Impact assessment of genetically modified TELA® Bt. maize variety adoption on yield, household income, technical efficiency and food security: a case of maize farmers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, South Africa.
- Authors: Mailula, Lesiba Pertunia
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Food security , Farmers -- Training of , Seed technology -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28266 , vital:74040
- Description: The agricultural sector is widely recognized as a crucial factor for promoting sustainable economic development, reducing poverty, and ensuring food security in developing countries. However, in Africa, the agricultural sector continues to underperform, with growth rates falling behind the population growth, this can be attributed to various challenges, including climate change and pest infestation. This has over the years weakened the defence of crops leading to the disruptions in crop production and food security. As such, calls have been made that adoption of the agricultural technology may promote food security through high yields. This is because agricultural technology crops have improved varieties such as drought tolerance and pest resistance traits. However, adoption of improved agricultural technology in Africa has been very sluggish amongst smallholder farmers, particularly for GM seed, this is due to the on-going controversies and compliance requirements regarding GM technologies. The controversies are raised by the unknown benefits and risks associated with the adoption of GM seeds technology. Furthermore, there are mixed benefits associated with GM technology adoption as well as methodological and data gaps associated with assessment of GM impact on the farmer’s welfare. In 2016, five Bt. maize varieties trademarked TELA were developed through the WEMA project. Trials were approved and launched with smallholder farmers in various countries in Africa, and South Africa is not an exception. Several smallholder maize farmers have accessed the TELA Bt. maize varieties through local seed companies and have been producing it for the past seasons. Yet, no study that has been conducted on the impact of the GM TELA Bt. maize technology adoption on yield, income, food security and technical efficiency, hence, a need for such a study. The primary data was collected from 289 183 TELA Bt. and 106 non-TELA Bt. smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data were analysed using various analytical tools that included descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, Household Dietary Diversity Score, Stochastic Frontier Model and the Propensity Score Matching, modelled through the Probit regression model. These tools were utilised to address the objectives. The descriptive statistics show that the TELA Bt. maize variety yielded 61.1 percent more maize output as compared to non-TELA Bt. maize farmers, with an average of 691kg ha and 429kg ha, respectively. The gross margin analysis showed higher subsequent income for the TELA Bt. maize farmers R2 834.93 compared to R2 124.96 for the non-TELA Bt. maize farmers. The results of the HDDS showed a marginal effect of TELA Bt. maize seed technology on food diversity. The average HDDS scores were 8.4 and 7.5 for the TELA Bt. and non-TELA Bt. maize farmers, respectively. The Stochastic Frontier Analysis SFA results revealed that both the TELA Bt. maize farmers and non-TELA Bt. maize farmers were technically inefficient. However, the TELA Bt. maize farmers were better-off than their counterparts, with mean technical efficiency scores of 0.416 and 0.328, respectively. The Propensity Score Matching PSM using the Probit model revealed that gender 0.6064, number of years in farming 0.0099 credit 1.1438 and market access 0.4427 had a positive and significant influence on the decision taken by the farmers to adopt TELA Bt. maize seed technology. However, access to extension services was found to have a negative and significant impact on the adoption of TELA Bt. maize seed technology. The Average Treatment Effect of the Treated ATT using the Nearest Neighbour Matching algorithm indicated that adoption of TELA Bt. maize technology improved farmers’ yields by 254.3kg, income by 0.36 cents and technical efficiency by 8.6 percent. There was no significant relationship observed between adoption of the GM technology and food security. Generally, the results from this study imply that adoption of GM TELA Bt. maize seed technology improves farmers’ yields, income, technical efficiency, as well as food security. The study therefore, recommends increased awareness of the GM seed technology benefits to farmers, coupled with training and capacity development to enhance adoption of seed technology towards improved farmers’ welfare. In addition, there is a need for sustained Research and Development investments towards GM seed technologies to enhance maize productivity and technical efficiency of the farmers. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Mailula, Lesiba Pertunia
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Food security , Farmers -- Training of , Seed technology -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28266 , vital:74040
- Description: The agricultural sector is widely recognized as a crucial factor for promoting sustainable economic development, reducing poverty, and ensuring food security in developing countries. However, in Africa, the agricultural sector continues to underperform, with growth rates falling behind the population growth, this can be attributed to various challenges, including climate change and pest infestation. This has over the years weakened the defence of crops leading to the disruptions in crop production and food security. As such, calls have been made that adoption of the agricultural technology may promote food security through high yields. This is because agricultural technology crops have improved varieties such as drought tolerance and pest resistance traits. However, adoption of improved agricultural technology in Africa has been very sluggish amongst smallholder farmers, particularly for GM seed, this is due to the on-going controversies and compliance requirements regarding GM technologies. The controversies are raised by the unknown benefits and risks associated with the adoption of GM seeds technology. Furthermore, there are mixed benefits associated with GM technology adoption as well as methodological and data gaps associated with assessment of GM impact on the farmer’s welfare. In 2016, five Bt. maize varieties trademarked TELA were developed through the WEMA project. Trials were approved and launched with smallholder farmers in various countries in Africa, and South Africa is not an exception. Several smallholder maize farmers have accessed the TELA Bt. maize varieties through local seed companies and have been producing it for the past seasons. Yet, no study that has been conducted on the impact of the GM TELA Bt. maize technology adoption on yield, income, food security and technical efficiency, hence, a need for such a study. The primary data was collected from 289 183 TELA Bt. and 106 non-TELA Bt. smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data were analysed using various analytical tools that included descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, Household Dietary Diversity Score, Stochastic Frontier Model and the Propensity Score Matching, modelled through the Probit regression model. These tools were utilised to address the objectives. The descriptive statistics show that the TELA Bt. maize variety yielded 61.1 percent more maize output as compared to non-TELA Bt. maize farmers, with an average of 691kg ha and 429kg ha, respectively. The gross margin analysis showed higher subsequent income for the TELA Bt. maize farmers R2 834.93 compared to R2 124.96 for the non-TELA Bt. maize farmers. The results of the HDDS showed a marginal effect of TELA Bt. maize seed technology on food diversity. The average HDDS scores were 8.4 and 7.5 for the TELA Bt. and non-TELA Bt. maize farmers, respectively. The Stochastic Frontier Analysis SFA results revealed that both the TELA Bt. maize farmers and non-TELA Bt. maize farmers were technically inefficient. However, the TELA Bt. maize farmers were better-off than their counterparts, with mean technical efficiency scores of 0.416 and 0.328, respectively. The Propensity Score Matching PSM using the Probit model revealed that gender 0.6064, number of years in farming 0.0099 credit 1.1438 and market access 0.4427 had a positive and significant influence on the decision taken by the farmers to adopt TELA Bt. maize seed technology. However, access to extension services was found to have a negative and significant impact on the adoption of TELA Bt. maize seed technology. The Average Treatment Effect of the Treated ATT using the Nearest Neighbour Matching algorithm indicated that adoption of TELA Bt. maize technology improved farmers’ yields by 254.3kg, income by 0.36 cents and technical efficiency by 8.6 percent. There was no significant relationship observed between adoption of the GM technology and food security. Generally, the results from this study imply that adoption of GM TELA Bt. maize seed technology improves farmers’ yields, income, technical efficiency, as well as food security. The study therefore, recommends increased awareness of the GM seed technology benefits to farmers, coupled with training and capacity development to enhance adoption of seed technology towards improved farmers’ welfare. In addition, there is a need for sustained Research and Development investments towards GM seed technologies to enhance maize productivity and technical efficiency of the farmers. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The Relevance of Livestock Husbandry in the Context of Food Security: A Bibliometric Outlook of Research Studies from 1938 to 2020
- Idamokoro, Monday Emrobowansan
- Authors: Idamokoro, Monday Emrobowansan
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Livestock , Scientometric analysis , Nutrition security , Vulnerable persons , Bibliometrics , Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/14157 , vital:79147 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1204221
- Description: The present study aimed to report knowledge-based outcomes on global studies of livestock farming as a tool to address food security, while considering the recurring problems caused by malnutrition and hunger among vulnerable persons, especially in developing countries. A total of 2,012 scientific peer reviewed studies were retrieved in BibTeX design for analysis using bibliometric collections in R studio software. The results obtained from the software included among others, authors, keywords plus, citations, collaborations, affiliations, journals, countries impact and key words. Published peer-reviewed discoveries on livestock husbandry as related to food security gathered from Scopus and the Web of Science (WOS) databanks were used, with a yearly rise in knowledge-based research of 15.04% during the timespan of the investigation. The results of the investigation revealed that the United States was ranked first with an aggregate of 236 publications [including Single Country Publications (SCP) = 225 and Multiple Country Publications (MCP) = 11] and had a huge international scientific effect with the highest article citations (n = 9,138). The most frequently used authors’ keywords in the present research niche area were food security (n = 475), livestock (n = 123), agriculture (n = 100), climate change (n = 99), sustainability (n = 55), cattle (n = 40), and nutrition (n = 37), which gave a clear direction for the related research studies regarding how livestock production can be used to enhance food security. The study in consideration presented an international picture that addresses the pool of knowledge-based, peer-reviewed findings of livestock production research and its significance to food security, while providing a clue regarding further investigations in this research niche area. It is of high essence to emphasise that the current findings solely focused on prime areas of livestock production as related to food security research; thus, it is anticipated that novel empirical research work and potential scientific findings will provide novel understanding and precision to livestock husbandry as a possible instrument to tackle the challenges of food security as new discoveries emerges.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Idamokoro, Monday Emrobowansan
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Livestock , Scientometric analysis , Nutrition security , Vulnerable persons , Bibliometrics , Food security
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/14157 , vital:79147 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1204221
- Description: The present study aimed to report knowledge-based outcomes on global studies of livestock farming as a tool to address food security, while considering the recurring problems caused by malnutrition and hunger among vulnerable persons, especially in developing countries. A total of 2,012 scientific peer reviewed studies were retrieved in BibTeX design for analysis using bibliometric collections in R studio software. The results obtained from the software included among others, authors, keywords plus, citations, collaborations, affiliations, journals, countries impact and key words. Published peer-reviewed discoveries on livestock husbandry as related to food security gathered from Scopus and the Web of Science (WOS) databanks were used, with a yearly rise in knowledge-based research of 15.04% during the timespan of the investigation. The results of the investigation revealed that the United States was ranked first with an aggregate of 236 publications [including Single Country Publications (SCP) = 225 and Multiple Country Publications (MCP) = 11] and had a huge international scientific effect with the highest article citations (n = 9,138). The most frequently used authors’ keywords in the present research niche area were food security (n = 475), livestock (n = 123), agriculture (n = 100), climate change (n = 99), sustainability (n = 55), cattle (n = 40), and nutrition (n = 37), which gave a clear direction for the related research studies regarding how livestock production can be used to enhance food security. The study in consideration presented an international picture that addresses the pool of knowledge-based, peer-reviewed findings of livestock production research and its significance to food security, while providing a clue regarding further investigations in this research niche area. It is of high essence to emphasise that the current findings solely focused on prime areas of livestock production as related to food security research; thus, it is anticipated that novel empirical research work and potential scientific findings will provide novel understanding and precision to livestock husbandry as a possible instrument to tackle the challenges of food security as new discoveries emerges.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
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