A Methodological Approach to Evaluate Livestock Innovations on Small-Scale Farms in Developing Countries

Abstract

Abstract:The aim of the study was deepening the knowledge of livestock innovations knowledge on small-scale farms in developing countries. First, we developed a methodology focused on identifying potential appropriate livestock innovations for smallholders and grouped them in innovation areas, defined as a set of well-organized practices with a business purpose. Finally, a process management program (PMP) was evaluated according to the livestock innovation level and viability of the small-scale farms. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of PMP on the economic viability of the farm. Information from 1650 small-scale livestock farms in Mexico was collected and the innovations were grouped in five innovation areas: A1. Management, A2. Feeding, A3. Genetic, A4. Reproduction and A5. Animal Health. The resulting innovation level in the system was low at 45.7% and heterogeneous among areas. This study shows the usefulness of the methodology described and confirms that implementing a PMP allows improving the viability an additional 21%, due to a better integration of processes, resulting in more efficient management.

Is the increase of scale in the tropics a pathway to smallholders? Dimension and ecological zone effect on the mixed crop-livestock farms

“…These results could indicate the need for deepening the knowledge of smallholders productive logic as their reason for being, their important role in satisfying the food supply and the desire for reducing the vulnerability of risk to poverty (Oosting et al, 2014;Torres et al, 2015). This way, García-Martínez et al (2016) indicate that only 15% of the DP smallholders present commercial objectives and Diaz- Rivera et al (2011) found only 8%.…”

“…The selection of variables was done through participative methodology proposed by and García-Martínez et al (2016). First, relevant variables were identified in the literature and second, final variables were selected by a group of 14 experts composed by researchers and livestock service providers.…”

“…In American tropic regions, it is located from Mexico (Hernández- Morales et al, 2013;Albarran-Portillo et al, 2015;Salas-Reyes et al, 2015) to northern Brazil (García-Martínez et al, 2016), including Venezuela (Urdaneta et al, 2013), Colombia (Cortés-Mora et al, 2014), Ecuador (Torres et al, 2015), Costa Rica and Peru (Bartl et al, 2009;Lentes et al, 2010). DP is a variation of smallholder mixed crop-livestock system with a part of grazing native pasture on communal lands, within a multifunctional livestock that produces both milk and meat (FAO, 2012;Herrero et al, 2013;Oosting et al, 2014).…”

Structural and Technological Characterization of Tropical Smallholder Farms of Dual-Purpose Cattle in Mexico

“…The technological level of the farms was evaluated according to the methodological approach used by [5,15,16]. The selection of innovations and its grouping into technological areas took place according to a qualitative, consensus, and participatory methodology described by [17]. Briefly, the methodology consists of two steps.…”

Future Intelligent Systems and Networks

“…The first article, A Methodological Approach to Evaluate Livestock Innovations on Small-Scale Farms in Developing Countries authored by Antón García-Martínez, José Rivas-Rangel, Jaime Rangel-Quintos, José Antonio Espinosa, Cecilio Barba and Carmen de-Pablos-Heredero [1], analyses the knowledge of livestock innovations on small-scale farms in developing countries and confirms that implementing an intelligent system improves the viability of farms by an additional 21%, due to a better integration of processes, resulting in more efficient management.…”