How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists

The poor integration of pastoral households into milk markets has been attributed to several aspects, including the mobile nature of pastoralists and seasonal fluctuations in milk volumes. Pastoralists also keep their cattle as a store of wealth, meaning they are keener to increase livestock numbers...

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Autores principales: Kihoro, Esther, Crane, Todd A., Lupatu, Habib, Vellema, Sietze
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Informa UK Limited 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/170276
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author Kihoro, Esther
Crane, Todd A.
Lupatu, Habib
Vellema, Sietze
author_browse Crane, Todd A.
Kihoro, Esther
Lupatu, Habib
Vellema, Sietze
author_facet Kihoro, Esther
Crane, Todd A.
Lupatu, Habib
Vellema, Sietze
author_sort Kihoro, Esther
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The poor integration of pastoral households into milk markets has been attributed to several aspects, including the mobile nature of pastoralists and seasonal fluctuations in milk volumes. Pastoralists also keep their cattle as a store of wealth, meaning they are keener to increase livestock numbers than their productivity. These aspects make it risky for traders to source milk from pastoral households because of the high transaction costs and the uncertainty of milk prices and volumes. This study evaluates the practice of sourcing milk and the innovative strategies used by several traders to ensure that pastoral households are integrated into milk markets. Methodologically, we use the practice approach, where practices are meaning-making and order-producing activities that result in an institutionalised way of doing. The results indicate that previous market engagement for pastoralists took place in a rigid, predetermined context that failed to account for pastoralists’ varying production practices. Our analysis shows how the skillful performance of traders and motorbike milk aggregators has aligned with the logic and interests of pastoralists. However, this alignment capacity can only be realised under specific conditions, which involve aligning with local production systems, coordinating with intermediaries, and having a flexible approach to marketing prices and buyers across seasons. This study highlights that economic organization emerges from everyday action and problem-solving and is not only an outcome of an intentional system design. In doing so, this study contributes to more realistic needs-driven business intervention strategies that are beneficial in achieving inclusive rural development.
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institution CGIAR Consortium
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publishDate 2024
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spelling CGSpace1702762025-11-13T10:38:53Z How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists Kihoro, Esther Crane, Todd A. Lupatu, Habib Vellema, Sietze cattle households livestock milk milk collection pastoralists The poor integration of pastoral households into milk markets has been attributed to several aspects, including the mobile nature of pastoralists and seasonal fluctuations in milk volumes. Pastoralists also keep their cattle as a store of wealth, meaning they are keener to increase livestock numbers than their productivity. These aspects make it risky for traders to source milk from pastoral households because of the high transaction costs and the uncertainty of milk prices and volumes. This study evaluates the practice of sourcing milk and the innovative strategies used by several traders to ensure that pastoral households are integrated into milk markets. Methodologically, we use the practice approach, where practices are meaning-making and order-producing activities that result in an institutionalised way of doing. The results indicate that previous market engagement for pastoralists took place in a rigid, predetermined context that failed to account for pastoralists’ varying production practices. Our analysis shows how the skillful performance of traders and motorbike milk aggregators has aligned with the logic and interests of pastoralists. However, this alignment capacity can only be realised under specific conditions, which involve aligning with local production systems, coordinating with intermediaries, and having a flexible approach to marketing prices and buyers across seasons. This study highlights that economic organization emerges from everyday action and problem-solving and is not only an outcome of an intentional system design. In doing so, this study contributes to more realistic needs-driven business intervention strategies that are beneficial in achieving inclusive rural development. 2024-12-31 2025-01-28T22:12:33Z 2025-01-28T22:12:33Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/170276 en Open Access Informa UK Limited Kihoro, E., Crane, T.A., Lupatu, H. and Vellema, S. 2024. How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists. NJAS: Impact in agricultural and life sciences 2024, Vol. 96, No. 1, 2384366. https://doi.org/10.1080/27685241.2024.2384366
spellingShingle cattle
households
livestock
milk
milk collection
pastoralists
Kihoro, Esther
Crane, Todd A.
Lupatu, Habib
Vellema, Sietze
How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title_full How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title_fullStr How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title_full_unstemmed How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title_short How rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices: A case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
title_sort how rigid business approaches paved the way for inclusive business practices a case study of innovative milk trading practices aligned with pastoralists
topic cattle
households
livestock
milk
milk collection
pastoralists
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/170276
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