Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on financial returns of smallholder coffee plantations in Lao PDR.

Laos is among the top twenty coffee producing country in the world-producing about 39,000 tonnes per year-and most of its production is currently exported to over 26 countries, contributing about 1.1% of the total export value or US$64.3 million in 2019 to Laos' national economy. COVID-19 restrictions on trade and movement of people have largely impacted on coffee markets and production. As a strategic crop in Laos, it is supported by a range of policies and programs to generate greater benefits to both independent smallholder farmers and those involved in cooperatives, including support for agroforestry production models involving coffee and tree crops. However, studies of the profitability of different coffee agroforestry models are limited. This study compares financial returns from four most popular coffee agroforestry models in two coffee production provinces of Laos, before and during COVID-19 pandemic. The data were gathered from 20 farmers, five coffee traders and an integrated coffee processing company. These data were then triangulated with, and supplemented by, interviews with coffee exporters (n = 3) and key informants (n = 4). Financial indicators suggest that all four agroforestry models were profitable before COVID, but profits for cooperative growers were higher than for smallholders due to higher crop productivity and lower costs. Despite higher prices due to COVID restrictions, other factors reduced profitability of all four models and one smallholder model became unprofitable. The reasons for such differences and related policy implications are discussed.

Prevalence of noncommunicable disease risk factors among market traders in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable diseases have become a new public health priority in low-and middle-income countries where urbanization and lifestyle changes have approached what obtains in developed countries. AIM: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of noncommunicable disease risk factors among market traders in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. METHOD: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among adult market traders who were selected through a two-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from the WHO STEP-wise tool. Anthropometric measurements were taken along with blood pressure readings. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 3.5.4 and a value of P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 271 respondents were studied with a mean age of 36.2 ± 13.3 years. Prevalence of hypertension was 26.6% and diabetes mellitus 9.6%. Overweight and obesity were observed in 26.2% and 31.0% of the population, respectively while inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables was reported by 88.9% and 69.4% of respondents respectively. Current alcohol and cigarette use was 25.5% and 0.7% respectively while 245 (90.4%) respondents were sedentary. Current alcohol use, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake and obesity were associated with hypertension just as current alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle and consumption of carbonated drinks were associated with diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus and their associated risk factors was high among these market traders. Therefore, there is need for focused preventive interventions in this neglected group.

The effects of occupational pollutants on the reproductive health of female informal street traders in Warwick junction, Durban, South Africa - a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Informal street traders are exposed on a daily basis to traffic emissions and biomass fuel smoke containing a variety of pollutants. These exposures are likely to place the female traders at increased risk for adverse reproductive outcomes. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the reproductive outcomes among street traders exposed to pollutants from their work-related activities and traders without such exposure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 305 female traders selected from exposed and non-exposed areas within the Warwick Junction trading hub, located in Durban, South Africa. Validated reproductive questionnaires and clinical assessments were conducted on all participants. Adverse reproductive outcomes such as low birth weight, spontaneous abortions and infertility were assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the traders was 43.6 years (SD:12.1), mostly single (63%) and worked in trading hub for an average of 14 years. There were 876 pregnancies reported in the total sample. Traders pregnant while working in this location accounted for 120 pregnancies There was an increased risk of exposed traders having a low birth weight infant as compared to non-exposed traders (OR = 3.7; CI: 1.8, 7.6). Exposed traders were also almost 3 times more likely to be infertile as compared to non-exposed traders (OR = 2.6; CI: 1.6, 4.3). CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that female street traders working within a trading hub in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; exposed to occupational pollutants show an association with developing infertility and low birth weight infants. Recommendations to mitigate adverse exposures have been suggested which include short term safety interventions and better cooking practices and future long term policy interventions.

Assessing actors in rural markets of sheep and goats in the Nyando Basin of Western Kenya: a key to improving productivity from smallholder farms.

Livestock traders are a key conduit for incentives in livestock production systems. Their actions affect producer prices, investment decisions, and their livelihoods. However, smallholder farmers in rural communities of eastern Africa often have limited understanding of the marketing process and the interactions among market actors. This study was undertaken following the introduction of improved indigenous goat and sheep breeds in Climate Smart Villages of Nyando in western Kenya. We sought to understand the marketing of sheep and goats in five key rural markets used by the smallholder farmers of Nyando, to generate information on key market actors, their functions in the value chain, and their preferences for attributes in sheep and goats. Most traders (65%) in all the markets were men. Four different types of traders operated in the markets, producers, retailers, wholesalers, and brokers, each making a profit. Preference for selling sheep or goats and the animal attributes desired by the traders differed depending on the surrounding community. Markets in Kericho County of Nyando traded more goats than sheep while those in Kisumu County of Nyando traded more sheep than goats. There were no clear policies guiding pricing of animals. Prices offered to producers depended on previous days, and the number of animals available for sale at the marketing point. The collaborative group actions of the producers in the Climate Smart Villages did not extend beyond the level of production to the marketing of their livestock. A critical change is required for the smallholder farmers to derive better incomes from improved quality of animals following adoption of improved breeding and management practices. The results illustrate the need to engage rural market actors when implementing livestock improvement programs for smallholder farmers for better farm gate prices of animals, and thus achieve the improved incomes envisioned.

"Life at the River is a Living Hell:" a qualitative study of trauma, mental health, substance use and HIV risk behavior among female fish traders from the Kafue Flatlands in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: In Western settings, the relationship between trauma history, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use, and HIV risk behavior, is well established. Although female fish traders in Zambia are affected by HIV at rates estimated to be 4-14 times higher than the national prevalence, no studies have examined the co-occurring issues of trauma, substance use and HIV risk behavior among this vulnerable population. The current study examined: 1) trauma history, trauma symptoms and HIV risk behaviors and 2) the relationship between these co-occurring issues among female fish traders from the Kafue Flatlands in Zambia. METHODS: Twenty individual semi-structured qualitative interviews and a focus group discussion (n = 12 participants) were conducted with female fish traders in the Kafue Flatlands of Zambia. Template analysis was used to examine the data. RESULTS: The findings indicate that female fish traders in Zambia are at risk of multiple and ongoing traumatic events and daily stressors, severe mental health symptoms (including western conceptualizations of disorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complicated grief, as well as local idioms of distress), substance abuse, and HIV sexual risk behaviors. The results suggest a relationship between trauma and HIV sexual risk behavior in this population. CONCLUSIONS: The indication of these co-occurring issues demonstrates the need for HIV prevention intervention efforts, which account for trauma, mobility, and psychosocial outcomes in order to reduce HIV sexual risk behavior among female fish traders in Zambia.

Attitudes of consumers and live-poultry workers to central slaughtering in controlling H7N9: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Guangdong Province in the Pearl River Delta of Southeast China is among the areas in the country with the highest rates of avian flu cases. In order to control the outbreak of human-infected H7N9 cases, Guangdong launched a new policy on the central slaughtering of live poultry in 2015. This study aims to evaluate attitudes of consumers and live-poultry workers toward the policy. The live-poultry workers consisted of two sub-groups: live-poultry traders and poultry farm workers. METHODS: Consumers and live-poultry workers from Guangdong were enrolled by stratified multi-stage random sampling. Online and field surveys were conducted to investigate participants' attitudes on policy implementation. Questionnaires were developed to quantify participant demographics, to collect information about attitudes toward the policy, and to identify influential factors of policy acceptability. Proportional odds logistics regression was used in the univariate and multivariate analyses. A total of 1449 consumers, 181 live-poultry traders, and 114 poultry farm workers completed the study. RESULTS: Policy acceptability percentages among consumers, live-poultry traders, and poultry farm workers were 57.1, 37.9, and 62.6%, respectively. Logistics regression shows that consumers tended not to support the policy if they were males, if they were concerned with the food safety of chilled products, and if they preferred purchasing live poultry. Live-poultry traders tended not to support if they were subsidized by the government, if they were males, if they experienced a drop in trading volume, and if they were unclear whether avian flu was a preventable disease. Finally, poultry farm workers tended not to support if they experienced a drop in trading volume, if they operated a poultry farm on a small to medium scale, and if they experienced inconvenience in their work due to the policy. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals a substantial refusal or slowness to accept the policy. Failure to accept the policy results from varying reasons. Among consumers, concern about food safety and dietary preference are two major causes of disapproval. Policy acceptability among live-poultry workers diverges within the two sub-groups. While a large percentage of poultry farm workers accept the policy, the drop in trading and an insufficient subsidy hamper acceptance by live-poultry traders. We recommend that policy-makers promote health education and alleviate the policy impact on trading with a reformed subsidy policy to increase acceptability. These findings are crucial for the prevention of human-infected H7N9 cases in Guangdong.

How Competitive Are Crop Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa?

During the structural adjustment era of the 1980s and 1990s, governments across sub-Saharan Africa generally withdrew from crop markets to encourage entry by private traders and foster competition. Since that time, the degree of competition in crop markets has been a central concern of policymakers, donors, and researchers. We review the evidence on that topic by first developing a conceptual framework to guide our analysis, then discussing the findings from four categories of literature. We have two main findings. First, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on this question, which hinders our ability to draw strong conclusions. Second, that point notwithstanding, the evidence that does exist is broadly supportive of the notion that crop markets are competitive. The dominant themes in the literature are that trading profits are highly variable, trader entry and exit rates are high, and price co-movements between markets suggest relatively efficient levels of competitive arbitrage. It is possible that the high costs of entry foster non-competitive conditions at the level of large-scale, long-distance subnational trade, but we find no positive evidence to that effect, only the satisfaction of certain necessary conditions.

Alcohol intake, smoking, self-medication practices and burden of anaemia among traders in Tamale metropolis of Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: Lifestyle choices including physical inactivity, smoking, abuse of alcohol and drugs, unhealthy diet are common among traders and market women and these behavioural activities predispose individuals to ill-health conditions including cardiovascular diseases and chronic anaemia. We evaluated lifestyle choices such as alcohol intake, smoking and resorting to self-medication among traders in the Tamale Central market in Ghana. We then associated these lifestyle choices with anaemia. RESULTS: A total of 400 participants were recruited for this study. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels of participants were measured using Mission® Plus Hb meter and anaemia was diagnosed by Hb < 12 g/dl for non-pregnant females and Hb < 13 g/dl for males. Of the participants, a majority (69.3%) were males, and most of them (56.0%) were within 18-35 years age bracket. While alcohol intake and smoking were uncommon, self-medication was a common practice among the participants. Anaemia was a common condition; diagnosed in 44.5% of participants, but was independent of age, alcohol intake and smoking. However, anaemia was more common in females (χ2 = 15.9, p < 0.001) and was associated with self-medication (χ2 = 5.7, p = 0.017). We recommend that traders in the Tamale metropolis should seek routine health check-ups to help avert adverse health consequences associated with anaemia.

Perceived risks, challenges and coping strategies among West African immigrant entrepreneurs in Ghana.

Globally, immigrants' entrepreneurship has been widely acknowledged as a critical driver for the socio-economic development of nations. Yet, studies barely examine the risks and difficulties immigrants encounter in their business transactions, especially those engaged in small-scale itinerant retail businesses. This paper strives to fill this lacuna from the contextual perspective of the Global South by examining the risks and complexities of West African immigrant entrepreneurs in Accra, Ghana. This paper draws data from a survey of 779 respondents and in-depth interviews with nine key informants. The data from the survey were analysed using descriptive statistics (e.g., bivariate analysis) whilst the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The study indicates that work-related health hazards and accommodation difficulties are the main risks and difficulties immigrants encounter in their everyday business operations. Additionally, fatigue ensuing from excessive trekking, and exposure to the scorching sun are the specific health risks associated with their business. Coping strategies of immigrant entrepreneurs included resorting to support from family and friends in Ghana and back home. Others included reliance on their skills/expertise to earn a living, self-medication-usually pain killers intended to overcome fatigue, relying on migrant networks and doing other menial jobs. The findings suggest that whilst the business operations of the immigrant entrepreneurs offer possibility to eke a living, diverse risk factors and complexities counter the efforts of the immigrant retailers. The paper recommends that leadership of the immigrant groups should organise health education programs for their members towards ensuring that immigrant entrepreneurs adopt health safety practices such as limiting exposure to scorching sun, excessive fatigue and unsupervised self-medication.

Closing gender gaps through gender-responsive, demand-led breeding in Burundi.

Gender inequality persists in Burundi's agricultural sector, especially in the bean value chain dominated by women. Women often have less access to improved seeds and to productive technologies. Interventions dubbed "gender-responsive plant breeding" have been launched to develop new varieties to address the gender gaps in variety adoption. Gender responsive planting breeding in Burundi targets to develop bean varieties that respond better to gendered varietal and trait preferences. This paper provides a background of gender-responsive bean breeding in Burundi, documenting the methodologies that were used to integrate gender issues in bean breeding and socio-economic research. It also covers successes of gender-responsive breeding to date, primarily focusing the interdisciplinary teams that drove the process, development and release of varieties that incorporated traits favored by women and men actors. Evidence from surveys and value chain analysis reveal that gender-responsive breeding program increased the adoption of improved varieties by women and improved yields and productivity. The paper reveals that gender-responsive and demand-led bean breeding programs require stakeholders engagements to develop products that align with preferences of diverse actors at different nodes of the bean value chain.

Factors Associated with Improved Knowledge of Metabolic Syndrome in Female Market Traders.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered to be a clustering of cardiometabolic diseases and is emerging as a public health concern. There is little evidence of this disease in market traders, and so the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and knowledge of MetS. In this cross-sectional study, anthropometry, blood pressure and bloods were collected using standardized methods to detect the prevalence of MetS using the harmonized method in a cohort of female Ghanaian market traders (n = 338). A questionnaire documented the knowledge of MetS. Linear regression was used to investigate the factors associated with knowledge and was reported as adjusted ß values. Forty-two percent (n = 142) had MetS. The overall knowledge of MetS was low, driven by education (ß = 0.22, p = 0.0001), low levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (ß = -0.15, p = 0.018) and affiliation with the Ewe cultural group (ß = -0.19, p = 0.0004). As females working in a sedentary occupation, market traders are vulnerable to MetS. Our findings indicate the urgent need for culturally sensitive education to promote healthy behaviours.

Fish availability and market channel in Rajbari, Bangladesh.

Knowledge about fisheries market margins and fish availability in the market is crucial to establish an effective and well-planned marketing strategy. Hereby, the study was conducted to bring some knowledge on the availability of raw and processed fish and its marketing channel in Rajbari Sadar, Bangladesh from June to December 2020. Here, data were collected from fish traders and consumers of the target markets through questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions and field visits. The study found 107 fish and shellfish species in these markets, of which more than 50% species were commonly available and less than 10% were found very rarely. The study also observed 18 types of processed fish products in these markets including dried (77.77%), salted (16.67%) and fermented (5.56%) products arriving from mostly Dhaka and Chattogram. The markets were dominated by wild freshwater fishes of nearby rivers, ponds and canals etc. The length of processed and marine fish marketing channel was comparatively longer than freshwater one because these items are supplied here from coastal districts via several intermediaries. The study revealed remarkable market margin for hilsa fish even noticed up to 57.14% at consumer level. There was also observed some major constraints to a good marketing system such as unplanned market location, insufficient drainage system, high transportation cost, etc. Based on the constraints, the study would suggest to establish a well-planned and modern equipped fish market with high quality cold storage and ice factories, which could help to ensure smoother transaction route from production to customer minimizing economic loss.

The Gamblification of Investing: How a New Generation of Investors Is Being Born to Lose.

Investing and gambling share key features, in that both involve risk, the coming together of two or more people, and both are voluntary activities. However, investing is generally a much better way than gambling for the average person to make long-run profits. This paper reviews evidence on two types of "gamblified" investment products where this advantage does not hold for investing: high-frequency stock trading and high-risk derivatives. This review defines a gamblified investment product as one that leads most investors to lose, that attracts people at risk of experiencing gambling-related harm, and that utilizes product design principles from gambling (either by encouraging a high frequency of use or by providing the allure of big lottery-like wins). The gamblification of investing produces novel challenges for the regulation of both financial markets and gambling.

The impacts of COVID-19 on cattle traders and their response in agro-pastoral and pastoral regions in Uganda: A case of Karamoja and Teso cattle traders.

The study assessed the economic impact of COVID-19 on cattle traders in the Karamoja and Teso pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in Uganda and their response after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The results reveal that cattle traders were negatively affected by COVID-19 in many ways including reduction in cattle sales, erosion in operating capital, and failure to sell animals while others have diversified or moved to other businesses. Twenty-five per cent of the cattle traders did not sell any animal during the lockdown. A majority of these were from Karamoja (43%) compared to those in Teso sub-region. The decline in cattle sales was significantly higher in Karamoja than in Teso sub-region. However, their recovery was significantly higher in Karamoja than in Teso sub-region because traders in Teso greatly diversified to other economic activities compared to traders in Karamoja sub-region. The traders who lost capital were mainly in Teso sub-region (63%). As expected, there was a sharp decline in the number of cattle buyers from markets outside the study area, mainly from Juba, Kampala, Busia, and Kenya. Coping strategies by cattle traders included crop cultivation (80%), burning charcoal (15%), selling food items (8%), and boda-boda riding (12%), while others did not engage in any economic activity (25%). To mitigate against the pandemic, traders were observing some of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as wearing face masks (76.1%), handwashing (19.3%), sanitising (2.3%), and social distancing (2.3%). Traders from Karamoja performed poorly in both diversification and mitigation measures. Based on our findings, recommendations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on cattle traders include offering loans to cattle traders through their Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), reducing transaction costs, offering mobile phones especially for Karamoja traders, and promoting the adoption of enforcing SOPs to reduce the need for lockdowns and cattle market closures which are detrimental to pastoral livelihood.

Eye Health-seeking Behaviour of Traders in Rural Nigeria.

Aim: The aim of this article was to determine the healthcare provider first sought, reasons for the choice, and symptom duration before hospital presentation among traders in rural Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of traders at a rural Nigerian market, selected by systematic random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographics, eye disease symptoms, eye care provider first sought, and reasons for choice. The analysis was carried out with Statistical Package for Social Sciences using descriptive and inferential statistics with an alpha level at 0.05. Results: Of the 177 traders, 88 (49.7%) were males and 89 (50.3%) were females. The mean age was 46.5 ± 13.75 years (range 19-72). Of the 83 traders who had ocular symptoms 23 (27.7%) never sought any care. The eye care providers first sought were patent medicine vendors 22 (26.5%), orthodox hospital 17 (20.5%), eye glass vendors 3 (3.6%), and traditional healers 3 (3.6%). The median symptom duration before presentation to an eye health facility was 83 days. Reasons for not seeking orthodox eye care first included cost 33 (39.8%), 'ailment not serious' 22 (26.5%), and advice from friends 7 (8.4%). Females were more likely to seek orthodox care (χ2=4.22, P=0.04), whereas males were more likely to feel that their ailment was not serious. Traders aged >50 years were less likely to seek any care for eye ailment (χ2 =8.41, P=0.04). Conclusion: Traders with eye disorders seek care late and most first seek care outside the orthodox hospital. Cost and feeling that ailment was not serious are barriers to seeking orthodox eye care. Eye health education and cost reduction would improve uptake of orthodox eye care services.

Anxiety and Stress among Day Traders in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: People nowadays are more concerned about their financial status and how to improve their quality of life; one method is day trading. This study aims to investigate the association between stress or anxiety and day trading among day traders in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We collected the data through DASS-21, a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. It tells if the person has mild, moderate, severe, or extremely severe emotional status. Our study will focus on two domains: stress and anxiety. Day traders scoring between 0 and 7 on the anxiety scale were classified as normal anxiety. Scoring between 8 and 9 on the anxiety scale, mild anxiety, and between 10 and 14 on the anxiety scale as moderate anxiety. Those scoring between 15 and 19 were classified as severe, and those scoring >20 as extremely severe. RESULTS: Our results showed that out of 387 valid surveys, day traders scoring < 14 on the stress scale were classified as everyday stress (N = 249, 64.3%), and those scoring between 15 and 18 as mild (N = 49, 12.7%) and those scoring between 19 and 25 as moderate (N = 46, 11.9%), those scoring between 26 and 33 as severe (N = 34, 8.8%), and those scoring > 34 were classified as extremely severe (N = 9, 2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anxiety and stress is considerable among day-traders. Therefore, it is fundamental to develop more effective health promotion strategies for the target population to make them aware of and learn how to control and prevent these harmful emotional feelings.

Respiratory outcomes among plant processing workers in Durban, South Africa.

Plant products used by informal traditional medicine traders go through various methods of manual processing to yield a final single or multi-concoction product; however, the prevalence of potentially associated respiratory outcomes has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to describe respiratory outcomes associated with processing plants among informal traditional medicine traders. Questionnaires related to the preparation of plant products and respiratory outcomes were administered to study participants by trained researchers. Of the 216 traders, nocturnal cough, nasal allergies and waking with a feeling of tightness in the chest were the most frequently cited respiratory outcomes (43, 35 and 22%, respectively). The study highlighted the burden of respiratory outcomes among traders who process plant products and the need for targeted workplace interventions.

Price-Setting Power in Global Value Chains: The Cases of Price Stabilisation in the Cocoa Sectors in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.

This paper calls for integrating price-setting power and related uneven exposure to price risks into the analysis of governance in global value chains (GVCs) as it adds to other power dimensions in producing unequal distributional outcomes. This is shown for the cocoa GVC, in which-unlike in today's mostly liberalised market structures-the world's top cocoa-producing countries, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, pursue price stabilisation measures. These measures address intra-seasonal producer price volatility, and recent collaboration has achieved a living-income differential on top of export prices, but such measures do not shield export and producer prices from inter-seasonal variations in world prices determined on commodity derivatives markets. Based on interviews with actors along the cocoa GVC, we argue that this is related to the price-setting power of 'grinder-traders' and the key role of financial hedging and trading on commodity derivatives markets in their business strategies. Financialisation processes have increased derivatives trading's complexity and short-termism, accelerating consolidation among grinder-traders and making price stabilisation more challenging. Through their price stabilisation systems, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana have maintained some price-setting power in the cocoa GVC, but largely remain 'global price-takers', with prices determined on derivatives markets and transmitted along the cocoa GVC through grinder-traders. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41287-022-00543-z.

Cet étude lance un appel à l'intégration des pouvoirs en matière de fixation des prix, et les inégalités y associés dans l'exposition aux risque des prix, dans l'analyses de la gouvernance des chaines de valeur mondiales (en anglais: « global value chains¼, GVC), puisque cela se somme à d'autres dimensions du pouvoir, produisant des répartitions de résultats inégales. Ici on étude la GVC du cacao, où ­ a différence des structures des marchés pour la plupart libéralisées ­ les plus gros producteurs de cacao, le Cote d'Ivoire et le Ghana, poursuivent des mesures de stabilisation des prix. Ces mesures visent la stabilisation de la volatilité intra-saisonnières des prix aux producteurs (les collaborations récentes ont achevé un différentiel sur les revenus minimum et sur les prix d'exportation), mais ces mesures ne protègent pas les prix d'exportation et aux producteurs des variations inter-saisonnières des prix mondiales, déterminés par les marchés des instruments dérivés sur les produits de base. Nous basant sur des entretiens avec des acteurs dans la GVC du cacao, nous argumentons que cela est dû au pouvoir de fixation des prix des « broyeurs-négociants¼, et au rôle clé dans leurs stratégies d'entreprise et commerciales des couvertures financières sur les instruments dérivés liés à des produits de base. Les processus de financialisation ont augmenté la complexité et le court-termisme des transactions sur les produits dérivés, ce qui a accéléré la consolidation parmi les broyeurs-négociants, rendant la stabilisation des prix encore plus difficile. Grâce à leurs systèmes de stabilisation des prix, le Cote d'Ivoire et le Ghana ont retenu quelque pouvoir de fixation des prix dans la GVC du cacao; cependant ils demeurent des « preneurs de prix¼, les prix étant déterminés par les marchés des produits dérivés et transmis au long de la GVC du cacao par les broyeurs-négociants.

Preference and perception of value chain actors to quality parameters and factors affecting the quality of tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc. Trotter) in Central and Northwestern Ethiopia.

Tef grain color is considered as the dominant parameter in the trading and price setting on the local markets. However, there are no comprehensive studies conducted so far on the preference and perception of actors on tef grain quality attributes and factors affecting it. Its implicitly assumed that other quality parameters also play a role in the value chain of tef. Using semi-structured questionnaires, this study researched the parameters and factors affecting the quality of tef, perceived by farmers, traders, and consumers in central and northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Results from this survey indicated that grain color, size, density, shininess, cleanness, purity, and hulledness were the perceived tef grain quality attributes by all respondent groups'. Grain color followed by grain size, cleanness, and purity were the most perceived and directly or indirectly affected the price setting of tef. Farmer and trader respondents' perception for tef color was mainly dependent on their clients' (consumers). However farmer preferred the brown color tef for their consumption. Trader respondents categorized their client's preference of grain color on the income level as high, medium and low-income consumers. The high-income consumers mostly preferred the whitish color; middle-income for the mixed and brown color; and low-income for the brown color tef. The perception between farmer and trader, farmer and consumer, and trader and consumer as well as the same group of respondents living in different areas showed significantly (p < 0.05 to p < 0.0001) different on most of grain quality attributes. Nevertheless, there was no preference variability on grain color and density between farmer and trader respondents. While there were considerable differences in the color of tef between farmer and consumer and trader and consumer respondents. However, between the central and northwestern highland farmers (grain color, density and cleanness, traders, (color and cleanness), and consumer (color, density, purity, and hulledness) did not show considerable differences. From respondents, 100% of farmers, 97.7% of traders, and 93.3% of consumers perceived that grain quality variability comes from the variability of production area. Soil types, topography, and climatic factors were the main perceived causes for the variability of quality. Ninety eight percent of farmer and 100% of trader respondents perceived that black and brown color soils produced tef had highest quality in terms of whiteness or brightness as compared to tef produced on red soils. All respondent groups were also perceived that the quality of injera affected by tef grain quality. To better connect the value chain actors to the needs and preferences of tef grain and the economy in Ethiopia; the quality attributes like grain size, density, and shininess which affect the price of tef needs consideration in Ethiopian tef breeding program. The effects of soil type, agroecology, and crop variety should also be tested experimentally for a better understanding of factors influencing tef grain physical quality.

Personal hygiene and bowls sanitation of meatball cart traders.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the personal hygiene and sanitation of food cutlery (bowl) on meatball cart traders at Makassar City. METHODS: This research using descriptive observational with non-probability sampling techniques and accidental sampling method. RESULTS: 80% respondents had good personal hygiene. Almost all respondents qualify the requirement of hand and finger hygiene, as well as hair hygiene. For clothes hygiene indicators, most qualify the requirements. As for the indicators of handwashing practices and the use of gloves, all respondents did not qualify the requirements. While the results of research related to food cutlery sanitation showed that knowledge that 86.7% were high, but many still did not know washing water requirements and bowl conditions when in storage. CONCLUSION: Most handlers attitude was categorized as adequate. It is suggested that the meatball cart traders always pay attention to hand hygiene and sanitation of cutlery to avoid bacterial contamination.