A socio‐economic assessment of cowpea diversity on the Ghanaian market: implications for breeding

Given the importance of cowpea [Vignaunguiculata(L)Walp] in fighting malnutrition and poverty, a socio‐economic assessment of cowpea diversity found on the Ghanaian market was conducted. The objective was to investigate emerging consumer preference for cowpea and make recommendations for the development of tailor‐made varieties. Forty‐seven cowpea accessions were collected from traders interviewed for morphological characterization to ascertain the degree of diversity. Data was subjected to Hierarchical Cluster Analysis using Genstat Discovery Edition 3 software and variations among the cowpea varieties based on the selected seed traits established. Cowpea varieties found on the markets were broadly categorized into foreign and local varieties and usually named after their sources. Foreign Cowpea varieties were very popular on the markets surveyed as reflected in the per cent distribution of respondents by cowpea varieties sold; Niger (52%), Burkina Faso (50%), Togo (46%), Lagos (36%) and Ghana (18–21%). At the trader level, the order of preference for cowpea characteristics was cleanliness (stone free and no dirt), colour (white seed colour), easy to cook, taste, size, less weevil damage, dryness and place of origin ranked in decreasing order of importance. At the consumer level, cleanliness that was also tied to the extent of weevil damage was ranked most important. This was followed by seed colour (preferable white), short cooking time, size and taste. From the sociological perspective, concerns are raised on the impact of past cowpea breeding activities giving the level of competitiveness and market performance of locally improved varieties observed. Recommendation is made for traders and consumers to be considered as relevant actors in all the stages of crop improvement and breeding activities. This is crucial for enhanced small‐holder farmer market access and strengthened food networks in rural economies.     

Measuring the quality of port hinterland accessibility: The Ligurian case

Traditionally, distance was considered the parameter that could better reflect the economic influence of a seaport on land. Containerisation and intermodality progressively eroded such a paradigm and currently distance became only one of the factors across the overall “equation”. In this respect, a fundamental role is played by the effectiveness of inland connections. The better the connection of a port to the various inland markets, the bigger the potential to enlarge its overall captive area. Furthermore, the higher the “frictions” (bottlenecks, delays, etc.) for reaching the hinterland, the lower the inland traffic flows.The major purpose of the paper is to measure container traffic diversion from Ligurian ports (Genoa, La Spezia and Savona) to the main Italian and European competitors.The application of a gravity model will reveal the current role of distance in drawing hinterland market share among the selected ports. Moreover, for evaluating the unexploited potentialities of Ligurian ports, we compared real traffic flows with the outcomes of a spatial interaction model, reassigning inland container flows to the different sampled ports. The calculation of the traffic delta through a gap analysis, allowed measuring the “frictions” thwarting the connectivity between the Ligurian ports and the sampled hinterland regions. Finally, the paper discusses the nature and the reasons for the above traffic diversion.     

JOB SEARCH WITH BIDDER MEMORIES*

This article revisits the no‐recall assumption in job search models with take‐it‐or‐leave‐it offers. Workers who can recall previously encountered potential employers in order to engage them in Bertrand bidding have a distinct advantage over workers without such attachments. Firms account for this difference when hiring a worker. When a worker first meets a firm, the firm offers the worker a sufficient share of the match rents to avoid a bidding war in the future. The pair share the gains to trade. In this case, the Diamond paradox no longer holds.     

An EC-framework for scientific research and technological innovation

Science and technology have come under the fire of critics over the last ten years or so, but the present situation of mankind will call for more, and not less, human ingenuity. A particular problem for Europe to master is the need to improve the channels for translating scientific achievements into competitive engineering and technology. It is a problem which can best be solved within a coherent policy framework, designed and implemented at Community level.     

How R&D is coordinated in Japanese and European multinationals

What are the suitable forms and mechanisms for the coordination of international R&D and innovation processes in multinational corporations? This paper sets out to answer this question by exploratory research and interviews in 18 European and Japanese companies. As a conceptual background, four different categories of coordination mechanisms are generated (‘structural’, ‘hybrid’, ‘informal’ and ‘internal markets’). The empirical results show that Japanese companies make intensive use of personal contacts, informal communication and socialisation whereas European enterprises rely more on internal markets in R&D.     

Marginal places and tourism: the role of Buddhist centers in Italy

Religious tourism in Italy has always been an attractor at an international level. For many centuries, it has been entirely represented by the Christian pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica. In recent decades, however, the religious scenery has changed deeply, and now includes even non-Christian religions and spiritualities. In this paper we compare two (very different) Buddhist centers, both located in places of Italy where tourism is not (or is no more) a significant component of the local economy. Buddhist centers are increasingly becoming popular tourist attraction: our purpose is to investigate to what extent and under which conditions they can be actors of local tourism development. The most significant of these conditions seems to be the nature of the center itself, ranging from a hermitage relatively unconcerned about any quantitative development, to a structure where spiritual ends are reconciled both with expansion and with economic integration within the local community.