Morton, John ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8013-5794, Wane, Abdrahmane and Bennett, Christopher (2025) Beef value chains in Eswatini and Zimbabwe: context, governance and risk. Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies. ISSN 2425-6870 (Print), 2425-6897 (Online) (In Press)

PDF (Author's Accepted Manuscript) 51048 MORTON_Beef_Value_Chains_In_Eswatini_And_Zimbabwe_(AAM)_2025.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (628kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Purpose: To advance discussions of the impact of historical and political contexts on value chain governance and value chain performance.
Method: Comparison and elaboration of two recent interdisciplinary reports on beef value chains in Eswatini and Zimbabwe, countries that share important geographical, cultural and economic features.
Results: The article reviews literature on policies governing meat export from Southern Africa to Europe and their impacts, and on concepts of governance and power in value chains. It then sets out evidence from the two studies and other sources on a) a shared history of settler colonialism and its different impacts on the two countries in terms of land tenure, agrarian structures and governance; and b) the multifunctionality of cattle in both countries which includes cultural values and multiple use values such as draft
power and manure, affecting smallholder behaviour within value chains. Value chains in the two countries are placed in three categories by their degrees of vertical coordination: reputation-based spot markets in communal areas, a more formal but still
reputation-based domestic market (these two value chains are found in both countries), and an export market (found only in Eswatini). Horizontal coordination in all these value chains is limited. A variety of risks related to weaknesses in horizontal and
vertical coordination are identified.
Conclusion: The legacy of settler colonialism, and different responses to it, have greatly impacted the governance and performance of the two value chains. Conclusions are drawn on future policy towards livestock value chains in Southern Africa, and the greater integration of historical and contextual factors in the analysis of value chains and their governance.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	beef, livestock, value chains, Zimbabwe, Eswatini
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD61 Risk Management S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Society, Environment and Development (CSED) Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Society, Environment and Development (CSED) > Climate Change
Last Modified:	17 Sep 2025 15:57
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/51048

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads