The health sector has attracted significant foreign aid; however, evidence on the effectiveness of this support is mixed. This paper combines household panel data with geographically referenced subnational foreign aid data to investigate the contribution of health aid to health outcomes in Uganda. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that aid had a strong effect on reducing the productivity burden of disease indicated by days of productivity lost due to illness but was less effective in reducing disease prevalence. Consequently, health aid appeared to primarily quicken recovery times rather than prevent disease. In addition, we find that health aid was most beneficial to individuals who lived closest to aid projects. Apart from the impact of aid, we find that aid tended to not be targeted to localities with the worse socioeconomic conditions. Overall, the results highlight the importance of allocating aid close to subnational areas with greater need to enhance aid effectiveness.

PurposeEven though trust is known for improving supply chain performance (SCP), previous studies have overlooked the investigation of its dimensions. Limited studies exist on the variations of the influence of trust dimensions in agribusiness supply chain relationships. This study examined the influence of trust dimensions on SCP in a developing country's context.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study design was used to collect from 204 farmers and 192 traders (396 respondents) using a multistage sampling approach. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships.FindingsPooled sample results show that integrity and competence were the trust dimensions with significant effects on SCP, whereas competence was significant across different supply chains and markets, integrity and benevolence were only significant along fresh chains and in the contract market.Research limitations/implicationsThe extent of application of this study's findings is limited to situations similar to those of tomato and soybeans value chains in developing countries.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a better understanding of the influence of trust dimensions on SCP across supply chains in different market typologies in agribusiness relationships in a developing country's context.

The mediation effect of transaction cost attributes on the trust-supply chain performance relationships has remained largely under-explored. Particularly, little is known about the mediating role of information sharing, uncertainty and transaction frequency on the trust-supply chain performance relationships in the agri-food sector. Based on the transaction cost theory, this study used logistic regression to investigate the mediating role of transaction cost attributes on the trust-supply chain performance relationships. Data were collected from 396 agribusiness small and medium-sized enterprises, i.e., farmers (n = 203) and traders (n = 193) in Northern Uganda. Analysis was performed using logistic regression in SPSS version 23 and Amos version 23. The results show that, while trust positively influences supply chain performance, information sharing is the only transaction cost attribute that mediates the relationship between trust and supply chain performance. Agribusiness managers, therefore, need to not only renew the effort of sharing accurate and timely information regarding the market's demand for specific volumes and quality of agricultural products and market trends and storage facilities but also utilize the information to become competitive and improve supply chain performance.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze trust perceptions between farmers and traders from a dyadic context in developing countries using mixed-method with a specific focus on fresh and dry commodities under contracted and non-contracted markets.Design/methodology/approachA mixed approach was employed. Cross-sectional data were collected from 202 farmers and 188 traders using questionnaires and an interview guide. The Mann–Whitney test was used to assess differences in trust perception. Differences in the excerpts were assessed through content analysis.FindingsResults show differences in perception of trust between farmers and traders on integrity, benevolence and competence in marketing fresh and dry commodities. No detectable differences in trust perception between contract and non-contract markets were observed.Research limitations/implicationsData are limited to Northern Uganda and were collected on trust perception. Besides, there is a scarcity of formal contracts and difficulty in having a matched dyad which could affect generalization.Originality/valueThis is the first study to analyze differences in trust perceptions using a mixed approach in a dyadic context between fresh and dry chains in different markets typologies in developing countries.