FFTC Journal of Agricultural Policy

Accepted Manuscripts

From Farm to Table Concept: The Profile and Dynamics of Urban Farming on Agrofood Supply Chain in Malaysia

Aimi Athirah Ahmad, Nik Rahimah Nik Omar, Masnira Mohammad Yusoff, Mohammad Abid Ahmad

Due to its interdisciplinary nature and complexity, food supply chain management demands specialized study. The conventional food supply chain includes production, processing, retail, distribution, and consumption. Issues related to the food supply chain are perishability, seasonality, long production cycles, variability in quantity and quality, and transportation costs that might disturb the chain. Urban farming is a potential intervention method for planners to support sustainable food production and shorten supply chains. This paper aimed to determine the supply chain of two urban farm concepts in Malaysia: community gardens (CG) and plant factories (PF). This research used quantitative methods, and the primary data were collected through a structured face-to-face interview involving 154 community garden leaders and 15 plant factory producers between September 2021 and July 2022. Most of the community garden products were sold through direct sales (62%), while the plant factory marketing channel comprised of a One-Level channel that involved restaurants (26%), supermarkets (22%), and direct sales (35%). Furthermore, direct sales are preferable marketing channels for CG and PF as the freshness of the product can be maintained. The results delivered evidence of the potential to harness the multi-functionality of urban farming to improve food security and address community engagement. This shorter supply chain is also associated with higher quality products (freshness), healthy eating, and sustainable production.

Keywords: Supply chain; urban farming; community garden; plant factory; food security

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Farmers’ Awareness and Adaptation Measures to Climate Change in Lai Chau Province, Vietnam

Vu Thi My Hue, Hio-Jung Shin, Nguyen Tien Da

Climate change is a worldwide environmental threat that has an impact on all economic sectors, especially on agriculture. In Vietnam, Lai Chau province is the most vulnerable province to climate change because of its high exposure to extreme weather events as well as its limited capacity to adaptation. The objectives of this study are to explore farmers’ awareness of climate change, adaptation measures, and identify the key factors affecting the farmers’ adaptation decision in Lai Chau province, Vietnam. The study used survey data of 200 farmers and secondary data to explore the research objectives by using the risk matrix and a multivariate probit model. The results showed that most farmers believed the presence of climate change and the major causes are due to anthropogenic activities. In the context of climate change, 78.5% of the farmers applied adaptive measures on their farms. The farmers used seven adaptation methods and they were likely to combine simultaneously several strategies to manage climate risks. Farming experience, farm size, farmer association’s membership, credit access, extension service, distance to market, and risk perception exposed significant impacts on the farmers’ decision to adaptation practices. The findings of the study suggest the government should encourage farmers to expand production and promote the implementation of the land accumulation program while providing information regarding climate change scenarios, seasonal variability, and information about the impacts of climate change.

Keywords: Adaptation Strategy, Awareness of Climate Change, Lai Chau Province, Multivariate Probit Model

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