Bartholemew Kenner, Dayton M. Lambert, Carlos Omar Trejo-Pech, Jada M. Thompson and Thomas Gill
The purpose of this paper is to determine the stochastic net present value (NPV) of a model smallholder poultry operation in Rwanda under production and market uncertainty.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the stochastic net present value (NPV) of a model smallholder poultry operation in Rwanda under production and market uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
A discounted cash flow calculator was used to determine the NPV of operator investments and operating cash flows, including time, materials and capital. Broiler production data, market prices and variable input costs were collected from 125 smallholder operations in the Musanze District, Rwanda. These data were combined with a historical price index tracking the inflation rate of Rwanda’s currency. Policies including overstocking, technical support repayment scheduling, selling broilers at a spot market price, using marketing contracts and selling poultry manure were compared using non-parametric paired comparisons and stochastic dominance.
Findings
Risk-neutral and risk-averse producers would prefer overstocking, delaying repayment of technical support services and selling manure to status quo operational policy. No differences were observed between the option to sell birds at spot market prices or through contracts.
Research limitations/implications
This analysis demonstrates how individual managerial or an intervention in smallholder broiler production affects financial performance.
Practical implications
To mitigate risk associated with this novel enterprise, producers should consider overstocking birds. If local markets for manure were developed, the risks faced by new or beginning poultry operators could be mitigated.
Originality/value
A stochastic, discounted cash flow model calculator was used to determine the NPV and discounted payback period of operator investments and operating cash flows, including time, materials and capital.
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For one merit-based undergraduate scholarship program at Washington University in St. Louis (the University), discovery and dialogue have been essential to the program’s nearly…
Abstract
For one merit-based undergraduate scholarship program at Washington University in St. Louis (the University), discovery and dialogue have been essential to the program’s nearly 30-year existence. Named for Dr. John B. Ervin, the first African American Dean at Washington University in St. Louis, the John B. Ervin Scholars Program has attracted, recruited, retained, and graduated over 600 students deemed to exemplify extraordinary commitments to four pillars – scholarship, leadership, service, and diversity. Because the Program’s administrators have cultivated a community grounded in discovery and dialogue, the Ervin Scholars’ resolve to foster a more just and equitable society has deepened over time, perhaps preparing them for this time in which universities, this nation, and our world face crises over race. This resolve has manifested the last few years as Ervin Scholars have responded quickly to racial issues at Washington University in St. Louis and throughout the nation.
With its 30-year foundation, the John B. Ervin Scholars Program continues to develop, nurture, and support young people who advance discovery and dialogue. Drawing on a number of interviews, Program and University publications, and external publications, “A Legacy of Commitment,” the second installment of the Program’s history, demonstrates how the presence, contributions, and achievements of Ervin Scholars have changed Washington University in St. Louis. The Ervin Program has been an important part of the University’s efforts to be more diverse and inclusive, and it will continue to be integral to the University’s current and future plans.
Nancy G. Kutner and Tess Bowles
This study examined dimensions of young-adulthood development in lived experience reported by young persons (19 women, 18 men) with the disabling condition of kidney failure…
Abstract
This study examined dimensions of young-adulthood development in lived experience reported by young persons (19 women, 18 men) with the disabling condition of kidney failure requiring chronic dialysis or kidney transplantation. In semistructured phone interviews, participants (ages 23–37) described their family/living situation, employment and community activity, current situation, and experience. Participants' qualitative responses about “the way you see things, do things, feel about things” and “how you feel about yourself” were examined to identify themes. Limited achievement of proposed “successful” dimensions of young adulthood characterized the study cohort, based on indicators included in the interview. In qualitative data, the theme of perceived stigma and spoiled identity (Goffman, 1963) was reflected in comments offered by participants regarding their self-confidence and motivation to pursue goals. A second theme in participants' qualitative responses was a sense of isolation from age peers who shared their condition, and participants expressed frustration around having an age-inappropriate condition (“why me?”). Perceived stigma and spoiled identity impact social ties and life goals and are understudied influences in the life course trajectory of young persons with kidney failure and the challenges inherent in navigating health status and developmental life course transitions.
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Although many library patrons seek information on the activities and earnings of corporations, some librarians have difficulty identifying the documents appropriate for such…
Abstract
Although many library patrons seek information on the activities and earnings of corporations, some librarians have difficulty identifying the documents appropriate for such research. Aubrey W. Kendrick advises on selecting and obtaining corporate reports.
Aisha K. Gill and Samantha Walker
Although this chapter situates all violence against women as a human rights issue, it emphasises ‘culturalised’ forms of this violence, such as honour-based violence/abuse, forced…
Abstract
Although this chapter situates all violence against women as a human rights issue, it emphasises ‘culturalised’ forms of this violence, such as honour-based violence/abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. The authors draw upon their respective research to highlight how these forms of gendered violence have been subjected to a process of culturalisation. The chapter shows that while this process has raised awareness of previously under-researched forms of abuse and highlighted some of the contextual differences between women’s experiences of violence more broadly, its overemphasis on culture and cultural pathology has resulted in policy and legislative responses that do not always benefit victims. Ultimately, this chapter aims to problematise ‘culturalised’ understandings of violence in diverse communities and to show how current policy, legislative and support responses fail to adequately address the intersectional needs of black and minority ethnic victims/survivors.1
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This paper aims to determine the implications of Covid-19 on the livelihood of marine fishermen. It gives a concrete picture of how vulnerable communities like marine fishermen…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the implications of Covid-19 on the livelihood of marine fishermen. It gives a concrete picture of how vulnerable communities like marine fishermen are affected due to the lockdown policies. The paper examines these communities' present status and the extent of vulnerability during the post-Covid period.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an exploratory research design to find the solution to the research problem. 298 samples were collected and analysed within a sustainable livelihood theoretical framework. The scope of the study is limited to marine fishermen in Kerala, residing in six districts out of the nine coastal districts. The impact of the lockdown on income was analysed using paired t-test and results linked with the theory.
Findings
The study has done an empirical analysis for three periods: before lockdown, lockdown and after lockdown, to identify the impact of lockdown on marine fishermen. The study's significant findings are that these fishermen's livelihood is at risk during the post-lockdown period, and many families are moving into a “debt-trap”.
Research limitations/implications
Policymakers can develop appropriate policy strategies to enhance the livelihood assets of vulnerable communities to include them in a sustainable framework.
Originality/value
Only a few studies are highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable communities in India. The effects of climate change on the marine ecosystem are already endangering marine fisher folks' livelihoods. In this light, it is vital to study the extent of the impact of income shock on the livelihood assets of marine fishermen due to the lockdown policy implemented in the State to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0192
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IT is fitting that a new series of this magazine should be introduced by some reflections on the whole question of book selection, both for the general public and libraries.
Ilay H. Ozturk, John M. Amis and Royston Greenwood
The Scottish civil justice system is undergoing its most substantive transformation in over 150 years. This reformation will create new judicial bodies, alter the jurisdictional…
Abstract
The Scottish civil justice system is undergoing its most substantive transformation in over 150 years. This reformation will create new judicial bodies, alter the jurisdictional reach of courts, and drastically unsettle what has been, up to now, a highly stable institutional field. These changes have caused pronounced threats to the status of different groups of actors in the field. Our work examines the impact of these threats, and the varying responses among groups of professional actors. In so doing, we detail how intra-professional status differences and uncertainty hindered attempts to maintain threatened institutions.