An agent-based network approach for understanding, analyzing and supporting rural producer organizations in agriculture

Publication Type

Conference proceedings

Authors

Latynskiy, E., Berger, T.

Year of publication

2013

Published in

Herausforderungen des globalen Wandels für Agrarentwicklung und Welternährung

Editor

Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaus e.V.

Pubisher

Landwirtschaftsverlag , Münster

Band/Volume

48/

ISBN / ISSN / eISSN

978-3-7843-5313-5

Page (from - to)

191-202

Keywords

sustainability

Recent empirical findings suggest that empowerment of producer organizations (POs) in agri-culture requires an effective targeting and case-specific design of development interventions. By viewing PO as a socio-economic network, we develop an agent-based modeling approach for ex-ante impact assessment of PO support interventions. The paper demonstrates the appli-cation of the approach to the example of coffee producers from Uganda and analyzes one of their sub-county level networks more closely. The simulation model is implemented with stakeholder involvement through interactive net-map sessions. The simulation experiments re-flect the interventions that are being implemented or considered for implementation by ongo-ing research of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The predicted effects of interventions are displayed at the levels of the producer organization and individual farm-ing households, emphasizing the importance of careful implementation of future motivation schemes.