尼日利亚番茄种植者生产和处理实践的市场渠道和其他驱动因素

Mesay Yami1· Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie2· Oladayo Olayinka1· Tesfamicheal Wossen3· Futoshi Yamauchi4·Shiferaw Feleke5· Tahirou Abdoulaye6 Received: 5 April 2024 / Accepted: 7 January 2026© The Author(s) 2026 Abstract Non-contract farming arrangements remain the dominant marketing option for poor, often food-insecure smallholder farm-ers in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet such farming arrangements are less studied than contract farming.Using a case study of 1,673 Nigerian tomato farmers, this study examined whether selling to midstream actors such aswholesalers and aggregators (via informal market arrangements) supports farmers’ adoption of good agricultural practices.We first explored the drivers of farmer sales to different market channels using a multinomial logit model. Then, usingmultivariate probit analysis, we identified factors associated with the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) andgood handling practices (GHP) with particular attention to a farmers’ market channel. We found that larger smallholderfarmers using modern irrigation are more likely to sell to midstream actors. We also found that selling to wholesalers KeywordsMidstream actors· Market channel· Non-contract farming· Good agricultural practices· Good handling 1Introduction Recent studies have documented the rapid transformationof the food systems in low- and middle-income countries(LMICs) (Nuhu et al.,2021; Reardon et al.,2019). This trans-formation is partly driven by rising consumer demand- andthe accompanying shift in consumption patterns - associatedwith increased urbanization and income (Nuhu et al.,2021;Reardon et al.,2019; Tschirley et al.,2015). A key featureof this transformation is the growth of activities in the mid-stream and downstream food supply chains, including pro-cessing, logistics, wholesale, and retail (Liverpool-Tasie etal.,2020; Reardon et al.,2021). Though this transformation International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan,NigeriaMichigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI, USAInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),Nairobi, Kenya cases where midstream actors provide support to farmerswho sell to them (e.g., credit or logistical support), their rolein promoting farmer adoption of good agricultural practices(GAP) and good handling practices (GHP) remains largelyunexplored, particularly in the context of informal market 2017; Veldstra et al.,2014). More recently, de SteenhuijsenPiters et al. (2025) highlight the contributions of informalfood systems and present an analytical framework to under-stand their motivations and strategies, demonstrating how Despite these recent trends, there is still extremely lim-ited information on how farmers’ interactions with informalmarket channels, which smallholders largely engage in, in theabsence of formal contracts, can stimulate their adoption ofGHP and GAP. This is particularly relevant in the context ofLMICs, as actors in the informal sector play a major role inthe domestic food supply from primary production to retail,but their crucial role in sustainable food systems provisionand their potential contribution to improved food systems GAP and GHP along food supply chains are importantfor smallholder productivity. On the farm, yield and productquality are affected by farmer practices at different stagesof production, i.e., pre-planting, planting, and post-planting(Mengistie et al.,2017; Harrison et al.,2013). Smallholderfarmers’ non-compliance with these on-farm practices couldincrease the risk of foodborne illness among consumers andhave serious environmental and human health consequences(Estrada-Acosta et al.,2014; Lepper et al.,2021; Marine etal.,2016; Materon et al.,2007). Farmer adoption of GAP outcomes are generally not well recognized because of theinformal nature. As a result, informal sectors are insufficientlyincluded in the efforts of governments, non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs), and development partners to improvelivelihoods and the safety and accessibility of healthy foods Recent studies emphasize that GAP and GHP haveimplications not only for agricultural productivity but alsofor broader food security outcomes across the value chain(Arah et al.,2016; Estrada-Acosta et al.,2014; Lepper etal.,2021; Marine et al.,2016; Materon et al.,2007; Yamiet al.,2025). For upstream actors such as smallholder pro-ducers, adherence to safe pesticide use and managementpractices, a critical component of GAP, supports compli-ance with food safety standards (Yami et al.,2025). Forinstance, farmer’s ability to identify counterfeit pesticideson the market may enable them to avoid such products andapply appropriate chemicals at the right dosage, time, andfrequency. These practices (along with proper disposal ofchemical containers) are among the major components ofGAP for vegetable farming (Arah et al.,2016; Mengistieet al.,2017)and have important implications for compli-ance with pre-harvest intervals and