No abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Specialization and commercialization of agricultural production is seen as a key to lift small-scale farmers in developing countries out of poverty. While participation in high-value markets has been shown to be beneficial for farmers, especially the smallest and least endowed farmers are often excluded from these markets due to high transaction costs. In this context, marketing traditional food crops poses an important income alternative. The present study aims to contribute to the scarce literature on traditional food crops by analyzing the factors influencing (a) the households' decision to participate in the finger millet market and (b) the selling prices obtained by the household. A special focus of our analysis lies on the role of gender and collective action. Based on household data from 270 finger millet producers, a probit model on market participation and a linear regression model on the selling price are estimated. Results show that participation in a finger millet group positively influences the decision to market finger millet. While female household members who do not participate in a group are disadvantaged in terms of selling prices, there is no gender effect on selling prices if a female household member participates in a finger millet group. Terms of use: Documents in Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. 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. The present study aims to assess the factors that are influencing adoption decisions among finger millet farmers in Western Kenya. Based on cross-sectional household data from 270 farmers, we estimate 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 well known in maize production, they are less common in finger millet production. Results show that social networks as well as access to extension services play a crucial role 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. Terms of use: Documents in AbstractKey words : finger millet, Kenya, technology adoption, social networks 2

Increasingly globalized value chains and growing consumer awareness towards foodborne diseases have reinforced the importance of adequate food quality and safety management systems. A widely applied food safety management system is the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, which has become mandatory in many countries and is therefore of major relevance for food producers, processors and traders worldwide. However, mandatory HACCP implementation may act as a trade barrier for many developing and transition countries and pose particular difficulties for small food producers and processors. In this paper, we evaluate the current state of knowledge and implementation of HACCP-based management systems among small-scale honey producers in Brazil. The empirical analysis is based on original survey data collected from a random sample of 115 households involved in apiculture in the northeast of Brazil. In the interviews, beekeepers were asked about their knowledge of HACCP requirements and the implementation of these requirements. Based on a principal component analysis, we create knowledge and implementation indices and compare these indices to relevant household characteristics and honey production conditions. Both the knowledge of requirements and the implementation of these requirements are strongly linked to the households' connectedness along the value chain and their access to a suitable honey extraction facility. In order to enhance the competitiveness of the Brazilian small-scale honey sector, policy-makers should foster cooperation among producers and improve their connectedness to input and output markets. Furthermore, access to appropriate honey extraction facilities should be improved.

The help and support of many people in Kenya and Germany made this dissertation possible. First, I am grateful to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Meike Wollni for encouraging me to pursue a Ph.D. and for always giving me valuable feedback when I needed it. A number of other people from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at the University of Göttingen deserve my gratitude; Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim for co-supervising my dissertation, Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller for serving on the examination committee, and my colleagues and fellow doctoral students for their moral and professional support. In Kenya I received important support from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Nairobi as well as the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) in Kakamega. At ICRISAT, I would like to thank Dr. Alastair Orr for his valuable help and his interest in my research topic and Dr. Christin Schipmann for her great hospitality and her survival tips. At KARI, I am indebted to Dr. Chrispus Oduori for providing me with crucial information on the KARI extension activities. I am furthermore indebted to Richard Shikuku from Kote Mtaani Health and Environment Concerns (KOMHEC), who helped me to contact the village groups and to better understand the research setting. I would also like to thank Catherine Kinyanjui, Hope Wandera, and Laura Ouma for being very skilled and reliable enumerators. I am furthermore deeply thankful to the farmers who patiently answered all my questions and revealed a lot of personal information to complete strangers. Finally, my time in Kenya would not have been such an unforgettable and great experience without all the inspiring and amazing people that I met in Nairobi, in Kisumu, and in the villages of Western Province. A large part of my doctoral studies was funded by the Dorothea Schlözer Scholarship Program at