Ochieng' Justus World Vegetable Centre Horticultural farmers, especially vegetable producers are characterized by poor access to inputs such as credit and operate in unreliable inputs and outputs markets. Empirical evidence shows that contract farming can potentially solve these constraints. However, contract violation is evident among smallholder farmers in many developing countries. This study assessed the main drivers of recent transformations in A/Vs value chains including the emerging forms of and drivers of contract violation among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya. Results from analysis of data from a focused group discussion and key informant interviews showed that climate change and technology are among the key drivers.

Contract farming is an innovative institutional arrangement with potential benefits to the livelihoods of value chain actors. However, there are mixed results in the literature on the extent to which participation in contracts contributes to farm efficiency and optimal use of available technology. This study estimated and compared technical efficiency (TE) and technology gap ratios (TGRs) between contracted and non-contracted farmers of chili pepper and spider plants in rural areas of Kenya. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data from a multistage sample of 300 vegetable farmers. The stochastic frontier and two-limit Tobit models were applied to analyze TE and its determinants, respectively. Further, a metafrontier method was used to estimate TGRs. Results showed that, for both spider plant and chili, contract participants had higher mean TE with respect to the metafrontier (0.66 and 0.24) compared to non-participants (0.12 and 0.15), respectively. Based on the positive effect of contract farming on TE, this study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions that reduce the bottlenecks that hinder effective participation in contracts.

Malnutrition continues to be a major problem with negative implications on economic and human development in many parts of the world, including in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Strengthening promising underutilized crops that are nutrient dense, climate resilient, and locally adaptable is an instrumental approach to enhancing dietary diversity. Due to their nutritional and economic benefits, African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) have the potential to contribute to livelihoods and address challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. Despite their importance but due to their perishability, AIVs tend to suffer from high post-harvest losses (PHLs). Effective distribution systems along the value chain have the potential to reduce PHLs for AIVs. We therefore conducted a scoping review on transport systems and coordination in AIVs value chains in SSA. The objectives of this review were to summarize and analyze the focus of research in AIVs transport, to analyze the extent to which the literature synthesizes interactions of sub-components of the chains, and to identify knowledge gaps in AIVs transport literature. Based on the research foci, we categorize the reviewed articles into seven themes. Our analyses indicate that distance to agricultural market is a fundamental aspect of AIVs transportation, as it interacts with transport costs, market participation, produce quality, and profit efficiency. Results show that collective action is instrumental in the coordination of AIVs transportation and that it contributes to cost reduction. Following light exploration of determinants of choice of means of transport, we recommend further research in this area for improvement of transportation in AIVs value chains.

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