Taking the environment seriously in production network research, policy and practice: Insights from Kenyan horticulture

这项拟议的研究最大限度地提高了肯尼亚园艺农民参与生产网络的环境，经济和社会层面的博士研究的学术和非学术影响。新鲜水果和蔬菜是肯尼亚最重要的外汇收入来源之一，超过1200万农民依靠该部门维持生计。肯尼亚农民面临着非常具有挑战性的环境，需要同时应对不断变化的贸易模式和环境变化的影响。许多园艺贸易是通过价值链进行的，价值链是从生产或农场的初始阶段，经过加工和中间商，最终到零售商和消费者的一系列联系。虽然肯尼亚农民可以通过向欧洲和其他发达国家市场出口找到特别有利可图的机会，但他们需要遵守全球（或北方）超级市场规定的严格的私营标准和不断提高的环境要求。与此同时，东非的区域超级市场正在扩大，并有自己的标准要求，包括环境方面的标准要求。标准可能会威胁农民的生计，而气候变化和极端情况往往会进一步使农民的产品在全球和区域市场上被边缘化。该研究解决了参与不同价值链的农民如何与不同的环境压力作斗争的社会经济环境影响。该奖学金将建立在博士研究的基础上，涉及严格的混合方法，包括106个关键信息提供者访谈，6个焦点小组讨论和对肯尼亚四个县579名农民的调查（Murang 'a，Machakos，Nyandarua，Meru）在哪里雪豌豆，花园豌豆，鳄梨和芒果被生产。它表明，农民的环境升级能力，即在农业中使用更绿色的产品和工艺以及适应气候变化，在出口到欧洲的农民与在区域销售的农民之间存在巨大差异。如何升级以及区域创业农民。对肯尼亚的研究访问将提供一个重要的机会，以最大限度地提高肯尼亚园艺社区和政策制定者的非学术影响。它还将使新的试点研究成为可能，以应对肯尼亚园艺部门的一个新兴挑战-农业技术和食品技术，作为第四次工业革命的一部分。这项试点研究将为新的数字技术如何重构园艺价值链提供初步见解，为未来的研究项目奠定基础。除了与欧洲可持续发展标准利益相关者的互动活动外，我还将访问哥本哈根商学院，与环境和生产网络方面的领先研究人员合作。该研究金将有一个强有力的知识交流部分，重点是两个关键受众-布鲁塞尔、日内瓦和伦敦的可持续性标准利益攸关方;以及肯尼亚园艺政策制定者和社区。将举行一系列利益相关者会议、讲习班和政策说明，与这些团体交流研究成果。因此，我的研究结果将用于制定肯尼亚关于标准的立法，并有助于为农民创造具有复原力的生计。该研究金提供了一个机会，使学术界对环境和生产网络的新研究作出重大贡献，并提供一个证据基础，为政策和实践中的决策提供信息。总之，这个奖学金是一个很好的垫脚石，传播我的研究，建立新的网络和伙伴关系，学习新的沟通技巧，成为一个成功的研究人员。

This proposed research maximises the academic and non-academic impact of PhD research on the environmental, economic and social dimensions of Kenyan horticultural farmers participation in production networks. Fresh fruits and vegetables is one of Kenya's foremost foreign exchange earners, and over 12 million farmers depend on the sector for their livelihoods. Kenyan farmers face a very challenging environment, needing to simultaneously address the effects of changing trade patterns and environmental change. Much horticultural trade occurs through value chains, which are a series of linkages from the initial stages of production or farms, through processing and intermediaries and ultimately to retailers and consumers. While Kenyan farmers can find particularly lucrative opportunities through exporting to European and other developed country markets, they need to comply with stringent private standards with escalating environmental requirements which are mandated by global (or Northern) supermarkets. At the same time, regional supermarkets within East Africa are expanding and have their own standards requirements, including with environmental dimensions. Standards can threaten farmer livelihoods, while climate variability and extremes tend to further marginalize farmers' from selling into global and regional markets. The research addresses the socio-economic-environmental implications on how farmers participating in different value chains struggle with different environmental pressures.The fellowship will build on PhD research involving a rigorous, mixed-method approach, including 106 key informant interviews, six focus group discussions and a survey of 579 farmers across four counties in Kenya (Murang'a, Machakos, Nyandarua, Meru) where snow peas, garden peas, avocados and mangoes are produced. It demonstrates that farmers' ability to environmentally upgrade, i.e. use greener products and processes in farming and adapting to climate change, varies immensely between farmers exporting to Europe compared to those selling regionally.A central aspect of the programme of activities during the fellowship will be three articles for high impact journals on how farmers are embedded in different production networks, how they can upgrade and on regional entrepreneurial farmers. A research visit to Kenya will provide an essential opportunity to maximise the non-academic impact in relation to Kenyan horticultural communities and policymakers. It will also enable new pilot research on an emerging challenge within the Kenyan horticultural sector - Agtech and Foodtech as part of the 4th Industrial Revolution. This pilot research will provide initial insight into how new digital technologies may restructure horticultural value chains, setting a basis for future research projects. In addition to engagement events with sustainability standards' stakeholders in Europe, I will make a visit to Copenhagen Business School to collaborate with a leading researcher on the environment and production networks. The fellowship will have a strong knowledge exchange component, focused on two key audiences - a sustainability standards stakeholders in Brussels, Geneva and London; and Kenyan horticultural policymakers and communities. A series of stakeholder meetings, workshops and policy notes will be conducted to exchange the research results with these groups. My findings will thus be used to shape legislation in Kenya on standards and contribute to creating resilient livelihoods for farmers. The fellowship provides an opportunity to make a significant contribution to emerging research on environment and production networks within academia, and to provide an evidence base to inform decision making in policy and practice. In sum, this fellowship is an excellent stepping stone to disseminating my research, building new networks and partnerships and learning new communication skills to be a successful researcher.