A scoping review of market links between value chain actors and small-scale producers in developing regions

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to end hunger, achieve food and nutrition security and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. This requires that small-scale producers be included in, and benefit from, the rapid growth and transformation under way in food systems. Small-scale producers interact with various actors when they link with markets, including product traders, logistics firms, processors and retailers. The literature has explored primarily how large firms interact with farmers through formal contracts and resource provision arrangements. Although important, contracts constitute a very small share of smallholder market interactions. There has been little exploration of whether non-contract interactions between small farmers and both small- and large-scale value chain actors have affected small farmers’ livelihoods. This scoping review covers 202 studies on that topic. We find that non-contract interactions, de facto mostly with small and medium enterprises, benefit small-scale producers via similar mechanisms that the literature has previously credited to large firms. Small and medium enterprises, not just large enterprises, address idiosyncratic market failures and asset shortfalls of small-scale producers by providing them, through informal arrangements, with complementary services such as input provision, credit, information and logistics. Providing these services directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 2 by improving farmer welfare through technology adoption and greater productivity.

Agri‐food sector and entrepreneurship during the COVID‐19 crisis: A systematic literature review and research agenda

“…Thirteen studies were collected under the AGRI3 category (Butu, Brumă, Tanasă, Rodino, et al, 2020; Ciruela‐Lorenzo et al, 2020; Cowie et al, 2020; Cristobal‐Fransi et al, 2020; Di Vaio et al, 2020; Fabeil, Pazim, & Langgat, 2020; Kumar et al, 2020; Liverpool‐Tasie et al, 2020; Lucaci & Nastase, 2020; Morris & Bowen, 2020; Quayson et al, 2020; Tasnim, 2020; Yadav, Luthra, Garg, et al, 2021).…”

“…A project that combines the Big Data Analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT), called “Transforming Africa's agriculture: eyes in the sky, smart techs on the ground” supports the use of drones for farming through the adoption of Precision Agriculture (Quayson et al, 2020). Finally, private‐sector platforms are being developed that operate as one‐stop shops for farmers to secure inputs, training, credit and a guaranteed market (Liverpool‐Tasie et al, 2020).…”

Do Digital Climate Services for Farmers Encourage Resilient Farming Practices? Pinpointing Gaps through the Responsible Research and Innovation Framework

“…Although many farming households have at least one mobile phone or smartphone, they rarely use services and applications that are specifically developed for disseminating agricultural information [37]. In the specific case of Southeast Asia, farmers frequent use of smartphones but limited use of apps [38] may reflect both a limited supply of apps and a limited demand for apps during the early stages of adoption [38] combined with informal arrangements [39]. During this transition phase, farmers prefer an amalgam of digital and non-digital, two-way communication, i.e., personal meetings, call centers, and social media [38].…”

Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

“…Recent studies comprised a strong correlation between the agricultural value chain and poverty alleviation [39][40][41]. While some studies have focused on participating farmers' organization in the form of cooperative [42][43][44], effective management of farms input [45][46][47], and improved storage facilities [48][49][50] might have a vital impact on maintaining productivity and eventually provide a better income opportunity for farmers. Farmer cooperatives have a long history in availing better negotiation power and play an important medium to enter improved market participation.…”