Institute of Development Studies

Market channel and other drivers of tomato farmer production and handling practices in Nigeria

Non-contract farming arrangements remain the dominant marketing option for poor, often food-insecure smallholder farmers in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet such farming arrangements are less studied than contract farming. Using a case study of 1,673 Nigerian tomato farmers, this study examined whether selling to midstream actors such as wholesalers and aggregators (via informal market arrangements) supports farmers’ adoption of good agricultural practices. We first explored the drivers of farmer sales to different market channels using a multinomial logit model. Then, using multivariate probit analysis, we identified factors associated with the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) and good handling practices (GHP) with particular attention to a farmers’ market channel. We found that larger smallholder farmers using modern irrigation are more likely to sell to midstream actors. We also found that selling to wholesalers and aggregators is an important determinant of farmers’ adoption of GAP and GHP, and this holds even for the smallest smallholder farmers. These results confirm that even where informal trading arrangements dominate (as is common in most LMICs), value chain actors in the midstream of food supply chains can support farmer adoption of GAP and GHP. These relationships have important implications for food security via enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder producers and improving the availability and safety of fresh produce for consumers, and thus should be leveraged in the design and implementation of efforts to expand farmer adoption of GAP and GHP.

Determinants of street food hygiene practices and the effectiveness of interventions for vendors and consumers in low- and middle-income countries: Protocol for a scoping review

Background: Street food is readily available food and beverages sold by vendors, frequently situated along streets or other public spaces. Street food is largely popular because it is low cost and readily available. However, unsafe food hygiene behaviors and conditions contribute to a substantial burden of foodborne illness. There is a gap in understanding what factors determine food hygiene behavior among street food vendors and consumers in low-income countries (LICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: This review aims to identify the determinants of safe food hygiene behavior and explore the effectiveness of food hygiene interventions for vendors and consumers in LICs and LMICs. Methods: We will search the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus databases for peer-reviewed articles and Google and Google Scholar for gray literature published in the English language from inception to October 31, 2023. We will apply the World Bank 2023 definition of LICs and LMICs to include studies from these countries in this review. Two independent reviewers will search, screen, and analyze the included literature. Data will be analyzed by narrative synthesis for all objectives. Results: This protocol outlines the methodology for conducting a scoping review. The findings will identify gaps in the existing literature and map the determinants of street food hygiene, as well as the interventions implemented for street food vendors and consumers. The project received funding in October 2022 and institutional review board approval in December 2022. Data analysis is currently underway, and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in April 2026. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review to investigate the determinants of street food hygiene behaviors and the effectiveness of interventions for vendors and consumers on street food hygiene in LICs and LMICs.

Modeling the association between repeated measures of hemoglobin during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes