Suchergebnisse

Several studies in the literature define innovation platform as a space for learning, action, and change where groups of individuals with different backgrounds, expertise, and interests come together to diagnose problems, identify opportunities, and work collectively to achieve their goals. In this paper, the innovation platform refers to the formation of the Samal Island Golden Mango Industry Council (SIGMIC). This paper aims to present the challenges and opportunities in building an innovation platform, highlighting the case of SIGMIC. The formation of the council was facilitated and coordinated by the University of the Philippines Mindanao as part of its project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. SIGMIC is composed of input suppliers, mango growers, contractors, exporters, and processors who aim to work together to identify and prioritize problems to be solved and demonstrate the applicability of proposed solutions to these problems. Despite the varied interests of stakeholders, results showed that effective facilitation in the process of group formation as well as identifying a common goal that would benefit all stakeholders are important in building a sustainable innovation platform. The stakeholders recognize the need to work collectively when the root cause of the problem affecting the industry is identified and an action plan is devised to address the problem. The involvement and support of the local government unit in the development of SIGMIC also improved the group formation process. The lessons learned in building an innovation platform in the form of SIGMIC may be replicated in other industries. However, it is important to note that the approach may vary depending on the needs of the industry.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, smallholder farmers in the Philippines are among the sectors with the highest poverty incidence. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research had implemented a project to improve smallholder vegetable farmer's net income and well-being. As part of the intervention, various extension activities were conducted to increase farmers' livelihood capitals—human, social, financial, physical, and natural. These activities include production, postharvest, and market-related and capability-building trainings. Through the project, facilitation on linkages between farmers and microfinance institutions and different government support offices was done. This paper aims to present the outcomes of those extension activities in the livelihoods of small vegetable farmers and to reflect on several challenges encountered. A case study method and the information derived from preproject and postproject household surveys, focus group discussions, farming systems survey, and trip reports were utilized. Results show that extension activities increased farmers' technology appreciation, implying improved human and social capitals. But this does not equate to farmer adoption, considering the costs of technology and its applicability. It has also resulted to farmers establishing and strengthening ties between government service providers andfinancing institution, thus increasing financial assets. However, findings reveal that farmers lack social preparation prior to accessing loans that resulted in difficulty in repayment.

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 is a disease that traverses political, economic, geographical, and social boundaries and confronts the fragmented and highly polarized banana industry. Furthermore, the nature of TR4 has many uncertainties and unknowns. This paper investigated conditions for coordination in responding to TR4 risk. A qualitative case study of two villages in Davao del Norte, a major producing area in the Philippines with TR4 occurrence, was done to provide a contextual and in-depth analysis. Results showed that there was coordination between actors with longer working or personal relationships. They shared a common language for identifying problems and defining risks and communicate beyond the boundaries of their own organizations. There were visible signs of alliances between private and public domains in their handling of TR4 uncertainties. Actors have an urgency to react to TR4 impacts by accommodating multiple solutions. The enabling conditions for coordination identified were long-term relations forged outside the organizations/industry alliances and examination and the recognition of unknown TR4 characteristics, thus forging emerging research and information sharing. The constraints included polarization rooted from unequal access to land, blaming, and the isolated experiments and advocacy for single solutions. In conclusion, there was low coordination in responding to disease risk because of the blaming and diversities in solutions. However, there was an emerging coordination that built on social relations and deliberate efforts to bring parties together from the public and private sectors. The industry has to adapt, settle, and manage its differences to collectively address the banana disease risk.

The goal to increase farm productivity, attain food security and safety, and alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers has urged government and nongovernment organizations in the Philippines to develop and promote organic and safe vegetables. While these products are healthier and safer, previous studies have proven that these are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. A mall intercept using a structured questionnaire was conducted to survey 240 respondents in Davao City and 110 respondents in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) in Southern Philippines. This is a qualitative research that aims to provide information about the current vegetable purchase patterns of consumers in both study areas and to identify its implications and opportunities for organic and safe vegetable producers. Results show that more than 50% of the respondents in both cities purchase vegetables in wet markets and supermarkets on a weekly basis. In terms of expenditure on vegetables, 85% of the respondents in CDO and 74% of the respondents in Davao City have expenditure on vegetables of at most PhP500 per week. The majority of consumers in both cities buy vegetables mostly from wet markets because vegetables are sold at a lower price, are fresher, and there is wider product assortment. Consumers in Davao City and CDO buy vegetables from supermarkets because of convenience and cleanliness, respectively. They purchase mostly tomatoes, eggplants, and cabbages. Based on previous studies, these vegetable purchase patterns of consumers have not changed for over ten years. Thus, this challenges organic and safe vegetable producers, as well as other vegetable industry stakeholders, to produce cheap but high-quality vegetables.

Leadership is the process of directing and influencing, and it involves taking actions and producing change, in both informal and formal settings. In the Philippines, there are village leaders elected in a political position. Barangays (villages) are the smallest political administrative unit in the country and are led by a barangay captain. This paper investigates leadership, not only as an exclusive result of politics and social structures, but relates it to the problem-solving practices and managing interdependencies modified by a global plant disease in banana. The Philippine banana industry caters to both domestic and export markets, making it an important economic commodity. A virulent global plant disease in banana, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4), is threatening the producers in Philippine villages. Case studies of village leaders examine their actions in relation to nonconstituents, particularly with the Foc threat. Settings were four villages where export-oriented banana companies were present, mingling with local players. The common denominators in all these villages were the presence of export-oriented banana plantation and recorded incidence of Foc. The village leaders' handling of the gravity and importance of problem still leaned largely on how their political influencers perceived the problem. The multinational companies, on the other hand, were not able to fully articulate the importance of the problem to the village leaders. These companies kept much of their researches and studies to themselves and shared only what was necessary. As a result, the village did not have complete information on how to treat or understand the problem.