bearing attitude, and the credit access, whereas the household size and education negatively affected it. The results of the key informant interviews reveal that the high incidence of poverty, the low soil fertility, the farmers' inability to make effective decisions, the lack of accurate weather predictability in the rainfed farming system, the lack of government interest, and the asymmetric information in the inputs markets contributed to the farmers' low levels of awareness and to their poor adoption of improved agricultural technologies. These results indicate that any intervention aimed at the awareness and adoption by farmers of improved technologies, such as new wheat varieties, should recognize the heterogeneity in the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is central in order to achieve nutrition goals through the provision of food, energy and essential micronutrients for the physical and mental development of humans. Dietary diversity is a good indicator of human food security status. Using a dataset obtained from the World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study—Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), this paper examines the linkages between crop diversity and food security (measured as dietary diversity) among farming households in Nigeria using ordinary least squares, Poisson regression, and instrumental variables (IV) Poisson regression to estimate the relationship. In addition, we investigate the determinants that lead to the consumption of each food groups considered for generating dietary diversity using a logit regression model. The results show that food expenditure, asset ownership and location of households are the key factors driving the types of food consumed by the households. Furthermore, increased food expenditure and access to credit were found to positively influence food security. The result established a positive and significant relationship between crop diversity and dietary diversity. Our findings call for more attention to diet diversity, as well as the need to harmonize the roles of rural income improvement, especially through non-farm livelihood diversification in tackling multiple nutritional deficiencies in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2000s, Ethiopia has been implementing one of the largest land certification and digitalization programs in Africa, underpinned by technological and policy innovations. The reform indicates a promising avenue for increasing the collateralization of land use rights for smallholder households who have been credit constrained. However, there is scant evidence to what extent these reforms have influenced access to credit. To help generate new insights and fill this gap, the study employed administrative data generated from 11 districts' digital land registers, survey data from 2296 households in 19 districts, key informant interviews, and policy and legal framework review. Descriptive and inferential statistics complemented by qualitative explanations are employed to analyze the results of the study. The results revealed that accessibility of information from the digital rural land registers increased the credit-worthiness of small landholders and reduced transaction costs and risks. The reform related to collateralization of land use rights also incentivizes financial institutions to establish new loan products for small landholders. The study concludes that while the two-stage land certification programs allow smallholders to possess documented land rights, their credit-worthiness may likely remain negligible without further technological and policy innovations. This implies two policy issues: the need to reform secured transaction laws and digitalizing registries for higher land rights trade ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale livestock farmers in the drylands of South Africa are highly exposed to agricultural drought-related food insecurity. Research has used descriptive analyses and missed the need to index the diversity of coping strategies used for managing agricultural drought-induced food insecurity. This study was conducted to bridge this gap using a two-step procedure. Initially, the study identified the farmers' coping strategies and food security status. A coping strategy diversity index was computed using the Shannon–Weiner method and its relationship with the food security status was determined. Secondly, the determinants of the coping strategy diversity index were explored using an ordered logit regression model after testing for the proportional odds assumption. A mixed methods approach was utilized and a standardized questionnaire was administered to 217 smallholder livestock farmers in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The household food insecurity mean score (8.429 ± 7.105) from the household food insecurity scale (HFIAS) was significantly related to a higher diversity of coping strategies. Similar results were reported for the household food insecurity access prevalence (HFIAP) status. The different forms of support (e.g., cash, food, training and assets) had a significant (p < 0.05) and positive effect on the coping strategy diversity index among the households. Education, access to credit and insurance facilities and the frequency of droughts significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the diversity of coping strategies under drought conditions. The utilization of cash reserves and investment stocks also significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the extent of coping strategy diversity. The study recommended strengthening the functional and technical capacity pillars of dealing with agricultural drought through strategic partnerships between the government and livestock value chain players. This collaboration should target affordable credit lines tailor-made for farmers to cope with agricultural drought. If well-coordinated, these interventions should reduce food insecurity prevalence, especially during drought conditions among vulnerable smallholder livestock farmers. Lessons from this study could also inform future research on the effectiveness of the current agricultural drought coping strategies while expanding the diversity clusters over space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the gendered trait preferences for rice and their role in the adoption of improved rice varieties among men and women rice farmers in Ghana. Four hundred rice farm households and 261 consumers were surveyed across 20 communities using a simple random sampling technique. Kendall's coefficient of concordance, Tobit, and the multivariate probit regressions were used in the analyses. The results show differences in preferences for cooking quality traits and postharvest traits among men and women farmers. There was also a gender differential in the intensity of purchasing rice among men and women consumers. The results show that rice farmers' decisions to adopt any of the four varieties—AGRA rice, Jasmine, Togo Marshall, or Amankwatia—are influenced by age, being married or indigenous, years of schooling, off-farm activities, farming experience, household size, farm size, FBO membership, extension contact, market proximity, and access to credit. To improve the rice value chain in Ghana, rice breeding efforts should consider varieties with trait preferences such as being tolerant of pest and diseases, aromatic, early maturing, and tolerance to shattering. However, to enhance the consumption of improved rice varieties, breeding efforts should target varieties that are aromatic, good textured, and have medium-sized grains for female consumers, while for male consumers preferred varieties would be less easily broken, white grain color, translucent, and with short cooking time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia has positioned itself as a significant actor in Hass avocado production, capitalizing on the rising global demand and its suitable climate for the crop. These conditions have led to considerable investments from farmers. In this business environment, this research presents a systematic simulation and methodological approach for the evaluation of crops focusing on the Hass avocado and its extension to small-scale producers in Colombia. The initial phase involved a comprehensive analysis of key variables in the Hass avocado production chain, assessing productivity and viability. Subsequently, a dynamic model was developed to explore four scenarios spanning 13 years. The first scenario evaluated the production chain's current behavior, while the second scrutinized the impact of credit accessibility. The third scenario analyzed the associativity among producers' effects, and the fourth assessed the impact of government support. The results underscore that the implementation of each strategy improves the economic returns. Integrating all three strategies is the most effective method. These scenarios serve as proactive tools for investors, equipping them valuable insights and enabling informed decisions. Moreover, the study advocates for the promotion of rural economic development through strategic agricultural interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth participation in the agricultural sector remains key to addressing youth unemployment. Young people represent a heterogeneous social group with markedly diverse social and economic needs that require tailor-made support interventions to enhance their participation in agricultural activities. The main objective of this article was to develop distinct youth typologies informed by diverse endowment of livelihood assets, including the psychological assets and entrepreneurial characteristics that shape young people's career and livelihood choices, including participation in agriculture. A two-stage multivariate analytical approach was applied using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to formulate youth typologies. Seven clusters were identified. The seven distinct clusters representing youth typologies were named "Training beneficiaries with access to extension", "Job secure", "Females endowed with negative psychological capital", "Opportunist and determined livestock farmers", "Social grant reliant", "Resource poor traditional livestock farmers" and "Non-farming income with access to credit". The results confirm that young people are indeed a heterogeneous group with diverse support needs. Unpacking the interrelated and multidimensional complexities among the youth is a vital take-off point to inform effective policy and tailor-made support interventions and effectively foster active youth participation in agriculture and related activities. We argue that support initiatives should not only address access to physical resources, but should also foster the development of soft skills such as entrepreneurial skills and boosting the psychological capital of young people while addressing gender inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the potential adaptation measures for farmers in the Mwanga and Same Districts of Tanzania and then assessed their positive and negative interactions towards potential contributions to the selected sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators of no poverty and zero hunger. A total of 200 household surveys were conducted, and 36 participants were interviewed as key informants. Moreover, four focus group discussions were conducted to identify potential adaptation strategies in the studied areas. The literature and expert judgement approaches were used to understand and assess the positive and negative interactions between adaptation strategies and the selected indicators of SDGs. A seven-point scale of SDG interactions was used to determine the interactions between identified adaptation strategies and selected SDG indicators. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis, whereas quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. The finding revealed that some of the adaptation strategies (i.e., stream bank crop cultivation, valley bottom crop cultivation, and cultivating crops near water sources) considered potential at the household levels and had strong negative interactions on achieving SDG 2.4.1. Further, most farmers hardly employed strategies (i.e., use of extension officers, concrete irrigation channels, crop insurance schemes, and credit schemes) that had strong positive interactions on the selected SDG indicators. Moreover, most of the identified strategies (i.e., early maturity crops, planting drought-resistant crops, use of improved varieties, mixing improved and local varieties, mixing short and long duration varieties, and crop diversification) are enabling strategies (+1), which, despite their importance, may constrain (−1) the income of small-scale farmers, food security, and poverty reduction. The importance of other strategies (i.e., irrigation infrastructures) must be addressed for better yields and positive impacts. Hence, achieving SDGs 1 and 2 in the studied areas will require the integration of different adaptation strategies that complement each other, and not by promoting only some strategies as used or suggested before. For example, the emphasis on using improved varieties and crop diversification should be complemented by access to credit schemes, irrigation infrastructures, crop insurance, and extension services at the village level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-food companies play an economic, social, and environmental role. In Italy, the typical products protected by the European Union with the PDO and PGI marks are spread throughout the national territory, even in disadvantaged ones, and generate turnover, employment, and positive effects in related industries. These companies are often of medium or small size (SMEs) and are financially constrained. The research applies the assessment of financial sustainability to the balance sheet statement (BSS), financial ratios (FRs), interest coverage ratios (ICRs), duration of the cash conversion cycle (CCC), and net working capital (NWC) data. It shows that companies in the sector have high capital intensity in both the fixed asset (FA) and NWC cycles. Profitability is largely eroded by the cost of debt (COD). Financial sustainability is calculated through the following: (1) the duration of the cash conversion cycle (CCC), broken down into the cycle lengths of inventory, receivables, and payables; (2) the calculation of the income and financial margins generated by the management and their correlation; (3) the calculation of financial ratios (FRs) and the verification of financial leverage (ROA > ROD); (4) the calculation of income and financial interest coverage ratios (ICRs) and tests on the significant differences between them. The application of ICRs with the financial methodology applied in the research makes it possible to (1) improve the assessment of financial sustainability and reduce the related risk and (2) reduce the information asymmetry between the company and the bank, facilitating access to credit. The duration of the CCC is negatively correlated to profitability (ROE), while size and economic performance are positively correlated. The ICRs (interest coverage ratio) calculated with the financial approach are statistically different from the ones calculated with the economic one. The application of the result is relevant to industry operators and for future research. The research is replicable; the results can be tested on other sectors of the agri-food sector and disseminated to operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While technological innovation and financial development are broadly credited as important drivers of economic growth of developed nations, their impact on inequality (especially in emerging economies) remains understudied. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the impact of technological innovation and financial development on income inequality in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries using panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS) and panel fully modified ordinary least squares (PFMOLS) with annual data sourced from the Standardized World Income Inequality Database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (1990–2017). The results suggest that technological innovation increases income inequality in the BRICS nations, while financial development has an income reducing effect on inequality. Our results are robust, using alternative estimation with various sub-indicators of financial development (such as financial markets and financial institution), including other measures proxied by access to credit provided by commercial banks. The study's results have important implications for policy and practice in the BRICS countries. By providing a nuanced understanding of the relationship between technological innovation, financial development and inequality, the study will inform the design and implementation of policies aimed at reducing inequality and promoting inclusive growth in these emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a sector that is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change while contributing to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere. Therefore, applying Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices (referee hereafter as CSA technologies) that can sustainably boost productivity, improve resilience, and lower GHG emissions are crucial for a climate resilient agriculture. This study sought to identify the CSA technologies used by farmers and assess adoption levels and factors that influence them. A cross-sectional survey was carried out gather information from 384 smallholder farmers in the Great Rift Valley (GRV) of Ethiopia. Data were analyzed using percentage, chi-square test, t test, and the multivariate probit model. Results showed that crop diversification, agroforestry, and integrated soil fertility management were the most widely practiced technologies. The results of the chi-square and t tests showed that there are differences and significant and positive connections between adopters and non-adopters based on various attributes. The chi-square and t test results confirmed that households who were older and who had higher incomes, greater credit access, climate information access, better training, better education, larger farms, higher incomes, and more frequent interactions with extension specialists had positive and significant associations with CSA technology adopters. The model result showed that age, sex, and education of the head; farmland size; livestock ownership; income; access to credit; access to climate information; training; and extension contact influenced the adoption of CSA technologies. Therefore, considering barriers to the adoption of CSA technologies, in policy and action is anticipated to support smallholder farmers in adapting to climate change while lowering GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify the attributes of storage structures sought by maize producers based on a choice experiment. The experimental processes took place in the maize production areas of northern and central Benin. The sample consisted of 365 maize farmers (80.55% male and 19.45% female) randomly selected from 40 villages. Data were collected and analyzed using a latent class logit model to study the heterogeneous preferences of the key attributes of storage structures. The results show that men and women are eager to change their current practices and to adopt new storage technologies. The study identifies four potential producer segments, including three large-farmer segments that have access to credit and are particularly attracted to structures related to metal silos. Of those three segments, two are also attracted to improved traditional silos. Another segment of poor farmers, who do not have access to credit, prefer to have a very efficient structure (loss rate of less than 5%) that is designed with local materials. This study suggests that knowledge of the heterogeneity of preferences, as well as the preferred attributes, is important for the development and dissemination of better technologies by agribusiness firms, institutions and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato cultivars grown in Rwanda are very old, low yielding and not amenable to food processing. High yielding and late blight tolerant cultivars for this country should be evaluated at different agro-ecozones prior to releasing them to farmers, who are yet to be integrated into potato breeding. The objectives of this study were to assess farmers' preferred traits in potato cultivars and to gather knowledge from farmers about potato clones bred in Rwanda. Four respondents per village in 36 villages each for the districts of Musanze, Burera and Nyamagabe participated in the survey, whose questionnaire was about farm size, gender balance, land allocated to potatoes and other main crops, potato "seed" sourcing, potato production constraints and most important potato attributes. Potato was rated as the most important food and cash crop. 'Kirundo', 'Cruza', 'Mabondo' and 'Victoria' were the most popular cultivars. Among them, Mabondo' was the most resistant to the oomycete Phytophthora infestans causing late blight. Potato production in Rwanda is limited by lack of improved cultivars, high temperature, drought, acidic soil, pathogens, insects, weeds, inadequate storage of tubers as planting material, post-harvest technology, low market price of tubers at harvest, lack of access to credit, climate change, and gaps such as inadequate fertilizer and fungicide applications. The most important cultivar attributes were high tuber yield, host plant resistance and high specific gravity or dry matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) have empowered farmers to develop resources sustainably. They transfer traditional subsistence agriculture to diversify crops and develop a value chain. This paper aims to analyze local engagement by focusing on the degree of participation, factors influencing local engagement in ACs operations and the constraints of ACs operations to support communities. With a cohort of 421 farmer members in the Kampong Speu and Pursat provinces of Cambodia, household surveys were designed to consider how factors influence local engagement. It was discovered that: (i) local engagement in ACs operations is limited, and management of boards of directors is a critical constraint to motivating local involvement; (ii) local engagement in ACs operations is associated with access to water, benefits from ACs, participation in ACs activities, risk control and ACs management, and ACs operations do not promote access to agricultural inputs; and (iii) ACs operations have faced several constraints, including poor management, inadequate capital accumulation, unavailable loans, loan mismanagement, a lack of skills, high illiteracy levels, small share values, a lack of access to credit facilities, access to the competitive market and a lack of support from extension services. This empirical study, with implications from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), addresses a gap in the literature by exploring engagement in ACs operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although in recent years some credit institutions have shown a willingness to support agricultural entrepreneurs, there is still a lack of private financing or co-financing in the agricultural sector. Many farms, in fact, are not able to meet the indicators or to provide the fees required by banks to obtain investment loans. The financial instruments introduced by the European Commission within the Rural Development Programme aim at supporting access to credit for farms to make them more economically viable, competitive, and suited to market requirements. The objective of this paper is to analyze the role played by the financial instruments introduced by the European Union to support and encourage the improvement of farms and, in general, the agriculture, forestry, human capital, and rural development in Italy. The paper explores the topic in detail by presenting a case study of a region that has successfully applied these instruments using a revolving fund with a special background. The quantitative data used in this study are administrative; some information was obtained through a survey. Regional information on the implementation of this fund is examined in terms of both opportunities and limitations to highlight the best practice. The findings suggest that certain conditions are required to develop and implement effective financial instruments: a real and effective collaboration between regional administration, banking institutions, and farms that are willing to grasp the newness; a reasonable period of time (some years); know-how because knowledge and experience are crucial, together with the ability to face complexity both in terms of normative issues and financial engineering instruments themselves. Several implications derive from these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong link between water infrastructure and development outcomes. As such, water infrastructure challenges could have an adverse effect on the economy at large. This study investigates the drivers of water infrastructure performance and analyzes how investment in water infrastructure affects economic growth, focusing on a panel of thirty-one Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. An integrative theoretical framework using panel regressions was developed. The result showed that an increase in water infrastructure performance due to a 1% increase in per-capita income growth and trade openness was 0.2% and 0.03%, respectively, and the constraint on water infrastructure performance due to a 1% increase in population density was 0.76%. The result showed that the impact is mostly driven by the effect of per-capita income growth and population density on lower- and middle-income countries. Our results also revealed that one additional increase in water infrastructure investment leads to a higher impact on economic growth. We further complement our study by investigating the policy interventions that the support water infrastructure outcome effect. We found that investment in water infrastructure along with the provision of credit to the private sector is a strong driver of economic growth; however, access to credit beyond a certain threshold—relative to the level of investment in water infrastructure in these countries—investment in water infrastructure would lead to an adverse negative macroeconomic effect. The policy implications of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high production with limited resources is a major challenge faced by poultry farmers in countries with developing economies, such as Pakistan. Optimization of the technical efficiency (TE) of poultry business operations is a promising strategy. A representative sample of 210 poultry farms in the province of Punjab in Pakistan was analyzed for TE. The studied sample comprised 105 layer chicken farms (battery cage system, egg production) and 105 broiler chicken farms (environmental control shed system, meat production). A Cobb–Douglas stochastic frontier production analysis approach with the inefficiency effect model was used to simultaneously estimate TE levels and identify factors that influence efficiency. The results indicated that flock size, labor, feed, and water consumption are positively related to egg production, whereas vaccination was found to be insignificant. For broiler businesses, flock size, feed, and water consumption were positively related to the output, whereas labor and vaccination were found to be insignificant. The results of the TE inefficiency effect model revealed that farmer age, education, experience, access to credit, and access to extension services all had a significant and positive influence on the technical efficiency of both layer and broiler farmers. The estimated mean TE level of layer and broiler poultry farmers was 89% and 92%, respectively, evaluated against the benchmark of the identified frontier of efficient production with prevailing systems. The study concludes that it is possible to increase egg production by 11% and meat production by 8% by making more efficient use of the available resources and technology. To improve poultry farmers' efficiency, policy interventions should focus more on the pronounced effects of variables such as education, farmer experience, credit access, and extension services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hermetic bags are effective at curbing grain losses due to insect pests, but their use remains low due to unavailability among smallholder farmers. This study used primary data from actors within the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) supply chain network, mostly the private sector, in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, to understand the challenges and opportunities in improving the availability of hermetic bags in rural areas. It finds that supply-side distribution approaches played a critical role in improving PICS bag availability. Some of the supply-side constraints included poor inventory management, pricing, and limited access to capital. Inventory management can be improved through better forecasting using sales records and prediction of farmers' harvests. Improved access to credit during peak season can improve the timely supply and reduce stockouts. Marketing inefficiency appears to be fueled by a high-profit margin at the distributor level. Using all available distribution channels in addition to ag-input dealers will enhance the availability of the bags in rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private extreme flood adaptation measures are cost effective and environmentally friendly. The objective of this study is to explore the major adaptation strategies, the determinants of the decisions of households to flood adaptation, specific prophylactic measures, and the constraints of these adaptation measures. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select the 337 samples for the study. As the data analysis showed, farm households adopted moving to high elevation places, selling cattle, seasonal migration, flood tolerant rice, planting trees, and the construction of a dike as adaptation measures to flood. The binary logistic regression results from both the socioeconomic and protection motivation theory (PMT) showed that marital status, sex, family size, off-farm income, previous flood experience, access to credit, and the average number of extension visits had a statistically significant positive influence on the flood adaptation decision of households. On the other hand, age, educational attainment, farm size, and access to extension played a negative but statistically insignificant role in flood adaptation decision. The scientific novelty of the paper is that its results revealed that not only the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of households play a role in the decision-making reactions related to the flood, but also the psychological preparedness of the decision makers. The analysis also drew attention that, due to the mitigation of global influences, in the coming years, households can assume a much more decisive role in the process of local food supply. Therefore, in order to ensure safe supply, climate change-related measures and adaptation strategies must be defined very precisely. Dealing with this phenomenon must be part of social and business innovation as it can cause not only food supply problems but also various migration effects, which, in the short term, would result in the most serious damage to the social system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the factors that affect farmers' access to agricultural credit and its role in adopting improved agricultural technologies in the rain-fed zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Using logistic models, we assess and compare the relative role of farmers' socioeconomic attributes in their access to credit and adoption strategies. The results indicate a moderate positive association between farmers' access to agricultural credit and their adoption of improved agricultural technologies. The binary logit model's results indicate that farmers with a large-sized farm, high farm income, better access to information, and large physical asset ownership showed a positive influence on credit access. However, farming experience showed a negative effect on farmers' access to agricultural credit. Regarding farmers' credit sources, this study found that asset-rich farmers with more farming experience and better access to information relied more on banks than on input providers and informal credit sources. Similarly, older farmers with more education, larger farm sizes and high farm income were more likely to have borrowed from input providers than banks. We conclude that the role of the effective provision of information on credit and agricultural technology is imperative and requires separate policies that are specifically aimed at different groups of farmers with different socioeconomic and farm-related characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]