Xie Hui and Zhang Kexin
Due to consumption changes in the post-pandemic era, the production safety of agricultural products is affecting global consumers. This paper constructs an evaluation index of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to consumption changes in the post-pandemic era, the production safety of agricultural products is affecting global consumers. This paper constructs an evaluation index of the agricultural Internet of things (IOT) traceability system and evaluates it using the dynamic hesitant-fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTS)-based DEMATEL method to improve agricultural supply-chain links and improve production quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The agricultural IOT traceability index system is constructed using the literature and expert interviews; it comprises 6 first-level indices and 20 second-level indices. The agricultural IOT traceability system is evaluated using the dynamic HFLTS-DEMATEL method.
Findings
Producers' awareness of agricultural-production safety (A11) has the most significant impact on production and processing links, while warehouse location and storage capacity (A31) have the largest impact on the circulation link. Inspection authenticity and transparency and quarantine information (A41) have the largest impact on the detection-consumption link. The extent to which the traceability-platform construction is complete (A62) has the largest impact on technical support.
Research limitations/implications
The present paper may be limited to the era of post-pandemic, and it is hard to consider all the indices. Further research can broaden the research context and establish a more comprehensive index system.
Practical implications
The index system constructed in this study will surely help relevant regulatory authorities in China to promote the construction of agricultural IOT traceability system and establish a unified standard, so as to provide a basis for future developers to enter the field. Accordingly, it also can help every subject to identify the key indices of each process in the agricultural-product supply chain and guide relevant departments to conduct targeted information tracking and management. The consumers could also understand the standards of traceable agricultural products and effectively protect their own rights and interests.
Originality/value
The existing literature does not provide an objective, unified standard for measuring a decentralized traceability system or identifying key processes. This study therefore proposes a new evaluation index system and uses a dynamic evaluation method to determine the importance of key indices. This study identifies the most important indices in each process, making it possible to discover, improve, and enhance the quality of agricultural products at a practical level.
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Suresh Chandra Babu, Jikun Huang, P. Venkatesh and Yumei Zhang
There is growing interest from the global development community in the role of agricultural research and extension (AR & E) systems to achieve development targets. Despite…
Abstract
Purpose
There is growing interest from the global development community in the role of agricultural research and extension (AR & E) systems to achieve development targets. Despite this interest, many smallholders in developing countries continue to lack access to updated agricultural information and reliable services. In an effort to increase the effectiveness, impact, and reach of AR & E programs, many governments have attempted to reform their national systems. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper systematically compares the systems and reforms of AR & E in China and India in order to draw out lessons applicable to developing countries. This paper first reviews the existing literature on AR & E systems and their role in agricultural and economic development. The authors then provide a detailed review and comparative analysis of the reforms and approaches implemented in the AR & E systems of China and India. The authors apply this comparative analysis to draw out lessons that can be applied to inform the reformation of AR & E systems in developing countries.
Findings
The authors find that although both countries face similar agricultural development challenges, each took a different approach in the reformation of AR & E to address these challenges. Each country’s approaches had different impacts on the effectiveness of the system. Lessons from the reformation of the AR & E systems in China and India can be used to inform and improve the impact of AR & E in developing countries.
Originality/value
The paper examines two systems together using a set of common indicators and factors. The paper’s value comes from its usefulness in informing future AR & E reforms in other developing countries in order to increase the impact of these reforms on development outcomes.
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Bingjun Li, Shuhua Zhang, Wenyan Li and Yifan Zhang
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the broad applicability and effectiveness of the technique from different aspects and providing a new means to solve agricultural science problems. The analysis of the connotation and trend of the application of grey modeling technique in agricultural science research contributes to the enrichment of grey technique and the development of agricultural science in multiple dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Web of Science, SpiScholar and other databases in the past 37 years (1985–2021), this paper firstly applied the bibliometric method to quantitatively visualize and systematically analyze the trend of publication, productive author, productive institution, and highly cited literature. Then, the literature is combed by the application of different grey modeling techniques in agricultural science research, and the literature research progress is systematically analyzed.
Findings
The results show that grey model technology has broad prospects in the field of agricultural science research. Agricultural universities and research institutes are the main research forces in the application of grey model technology in agricultural science research, and have certain inheritance. The application of grey model technology in agricultural science research has wide applicability and precise practicability.
Originality/value
By analyzing and summarizing the application trend of grey model technology in agricultural science research, the research hotspot, research frontier and valuable research directions of grey model technology in agricultural science research can be more clearly grasped.
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Maja Žibert, Boris Prevolšek, Karmen Pažek, Črtomir Rozman and Andrej Škraba
This paper aims to analyse the main variables and causal relationships in the system structure of the diversification of non-agricultural activities on agricultural holdings using…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the main variables and causal relationships in the system structure of the diversification of non-agricultural activities on agricultural holdings using system dynamics (SD) modelling. The SD model aims to simulate depictions of the behaviour of the real system while testing the effects of alternative decisions over time.
Design/methodology/approach
An SD methodology was chosen to model diversification in farm tourism.
Findings
A system approach increases the authors’ understanding of the transition of agricultural holdings to farm tourism. The results indicate that the transition to farm tourism depends on the level of tourism development in a certain area. The system is influenced by subsidies allocated by authorities to expand primary agricultural activities. The model describes a situation in which the tourism and agricultural industries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited by the small set of available data due to the limited number of farms in Slovenia. One major problem is the difference in statistical data on the same activity collected from different institutions in Slovenia.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for understanding the transition process to farm tourism, allowing policymakers to experiment with subsidies and promotion to explore the efficacy and efficiency of proposed policies.
Originality/value
This study provides a structured, systemic view of the diversification of non-agricultural activities on agricultural holdings, where the simulation results are a reliable reflection of the behaviour of the actual system being modelled.
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Charvi Arora, Aditya Kamat, Saket Shanker and Akhilesh Barve
The main intention of this paper is to analyze various factors hindering the growth of the agricultural supply chain and several industry 4.0 technologies to eliminate the same…
Abstract
Purpose
The main intention of this paper is to analyze various factors hindering the growth of the agricultural supply chain and several industry 4.0 technologies to eliminate the same. In addition to a detailed assessment on the implementation of these technologies in agriculture, this manuscript also presents a priority list providing a rank to them based on the relative efficiency of these advancements in addressing these obstacles.
Design/methodology/approach
This research proceeds with a two-step process. The particular barriers in the agriculture supply chain and industry 4.0 technologies are determined in the first step. Next, the proposed framework, a combination of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), i.e. DEA-AHP, is used to determine a hierarchical structure for the factors and the relative productive efficiencies of the alternatives. The DEA methodology gives a performance analysis of various decision-making units. At the same time, AHP helps in evaluating alternatives weights based on numerous criteria, allowing us to categorize their importance further.
Findings
This study reveals how the involvement of technological advancements in agriculture can help manage the supply chain more efficiently. It also justifies how the large quantities of data generated can handle these increasing challenges in the agricultural supply chain.
Practical implications
The results of this study provide a priority list of alternatives based on their final weights. This ranking system can help farmers and the government select the best-suited technology for bringing automation into the agricultural supply chain.
Originality/value
This research is unique as it analyes the general factors hindering the development of the agriculture supply chain while simultaneously providing a list of alternatives based on their relative efficiencies. The study enriches existing literature by providing an analytic approach to determine the weightage of various critical success factors that can help improvise and entrust the real and undeniable requirements of consumers, suppliers and producers.
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The purpose of the paper is to investigate the agricultural information system in Turkey, with particular reference to the effectiveness of this system for farmers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to investigate the agricultural information system in Turkey, with particular reference to the effectiveness of this system for farmers.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study based on a review of the literature, established knowledge and national experience to date.
Findings
That, in Turkey, there is insufficient connection between the publishing activities of research institutions and other institutions active in the field. This lack of coordination causes an incomplete distribution of agricultural information to farmers. In particular, this creates an information system in which there is no effective feedback in the “research–publishing–farmer” triangle. Yet distribution of agricultural information to users and reciprocal user feedback is vital, because it is the essential mechanism by which a consistently reliable and effective distribution of information can be maintained.
Research limitations/implications
Although the central thesis of the paper is not advanced by reference to original research on the part of the authors, it is based on pre‐existing, well respected research which is intelligently interpreted and authoritatively synthesized by them.
Practical implications
To solve problems of agricultural information flow, the lack of coordination among the various organizations concerned has to be dealt with effectively, and a single organization has to be set up where information is collected in and distributed from the center. Non‐public publishing and research services have to be supported and encouraged in parallel with this.
Originality/value
The paper advances a clear plan of action for improving the information system in an area of great relevance to all developing countries.
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Is there a “best” way to set up national systems todevelop and transfer better agricultural technology? The answer is ofparticular significance to African countries, which are…
Abstract
Is there a “best” way to set up national systems to develop and transfer better agricultural technology? The answer is of particular significance to African countries, which are struggling to solve their food problems. Drawing on a comparison of two developing countries, this article argues that a matrix structure, in which there are multiple organisational links reaching upward and across the system, is essential to propagate new farming technology. Successful restructuring of technology systems along these lines, however, requires political mobilisation of farmers, something few African governments have been willing or able to do.
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Michael Oluwaseun Olomu, Moses Clinton Ekperiware and Taiwo Akinlo
This paper systematically reviewed the contributions of the recent Nigerian government agricultural policies and the impacts on the agricultural value chain system in line with…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper systematically reviewed the contributions of the recent Nigerian government agricultural policies and the impacts on the agricultural value chain system in line with the structural transformation of the sector and the Nigeria's vision 20:2020. The study also suggest strategies to upgrading various segments of the agricultural value chain and argue that Nigeria's agricultural sector requires huge investments and innovative ideas to increase production and create value addition across the most profitable areas of the value chain.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors systematically present evidences and data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (the apex monetary authority of Nigeria) and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (oversees and publishes statistics for Nigeria) to estimate the impact of Government agricultural policies on the value chains system.
Findings
The study discovers that the various recent government policy interventions to tackle the austere challenges in the agricultural sector are yet to yield much significant solution. Given to the dwindling performance of the sector, the Nigerian agricultural value chain is somewhat affected with systemic and services gaps which underpin the market failures (missing markets and weak markets), although the agricultural value chain has the potential of triggering economic growth in a higher scale with a trickle-down effect to other sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Practical implications
Overall, the findings indicate strategies to upgrading the production and processing segments of the agricultural value chain and argues that Nigeria's agricultural sector requires huge investments and innovative ideas to increase production and create value addition across the most profitable areas of the value chain.
Social implications
The study proves that enhancing value addition in the agricultural sector is imperative to achieving triple-benefits of increasing productivity by building resilient systems that leverage on finance opportunities, deepening economic inclusive growth and achieving great milestones.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to focus on agricultural value chain system in line with the structural transformation and the Nigeria's vision 20:2020.
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Mahnaz Hosseinzadeh, Marzieh Samadi Foroushani and Razieh Sadraei
The study aims to identify the dynamic complexities and development points of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in the agricultural sector of Iran to improve production factors'…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to identify the dynamic complexities and development points of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in the agricultural sector of Iran to improve production factors' productivity, including arable land, water resources and human capital.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the EE of the agricultural sector in Iran was designed following Isenberg's framework. Then, the main variables and interrelationships of the variables in each context of the ecosystem, called subsystems, were formulated using the system dynamics (SD) approach. Next, the model was simulated and validated. Afterward, different policy options were identified, embedded into the model structure and simulated. Finally, the best policy group was selected.
Findings
According to Isenberg's EE model, three groups of policies were identified and evaluated, including “entrepreneurship development financing and investment policy,” “agricultural ecosystem's supportive services development policy” and “production factors productivity development policy.” According to the simulation results, the best combination of the solution strategies was recognized. The presented SD-EE model has a generic nature in the agricultural sector and could be modified to be applied in different regions for policy-making purposes.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the study is twofold. First, Isenberg's EE framework is applied to structure the main subsystems and interrelationships of the subsystems in the agricultural sector that has previously received limited attention. Second, the research is the first to operationalize the basic theory of Isenberg's EE in practice applying a robust systemic modeling methodology like SD.
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Yongmu Jiang, Lu Yang and Zhang Xiaolei
With the development of social productive forces and the advancement of agricultural practices since the founding of New China, the connotation of agricultural modernization with…
Abstract
Purpose
With the development of social productive forces and the advancement of agricultural practices since the founding of New China, the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has undergone a process from formation to continuous expansion and deepening.
Design/methodology/approach
Its evolution can be roughly divided into four stages: the exploration stage, the formation stage, the establishment stage and the deepening stage. The historical evolution of the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics demonstrates four typical characteristics, namely increasingly scientific logical premise, continuously diversified orientations, increasingly improved core contents and progressively maturing strategies of development.
Findings
The achievements of agricultural modernization have laid a solid foundation for China's industrial modernization and the rapid development of the national economy. Meanwhile, the authors have identified through practical exploration a path of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. In recent years, academic research on the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has gradually heated up, and relevant achievements have emerged constantly.
Originality/value
The Communist Party of China (hereinafter “CPC”) has placed considerable emphasis on agricultural issues and has been committed to promoting agricultural modernization since the founding of New China. Through long-term persistence and unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in agricultural development: significantly improved agricultural production conditions and agricultural output capacity, constantly optimized agricultural structure and steadily increased the income of farmers.