Do Plant Clinics Improve Household Food Security? Evidence from Rwanda

One of the main drivers of food insecurity is pests, which are estimated to cause around 40% of crop losses worldwide. We examine the food security effects of plant clinics, a novel agricultural extension model that aims to reduce crop losses due to pests through the provision of demand‐driven plant health diagnostic and advisory services to smallholder farmers. The study is based on survey data from maize‐growing households in Rwanda, where 66 plant clinics have been established. Using switching regression and matching techniques as well as various food security metrics, including the food insecurity experience scale, we find evidence that participation in plant clinics is significantly associated with a reduction in household food insecurity. For instance, among the participating households, plant clinics contribute to a decrease in the period of food shortage by one month and a reduction in the severity of food insecurity by 22 percentage points. We also show that these effects are more pronounced for female‐headed households. Overall, our findings suggest that plant clinics can play an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 2 of zero hunger.     

Will they buy it? The potential for marketing organic vegetables in the food vending sector to strengthen vegetable safety: A choice experiment study in three West African cities

Considering the hazardous use of synthetic pesticides in vegetable production in urban West Africa, this research investigated the marketing potential of organic vegetables in the food vending sector of Cotonou (Benin), Accra (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Certified organic production and marketing was examined as a potential strategy to improve chemical food safety. A stratified random sampling strategy was applied to study the preferences of food vendors (n = 180) and consumers (n = 360); vegetable use, risk perception, choice preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for organic certification were specifically analyzed. The results showed that awareness of chemical contamination risks was generally low. Appearance of a product was central to vendor choice; consumers attributed similar utility to taste and organic certification. Consumer WTP was calculated to be a premium of 1.04 USD (per plate) if the food served contained only certified organic vegetables. In restaurants, this would mean an average premium of 19% for a meal. If certified organic vegetable production is to make a positive impact on food safety in urban West Africa, we suggest concentrating marketing efforts on the educated “elite” who frequent restaurants. However, considering that restaurant owners exhibited a lower preference for organic certification than lower class food vendors, the marketing situation is difficult. We therefore conclude that demand from the food vending sector alone will not institutionalize domestic certification mechanisms; this underlines the need for public commitment to facilitating such change.     

Local economic development in Ghana: From the ‘lost decades’ to a policy ‘maturing’ stage

Analysis and studies of local economic development (LED) tend to be under the rubric of case studies to the neglect of their historical context and the role of international development agencies. This article attempts to fill this gap by focusing on the experiences of Ghana. Adopting a systematic review of the policy documents and existing literature, it was found that, despite its significance, LED was not the priority of the governments of pre and post immediate independence era. In the fourth republic of Ghana, LED gained prominence in the various policy documents but this appears to be rhetoric and camouflage because they have not seen real implementation. However, international development agencies have played a significant role in initiating, funding and implementing specific LED activities in the various districts in Ghana. Overall, LED in Ghana has crawled from the ‘lost decades’ to a policy ‘maturing stage’.     

An Empirical Analysis of Qualitative Management Earnings Forecasts

Despite efforts by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to encourage corporate disclosure of quantitative management earnings projections, only a small fraction of firms voluntarily do so. Instead of quantitative estimates, a large number of firms choose to disclose qualitative (verbal) assessments of their earnings prospects. This paper is a study of the information characteristics and the usefulness of this alternative form of forecast disclosure to investors. The study examines a sample of qualitative forecast statements from the 1979–1985 period and finds associations between these forecasts and percentage changes in realized earnings per share, the direction of financial analysts' forecast revisions following the disclosure of these forecasts, and abnormal stock returns on the date of their disclosure. These associations are, however, shown to be more significant for negative (bad news) than for positive (good news) forecasts.     

The Impact of Asymmetric Information on Proxy Outcomes: An Empirical Test

If a manager-shareholder is better informed about the true value of a firm's shares than outside shareholders, then the management of an undervalued firm is hypothesized to use its incumbent advantage to win proxy contests to maintain control and to benefit from share revaluations induced by the positive signal value of the contest. Using insider trades as indicators of management's beliefs, this study finds an association between insider beliefs and proxy contest outcomes. In particular, when insider trades over a five-to-six month period preceding the proxy date are net purchases, the odds in favor of management winning are significantly higher.     

Total Quality Management in Ghana: Critical Success Factors and Model for Implementation of a Quality Revolution

In this study, the authors aim to identify the critical success factors and challenges of total quality management (TQM) implementation and propose a model for the successful implementation of a quality revolution in Ghana. The approach in this study was to review existing literature followed by case studies of 15 firms. Three employees (quality manager/director and any two “ordinary employees”) were interviewed to identify the critical success factors that would be appropriate for the implementation of a quality revolution in Ghana as well as the main challenges of quality management they face. Findings revealed that top management commitment, empowerment and involvement of employees, resource availability, competition and increased customer awareness, and a well-functioning quality network are the major factors that are critical and essential if any TQM program is to be successful. Three main problems—management resistance, employee resistance, and resource paucity—were identified as principal impediments to TQM programs.     

Commitment to Environmental Management in Hotels in Accra

The sporadic development of hotel facilities in a developing West African city like Accra in Ghana, coupled with their consumption of natural resources and generation of waste has implications for environmental sustainability. This article therefore seeks to ascertain hotel managers’ attitude towards environmental management and to examine their commitment to environmental management through the implementation of environmental policies and programs. The study took the form of a survey of managers of 200 hotels, ranging from budget to four-star rated, employing the stratified random sampling procedure. Though a greater number of hotel managers had a positive attitude towards environmental management, it was the upscale and larger hotels that were more committed to environmental management especially in terms of having; a designated officer responsible for environmental management, written environmental policy statement, environmental action plan, a history of implementing environmental programs and ecolabelling or environment related certification. The article proposes interhotel collaboration in environmental management so that smaller hotels could profit from the experiences and resources of larger hotels.     

Different Shades of Green: Environmental Management in Hotels in Accra

This paper assesses the environmental management practices of different categories of hotels in Accra, Ghana. Managers of 200 hotels were surveyed, employing the stratified random sampling method. Results of the study indicate significant differences in the extent of environmental management of the hotels suggesting that the better the quality of a hotel, the better the environmental management performance. Suggestions are made towards improvement in waste management and voluntary environmental programmes in small and medium hotels that did not perform well in those areas of environmental management Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.