Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung

University degrees

  • M.Sc. Agricultural Economics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, 2006


  • B.Sc. Agriculture, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, 2003



Studies

  • 2001-2006: Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, Agricultural Economics



Work Experience

  • 2005/2006: Consulting Assistant, Ofxam e.V., Berlin, Germany



Topic of dissertation
Linking smallholder farmers to high-value markets: opportunities and institutional challenges

Background
The production and marketing of high-value agricultural commodities – such as fruits, vegetables, and livestock products – has been an important source of cash income for small-scale farmers in the northern mountainous regions of Thailand. However, against the background of recent free trade agreements and market liberalization, there is increasing national and international competition, partly leading to significant price decreases. Given structural disadvantages of farmers in northern Thailand, it will be very difficult for them to achieve and maintain a competitive position in markets for undifferentiated high-value products. Therefore, product differentiation – in terms of health attributes (e.g., low-pesticide residues, free from diseases and pathogens), taste (e.g., indigenous livestock breeds), time (e.g., offseason production), or processing characteristics (e.g., packaging, drying, canning) – could be a promising alternative.


Objectives
Assess the success of smallholder farmers in northern Thailand in regard to their participation in differentiated fruit and vegetable markets and under different institutional arrangements.

  • determinants for the participation of different actors in the various agreements



  • impacts of a certain agreement on small farmers



  • determinants for the organisation of a certain agreement



Assess how effective and efficient existing institutional mechanisms are for preserving product differentiation throughout the supply chain in Thailand.

  • variety of institutional mechanisms in form of standards, labels and other



  • distinctions between the different mechanisms



  • determinants for a certain mechanism



Field research

Field research takes place in the Mae Sa Watershed in Northern Thailand.
Methodology:

  • Quantitative interviews with farmers in 9 villages with respect to current land-use systems and institutional arrangements between farmers and traders


  • Qualitative interviews with traders and other key informants to assess the institutional setting


  • Analysis of household characteristics in regard to integration in high value markets and analysis of income effects of different markets using different econometric approaches


  • Analysis of institutional arrangements and farmers behaviour with conjoint analysis


  • Qualitative Analysis of semi-structured interviews


  • March – July 2006



Disciplinary orientation
Agricultural and Socio Economics
Inter-/National Agricultural Trade

Timetable: August 2006 - July 2009
Begin: August 2006

Publications




Presentations

  • University of Hohenheim, October 2006, “Value chains for a better integration to trade – the case of chilli in Ghana”, Poster at the Tropentag




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