Este estudio identifica factores que inciden en la adopción de tecnología e innovación productiva en la producción vitivinícola familiar ubicada en el Oasis Este de Mendoza. Se abordan realidades territoriales desde perspectivas cualitativas con productores entre 10 y 70 ha. Se indaga respecto de las visiones de nuevas tecnologías, como cambios organizacionales, de sistemas de conducción y de estrategias de diversificación para mejorar la actividad.
En este documento el Centro Regional INTA Mendoza- San Juan buscó reflexionar sobre sus prácticas, interpretar críticamente sucesos ocurridos y los factores facilitadores y obstaculizadores para el logro de los objetivos deseados, pero sobre todo poder rescatar las lecciones aprendidas de este proceso analítico como parte de las características de la sistematización de experiencias.
El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar, analizar y sintetizar las problemáticas que afectan la adopción innovaciones de riego en el Alto Valle del Río Negro y Neuquén y realizar un aporte a la gestión colectiva de la innovación. El riego como eje de investigación se fundamenta en que los actores consultados consideran que el estado y gestión del sistema de riego y drenaje y la eficiencia de los métodos de riego, son relevantes para el desarrollo y sustentabilidad de la actividad frutícola en la región.
Based on farmer and value chain actor interviews, this comparative study of five emerging dairy clusters elaborates on the upgrading of farming systems, value chains, and context shapes transformations from semi-subsistent to market-oriented dairy farming. The main results show unequal cluster upgrading along two intensification dimensions: dairy feeding system and cash cropping. Intensive dairy is competing with other high-value cash crop options that resource-endowed farmers specialize in, given conducive support service arrangements and context conditions.
Within agricultural innovation systems (AIS), various stakeholder groups inevitably interpret ‘innovation’ from their own vantage point of privilege and power. In rural developing areas where small-scale and subsistence farming systems support livelihoods, dominant policy actors often focus heavily on participatory modernization and commercialization initiatives to enhance productivity, access, and quality. However, existing social hierarchies may undermine the potential of such initiatives to promote inclusive and sustainable farmer-driven innovation.
Coffee production is the main economic activity for smallholder farmers in Rwanda; it is also a major export crop. However, Rwandan coffee production has been facing structural changes with a significant decline in production. Considering the importance of the coffee sector to rural livelihoods and its potential role in export earnings, there is a need to ensure that small-scale coffee farmers efficiently use scarce resources in their production activities.
The study first identified fully efficient farmers and then estimated technical efficiency of inefficient farmers, identifying their determinants by applying a Zero Inefficiency Stochastic Frontier Model (ZISFM) on a sample of 300 rice farmers from central-northern Thailand. Next, the study developed scenarios of potential production increase and resource conservation if technical inefficiency was eliminated. Results revealed that 13% of the sampled farmers were fully efficient, thereby justifying the use of our approach.
Swedish agricultural companies, especially small farms, are struggling to be profitable in difficult economic times. It is a challenge for Swedish farmers to compete with imported products on prices. The agricultural industry, however, supports the view that through business model innovation, farms can increase their competitive advantage. This paper identifies and describes some of the barriers Swedish small farms encounter when they consider business model innovation. A qualitative approach is used in the study. Agriculture business consultants were interviewed.
This study reviews the available literature on processed non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in order to comprehensively identify relevant factors enabling or constraining their potential to contribute to rural development. Background and Objectives: NTFPs, such as wild foods, medicinal plants, and raw materials for handicrafts, make significant contributions to rural livelihoods. NTFPs can help fulfil households’ subsistence and consumption needs, serve as a safety-net in times of crises, and provide cash income.
The Fiji Islands, like many small Pacific island nations, are thought to incur high rates of postharvest loss. Little work has been undertaken to quantify the amount of loss within Pacific horticultural value chains, or identify the key determinants. This study sought to quantify postharvest loss within Fijian smallholder tomato value chains and to examine the relative importance of current on-farm practices as possible contributors to this loss.