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Butana is one of the local dairy cattle breeds of Sudan commonly kept by smallholder producers. This breed has been strongly promoted to advance the dairy production sector in the country. The main problem, however, is the lack of a systematic breeding program that involves smallholder producers. The aim of the current study was to identify the most promising design for a breeding program to improve the milk yield performance of Butana cattle under smallholder production conditions. In total, 3 breeding scenarios, including (1) the use of farm bulls, (2) the use of village bulls, and (3) the rotational use of village bulls within village groups, were simulated using a stochastic simulation approach. For each breeding scenario, 3 selection methods for bulls were considered, namely random mating, phenotypic selection, and selection based on estimated breeding value (EBV). The results showed that no genetic gain was realized with random mating in all breeding scenarios. In the farm bull breeding scenario, annual genetic gain (standard deviation units) ranged from 0.01 to 0.19 (phenotypic selection) and from 0.01 to 0.39 (selection based on EBV). In the village bull breeding scenarios, the annual genetic gain ranged from 0.01 to 0.21 (phenotypic selection) and 0.01 to 0.45 (selection based on EBV). The lowest genetic gain was realized for the rotational use of village bulls among villages within groups. Through the rotational use of village bulls, however, a higher genetic variance was maintained than in the farm and village bull breeding scenarios. We concluded that a village bull breeding program with selection based on EBV of young bulls was the most promising breeding design for achieving the breeding goal. Further studies are needed to assess the organizational feasibility of such a breeding program to ensure the participation of smallholder producers and its sustainability.

The South African smallholder sector is characterised by relatively low productivity due to persistent deterioration in soil fertility owing to declining organic matter and other essential soil nutrients. Consequently, adoption of sustainable agricultural inputs like organic fertiliser is essential. Although there is sufficient advocacy in the adoption of organic fertiliser, the economic linkage between farmers' socioeconomic factors and willingness to pay (WTP) remains under-explored. This study investigated the determinants of WTP a price premium for organic fertiliser among smallholder potato farmers using primary data collected from 189 smallholder farmers in three municipal areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through a multi-stage sampling technique. The data was analysed using the ordered logit model and revealed that marital status, access to extension services, and knowledge of organic fertiliser usage, land ownership, livestock size and distance to the source of organic fertiliser influenced the farmers’ WTP for organic fertiliser. The study found that about 83.6% of the sampled smallholder farmers were willing to pay for organic fertiliser, while about 16.4% of them indicated that they were not willing to pay for organic fertiliser. This result justifies the prospect of commercialisation of organic fertiliser to facilitate the availability of organic fertiliser to those that are willing to pay for it. This study recommends improved access to extension services to enhance technical information dissemination and knowledge of organic fertiliser usage among smallholder farmers. Development of policies that strive to institute security of land tenure among smallholder farmers, which will encourage smallholder farmers WTP is also essential.

This dissertation results from a joint doctoral agreement between Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Kassel.

The current cross-sectional study aimed at characterising the productivity and diseases affecting dairy goats kept by smallholder farmers in three sub-counties in Thika Region, Kenya. Standard questionnaires were administered to 240 farmers through face-to-face interviews and the outputs were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The farmers mainly kept crosses of Toggenburg (45.9%), Kenyan Alpine (29.5%) and Saanen (17.4%) dairy goats. The average dairy goat flock size was 4.5 (range 1–23) and 77.5% of the goats were kept for production of milk for domestic consumption. The average milk production per goat per day was 1.26 litres (range 0.5 to 3.5 litres) and was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with sub-county of origin, main occupation of the owner, breed, and lactation stages. Goats were mainly fed on napier grass, maize stovers, natural grass and hay; and these feeds did not influence (p > 0.05) the milk production levels. The farmers identified helminthosis (84.6%), pneumonia (32.9%), coccidiosis (25.8%) and mastitis (25%), as the most prevalent goat diseases. In conclusion, the study showed that dairy goat farming in greater Thika Region was characterised by low-input with an objective of provision of milk for home consumption. The observed challenges of low milk productivity and diseases should be addressed by the local extension workers through training on improved husbandry, nutrition and health management of the dairy goats.

Seed quality plays an important role in the establishment of healthy crop stands. The aim of this study was to identify the mycoflora associated with maize grain collected over two growing seasons, one experiencing severe drought, from smallholder farms in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC). These are two adjacent provinces in South Africa with many maize-producing smallholder farmers. Asymptomatic maize ears were collected at harvest during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 maize growing seasons from farms located in Hlanganani (KZN), Ntabamhlophe (KZN), KwaNxamalala (KZN), Bizana (EC) and Tabankulu (EC). Maize grain was subjected to seed health tests using the agar plate method. The percentage incidence of fungal species isolated from maize grain was determined with species identities confirmed by ITS sequencing. Eleven fungal genera were identified with Fusarium species and Stenocarpella maydis the most prevalent. Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium graminearum and S. maydis were isolated from all sites in both seasons. No fungal species exhibited a higher incidence in the drought season across all sites. F. graminearum and S. maydis had higher incidences in the wetter season at four and three sites, respectively. F. verticillioides had a greater incidence at the EC sites, particularly the coastal Bizana site. We conclude that local factors that affect the inoculum levels of each species, such as land preparation, previous crop, amount of debris from previous season, fertilizer application, and the micro-environment at field scale had a greater impact than the drought season on the population structure of ear-rot pathogens. The widespread presence of fungi that are potentially mycotoxin-producing in asymptomatic maize grain poses health risks to consumers and is worthy of further investigation.

Rice (Oryza spp.) is one of the major staple foods in Benin. Benin has increased rice production through the expansion of cultivation area rather than increasing rice yields. To better understand the factors affecting rice yields, a thorough understanding of the current rice production system characteristics and constraints is required. The present study identifies socio-economic characteristics and farmers’ practices affecting rice yields and suggests improved cultivation practices in the sector. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, including socio-economic characteristics and rice cultivation practices from 230 randomly selected rice producers in North and Central Benin. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were used to group rice producers into different groups. Findings revealed that the proportion of rice producers having access to credit was low (33.5 %). Out of seventeen variables, only three (lowland rice cultivation, irrigated rice cultivation and total land cultivated area) discriminated best the rice producers in three (03) clusters with distinct characteristics in terms of socio-economics factors and cropping practices affecting rice yields. Most respondents (more than 70 %) did not practice crop rotation or fallow. This, together with low levels of chemical fertiliser applications and type of rice cultivation, explains poor rice production in particular in clusters 1 and 2. Yield enhancement is possible through the combination of lowland and irrigated cultivation performed by farmers in cluster 3 with the highest mean rice yield (3.8 t.ha-1). We suggest tackling the specific characteristics and needs of rice producers would more adequately help to improve rice yields. Interventions to enhance rice yields include training on best rice production practices, provision of input subsidies and access to irrigation tailored to the specific constraints and needs of each rice grower type. Finally, enabling access to credit will improve productivity of rice farmers in Benin.

In most studies on flood risk in Nigeria, priority is given to urban flood risk than rural flood risk. Smallholder farmers who mostly inhabit rural areas and flood plains are known to be at great risk of flooding, but to date, there have been no studies on the impacts they experience and how they cope with these impacts. To establish the existence of significant change in precipitation in the study area, statistical analysis of precipitation data was conducted using linear regression and non-parametric Mann Kendall test. Landsat satellite images for 1986, 2003 and 2016 were obtained from the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) website and used to collect and analyze data related to land use. To determine flood risk in the context of land use change, the HEC-HMS model version 3.5 was used. Land use maps corresponding to 1986, 2003, and 2016 LULC conditions were analysed and prepared for the calculation of CN values using Soil Conservation Service (SCS-CN) method. CN map was prepared by integrating the maps of hydrologic soil groups and land use in ArcGIS software. Based on selected morphological parameters, a flood risk map was developed for the study area. The morphologic flood risk showed that most parts of the basin face moderate flood risk. Higher runoff values were observed under 2016 LULC conditions mainly due to intense deforestation relative to those of 1986 and 2003. The results indicated that runoff and peak discharge are significantly affected by deforestation instead of changes in the rainfall pattern. Flood inundation maps of the study area were prepared for the flood events of 2012 and 2015. Maximum depth for the 2012 and 2015 flood events was calculated as 10.58m and 7.39m, respectively. The socioeconomic aspects of the research were conducted using household survey method. Using snowball sampling techniques, 400 flood-affected households were selected. The results show that the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers in the study area remains very low and hampered by several factors such as poverty and weakened social networks. The synopsis of the examined variables leads to the following conclusion: Instead of climatic factors – as one indicator of vulnerability – it is social inequality and poverty in the region as well as the structural economic differences between various groups that mainly drives vulnerability in the study area. In den meisten Studien zum Hochwasserrisiko in Nigeria erhält das städtische gegenüber dem ländlichen Hochwasserrisiko Priorität. Es ist bekannt, dass Kleinbauern, die meist in ländlichen Gebieten und Überschwemmungsgebieten leben, einem großen Hochwasserrisiko ausgesetzt sind. Bis heute gibt es jedoch keine Studien über die Auswirkungen und wie die Kleinbauern hiermit umgehen. Um das Vorhandensein signifikanter Änderungen des Niederschlags im Untersuchungsgebiet festzustellen, wurde eine statistische Analyse der Niederschlagsdaten mithilfe einer linearen Regression und eines nichtparametrischen Mann-Kendall-Tests durchgeführt. Landsat-Satellitenbilder für die Jahre 1986, 2003 und 2016 wurden von der Website der United States Geological Survey (USGS) bezogen und zum Sammeln sowie Analysieren von Daten bezüglich der Landnutzung verwendet. Zur Ermittlung des Hochwasserrisikos im Kontext der Landnutzungsänderung wurde das Modell HEC-HMS Version 3.5 verwendet. Landnutzungskarten, die den LULC-Bedingungen von 1986, 2003 und 2016 entsprechen, wurden analysiert und für die Berechnung der CN-Werte mit der Methode des Soil Conservation Service (SCS-CN) vorbereitet. Die CN-Karte wurde durch Integration der Karten der hydrologischen Bodengruppen und der Landnutzung in der ArcGIS-Software erstellt. Basierend auf ausgewählten morphologischen Parametern wurde eine Karte mit dem Hochwasserrisiko für das Untersuchungsgebiet entwickelt. Das morphologische Hochwasserrisiko zeigte, dass die meisten Teile des Einzugsgebietes einem moderaten Hochwasserrisiko ausgesetzt sind. Unter den LULC-Bedingungen von 2016 wurden höhere Abflusswerte beobachtet, die hauptsächlich auf die intensive Abholzung im Vergleich zu denen von 1986 und 2003 zurückzuführen sind. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Abflussmenge sowie höchster Abfluss signifikant von der Abholzung beeinflusst werden und nicht von Veränderungen im Niederschlagsmuster. Überschwemmungskarten des Untersuchungsgebiets wurden für die Hochwasserereignisse von 2012 und 2015 erstellt. Die maximale Tiefe für die Hochwasserereignisse 2012 und 2015 wurde mit 10,58m bzw. 7,39m berechnet. Die sozioökonomischen Aspekte der Untersuchung wurden mit der Methode der Haushaltsbefragung durchgeführt. Mittels Schneeballverfahren wurden 400 von der Flut betroffene Haushalte ausgewählt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Anpassungsfähigkeit der Kleinbauern im Untersuchungsgebiet nach wie vor sehr gering ist und durch verschiedene Faktoren wie Armut und geschwächte soziale Netzwerke erschwert wird. Die Zusammenfassung der untersuchten Variablen führt zu folgender Schlussfolgerung: Statt klimatischer Faktoren - als ein Indikator für Vulnerabilität - sind es die soziale Ungleichheit und Armut in der Region sowie die strukturellen wirtschaftlichen Unterschiede zwischen verschiedenen Gruppen, welche die Vulnerabilität im Untersuchungsgebiet hauptsächlich antreiben.

Feed scarcity is one of the major challenges affecting smallholder dairy production in Kenya. Forages are the foundation of livestock nutritional requirements; forage diversification and fertiliser are intensification options that can increase productivity. A sample of 316 and 313 smallholder farmers were surveyed in eastern midlands and central highlands of Kenya, respectively, to establish the types of forages cultivated and the factors that influence fertiliser adoption in Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus Schumach.) production. Independent t-tests were applied to compare the effect of continuous variables on social economic and institutional characteristics between adopters and non-adopters on fertiliser and area allocated to different forages. Chi-square tests were used to compare nominal variables for the proportion of farmers growing different forages, criteria they consider in selection of suitable forages, and social economic and institutional characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of fertiliser. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors that influence fertiliser adoption. The study revealed that forage diversification was low with Napier grass being the only forage cultivated by most farmers (~90%). Urochloa (Urochloa spp), Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth.) and Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus Jaq.) were cultivated by less than 11% of farmers. The fertiliser adoption rate was high (77%) and was influenced by gender of household head, membership of groups, access to extension services and labour. Future research should focus on promoting of forage diversification and investigate quantity and fertiliser application regimes in order to enable development of appropriate advisory services.

Nationallizenz, Gef��rdert im Rahmen eines Open-Access-Transformationsvertrags mit dem Verlag

This study seeks to assess gender inequality in and correlates of time poverty among 360 rural households in Southwest, Nigeria. A person is deemed to be time poor if (s)he works more than 10.5 hours per day, the internationally accepted threshold. Using the time allocation domain of the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, the study found that on the average, rural women and men spent about 10.3 hours and 8 hours, respectively, on work activities on a daily basis. Work activities for women were found to be diverse, spreading across reproductive and productive domains largely farming, own business e. g. trading, cooking and domestic work, while for men, work activities centred on productive economic activities, dominated by farming. Using a Probit regression model, the study found experience in agriculture and adoption of television to reduce the likelihood of time poverty among rural men. Surprisingly, participation in empowerment projects was found to increase the likelihood of time poverty among rural women. In conclusion, empowerment programmes should be expanded to address the non-material aspects of human well-being. Hence, the study recommends a gender-sensitive approach to intervention programmes in agriculture and adoption of a broader definition of empowerment which not only focus on expanding access to markets and increasing income but enhances control over time. This is more important for women who are already under the double burden of paid and unpaid domestic work.

Urban expansion creates potential for increased incomes among previously rural smallholders from sources other than traditional agriculture. Harnessing this potential, however, requires investments into agricultural upgrading or non-farm activities. The article addresses the question concerning to what extent these investments are realised in the peri-urban space of Bengaluru. Its answers are based on a review of the literature and extensive field surveys in two differentially developed districts assessing the smallholders’ economic situation in 2019 and as a recall in 2009. Our findings are that only a few smallholders were able to realise the peri-urban opportunities. Household income increased in real terms only by a little, especially from farming. Instead of a traditional farm to non-farm production linkage, surpluses from the non-farm sector were seen to meet the working capital needs of the farm sector. While physical access to formal financial institutions has significantly improved, formal borrowing is dominated by small-sized loans from registered self-help groups or traditional priority sector loans. Only a few households took up non-farm activities as many others failed to obtain sufficient credit and lacked knowledge about remunerative non-farm projects. Overall, rising outlays for education and health services leave little resources for any productive investments.

Smallholder farmers are the cornerstone of the livestock sector and an essential element in building and developing the local dairy value chain, critical for developing its local economy. In Georgia, and despite the efforts made since independence from the Soviet Union until now, farmers still face many problems that prevent them from participating effectively in developing the dairy value chain, especially heavy metal pollution that afflicts the study region. This research study refers to smallholder farmers’ viewpoints in the Kvemo Kartli region on the dairy production sector and the problems these farmers face. This study also investigates the effect of several factors (ethical factors, traditions, animal welfare, cultural factors, etc.) on the dairy value chain. The convergence model was used in the mixed-method approach’s triangular design as a methodology for this research study. As part of the social data, 140 farmers who produce and sell milk and cheese in the Kvemo Kartli region were interviewed. The results showed the influence of the ethical, cultural, and traditional factors in developing the value chain. The results also showed the problems and difficulties small farmers face in rural areas, on the one hand, and the gap between these farmers and governmental and private organisations on the other hand. These results are compared to those of a previous study, where interviews with experts in Georgia’s dairy production sector were performed.

This work was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the “Exceed – Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation” programme of the German Academic Exchange Services.

Pig farming plays an important role in farmers’ livelihoods in many tropical countries. It contributes to food security of the poorest as well as the development of rural economy through multiplier effects. In the South Kivu province, pig farms are almost exclusively owned by smallholders. A few studies have attempted to describe thoroughly pig farming systems in this province. This study was undertaken to characterise pig production systems, in order to better understand their current situation, namely constraints they face and opportunities they offer. Investigation was conducted based on a structured survey questionnaire and participatory interviews with the owners of 989 farms in South-Kivu. Collected data was analysed using Multiple Correspondence Analysis and clustering techniques. Results showed that there are two types of smallholder pig farms differing mainly in the type of husbandry and feeding management. One category includes farms that raise pigs in free-range system consuming forages and scavenge feed (heaps picked-up from garbage and trash on their ways), which are sometimes, combined with crop residues and kitchen leftovers. The second category includes improved pig farms raising tethered pigs or in lairage where feed is mostly based on forages combined with kitchen leftovers, crop residues and concentrate feed. Nevertheless, all these different farm types share many common characteristics, including having pigs of local breeds, small herd sizes, absence of breeding boars and absence of adequate prophylactic measures. It emerged that female farmers together with experienced farmers mainly own pig farms with better characteristics (breed type, management practices, litter size, etc.). Hence, the involvement of women in pig farming can offer better prospects for the improvement of this sector. In addition, access to agricultural credit can also be an alternative to foster investment in livestock in South Kivu. All this can only lead to better results though improved local market access to smallholder producers.

Community-based livestock breeding programmes (CBBPs) have emerged as a potential approach to implement sustainable livestock breeding in smallholder systems. In Malawi and Uganda, goat CBBPs were introduced to improve production and productivity of indigenous goats through selective breeding. Scaling up CBBPs have recently received support due to evidence-based results from current implementation and results of CBBPs implemented in other regions of the world. This paper explores strategies for scaling up goat CBBPs in Malawi and Uganda, and documents experiences and lessons learned during implementation of the programme. A number of stakeholders supporting goat-based interventions for improving smallholders’ livelihoods exists. This offers an opportunity for different actors to work together by pooling financial resources and technical expertise for establishment and sustainability of goat CBBPs. Scaling up strategies should be an integral part of the pilot design hence dissemination partners need to be engaged during the design and inception stages of the pilot CBBPs. Creation of self-sustaining CBBPs requires early collaborative programme planning, meaningful investment and long-term concerted and coordinated efforts by collaborating partners. Permanently established actors, like government agencies and research and training institutions, are better placed to coordinate such efforts. The overall goal of the scaling up programme should be creation of a financially sustainable system, in which smallholders are able, on their own, to transact and sustain operations of their local breeding institutions using locally generated revenue/ resources. Since CBBP scaling up is a ‘learning by doing process’, an effective monitoring and evaluation system should be an integral part of the process.

Land-use transitions can enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers but potential economic-ecological trade-offs remain poorly understood. Here, we present an interdisciplinary study of the environmental, social and economic consequences of land-use transitions in a tropical smallholder landscape on Sumatra, Indonesia. We find widespread biodiversity-profit trade-offs resulting from land-use transitions from forest and agroforestry systems to rubber and oil palm monocultures, for 26,894 aboveground and belowground species and whole-ecosystem multidiversity. Despite variation between ecosystem functions, profit gains come at the expense of ecosystem multifunctionality, indicating far-reaching ecosystem deterioration. We identify landscape compositions that can mitigate trade-offs under optimal land-use allocation but also show that intensive monocultures always lead to higher profits. These findings suggest that, to reduce losses in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, changes in economic incentive structures through well-designed policies are urgently needed., Identifying economic and ecological trade-offs of land-use transitions is important to ensure sustainability. Here, Grass et al. find biodiversity-profit trade-offs in tropical land-use transitions in Sumatra, and show that targeted landscape planning is needed to increase land-use efficiency while ensuring socio-ecological sustainability.

Die gedruckte Ausg. ist im Rainer Hampp Verlag, Augsburg, München (www.Hampp-Verlag.de) erschienen.

submitted by Durai Subramaniam, Selvaraj Literaturverzeichnis: Blatt 57-64 Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Master in Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead), Masterarbeit, 2019 Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Masterarbeit, 2019 (VLID)5028745

This thesis indicates that the application of non-conventional and/or slow-growing pig and chicken genotypes alone does not guarantee a superior and/or distinctive meat color and quality of the products. It appears that the valorization of monogastric meat products through niche marketing is critically dependent on matching the respective genotype with appropriate production methods, thus, for instance, highlighting the need for producers to be discerning in regard to the choice of slaughter age and feeding strategy. In the case that these premises are implemented, a distinguished positioning of meat products derived from local pig and chicken genetic resources can be realized, and, expanded by standards that also take the social and economic dimensions of food value chains into account, translated into a common pool resource as a basis for an alternative food network. Efforts should then be directed toward the elaboration of stable distribution channels and effective governance structures in the respective food network. Zusammenfassend deutet diese Arbeit darauf hin, dass der Einsatz nicht-konventioneller und/oder langsam wachsender Schweine- und Hühnergenotypen an sich keine erhöhte bzw. unterscheidbare Fleischfarbe sowie -qualität bedingt. Es scheint, dass die Inwertsetzung der Fleischprodukte von Monogastriern durch Nischenvermarktung wesentlich von der Kombination der jeweiligen Genotypen mit geeigneten Produktionsmethoden abhängt, wodurch die Bedeutung einer gezielten, passgenauen Wahl des Schlachtalters und der Fütterungsstrategie durch den Produzenten hervorgehoben wird. Diese spezifische Kombination einer lokalen tiergenetischen Ressource mit entsprechenden Produktionsstandards bildet so ein normatives Gefüge, welches die Stabilität eines alternativen Wertschöpfungsnetzwerkes gewährleisten kann. Der Fokus sollte dann auf die nicht minder bedeutsame Entwicklung nachhaltiger Vertriebswege und effektiver Unternehmensstrukturen des betreffenden Produktions- und Vermarktungsnetzwerkes gelegt werden.

Verfasserin: Anjoulie Brandner Zusammenfassung in englischer Sprache Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Univ., Masterarbeit, 2016

Petra Sieber Mit deutscher Zusammenfassung Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Univ., Masterarbeit, 2016

Joshua Zake Zsfassung in dt. Sprache Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Diss., 2015 OeBB

submitted by: Schabschneider Helmut Zsfassung in dt. Sprache Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Masterarb., 2014

Indiens Agro-Food Netzwerk hat sich seit der im Jahr 1991 offiziell einsetzenden Liberalisierungspolitik nur sehr langsam verändert. Erst die jüngsten Maßnahmen der Deregulierung und Liberalisierung − im Einzelhandelssektor und anderen bedeutenden Bereichen des Handels mit und der Verarbeitung von Nahrungsmitteln − haben diese Transformationen verstärkt. Ein bedeutender Teil der Veränderungen in Indiens Agro-Food Netzwerk spielt sich im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel ab. Seit etwa zehn Jahren hat der moderne Lebensmitteleinzelhandel im indischen Markt zunehmend Fuß gefasst und weitet seinen Anteil am Lebensmittelhandel stetig aus. Die vorliegende Arbeit setzt sich damit auseinander, was diese zunehmende Etablierung des modernen Lebensmitteleinzelhandels für die Bauern des Landes bedeutet und wie diese von den Transformationen profitieren können, indem sie in die Zulieferketten der im indischen Markt agierenden Einzelhandelsunternehmen integriert werden. Der Fokus bei der Betrachtung, wie eine solche Marktintegration von Kleinbauern gelingen kann, liegt auf sogenannten Producer Companies – einer Hybridform zwischen einer traditionellen Genossenschaft und einem privaten Unternehmen. Die Dissertation untersucht den aktuellen Status des Modells der Producer Companies und analysiert seinen bisherigen Erfolg. Die Analyse wird theoretisch eingebettet in die Debatte zu Collective Action. Die konkrete Analyse der Position von Producer Companies als ökonomische Akteure in neu entstehenden Handelsbeziehungen mit Unternehmen des modernen Lebensmitteleinzelhandels wird mit dem Ansatz der Global Value Chains durchgeführt. Producer Companies werden im Rahmen dieser Analyse als potentielle Zulieferer von Unternehmen des modernen Lebensmitteleinzelhandels in Indien konzeptionalisiert. Die Arbeit liegt als kumulative Dissertation vor und umfasst insgesamt drei Artikel. Der erste Artikel zeigt anhand eines Fallbeispiels, dass Producer Companies Kleinbauern und benachteiligten ländlichen Gemeinschaften helfen können, sich in einem neuen und anspruchsvolleren Marktumfeld zu positionieren und in Handelsbeziehungen zu großen Einzelhandelsunternehmen zu treten, indem sie wertsteigernde Prozesse durchführen und Skalenerträge bei der Vermarktung ihrer Produkte erwirtschaften. Das in diesem Artikel analysierte Fallbeispiel macht deutlich, dass Producer Companies darüber hinaus weitere positive Effekte auf ihre Mitglieder haben, indem diesen etwa der Zugang zu Krediten und vielfältigen Beratungsangeboten im Bereich der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion, aber auch der Gesundheit und Bildung ermöglicht wird. Es ist diese Gesamtheit an Funktionen, die zu einer Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen der beteiligten Familien beiträgt. Der zweite Artikel hebt anhand des indischen Baumwollsektors und einer Fallstudie aus dem südindischen Staat Karnataka bedeutende Schwierigkeiten hervor, die etliche Producer Companies derzeit haben und die einen breiteren Erfolg des Modells noch verhindern. Dieser Artikel zeigt auch, dass Producer Companies ein Instrument sein können, mit dem Kleinbauern ihre Abhängigkeit von Unternehmen der landwirtschaftlichen Inputindustrie verringern, ihre Markt-und Verhandlungsposition verbessern und die vom neoliberalen Rückzug des Staates hinterlassene Lücke der landwirtschaftlichen Beratungsdienstleistungen schließen können. Der dritte Artikel ist ein zusammenführender und konkludierender Artikel. Die Hauptaussage des Artikels ist, dass die Integration von Bauernorganisationen wie Producer Companies in die Zulieferbeziehungen des modernen Einzelhandels in Indien für beide Seiten durch die Minimierung von Transaktions- , Koordinationskosten und Risiken Vorteile hat, die relativ geringe Nachfrage seitens der abnehmenden Unternehmen jedoch derzeit der Hauptfaktor ist, der die Ausweitung einer solchen Kooperation blockiert. Um mehr Producer Companies zu professionellen und wirtschaftlich stabilen Unternehmen zu entwickeln, ist nicht zuletzt die Unterstützung von staatlicher Seite vonnöten. Producer Companies könnten sich in Zukunft zu Business Hubs in ländlichen Räumen entwickeln, von denen Unternehmen des modernen Lebensmitteleinzelhandels qualitativ hochwertige Nahrungsmittel einkaufen, und über die Bauern hochwertige Produktionsmittel von der landwirtschaftlichen Inputindustrie beziehen können., Since the official start of economic liberalization in 1991, transformations in India’s agro-food system were relatively slow. Only the more recent steps towards a further deregulation and liberalization, not only of the retail sector, but also of other sectors relevant to the trade with and the processing of food, and agriculture, have accelerated these transformations and here, the food retail sector plays an important role. Starting in the early 2000s, modern food retailers increasingly gained foothold in the Indian market and are since then expanding their share in the country’s food retail sales. The core question of this thesis is what the emergence of modern retail in India means for India’s farmers and how they can be able to profit from the developments in the retail sector through an integration into modern retailers’ supply chains. The focus of research on such market integration of smallholder farmers is on so-called Producer Companies which are a hybrid form between a traditional cooperative and a private company. Against this backdrop, this thesis analyses the success of the Producer Company model in integrating smallholder farmers into markets. The analysis is theoretically embedded into the collective action debate. The concrete analysis of Producer Companies as economic actors in emerging trade relations with modern retailers is conducted using the Global Value Chain framework. Within the frame of this analysis, Producer Companies are conceptualized as potential suppliers to the modern retail sector in India. The thesis consists of three manuscripts. The first article uses a case study to show that Producer Companies can help smallholder farmers and underprivileged rural communities to position themselves in a more demanding market environment and to establish trading relations to modern retail companies by conducting value adding processes and generate economies of scale in output marketing. The article also shows that, for Producer Companies, reducing the risk of marketing is sometimes more important than realizing the best possible price available in the market. Analyzing a very successful case study, the article stresses that Producer Companies carry out a series of functions for their members besides providing agricultural inputs, extension services and taking care of the marketing process, which lead to an increase of farmer capabilities. Additionally, Producer Companies can facilitate access to credit for their members, and to consulting services in the fields of health, education, hygiene and others. It is this sum of functions the Producer Company provides for its members that enhances the farmer families’ livelihoods. The second article shows that Producer Companies can be a tool for farmers to reduce their dependence on private companies in the area of input supplies, improve their market and bargaining position, and fill the gap left by the public sector’s withdrawal from agricultural extension services. Taking the cotton sector and a specific case study from the southern state of Karnataka as an example, this article focuses on the functions of a Producer Company as a farmer owned company in the areas of production and marketing. It also emphasizes and analyzes the challenges and problems that currently hamper a greater success of the Producer Company model in India. The third article brings together all major findings from the research and compares the Indian scenario to experiences from other countries, where cooperation between supermarket chains and farmer organizations already exists. The article’s main message is that the integration of farmer organizations, such as Producer Companies, into modern retailers’ supply chains brings advantages for both sides through a reduction of transaction and coordination costs as well as marketing risks. However, a relatively low demand from the modern retailers’ side is currently hampering the quantitative and qualitative expansion of such cooperation. Generally, modern retailers in India welcome the idea of working with a Producer Company as a supplier. However, due to a relative lack of positive examples of such cooperation, and due to the problems Producer Companies are still facing, well functioning trading relations between modern retailers and Producer Companies in India are still rare. To develop more Producer Companies into vibrant and smoothly running companies government support is required. In the future, economically stable Producer Companies might evolve into Business Hubs in rural areas from which modern retailers can source large quantities of quality produce and through which member farmers can get access to production inputs end technology.

eingereicht von Ulreich Agnes Zsfassung in dt. Sprache Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Masterarb., 2013

submitted by Marta Kluszczynska Zsfassung in dt. Sprache Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Masterarb., 2012

Christine Altenbuchner Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Masterarb., 2011