The impact of collaborative strategies on disaster risk reduction in Zimbabwe dairy supply chains in 2016

Abstract

Disasters are on the increase globally with accompanying devastating effects on dairy supply chains. The devastating effects, caused by disasters on economies in various countries such as United States of America, Japan, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe call for urgent sustainable mitigating measures in disaster risk reduction. These countries have experienced notable natural and man-made disasters in the past. The disasters negatively impacted the economies of both developed and developing countries, causing misery to people as hunger and poverty drastically increased. Zimbabwe’s dairy industry was not spared from these devastating effects as it was vulnerable to disasters such as droughts and cyclones. Disasters adversely affected supply chains in the country as evidenced by the closure of some dairy firms between the years 2000 and 2014. This article is set against the backdrop of declining output across all agricultural sectors in Zimbabwe, evident particularly in the dairy farming sector which has witnessed inadequate supply of raw milk and dairy products by local producers. The article assesses the impact of dairy organisations’ partnerships with government departments and non-governmental organisations in reducing disaster risks on the dairy supply chain cost efficiency. It also aims to show how partnerships can reduce disaster risks and weighs the benefits of reduced supply chain costs in improving the affordability of milk and milk products to the general public. The study employs a mixed-methods approach comprising structured questionnaires, administered to a sample of 92 respondents out of a randomly sampled population of 122 participants from dairy farming clusters across the country, with an 85% response rate. Key informants in the form of 18 dairy officers were purposively sampled for interviews throughout the dairy farming regions. The research findings will help government in the formulation of public policies for the dairy sector network in reducing disaster risks.

Perspectives on Reducing the National Milk Deficit and Accelerating the Transition to a Sustainable Dairy Value Chain in Zimbabwe

“…In addition, credit providers are reluctant to lend money to farmers who do not possess collateral (Chari and Ngcamu, 2019); their credit rates are high (up to 14%; Commercial Farmers Union, 2014) and more oriented toward short-term investments. Long-term investment projects, such as establishing improved forages or purchasing milking machines, cannot be readily financed under these conditions (Chari and Ngcamu, 2017b), discouraging farmers from technology adoption.…”

The effects of supply chain cooperation on humanitarian relief operations: A case of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe

“…Humanitarian supply chain involves a set of logistical activities carried out during disaster response operations with the aim of attaining coordinated logistics excellence (Herrmann 2007). It consists of a network of interaction between donors, governments, international and locally based agencies, suppliers and numerous other stakeholders that coordinate and oversee the flow of supplies, services and information for responding to beneficiary needs (Chari & Ngcamu 2017). These activities involve a task of transporting large volumes of supplies and materials that are essential during disaster relief response (Tatham & Pettit 2010).…”

“…This huge and complicated supply network of diverse actors includes donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government, military, the private sector, philanthropists, the community and suppliers who cooperate in delivering aid to the affected communities (Adem et al 2018). This study came as a result of an exponentially growing interest amongst authors (Chari & Ngcamu 2017;Mushanyuri & Ngcamu 2020;Wankmüller & Reiner 2020) to evaluate the effects of cooperation as an enabler to facilitate management of supply chain-related activities in the humanitarian sector. It is therefore in these researchers' interest to get a better insight into these disasters to evaluate the effects of humanitarian supply chain (HSC) cooperation on aid delivery performance variables, specifically in the context of Cyclone Idai humanitarian relief operations in Zimbabwe.…”

The effectiveness of humanitarian supply chain management in Zimbabwe

“…The present study explores the influence of culture, leadership attitudes, and the political, economic and legal framework on the effectiveness of the HSC in Zimbabwe against the background of the need for basic aid currently prevailing in the country. Some researchers have focussed their research studies by assessing the effects of dairy companies with government and NGOs in reducing disaster risks (Chari & Ngcamu 2017b), and the performance of dairy supply risks being affected by disaster risks (Chari & Ngcamu 2017a) in Zimbabwe. Other studies have either interrogated the impact of disaster risks on the economics of the seed cotton supply chain (Chari & Ngcamu 2019a) or focussed on the victims of Cyclone Dineo (Mhlanga, Musingili & Mpambela 2019).…”

“…Numerous researchers (Anseeuw et al 2012:46;Mzumara 2012:41) argue that the political instability in Zimbabwe was influenced by the land reform programme, which commenced in 2000. Recently published empirical studies (Chari & Ngcamu 2019a, 2019b, 2017a, 2017b) reveal a void in the literature as there are no research studies that have explored the influence of culture, leadership attitudes, and the political, economic and legal framework. Furthermore, there is a paucity of data dissecting the effectiveness of HSCs in developing countries such as Zimbabwe.…”