Meike Wollni

Is GlobalGAP Certification of Small-Scale Farmers Sustainable? Evidence from Thailand

Abstract This paper presents a panel data analysis of the impacts of donor-supported GlobalGAP certification on farmers’ net household incomes and estimates the factors influencing continued compliance with the standard after the withdrawal of donor support. Our results show that farmers certified in producer-managed groups derive significant benefits from certification. In contrast, producers organised in exporter-managed certification groups and smaller farmers in general do not experience comparable income increases. Regarding the determinants of continued compliance, we find that support from exporters and the scale of the farming operation are the most important factors influencing the renewal of the GlobalGAP certificate.

Experimental Biodiversity Enrichment in Oil-Palm-Dominated Landscapes in Indonesia

Tropical biodiversity is threatened by the expansion of oil-palm plantations. Reduced-impact farming systems such as agroforests, have been proposed to increase biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In regions where oil-palm plantations already dominate the landscape, this increase can only be achieved through systematic ecological restoration. However, our knowledge about the underlying ecological and socio-economic processes, constraints, and trade-offs of ecological restoration in oil-palm landscapes is very limited. To bridge this gap, we established a long-term biodiversity enrichment experiment. We established experimental tree islands in a conventional oil-palm plantation and systematically varied plot size, tree diversity, and tree species composition. Here, we describe the rationale and the design of the experiment, the ecosystem variables (soil, topography, canopy openness) and biotic characteristics (associated vegetation, invertebrates, birds) of the experimental site prior to the establishment of the experiment, and initial experimental effects on the fauna. Already one year after establishment of the experiment, tree plantings had an overall positive effect on the bird and invertebrate communities at the plantation scale. The diversity and abundance of invertebrates was positively affected by the size of the tree islands. Based on these results, we expect a further increase of biodiversity and associated ecological functions in the future. The long-term interdisciplinary monitoring of ecosystem variables, flora, fauna, and socio-economic aspects will allow us to evaluate the suitability of tree islands as a restoration measure. Thereof, guidelines for ecologically improved and socio-economically viable restoration and management concepts could be developed.

Traditional Food Crop Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Gender Matter?

Abstract The present study aims to contribute to the scarce literature on traditional food crop marketing by analysing the factors influencing (a) the household’s decision to participate in the market and (b) the selling prices obtained by the household. Using an econometric approach, we analyse household data from 270 finger millet producers in western Kenya. A main focus of the study lies on the role of gender and farmer group participation. Results show that group membership increases the probability of market participation and is of particular importance for female farmers, who obtain higher selling prices when participating in a group.

Improved production systems for traditional food crops: the case of finger millet in western Kenya

Increasing agricultural productivity through the dissemination of improved cropping practices remains one of the biggest challenges of this century. A considerable amount of literature is dedicated to the adoption of improved cropping practices among smallholder farmers in developing countries. While most studies focus on cash crops or main staple crops, traditional food grains like finger millet have received little attention in the past decades. Traditional food grains have however an important potential to improve food security, reduce micronutrient deficiencies, and enhance smallholder adaptation to climate change. The present study aims to assess the factors that influence adoption decisions among finger millet farmers in western Kenya. Based on cross-sectional household data from 270 farmers, we estimated a multivariate probit model to compare the adoption decisions in finger millet and maize production. While improved practices such as the use of a modern variety or chemical fertilizer are relatively well adopted in maize production, they are less common in finger millet production. Social networks as well as access to extension services play crucial roles in the adoption of improved finger millet practices, while the same variables are of minor importance for the adoption of improved maize practices. A Cobb-Douglas production function shows a positive effect of modern varieties and chemical fertilizer on finger millet yields.

Social network effects on mobile money adoption in Uganda

Abstract This study analyses social network effects on the adoption of mobile money among rural households in Uganda. We estimate conditional logistic regressions controlling for correlated effects and other information sources. Results show that mobile money adoption is positively influenced by the size of the social network with which information is exchanged. We further find that this effect is particularly pronounced for non-poor households. Thus, while social networks represent an important target for policy-makers aiming to promote mobile money technology, the poorest households are likely to be excluded and require more tailored policy programmes and assistance.

Opportunistic Behaviour and Trust: Experimental Results from Broccoli Farmers in Ecuador

Linking smallholder farmers to high‐value markets through contract farming has become an important strategy to increase farm incomes in developing countries. However, various forms of opportunistic behaviour have been reported, threatening the sustainability of inclusive supply chains. When formal institutions are weak, informal codes of conduct like trust can be important complements to facilitate market transactions. We explore the effect of opportunistic behaviour on farmers’ trust, using a field‐framed trust experiment with prior signaling with small‐scale farmers in Ecuador. These farmers are linked to different types of markets, including high‐value export chains, and have been exposed to varying levels of opportunistic behaviour in the past. Our unique dataset allows us to control for self‐selection of game participants. We find that a positive signal triggers a positive response increasing trust, while a negative signal has no effect – possibly reflecting very low overall trust levels. In settings where market linkages have failed previously, ex‐ante credible positive signals could help to build trust and encourage small farmers’ participation in sustainable value chains.

Conservation versus Equity: Can Payments for Environmental Services Achieve Both?

Based on a framed field experiment, we investigate the trade-off between conservation and equity in the use of payments for environmental services (PES). We compare the effects of two PES schemes that implicitly incorporate different distributive justice principles: a flat-rate payment per biophysical unit conserved and a redistributive payment based on the Rawls maxi-min distributional principle. The main findings indicate that the introduction of a redistributive scheme can function as a multipurpose instrument. Under the assumed condition that participants with lower endowments face higher opportunity costs of conservation, it realigns the income distribution in favor of low-endowed participants without compromising conservation outcomes. (JEL Q15, Q57)