Academic article

This article aims to assess political and social outcomes of the formalisation and commercialisation of the seed sector, by comparing maize seed system development in Ethiopia, Malawi and Tanzania, combining policy analysis with quantitative analysis of farmers’ seed use. Climate-smart seed policies and seed system development strategies must be sensitive to differences between farming systems and different groups of farmers if they are to deliver socially fair outcomes. »

This paper begins a discussion on traceability in the pig value chain, with an initial focus on smallholder systems of Western Kenya. In the smallholder context, individual identification is proposed given that farmers may source pigs from different farms and will only keep a few at a time. Appropriate incentives would need to be explored to allow for widespread adoption of the intervention. »

This study estimates the extent to which land rental markets provide a pathway for youth to enter into agriculture, and how transaction costs may impede youth access to renting land. The article provides evidence that, while rental markets are important avenues for the acquisition of farmland by young farmers, the transaction costs faced by younger farmers attempting to access land rental markets appear to be higher than those faced by older farmers. »

This study explored food safety issues at each stage of the value chain to identify the economic questions, practical challenges, and knowledge gaps along the way. With regard to food standards there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and policymakers will need to consider the specific of the circumstances when working to make improvements along the value chain. »

This study aims to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to fruit and vegetable consumption among women of reproductive age living in rural communities in India. Women knew that fruit and vegetables were beneficial to health and expressed that they wanted to increase the intake of these foods for themselves and their children. »

This paper provides an insight on the opportunities provided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) in advancing food systems within the context of urbanisation. The paper focuses on the role that sustainable urbanisation can play in supporting food systems, especially as it relates to and the application of an integrated territorial approach and urban–rural linkages. »