theoretical

Women Labour Utilization in Crop Production in Abia State, Nigeria   ABSTRACT The main aim of the study was to analyze women labour utilization in crop production in Abia State. The specific objectives included (i) identify specific farming operations that utilize women  labour in the study area; (ii) compare the relative contribution of women and men to total labour utilization in different levels of farm operation in the study area; (iii) identify factors that affect the participation of women in different levels of farm operations; (iv) determine the effect of women labour utilization on the value of farm output ; and (v) identify  and analyze the constraints facing women farmers in crop production in the study area. Using multi-stage sampling technique, the study area was zoned into three using the existing zoning arrangement...

Mechanisms and Pathways for Climate-sensitive Transformational Change of Smallholder Agriculture in Ghana ABSTRACT   Efforts to transform smallholder agriculture and improve productivity have yielded some positive results. Yet, smallholder productivity in Africa remains low relative to America, Asia, and elsewhere, threatening food security and livelihoods. A major reason is the slow pace of transformation in the agricultural production, research and development processes, and the effects of climate change impacts. This thesis examined smallholder transformational change processes using the Transtheoretical (Stages of Behaviour Change) theory in a mixed-methods survey conducted in the Keta Anglo area, in the Coastal Savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana with over 400 smallholder vegetable farmers. The study found that over 91% of...

Risk Attitudes, Risk Management and Business Success of Micro and Small Informal Agribusiness Entrepreneurs in Ghana: the Case of Agri-food Processors ABSTRACT   Entrepreneurs operating micro and small informal firms including agribusinesses in Ghana face many risks which adversely affect the growth of their firms and subsequent business success. Although risk management is very critical to agriculture related firms, agricultural policies in Ghana have been designed without much consideration to this important aspect of firm management. The impending ‘one-district-one-factory’ policy of the current government for example would need to consider risk management of the firms that would be involved since risk management would influence managerial decisions. The success of the policy would partly be hinged on the ability of entrepreneurs...

Effect of Weather Risk on Assets and Labour Allocation Decisions Among Smallholder Farm Households in Developing Countries: Evidence From Burkina Faso ABSTRACT   Around the developing world, poverty remains an overwhelming rural issue. Rural dwellers rely heavily on agricultural activities and related assets as main source of livelihoods. They also have widely differing capacities to combine off-farm activities in their income generation process. However, diversification makes households better-off only if it implies increased investment in high return portfolios. An important concern is that high yielding investments are either high risk or exhibit severe entry barriers. In the absence of risk markets, liquidity constrained households may pursue low risk investments to self-insure against income volatility which may create poverty. This...