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1
McGinley, Susan. "Demonstration Project for Navajo Sheep Producers." College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622351.
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Kinzo, M. D. "Small producers and the state : Agriculture on the Amazon frontier." Thesis, University of Manchester, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.376572.
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Cagle, Michael Scott. "Identifying adopters of best management practices within Mississippi beef producers and the reasons for non-adoption." Thesis, Mississippi State University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3618196.
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The goal of the Mississippi State University Extension Service (MSU-ES) is to improve the quality of life for all Mississippians. One specific group that agricultural change agents work with at the county level is beef producers. Grazing lands have received much attention over the last few years regarding environmental concerns and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for beef cattle operations.
The adoption of these practices was voluntary during the time this study was conducted, however; adoption was highly encouraged by the MSU-ES and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). By knowing the level of adoption of BMPs that Mississippi beef producers have implemented, change agents can more effectively plan educational programming efforts for producers to better understand the importance of BMP adoption.
The purpose of this study was to describe the adopter categories of Mississippi beef producers as determined by Rogers (2003) adopter characteristics generalizations based on their (1) socioeconomic status, (2) personality values and communication behavior, and (3) opinions. It also examined the correlations between the adopter categories to predict the level of the three BMPs being studied.
The adopter categories were innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, and laggard. The three BMPs that were the focus of the study were rotation grazing, riparian buffers, and pasture renovation.
The results of the study indicated that Mississippi beef producers could be correctly identified in the adopter categories. By identifying the adopter categories of the Mississippi beef producers and then examining the correlations among the variables, prediction of BMP adoption of rotational grazing and riparian buffers was possible.
The relationships between MSU-ES agents and their programming efforts, as well as the relationships between NRCS district conservationist and their programs, were studied. Non-adoption, though not an adopter category, was also examined and the reasons for it were cited.
4
Torok, S. J., and M. W. Woolverton. "Spreadsheet Applications for Arizona Cotton Producers." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/204029.
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Ward, Lacey L. "Profitability of storage hedges for Kansas wheat producers." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19054.
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Master of ScienceAgricultural Economics
John A. Fox
Hard Red Winter Wheat is an extremely important part of the Kansas agricultural industry. In Kansas, this type of wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in mid-June. After harvest, producers have the option to either store or sell their wheat. If they decide to store, the wheat can be stored on-farm or in a commercial facility. Another storage decision is whether to store the wheat hedged or unhedged (speculative) storage. Hedging is a technique to limit the price risk associated with selling or buying commodities. This study compared hedged and speculative decisions for both on-farm and commercial storage scenarios for 108 locations geographically dispersed across Kansas. Wednesday prices were gathered for each location during the 10-year time period from 2004 to 2013. All monthly storage period possibilities from July to May were examined to determine the storage returns potential. All results are displayed as the profit or loss achieved compared to selling in June at harvest. Averages for Kansas were negative or slightly positive for all storage scenarios, but hedged returns showed much less variability in results compared to speculative returns. Regional differences showed that North Central Kansas displayed the highest level of basis improvement over the 10-year period followed by South Central Kansas. A regression analysis using nearby basis in June, harvest price, and futures contract spreads as independent variables and storage returns as a dependent variable showed emphasis on the futures spread having the biggest influence on storage profits.
6
Elliott, Matthew Stewart James Harvey S. "Are structural changes in the agri-food sector causing the instability of parochial ag-producers?" Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri--Columbia, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/6479.
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Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 17, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Harvey James Jr.. Includes bibliographical references.
7
Holz-Clause, Mary. "Value-added agriculture producers how they find, obtain, and validate knowledge inputs /." [Ames, Iowa : Iowa State University], 2009.
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8
Parker, Rebecca Hall. "Perceptions of agricultural producers as participants of domestic farm policy programs: implications for education." Texas A&M University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/1036.
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The purpose of this record of study was to examine the perceptions held by a
targeted "grassroots" society composed of agricultural producers regarding farm policy
goals, policy commodity components, and operational factors as potential barriers to
successful policy. The study also examined the relationship of the government defined and
"grassroots" perceived intended outcomes of current components to seek areas of needed
education or research.
A researcher developed questionnaire was used to collect the data from
members/producers of USDA, FSA county committees in Texas. The questionnaire
consisted of 37 questions divided into three sections: demographic and farm data; policy
perception data; and operational issues. Ultimately, there were a total of 761 surveys
returned from 175 FSA county committees of 206 (85%) representing farms and ranches
from 232 of 254 counties (91% of counties) in Texas. Descriptive statistics and one-way
ANOVA were used to examine the data.
Major findings, identified through descriptive analysis, were that the producer
respondents in the study were predominately male, between the ages of 36 - 65 years of
age and Caucasian. As a group, the producer respondents will be farming and ranching to
provide food and fiber for a population much more diverse than itself. The perception data
collected yielded that, while some general and important conclusions can be drawn from
the data, the different size/types of producers had different opinions, knowledge levels, and
therefore, educational needs. Overall, policy goals involving global orientation and the
supply and stabilization of farm income for producers were high targets for educational
needs by the respondents. Respondents also considered those policy tools providing
producer control or proprietary decision making as high areas of need for education.
Several operational issues noted educational needs such as individual handling of
landowner/tenant issues, administrative costs/changes, and changes in commodity
programs.
9
Ayer, H. W. "The 1989 Upland Cotton Program: How Profitable for Arizona Producers?" College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/204811.
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The profitability of full and "50/92" participation in the 1989 upland cotton program was estimated for representative farms in Maricopa, Pinal, LaPaz and Yuma counties. Special attention was given to the effect on profits of the reduction in permitted acreage, and to farm size and multiple-partner ownership. Full participation was more profitable than "50/92" or nonparticipation given the assumptions used here. The expected profitability of the crops used on 'free acres" in the large farm case -- alfalfa or pima cotton --has a major positive effect on program profitability. The possible use of upland base acres to produce pima cotton or durum wheat, given the current high prices of those crops, is also discussed.
10
Torok, S. J., and W. E. Beach. "A Comparison of Selected Cotton Hedges for Arizona Cotton Producers." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/219723.
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The 1985 and 1986 Cotton Reports have the same publication and P-Series numbers.Cotton options on futures began trading in the fall of 1984 offering Arizona cotton producers an alternative risk management tool. Advantages of hedging with cotton options include: limiting risk, preserving unlimited profit potential, providing increased marketing flexibility and greater liquidity. This study compared selected cotton option hedges utilizing mean net revenues and standard deviations. Also, computed premiums were calculated with a modified Black-Scholes option pricing model to identify a historical price volatility that consistently signaled favorable cotton option trades.
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Kramer, Brett Andrew. "Livestock demographics, management practices, and attitudinal orientations of native livestock producers on the Navajo Reservation." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278708.
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Livestock production characteristics on the Navajo Reservation were studied to quantify and characterize herd demographics, feeding practices, management practices, marketing practices, and attitudinal orientations of producers. A stratified random (by grazing Agency) sample of the population (n = 10,000) yielded 125 possible respondents from each Agency. Face to face interviews were conducted by Navajo district grazing committeemen in the fall of 1997 for a total of 257 completed surveys. Navajo livestock producers were subsistence-level producers, who battled low birthing rates, slightly elevated mortality rates, diminished resource capacity, and challenges to economical feeding regimes. Most Navajos believed that livestock were an important part of their family's financial well-being; the Reservation was overgrazed; and that Navajos should be allowed to fence their land over their neighbors' objections. Navajo livestock production can be improved through education and greater articulation of the resource base. More detailed data collection is warranted to provide greater insight into production characteristics.
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Harborth, Karl Walter. "Potential management opportunities for cow/calf producers to maximize profit." Diss., Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/203.
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Gonzalez-Diaz, F. "Improved forms of business collaboration for primary producers operating within the UK food supply chain." Thesis, Coventry University, 2009. http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/45dca1e3-2fe0-d6cd-3924-9b004fc17ca2/1.
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An intense trauma in the UK farming industry was caused by the foot-and-mouth disease. The Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food, chaired by Sir Donald Curry CBE, diagnosed that farming was detached from the other sectors of the economy and was “serving nobody well”. The final recommendations of this commission were focused on efficiency, adding value and diversification. Among the specific recommendations, there was an important emphasis on the need to increase collaboration and cooperation because it “is the best way for small farm business to get the benefits of being a large farm business” (Curry, 2002:34). UK experts in farmer collaboration such as, Parnell (1999a), and The Plunkett Foundation (1992) had previously made clear the need for bigger, better, more effective and efficient Farmer Controlled Businesses. English Farming and Food Partnerships (2004a), also, set the challenge to explore and evaluate new approaches to develop farmer controlled enterprises more imaginatively. Therefore, the main aim of this research was to identify new forms of collaboration between farmers, which might lead to gain greater scale and flexibility in farming operating in an increasingly global food chain. Using an inductive grounded theory approach comprising a series of Delphi iterative face to face interviews, three rounds of guided interviews were completed. These involved 55 experts in the field of business collaboration, selected using a purposive sampling approach. Interviewees included leading academics, government officials and advisors, senior managers and business proprietors of the most profitable and/or innovative UK-based collaborative ventures. The outcome of the research has been to develop three discreet but combinable models of collaboration. Each model requires different levels of commitment from its members and would suit different business situations. All the proposed models offer a business structure flexible enough to be easily adapted in response to changes in the market place, but they also offer the opportunity of combining into much bigger organisations with the potential to integrate small-scale businesses into networks of international companies. This research also reaffirms that the traditional cultural barriers and divisions between the different stages and participants of the food and farming industry were still present and hinder the development of a more competitive sector. Whilst there has been progress in the assimilation of the supply chain concept, most of the businesses involved did not see the other stages of the chain as their potential partners.
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Posthumus, Karen-Louise. "Personality traits and emotional intelligence as predictors of sustainable commercial agricultural producers in South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/10399.
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The dual agriculture sector in South Africa comprises both a well-developed commercial farming and a smaller scale communal component. It is however, the commercial sector that is relied upon for food security. The multi-dimensional and complex nature of agricultural production in South Africa demands that sustainable commercial farmers of the future need to demonstrate the ability to effectively handle a multitude of tasks, which may be a function of individual personality traits and emotional intelligence. In this paper, the contribution of individual differences in personality and emotional intelligence as drivers for sustainability of South African commercial agricultural producers was investigated for inclusion into a selection model defining the entry-level requirements (skills, knowledge and competencies) for this occupation. Despite several studies that reported on the personality traits of farmers on a global level, no reports are found on similar studies conducted within a South African context. The main objective of this study was to improve the sustainability of all commercial agricultural producers in South Africa by investigating the personality traits and emotional intelligence driving that sustainability. This study focused on the commercial farming sector in South Africa, which has a unique need to integrate emerging/new farmers into the modern agricultural value chain. This is in accordance with the objectives of the Land Reform Bill (South Africa, 2015) as set out in the government’s National Development Plan (South Africa, 2012). The population of the study comprised commercial agricultural producers throughout South Africa and the sample frame was the estimated 40 000 commercial agricultural producers from whom the sample was drawn. The sampling method employed was snowball sampling (non-probability sampling) with the sampling unit selected on a degree of personal judgement. Quantitative questionnaires were administered to 60 commercial farmers throughout South Africa. Quantitative data was analysed using the STATISTICA Version 10.0 (2011) computer software programme and results were presented in tabulated format. The empirical results revealed that amongst the independent variables investigated in this study, only two variables were significantly related to the successful implementation of sustainable farming; they are neuroticism and management of emotions. Emanating from the findings of this study, recommendations were made to respective role-players on how to manage and support these findings.
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Wilson, Kelly Robyn. "Do women reap the benefits? Exploring access and social exclusion among village chicken producers in Kenya." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1563200862443867.
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Starcher, Sharon L. "Sustainability Strategies for Value-Added Agricultural Producers in California's San Joaquin Valley." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3235.
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Economic and climate changes, combined with changing government regulations, are altering the strategic business model for small farm operators and necessitating their reliance on multiple income sources to maintain financial viability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies of 3 small farming businesses in California's San Joaquin Valley that successfully implemented value-added products which contributed to their financial sustainability. Data from semistructured interviews and relevant documents were analyzed through the lens of system theory, utilizing in vivo coding to identify patterns and themes. Three high-level themes emerged: knowledge, marketing, and networking. The theme of knowledge reflects the value of pre-existing and new knowledge. The theme of marketing reflects 3 key areas including differentiation of value-added products, customer experience, and the value of word of mouth and social media marketing. The networking theme reflects the value of professional and community networking and connecting with family and friends. The findings of this case study may have implications for positive social and economic change. Farmers who sustain their operations and remain financially viable contribute to the local economy, provide continuing knowledge of agricultural practices to future generations, and contribute to the stability of available food. Providing information on successful value-added strategies used by a group of small farm operators may assist other owners of small farms looking to add value-added products and increase farm income. Doing so could lead to increased employment and a stronger local tax base.
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Thacker, Gary W., Peter C. Ellsworth, Leon Moore, and Jack Combs. "Cotton Producers Working in Unison: The Multi-Component IPM Program in Marana, AZ." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/209636.
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Cotton growers in Pima County, Arizona are working together to implement a community-wide Integrated Pest Management program. Participation is voluntary; and is unanimous in at least some components of the program. The IPM program employs many control components aimed at the pink bollworm, the principle cotton insect pest in the area. Growers time the deployment of the control components to act in unison throughout the community. Insecticide applications in the area have trended downward since the program began in 1991, indicating that we are making progress toward our goal of reducing the reliance on pesticides.
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Lavergne, Christopher Bernard. "Factors determining the adoption or non-adoption of precision agriculture by producers across the cotton belt." Texas A&M University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3291.
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The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing cotton producer
adoption of Precision Agriculture in the cotton belt according to members of the
American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council.
The National Research CouncilÂs Board on Agriculture defines Precision
Agriculture (PA) as Âa management strategy that uses information technologies to bring
data from multiple sources to bear on decisions associated with crop production. For
the purpose of this study, Precision Agriculture technologies included yield monitors,
global positioning units, variable rate applicators, and similar components.
Many studies have found that adoption of Precision Agriculture can be profitable
for agricultural producers. However, the fact that Precision Agriculture is relatively new
and unproven hinders rapid adoption by agricultural producers. According to the
National Research Council Board of Agriculture widespread adoption relies on
economic gains outweighing the costs of the technology. This study attempted to find
the factors associated with adoption of these technologies in the cotton belt.
The sample population consisted of cotton producer representatives from the
leading cotton-producing states. A Delphi approach was utilized to establish a consensus
of cotton producer perceptions of the advantages of adopting Precision Agriculture
technologies. Advantages included more accurate farming (i.e., row spacing, reduced
overlap, and cultivation). Barriers to adoption were also documented, questioning
employee capability to operate equipment, learning curve, technology complexity, and
uncertain return on investment.
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Wilkus, Erin Lynn. "Seed exchange among common bean producers in Uganda| Examples of networks that stimulate adoption and market participation." Thesis, University of California, Davis, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10182833.
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Seed exchange networks represent the patterns and processes of seed movement in society, a fundamental component of crop production with major biological and social implications. These networks can furthermore explain patterns in household willingness to experiment with and adopt new and unusual varieties. This body of research focused on common bean (Phaseolus vulagris) seed exchange networks among household producers in western Uganda, where household producers represented over 70% of the population. Among these household producers, nearly all produced beans for either subsistence or commercial purposes and exchanged seeds through social networks.
This study provided evidence that regional- and community-level seed exchange networks contributed to unique patterns of seed adoption and adoption-related outcomes. Households with different regional- and community-level seed exchange networks had distinct seed management practices and seed security constraints. Adoption, in situ genetic diversity and evidence of landrace replacement varied across households that participated in different seed exchange networks. Finally, the impact of public sector breeding activities on adoption and household market participation also varied across households that participated in different seed exchange networks.
The study found a unique example among one community-level seed exchange network (Kakindo Sustainable Cooperative) of seed management practices that achieved both diversification and conservation of bean varieties and stimulated participation in local seed markets. The analysis suggests that a households' ability to simultaneously increase diversity of household seed stocks and conserve landraces was accomplished through a combination of conservative management of the more historically predominant Andean varieties and willingness to adopt and experiment with rare Mesoamerican varieties.
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Eakin, Hallie Catherine 1970. "Adapting to climatic variability in Tlaxcala, Mexico: Constraints and opportunities for small-scale maize producers." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278686.
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Through semi-structured interviews with Mexican climatologists and farmers and others in the agricultural sector in Tlaxcala, Mexico, this study explored how uncertainties posed by both variable climatic and changing political-economic conditions affect the vulnerability of small-scale maize producers. The objective of my research was to assess whether and how small-scale Tlaxcaltecan farmers could use long-lead forecasts to mitigate climatic uncertainty. The potential effectiveness of the climate forecasts was evaluated within the context of cultural, political, social and economic factors that influence the decision-making of smallholder farmers. This research determined that the vulnerability of small-scale producers in Tlaxcala is more a function of political-economic uncertainty than of physical circumstances. While farmers employ complex methods for anticipating climatic events based on religious beliefs and local knowledge, their ability to adapt is constrained by lack of resources. As a result, the success of the forecasts in mitigating small-farmer vulnerability will be limited.
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Sketch, Mary Elizabeth. "Human Dimensions of Habitat Conservation on Western Agricultural Lands: Engaging Producers in the Conservation Conversation." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/99335.
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Achieving long-term conservation gains through conservation incentive programs on agricultural lands requires a deep understanding of landowner needs and interests. However, social science research related to private lands conservation programs authorized by the United State farm bill lags behind biological research, limiting our knowledge about how to best design these programs to ensure they are effective. Given this need to better understand the human dimensions of habitat conservation on agricultural lands, we used two research projects to investigate landowner considerations related to land management decisions as well as how to effectively engage landowners in the conservation process. First, using two landowner-led workshops, we looked at what factors ranchers in the Intermountain West consider in deciding to continue or discontinue flood irrigation, an irrigation practice that sustains historically flooded wet meadows across the region. We also evaluated these landowner-led workshops as a form of participatory research. Our second project included three focus groups of landowners currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the largest private lands conservation program in the United States, and a survey of landowners with fields currently enrolled or no longer enrolled with expiration dates from 2011 to 2017. Our results highlight the role of agricultural landowners in habitat conservation and the complex social-ecological considerations that they face in making management decisions. Many landowners are interested in conservation programs that meet the context of their specific operation. Our findings suggest the need to better incorporate landowner needs into conservation program design and implementation that promote both operation and habitat sustainability.MS
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Boswell, Marsha. "Determining effective communication strategies for Kansas wheat producers to improve willingness to pay for services." Thesis, Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/810.
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Gomes, Raquel Silva, and Raquel Silva Gomes. "SOCIOECONOMIC, MANAGEMENT, AND INSTITUTIONAL DETERMINANTS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY: THE CASE OF SMALL PRODUCERS IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/621202.
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The Brazilian Government has invested heavily in irrigation projects for small
farmers in the semi -arid region of Northeast Brazil. Projects along the San Francisco
River have been particularly successful in developing important fruit and produce
production centers. Despite the many efforts by government agencies to improve the
production performance of small farmers in these projects, there prevails considerable
variability in the technical efficiency of producers.
The primary purpose of this thesis is to provide a better understanding of the
socioeconomic, management, and institutional factors influencing technical efficiency of
small producers in an irrigation perimeter in the Petrolina/Juazeiro region. Data were
collected from the national agricultural research agency and interviews with farmers and
agencies involved in the perimeter. The results of this study indicate that farmer
characteristics, such as education and the ownership of a commercial establishment, are
important factors influencing efficiency. Results also show that, in general, small farmers
in this study do not follow the management practices recommended by the agricultural
research agency and extension agents. The analysis in this study concludes by suggesting
that there are other factors besides basic farmer and farm characteristics that have
considerable influence on technical efficiency.
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Hammond, Katie L. "Coping with the Coffee Crisis: A Household Analysis of Coffee Producers' Response to the Coffee Crisis in Polo, Dominican Republic." Ohio : Ohio University, 2010. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1269003517.
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Mugittu, Vera Florida. "Influencing innovation structures and processes in agro-industries dominated by subsistence producers : an analysis of the rural poultry industry in Tanzania." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/33109.
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This thesis examines innovation structures and processes in rural poultry industry in Tanzania. In 2005, FAO categorised the rural poultry production system in Tanzania under the lowest sector IV with very minimal biosecurity measures and with no commercial orientation. By 2012, a DFID-funded Research into Use (RIU) programme transformed the industry to Sector III which represents a significant commercial orientation and relatively higher bio-security measures. This thesis explains how RIU achieved that. This analysis is presented from three perspectives. First, the path dependence framework is used to present the observed dominance of the traditional poultry production system as a 'lock-in'. The study makes it clear that before RIU, mental frames, resource allocations and how dominant powers behaved reinforced low innovation tendencies. Second, using the agricultural innovation system (AIS) framework and the concepts of 'organisational thinness' and 'fragmentation' (also from path dependency theory), it explains that by making rural producers feel self-sufficient in inputs and knowledge, practices in the traditional system disconnect producers from engaging with other actors. Third, the concepts of 'innovation broker' and of 'exogenous shock' are used to present RIU as an external force or facilitator which instigated a transformation process. RIU facilitated a large number of rural producers to produce for the market, and which was sufficient enough to create a significant demand for inputs and services. This demand triggered new investment and re-organisation in the supply chains. Then, RIU supported actors to solve capacity problems that emerged from the shock. RIU is therefore presented as a flexible 'innovation broker' who played different roles and allocated resources based on circumstances on the ground. The thesis makes several contributions. It presents a case of how a public action can promote innovation in industries dominated by subsistence producers by playing the role of an innovation broker to support a significant number of producers to change routines and interact with other actors. It also shows that rural growth can be achieved through linking rural enterprises with those in the urban instead of supporting rural actors in isolation. It basically makes it clear that African agriculture needs re-organization, so that technological changes can follow as a consequence.
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Silva, Vosnei da. "Cooperativo de crédito solidário? A atuação da CRESOL no contexto da chamada agricultura familiar." Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Parana, 2015. http://tede.unioeste.br:8080/tede/handle/tede/57.
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Previous issue date: 2015-05-12This paper aims to analyze and understand the cooperativism of the CRESOL Baser System credit, its historical development in time and space, its main characteristics, dynamics and trends, their role in agriculture and the importance for the small rural bourgeoisie. It starts with an overview of the historical cooperativism, the theoretical perspective of Marxist writers and general characteristics of the same in Brazil. Posteriorly, a characterization of brazilian agriculture, in order to understand the material structure on which develops this cooperativism credit. This understanding is essential herein because the attempted to emphasis on agricultural dynamics on the capitalist system as it is in this field and the constituents of CRESOL agriculture producers. Finally, it is emphasized the elements that we consider important of the cooperative, as internal structure, coverage areas, functions, relationships with State and financial markets, world's conception and policy, internal and external contradictions and some trends on its development. The intent, after understanding the interrelationship among this all, is to understand how to organize the known family farms agriculture in a branch of economics on the imperatives of capitalist dynamics, the chosen mechanism for this (solidarity cooperativism) and how this reflects a disruption perspective or not with this economic model.
Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar e compreender o cooperativismo de crédito do Sistema CRESOL Baser, seu desenvolvimento histórico, suas características centrais, dinâmica e tendências, seu papel na agropecuária e sua importância para a pequena burguesia rural. Partimos de um panorama geral sobre o histórico do cooperativismo na perspectiva teórica de autores marxistas e características gerais do mesmo no Brasil. Posteriormente destacamos algumas características da agricultura brasileira, de modo a compreender a estrutura material sobre a qual se desenvolve esse cooperativismo de crédito. Tal entendimento é fundamental, visto que procuramos enfatizar a dinâmica agrícola sob o sistema capitalista, pois é nesse terreno em que se encontram os agricultores constituintes da CRESOL. Por fim, salientamos os elementos que consideramos importantes da cooperativa, como estrutura interna, áreas de abrangência, funções, relações com o Estado e mercado financeiro, concepção de mundo e política, contradições internas e externas e algumas tendências para seu desenvolvimento. O que se pretende, após o entendimento da inter-relação entre esta totalidade, é perceber de que modo se organiza a chamada agricultura familiar num ramo da economia sob os imperativos da dinâmica capitalista, o mecanismo escolhido para isso (cooperativismo de crédito solidário) e como isso reflete numa perspectiva de ruptura ou não com tal modelo econômico.
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Kransell, Martin. "The Value of Data Regarding Traceable Attributes in a New Era of Agriculture : Bridging the Information Gap Between Consumers and Producers of Organic Meat." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för informatik (IK), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-35089.
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Purpose – This study aims to explore, and suggest solutions to, the gap between the supply of information from organic meat producers and the demand of information from consumers regarding traceable characteristics (attributes) of meat in a limited geographical area in order to maximize the utilization and value of collected data. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods research design is applied to collect both quantitative data from consumers and qualitative data from suppliers to produce empirical results of the supply and demand of information. A theoretical framework of organic food purchase intent is used for the quantitative study as well as the correlation between consumers’ perceived importance of attributes and their willingness-to-pay for meat. The results of the empirical studies are compared to each other in an effort to expose a possible gap using a gap analysis. Findings – Meat is shifting from a price based commodity to a product based on characteristics. This study reveals that there is now a gap between the information made available by organic meat producers and the demand of information from consumers that needs to be recognized in order to maximize the value of collected data. Information regarding environmental impact of raising and transporting the animals is not extensively collected. A substantial amount of data about attributes of perceived importance, such as safety and handling, animal welfare and medication or other treatments is collected but not extensively shared with consumers. Research limitations/implications – The small sample size in a unique area and the scope of the survey data does not provide a result that can be truly generalized. It is therefore suggested that future studies produce results from a larger sample that incorporates the perceived accessibility of important information for consumers. Practical implications – This contributes to the emerging literature of organic food production by comparing both the supply and the demand of information regarding attributes of meat. This information is valuable to organic meat producers and marketers as well as developers of agricultural systems and databases that should shift their focus to consumer oriented traceability systems. Originality/value – This study goes beyond the substantial body of literature regarding attributes of organic food and consumers preferences by comparing these factors to the available supply of information by meat producers and by suggesting solutions to bridge the gap between them. Keywords – Organic meat, Organic agriculture, e-Agriculture, Traceability, Traceability systems, Consumer oriented, Consumer behavior, Willingness-to-pay, Supply and demand, Information gap, Gap analysis, Business development, United States of America, Sense-making theory, Mixed methods Paper type – Research paper, Bachelor’s thesis
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Breiner, Sharon Jene'. "Perceptions and attitudes of cow-calf producers toward emerging technologies and policy issues in the beef cattle industry." Thesis, Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/521.
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Snider, Anna. "The role of small farmer cooperatives in the management of voluntary coffee certifications in Costa Rica." Thesis, Montpellier, SupAgro, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016NSAM0006/document.
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La certification volontaire offre aux consommateurs des informations détaillées sur le processus de production et/ou de fabrication des produits. Les organisations paysannes jouent un rôle important dans la gestion de certification et de l'accès des petits agriculteurs aux marchés certifiés. Les organisations de producteurs du Costa Rica ont historiquement joué un rôle important dans la participation des petits producteurs aux filières certifiées et leur motivation à accéder aux marchés certifiés. Les organisations paysannes jouent un rôle important dans la gestion de certification et de l'accès des petits agriculteurs aux marchés certifiés. Pour ces raisons, le Costa Rica offre un environnement intéressant pour étudier la façon dont les organisations de producteurs de café arrivent à gérer la certification de leurs membres.Cette recherche se concentre uniquement sur les coopératives et les consortiums de coopératives puisqu’elles sont importantes dans le processus de certification. Considérant le manque de connaissances sur le rôle des coopératives et de la certification volontaire du café, cette thèse traite les questions suivantes: Quel est le rôle des coopératives dans la gestion des certifications volontaires ? Quels sont les changements induits par la certification, au niveau des coopératives et des exploitations ?, Quels aspects sociaux uniques propres au Costa Rica influencent la gestion et l'efficacité de la certification?Les administrateurs de vingt des vingt-deux coopératives de café au Costa Rica ont été enquêtés. Quatre coopératives ont ensuite été sélectionnées pour les études de cas approfondies.Bien que les certifications soient souvent critiqués de ne pas provoquer d‘amélioration au niveau de l'exploitation en raison de la sélection des exploitations conformées uniquement, le facteur qui encourage les coopératives à choisir la certification individuelle est la structure des certifications, y compris la faible demande de café certifié, les incitations faible et variables des prix, les coûts élevés de l'audit et des exigences élevées en gestion et en formation. Au Costa Rica, la certification de café volontaire fournissent des avantages réels, bien que minimes aux coopératives ainsi qu’à leurs membres. Les coopératives prennent des décisions sur la gestion des certifications en fonction de leurs stratégies commerciales, du type de café qu'elles produisent et de leur dotation en capital social, cette qui se manifeste comme une solidarité de groupe ou une approche commerciale. La certification incite à une approche plus holistique de la production de café en nécessitant plus de formations et de services liés à la production durable. Elle encourage les coopératives à collaborer avec d'autres parties prenantes, en augmentant leur connectivité et leur capital social. Cela donne aux membres un accès à de nouvelles connaissances et services, ce qui peut potentiellement créer un cercle vertueux de production de capital social.La certification peut cependant encourager les coopératives à offrir des services supplémentaires ou des incitations financières à une partie de leurs membres seulement. Un niveau élevé de capital social est nécessaire au niveau administratif pour assurer une répartition équitable des avantages de la certification tout en offrant des incitations aux membres à poursuivre la certificationVoluntary certifications offer consumers information on the process in which products are produced. Farmers’ organizations play an important role in the management of certifications and in small-farmer access to certified markets. Costa Rican farmers’ organizations have a long history of participation in the certified value chain and in fomenting small farmers’ access to certified markets. Farmers’ organizations also make strategic decisions related to the organization’s participation in the certified value chain and how farmers are supported and incentivized to join.For these reasons Costa Rica provides an interesting milieu to study how farmers’ organizations manage certifications. Because of their importance in the certification process in Costa Rica, this research focuses on cooperatives and consortia of cooperatives. Considering the gap in knowledge regarding the role of cooperatives and voluntary coffee certifications, this thesis presents the following questions: What is the role of cooperatives in the management of voluntary coffee certifications?, What are the advantages and disadvantages of participation in voluntary certifications for cooperatives?, What changes do certifications induce at the cooperative and farm levels?, What social aspects in Costa Rica influence the management and effectiveness of certifications? Administrators from twenty of the twenty-two coffee cooperatives in Costa Rica were interviewed to obtain basic data on harvest size, membership and management and participation in certifications. Four cooperatives were selected for in-depth case studies.Certifications are often criticized for not eliciting widespread change at the farm level due to the selection of compliant farms, but it is the structure of the certifications, including low demand, weak and variable price incentives, high costs of auditing and high requirements for management and training, which incentivize cooperatives to choose individual certifications.In Costa Rica, voluntary coffee certifications promote small but real benefits to cooperatives and their members. Cooperatives make decisions about the management of certifications based on their business strategies, the type of coffee they produce and the social capital inherent in the cooperative, which is manifested as a group solidarity approach or a commercial approach.Certifications incite a more holistic approach to coffee production by requiring training and services related to sustainable production. Certifications encourage cooperatives to collaborate with other stakeholders, increasing their connectedness and organizational social capital. This gives members access to new knowledge and services and has the potential to create a virtuous cycle of the production of social capital.Certifications, however, may induce cooperatives to offer additional services or financial incentives to some members and not to others. A high level of social capital is needed at the administrative level to ensure an equitable distribution of the benefits of certifications while still offering members incentives to pursue certifications
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Tano, Assi Maxime. "Crise cacaoyère et stratégies des producteurs de la sous-préfécture de Meadji au sud-ouest ivoirien." Thesis, Toulouse 2, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012TOU20015/document.
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La crise cacaoyère de la fin de la décennie 1970 a profondément bouleversé les stratégies de survie des producteurs. Elle s’est manifestée par la rareté des facteurs de production (la terre et le travail), la diminution de la production et du revenu, la transformation du milieu écologique et la baisse de la pluviométrie. Pour faire face à l’ensemble de ces contraintes, les producteurs ont adopté diverses stratégies dont l’objectif était, soit de diversifier les sources de revenu, soit de réduire les charges familiales. Le résultat principal de cette recherche est d’avoir constaté que les stratégies les plus efficaces sont celles qui ont été modelées en tenant compte des rapports sociaux. Il s’agit des stratégies de diversification des revenus, de crédit, de mobilisation du facteur travail, le respect des règles du tutorat, etc. La diversification des revenus qui a reposé sur des valeurs de solidarité et d’entraide a constitué un élément important des stratégies de survie des producteurs parce qu’elles ont offert un filet de sécurité de premier plan dans un contexte de crise cacaoyèreThe cocoa crisis of the late 1970s greatly affected the survival strategies of producers. It manifests in the scarcity of production (land, labour), the decrease in production and revenue, the transformation of the ecological milieu and the decrease in rainfall. In order to overcome these constraints, producers have adopted various strategies that either aim at diversifying their sources of revenue or reduce family responsibilities. The main result of this study is the observation that, the most efficient of these strategies were those shaped while taking into consideration social relationships. They include strategies to diversify revenue, credit, mobilisation of the labour factor, the respect of guidance rules. The diversification of revenue which was based on solidarity and cooperation constitute an important element of the producers’ survival strategies because they have ensured an ineligible first degree security in cocoa crisis
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Soares, Nádia Bolzan. "ÁGUA E MULTIFUNCIONALIDADE DA AGRICULTURA: UMA ANÁLISE A PARTIR DOS ORIZICULTORES DE CACEQUI RS." Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 2008. http://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/8830.
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The multifunctional approach of the agriculture articulates genuinely with the premises institutionalized by the current National Politics of Water Resources, which both result of a logic that looks for to assist to the forts social appeals for the environmental protection
and for practices returned to the maintainable development. Before these events, this dissertation approaches as the segment of irrigate rice producers, one of the main users of water resources, they notices the new social demands on the rural, more specifically
the environmental. Also it approaches the potential that the adoptions of an economical instrument in the administration of the water tend to influence the users to seek maintainable forms of use of this resource, promoting changes attitudinal in their agricultural practices. The investigation universe was composed by twenty rice producer
with farms located in the municipality of Cacequi/RS, which it bases the larger part of its financial income based in the production of irrigated rice. As methodological contribution was used the qualitative approach tends as tools of collection of data through the use of questionnaires and the accomplishment of semi-structured interviews. The study showed that the majority of the rice producers consider the environmental function of the farmer as merely legal obligation. Also it is noticed that, case did not have a rigid legislation and, mainly, if it not intimately harnessed to the monetary logic, it had little change there would be in the posture of these people front to their professional practices
that they interfere negatively in the ambient. Although the majority of the irritant rice producers agree that the subject of the water deserves cares, in general, they disagree with the new juridical ordainment that it regulates the use of such a natural resource.
The interviewees rice producers evaluate the charge for the reception and use of the water as an instrument merely ornament and without practical efficacy. The great
difficulty of this segment of to perceive the agriculture for a logic multifunctional, that it goes besides the production of foods capable to contemplate other functions for the farmer and the agriculture in the contemporary world. The logic that is guiding these rice producers is still of the agriculture as mere cutting of the sectoral economy.A abordagem multifuncional da agricultura articula-se genuinamente com as premissas institucionalizadas pela atual Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos, sendo ambas resultado de uma lógica que busca atender aos fortes apelos sociais pela proteção ambiental e por práticas voltadas ao desenvolvimento sustentável. Frente a esta conjuntura, a presente dissertação aborda como o segmento de orizicultores irrigantes, um dos principais usuários de recursos hídricos, percebe as novas demandas sociais sobre o rural, mais especificamente a ambiental. Também busca analisar empiricamente o potencial que a adoção de um instrumento econômico na gestão das águas tem de influenciar os usuários a buscarem formas mais sustentáveis de uso deste recurso, promovendo mudanças atitudinais em suas práticas agrícolas. O universo de investigação foi composto por vinte orizicultores com lavouras situadas no município de Cacequi/RS, o qual baseia grande parte de sua receita financeira pautada na produção de arroz irrigado. Como aporte metodológico utilizou-se a abordagem qualitativa tendo como ferramentas de coleta de dados o uso de questionários e a realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. O estudo mostrou que a maior parte dos orizicultores trata a função ambiental do agricultor meramente como uma obrigatoriedade legal. Também se pôde perceber que, caso não houvesse uma rígida legislação e, principalmente, se esta não estivesse intimamente atrelada à lógica monetária, haveria pouca mudança na postura destes sujeitos frente às suas práticas profissionais que interferem negativamente no ambiente. Embora a maior parte dos orizicultores concorde que a questão da água merece cuidados, de modo geral, mostram-se inconformados com o novo ordenamento jurídico que regula o uso de tal recurso natural. Os orizicultores entrevistados avaliam a cobrança pela captação e uso da água como um instrumento meramente arrecadatório e sem eficácia prática. Transparece a grande dificuldade deste segmento de vislumbrar a agricultura por uma lógica multifuncional, que vá além da produção de alimentos, capaz de contemplar outros papéis para o agricultor e a agricultura no mundo contemporâneo. A lógica que está orientando estes orizicultores ainda é a da agricultura como mero recorte setorial da economia.
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Manciya, Sixolise. "The impact of the new co-operative act on employment and poverty reduction: a case study of sorghum producers in the Eastern Cape province." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001026.
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In general, traditional co-operatives suffer from free-rider, horizon, portfolio, control and influence problems that starve them of both equity and debt capital. Evidently, the factors which constrain agricultural development also inhibit co-operative development in the former homelands. These factors include socio-economic as well as political factors operating in the environment of the cooperatives. In addition to these external factors, co-operatives have several internal problems such as inefficient management and lack of understanding of the co-operative concept and principles. The New Cooperative Act No. 14 of 2005 was an attempt at addressing these fundamental problems. The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent towhich cooperatives organized on the basis of this new Act have performed and to ascertainwhether or not they have met the expectations of the policy makers. In order to address these issues a structured questionnaire was used to interview 100 farmers. Farmers were divided into two groups, one group consisting of fifty members and the other fifty non-members; all these farmers were randomly selected from Ndonga and Maqhashu in Lady frère. The study investigated and profiled the socio-economic situation of the communities of Ndonga and Maqhashu with particular emphasis on the employment and poverty situations, as well as the income earning opportunities in the communities. It also undertook a comparison of the members and non-members of the co-operatives in terms of their production results under the sorghum production programmes in the two communities.The data were analyzed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics which explain some measures of central tendency and dispersion as well as levels of significance. A t-test of independent samples was used to compare the means for the sorghum yields and revenues for non-members and members of the co-operative. Gross margin analysis was also used to determine the financial implications of cooperation for the smallholders. In addition, a multiple regression model and a discriminant function were fitted to determine the factors explaining the differences in performance of members and non-members of the cooperative society. The Gross Margin analysis shows that the cooperatives are operating at a loss, meaning they produce less with high production costs. However, the results also show that the Ndonga and Maqhashu sorghum co-operative did not benefit only its members but the whole community through significant job creation for the local population.
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Delaroche, Martin. "Policy change or values change? The evolution of the environmental behavior of large-scale soybean producers in Mato Grasso, Brazil." Thesis, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019USPCA038/document.
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La production de commodities continue de s’étendre dans le monde. Historiquement, ces aires de production ont créé des opportunités économiques mais ont également eu des implications sociales et environnementales discutables. En 40 ans, l'État du Mato Grosso est devenu le principal producteur de soja du Brésil, représentant un quart de la production brésilienne et de 9% de la production mondiale, une expansion fulgurante vivement critiquée pour avoir causé des taux élevés de déforestation. Cette production est le résultat de petits exploitants agricoles qui ont émigré du sud du Brésil dans les années 1970 pour devenir aujourd'hui des grands producteurs de soja. Bien que les politiques environnementales adoptées dans les années 2000 aient réduit la déforestation, l’interaction entre ces politiques, les conditions de marché, la technologie agricole et l’évolution des valeurs des producteurs n’est pas claire. Quels sont les éléments constitutifs du comportement environnemental de ces producteurs et comment expliquer son changement ? Afin d’examiner cette évolution, nous avons choisi une approche multi-méthodes fondée sur une enquête de terrain comprenant 104 entretiens semi-structurés avec des producteurs, ainsi que des données quantitatives (changement d’utilisation des sols et analyse statistique). Bien que ce changement de comportement soit en partie lié aux conditions de marché et aux politiques environnementales, nous démontrons que l’identité techno-culturelle et les valeurs pro-environnementales de ces producteurs ont contribué de manière significative à ce changement. Cette thèse contient des enseignements précieux pour comprendre les mécanismes complexes susceptibles de limiter l'impact environnemental des futures frontières agricolesCommodity production keeps expanding around the world. Past areas of commodity production have provided economic opportunities, but mixed social and environmental outcomes. In 40 years, Mato Grosso state has turned into the largest Brazilian soybean producer, representing a quarter of the country’s and 9% of the world’s production. Criticism of deforestation outcomes abounded. Much of that production was the result of smallholder farmers who migrated from southern Brazil in the 1970s and turned today into large-scale soybean producers. While environmental policies since the mid-2000s contributed to deforestation reduction in the region, the interplay between these policies, market conditions, technology and changing farmers’ values is unclear. What constitutes the environmental behavior of these producers and what explains that it evolves over time? To examine this evolution, I used a multi-methods approach based on extensive field research, 104 semi-structured interviews with producers, and quantitative data (land-use change and statistical analysis). Although the behavioral change of large-scale soybean producers has partly to do with market conditions and environmental policies, I demonstrate that their evolution in that regard is the result of a particular techno-cultural identity and pro-environmental values developed over time. This dissertation holds valuable lessons for understanding the complex mechanisms that could limit the environmental impact of future commodity frontiers
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Souza, Raquel Pereira de. "As transformações na cadeia produtiva do leite e a viabilidade da agricultura familiar : o caso do Sistema Coorlac (RS)." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/11921.
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A produção do leite sempre foi considerada uma atividade de grande importância para a agricultura familiar. Contudo, as transformações recentes na cadeia produtiva do leite têm levado a uma tendência de especialização nessa atividade colocando em risco a manutenção dos produtores de leite familiares na atividade. Porém, algumas experiências de organizações produtivas da agricultura familiar que trabalham com leite, têm conseguido se manter no mercado, mesmo tendo a sua volta um ambiente hostil. Uma dessas experiências é o sistema Coorlac, composto por 20 cooperativas e tendo cerca de 6000 produtores associados, sendo em sua grande maioria agricultores familiares. A Coorlac está presente em toda cadeia produtiva do leite, o que significa que atua desde a produção do leite, passando pelo processamento até a comercialização no varejo de seus produtos. Nesse contexto, a presente pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar como o sistema Coorlac tem viabilizado sua manutenção no setor lácteo, tendo em vista as transformações nas últimas duas décadas na cadeia produtiva do leite. Para tanto, a pesquisa busca identificar quais foram as principais transformações ocorridas no período analisado, investigar como essas mudanças se refletiram no Sistema Coorlac e investigar quais elementos próprios ao sistema Coorlac, de caráter econômico e social, contribuíram para a manutenção na atividade. A abordagem metodológica é o Estudo de Caso e os métodos utilizados são o quantitativo e o qualitativo. O método quantitativo é utilizado para analisar e descrever o ambiente setorial nacional e estadualmente (setor lácteo) diante das transformações que vêm ocorrendo no período, bem como, para analisar e descrever os aspectos sócio-econômicos do sistema Coorlac. A análise qualitativa é empregada para identificar e analisar os elementos que dão competitividade ao sistema Coorlac. Além disso, as análises tanto quantitativas como qualitativas são permeadas por descrições históricas visando contextualizar as informações. O referencial teórico que contribui para a discussão sobre os elementos que dão competitividade ao sistema Coorlac são três principais: as teorias que discutem as vantagens econômicas da agricultura familiar, o referencial teórico da sociologia econômica e as teorias que discutem as vantagens econômicas do cooperativismo. A análise das informações levantadas demonstra que a Coorlac tem tido sua viabilidade afetada, em geral negativamente, pelas mudanças que vem ocorrendo na cadeia produtiva do leite. Os resultados demonstram também, que parte de sua viabilidade é fruto de características sociais, econômicas e produtivas da agricultura familiar produtora de leite.Aponta que o cooperativismo também lhe fornece competitividade no mercado, principalmente através da isenção tributária e da fidelidade dos produtores.E que as parcerias que tem sido viabilizadas estão relacionadas ao fato da Coorlac ser um sistema cooperativo de origem sindical e da agricultura familiar.Milk production has always been considered as an activity of great importance to the family agriculture. Recent transformations in the milk productive chain have lead to a tendency of specialization in this activity putting the sustainability of the family milk producers at stake. Nevertheless, a few experiences of family agriculture milk productive organizations have managed to remain in the market, even under a hostile environment. One of these experiences is the Coorlac system, made up of 20 cooperative, and counting with approximately 6000 associated producers, in their vast majority family farmers. Coorlac is present in all milk productive chain, what means that it acts in all of the production steps: from the milk production, its processing up to its retail. In this context, this research aims to investigate how the Coorlac system made it possible for family farmers to maintain their participation in the milk business despite the transformations that have taken place in the milk productive chain in the last two decades. In order to do so, this research undertakes to identify which were the main transformations that took place in the period under analysis, how these changes have impacted the Coorlac System and which peculiar elements, of economic and social character, of the Coorlac System have contributed for the sustainability of the activity. The methodological approach adopted is the Case Study and the methods chosen are the quantitative and the qualitative. The quantitative method is used to analyze and describe the national and state milk sectors in view of the transformations occurred in the mentioned period, as well as to analyze and describe the social-economic aspects of the Coorlac system. The qualitative analysis will be employed to identify and analyze the elements which bring competitiveness to the Coorlac system. Furthermore, both the quantitative as well as the qualitative analysis will be permeated by historic descriptions seeking to contextualize the information. Three of the main theoretical referentials which contribute to the discussion on the elements which give competitiveness to the Coorlac system are the following: the theories which discuss the economic advantages of the family agriculture, the theoretical referential of the economic sociology and the theories which discuss the economical advantages of cooperativism. The analysis of the information gathered has shown that Coorlac has had its viability affected, in a negative way mostly, by the changes which have occurred in the milk productive chain. The results have also shown that part of its viability is the result of social, economical and productive characteristics of the milk productive family agriculture, also earning competitiveness from the cooperativism, specially through tax incentives and producers fidelity; partnerships are being enabled because of a cooperative system of union origin and family agriculture, what has also contributed to its competitiveness.
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Sowe, Amadou. "The marketing of horticultural produce from micro-scale producers in the Gambia." Thesis, University of Reading, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.288680.
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Oswald, Dustin J. "Economic analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s value-added producer grants program." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/7252.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Agricultural Economics
Michael A. Boland
The 2002 Farm Bill Rural Development Title created new programs to encourage the development of businesses designed to convert commodities to value-added products. This thesis identifies determinants of business development success for Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) recipients. Success is categorized in nine different stages of development:(1) creation of an idea, (2) formation of the idea into a written plan as a feasibility study, business plan, or marketing plan, (3) formation of an organizational structure for the idea, (4) the hiring of a manager or employees for the idea, (5) raise capital for the idea through equity drives, (7) creation of the idea into a product in a facility, (8) distribute and sell the product, (9) and whether the product was being sold in March of 2006. The data involves information on 621 grant recipients. Two econometric models are used to evaluate the data. The number of USDA Rural Business and Cooperative Employees, the value-added producer grant amount divided by the number of producers in the organization, the 2006 organizational sales divided by the number of producers in the respective organization, and the total production of the organization divided by the national production of the respective crop were significant variables. These four size variables had a negative impact on an organization being in steps one though eight, but a positive impact on being in step nine, which was the successful stage of business development. (such as dairy, flowers, fruit, nuts, specialty meats, wheat, and wine were positively associated with successful VAPG grant recipients. Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin had significantly greater odds of success in business development also.
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Faiçal, Bruno Squizato. "The Use of Computational Intelligence for Precision Spraying of Plant Protection Products." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/55/55134/tde-02032017-155603/.
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Protection management with the aid of plant protection products makes it possible to carry out pest control programs in agricultural environments and make them less hazardous for the cultivation of products on a large scale. However, when these programs are put into effect, only a small proportion of the sprayed products is really deposited on the target area while much of it is carried to neighboring regions. The scientific literature includes studies on the use of mathematical techniques to calculate the physical transformation and movement and provide a deposition estimate of the product. On the basis of this prediction, it is possible to configure a system which can allow the spraying to be carried out in normal weather conditions in the region for a satisfactory performance, although these conditions can undergo changes and make any statistical configuration unreliable. An alternative way of overcoming this problem, is to adapt the spray elements to the meteorological conditions while the protection management is being undertaken. However, the current techniques are operationally expensive in computational terms, which makes them unsuitable for situations where a short operational time is required. This thesis can be characterized as descriptive and seeks to allow deposition predictions to be made in a rapid and precise way. Thus it is hoped that the new approaches can enable the spray element to be adapted to the weather conditions while the protection management is being carried out. The study begins by attempting to reduce costs through a computational model of the environment that can speed up its execution. Subsequently, this computational model is used for predicting the rate of deposition as a fitness function in meta-heuristic algorithms and ensure that the mechanical behavior of the spray element can be adapted to the weather conditions while the management is put into effect. The results of this approach show that it can be adapted to environments with low variability. At the same time, it has a poor performance in environments with a high variability of weather conditions. A second approach is investigated and analyzed for this scenario, where the adaptation requires a reduced execution time. In this second approach, a trained machine learning technique is employed together with the results obtained from the first approach in different scenarios. These results show that this approach allows the spray element to be adapted in a way that is compatible with what was provided by the previous approach in less space of time.O manejo de proteção com uso de produtos fitofarmacêuticos possibilita o controle de pragas em ambientes agrícolas, tornando-o menos nocivo para o desenvolvimento da cultura e com produção em grande escala. Porém, apenas uma pequena parte do produto pulverizado realmente é depositado na área alvo enquanto a maior parte do produto sofre deriva para regiões vizinhas. A literatura científica possui trabalhos com o uso de técnicas matemáticas para calcular a transformação física e movimento para estimar a deposição do produto. Com base nessa predição é possível configurar o sistema de pulverização para realizar a pulverização sob uma condição meteorológica comum na região para um desempenho satisfatório, mas as condições meteorológicas podem sofrer alterações e tornar qualquer configuração estática ineficiente. Uma alternativa para esse problema é realizar a adaptação da atuação do elemento pulverizador às condições meteorológicas durante a execução do manejo de proteção. Contudo, as técnicas existentes são computacionalmente custosas para serem executadas, tornando-as inadequadas para situações em que é requerido baixo tempo de execução. Esta tese se concentra no contexto descrito com objetivo de permitir a predição da deposição de forma rápida e precisa. Assim, espera-se que as novas abordagens sejam capazes de possibilitar a adaptação do elemento pulverizador às condições meteorológicas durante a realização do manejo de proteção. Este trabalho inicia com o processo de redução do custo de execução de um modelo computacional do ambiente, tornando sua execução mais rápida. Posteriormente, utiliza-se este modelo computacional para predição da deposição como função Fitness em algoritmos de meta-heurística para adaptar o comportamento do elemento pulverizador às condições meteorológicas durante a realização do manejo. Os resultados desta abordagem demonstram que é possível utilizá-la para realizar a adaptação em ambientes com baixa variabilidade. Por outro lado, pode apresentar baixo desempenho em ambientes com alta variabilidade nas condições meteorológicas. Uma segunda abordagem é investigada e analisada para este cenário, onde o processo de adaptação requer um tempo de execução reduzido. Nesta segunda abordagem é utilizado uma técnica de Aprendizado de Máquina treinada com os resultados gerados pela primeira abordagem em diferentes cenários. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que essa abordagem possibilita realizar a adaptação do elemento pulverizador compatível com a proporcionada pela abordagem anterior em um menor espaço de tempo.
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Raudales, Banegas Rosa Emilia. "Studies In Biocontrol: Enumeration, Characterization, And Screening Of Rhizobacteria." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1218207906.
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Goldammer, Teddy J. 1951. "Estimating wastewater demand by agricultural producers." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/191918.
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The demand for wastewater effluent by Avra Valley and the Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District was evaluated. This was accomplished by the use of linear programming techniques. Evaluating the potential demand for wastewater effluent is important to the development of a water market in the Tucson Active Management Area. In Avra Valley there was no quantity of wastewater effluent demanded because of high conveyance costs. The Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District the annual quantity of wastewater effluent demanded was 11,385 acre-feet based on wastewater effluent supply of 18,600 acre-feet. The quantity of wastewater effluent demanded could have been greater had the quantity supplied been sufficient for all months. Relaxing the supply constraint for wastewater effluent the potential demand was 24,776 acre-feet. The nutrient constraints had the greatest influence on the demand for wastewater effluent. Relaxing the supply and nutrient constraints in favor of the blending ratios the quantity of wastewater effluent demanded was 34,480 acre-feet per year.
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Efunkoya, Adeola Adefunke. "Agricultural sector: the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the creation of an integrated agriculture sector in Nigeria." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2007. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_7046_1256021947.
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This research recommended ways in which Nigeria could unlock constraints to commercialization and investment in the Nigerian agricultural sector for sustained economic growth, enhanced food security, increased competitiveness of products in the domestic, regional and international markets, sustainable environmental management and poverty alleviation.
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Abdel, Karim Imad. "The impact of the Uruguay round agreement on agriculture on Sudan's agricultural trade /." Aachen : Shaker, 2002. http://www.gbv.de/dms/zbw/356661741.pdf.
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Kaase, Gregory Herman. "Quantifying the parameters of successful agricultural producers." Diss., Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3772.
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The primary purpose of the study was to quantify the parameters of successful agricultural producers. Through the use of the Financial and Risk Management (FARM) Assistance database, this study evaluated economic measures for row-crop producers, livestock producers and diversified producers (farms which can not be classified as primarily crop or livestock). The sample population for this study was agricultural producers (N=196) who had participated in the Texas Cooperative Extensions FARM Assistance program in the years 2002 to 2004. Financial performance was determined by several financial measures, such as net cash farm income, ending cash reserves, return on assets (ROA), equity growth and working capital. In addition, information gathered about the FARM Assistance clientele was used to examine the relationship between their demographic backgrounds and their financial success. SPSS was used to calculate frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and administer one-way analysis of variance and independent sample t-test. The major findings of the study showed that the average age of the FARM Assistance participants was 51 years old. A large number of the participants (41.90%) in the FARM Assistance program had a Bachelor of Science degree. This study also revealed that the mean net cash farm income for the 196 operations was $91,970 with a range from negative $152,990 to $822,610. Row crop producers had a statistically significant higher ProScore index, net cash farm income, and net cash farm income per acre than livestock farms. Producers who started as farm employees had a statistically significant higher ProScore index than producers who started on their own, partnered with a family member, or those who selected other. Finally, producers who had fulltime, off farm employment had a statistically significant lower ProScore index than those producers who had part-time employment or those who did not have an off farm job.
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Lee, Yang Bong. "Effect of water activity on headspace volatile compounds produced in whey protein concentrate and other spray dried dairy products during accelerated storage /." The Ohio State University, 1993. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487843688959376.
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Marker, John R. "Retirement planning practices and strategies for agricultural producers." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45054.
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This study examines the current retirement strategies of agricultural producers, determines farmers’ levels of investment and financial planning knowledge, and makes recommendations for the construction of a computer-based expert system to assist producers in developing retirement plans and strategies. The first two objectives are accomplished through the analysis of 336 self-administered and mailed surveys from producers in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington. The third objective is completed utilizing study results, information provided by individuals knowledgeable m personal finance, and literature dealing with personal financial management.
Seventy percent of the survey respondents invest in non-farm assets. Farmers who do not invest off the farm cite a desire to pay down debt, little or no funds available, tax savings, and liquidity as their leading reasons not to invest off the farm, while those who do invest off-farm list tax benefits and diversification as their leading motivators. Respondents began retirement saving early and one-third of them wanted to begin withdrawing from the farming operation by the age of 60.
Seventy-eight percent of the respondents with non-farm jobs invest in assets off the farm (p < .05). Producers with the highest levels of formal education are more likely to invest off the farm than the less educated producers (p < .005). Farmers with less formal education tend to delay investing for retirement until later in life (p < .001).Master of Science
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Gurung, Ananda Bahadur. "Impact of Agricultural Productivity Changes on Agricultural Exports." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2008. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29760.
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This study uses linear programming and econometric tools to determine the impact of agricultural productivity (technology) on agricultural exports. The study determines total factor productivity (TFP) using the Malmquist index method for a panel of 64 countries. Productivity impact on exports is determined by a two-stage estimation procedure. The results show agricultural productivity affects agricultural exports. This has important implications for developing countries. A 1 unit change in cumulative TFP increases agricultural output by .79% and a 1% increase in estimated agricultural output increases exports by .37%. Therefore, the total effect of technology on exports of primary and processed commodities is .29%. Developed countries generally have higher TFP rates, leading to higher export earnings; meanwhile, developing countries are not getting the benefits from agricultural exports because they have a relatively lower level of agricultural productivity. Investing in research and development for agriculture can improve technology, which, in turn, can Increase agricultural exports.
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Papageorgiou, Christos Panagiotis. "Process simulation of agricultural products." Thesis, Middlesex University, 2005. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/2664/.
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Simulation has been widely used many years ago by chemical engineers to represent several processes and operations, existing in industries of chemical engineering interest. Flow-sheeting calculations is a kind of simulation for preliminary evaluation of different processes. Flow-sheet itself is a key document for the evaluation, design and analysis of processing systems. It shows the processing units arrangement and the streams connecting them, the quantities and compositions at every point of the flow-sheet and the operating conditions (phase, temperature, pressure, enthalpy etc.). Manual flow-sheeting calculations are tedious and time consuming, especially for large and complex flow-sheets. Special computer programs, which simulate different processing units existing in industries, are widely used in order to carry out these calculations, which are necessary for processes design. The designer engineer is possible to use these programs in order to evaluate existing processing units, to take into consideration different alternative solutions and to find out the optimum and more economic operating conditions. The main object of the present work was the development of a new, user friendly, steady state simulation computer program, to perform mass and energy balance calculations in flow-sheets mainly for industries processing agricultural products, using the method of separate calculation subroutines (modules). This program works in Microsoft Windows environment. This work was a trial to solve a problem for the case of industries processing agricultural products where, the lack of sufficient and adequate physical properties data for almost all agricultural products – especially due to changes in compositions during processing – makes the whole problem more complicated and the necessity of computer aided calculation more imperative. So, it was necessary to develop a special data bank for the physical properties of several agricultural products and chemical compounds as well. The use of this data bank is based on a model, which considers that the majority of processed agricultural products exist either as soluble solids or insoluble solids in water, or in some cases as liquids, where no phase change takes place during processing. By this way, processes where there are changes in concentrations of soluble or suspended solids (such as evaporations, dilutions etc.), are calculated easily. A set of selected and combined mathematical models simulating many types of unit operations in plants processing agricultural products in actual production conditions were used. Also a special data bank for the physical properties of several agricultural products and chemical compounds as well was developed, collecting or calculating data from several handbooks. The selection and formulation of the appropriate mathematical models as well as the selection or calculation of the appropriate physical properties of several agricultural products and chemical compounds were mainly the results of documentary analysis. The computer program developed using these models, was tested in actual production conditions. Most of them are cases existing in industries processing agricultural products. But also there are cases for other types of industries, which have been tested too. The obtained results in all cases are satisfactory, and they are in agreement with figures existing in actual plants or described in many references. Program presentation is mainly concentrated in its organization, the required input data, the used techniques and the obtained results in some test applications.
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Bergefurd, Brad R. "Assessing Extension Needs of Ohio’s Amish and Mennonite Produce Auction Farmers." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1313512162.
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Simner, Janni. "Shocking Plants Produces Useful Chemicals." College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622090.
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Grant, Cerkia. "Geographical indications and agricultural products investigating their relevance in a South African context /." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02122007-173415.
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McMahon, J. A. "European trade policy in agricultural products." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.383072.
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