Melissa van der Merwe
Biographic Data
| ID | 9594095 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melissa van der Merwe |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melissa |
| FAMILY NAME | van der Merwe |
| SIGNATURE | VAN DER MERWE M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Stellenbosch University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2852-8419 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 9 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Blockchain in agricultural value chains of developing economies – progress, challenges, and future pathways
Blockchain technology has been evolving with widespread applications where it enables timestamping and transfer of goods based on cryptographic proof instead of trust. This allows parties to transact without a trusted third party, which lowers transaction costs and supports efficient trade. Although sharing almost tamper-proof records is a significant benefit of blockchain, several authors caution against presenting the technology as a silver bul…
Trade or trap? The impact of EU trade policies on South Africa's agri-food exports
This paper investigates the potential negative impact of the European Union's (EU) agri-food import practices on the competitiveness of South Africa's agricultural sector by applying the Constant Market Share (CMS) model to a 20-year dataset in the context of trade liberalisation and the slowdown in global value chain activity on agri-food trade. This study is the first to utilise the CMS model over an extended period to assess the competitivenes…
Case in point
This paper makes an empirical and methodological contribution to estimating the impact of failed support services, such as electricity, on agricultural value chains. Our research offers estimates of the effects of loadshedding (scheduled power outages) on three distinct agricultural value chains, along with strategies used to manage these disruptions. To compare the effects of loadshedding with a baseline of uninterrupted electricity supply, we u…
How do we secure a future for the youth in South African agriculture
Despite agriculture being the largest employer of young people, South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. The youth are increasingly disinterested in agriculture and often view it as a last resort in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. This paper explores strategies to change these negative perceptions and attract young people to agriculture. Drawing on twenty-two studies conducted over the past decade, national grade 12 st…
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economists have continuously raised questions about their role in the wider economy and society since the discipline's establishment. This led to continuous reinvention, development and stretching of the discipline's boundaries. We have seen the same critique by scholars in other disciplines; many of these evolved to thrive or regressed to die. This begs the question, is the agricultural economics discipline evolving and adapting to …
Is persistent “loadshedding” pulling the plug on agriculture in the Western Cape, South Africa
Besides a few industry reports on the impact of loadshedding on agriculture, there is a dearth of literature on the electricity dependence and the impact of loadshedding on the South African agricultural sector. We aim to make two main contributions. First, we analyse the electricity dependence of the agricultural sector and assess how loadshedding impacts the sector's various economic activities. Second, we employ Interactive Qualitative Analysi…
Hotspots of vulnerability and disruption in food value chains during Covid-19 in South Africa
We use a primary data set from a survey of medium and large firms and farms in the beef, citrus, and maize value chains in South Africa during March-June 2020, the early and late phases of the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. We have five main findings. (1) The initial lockdown regulations declared as “essential” the product (vertical) value chains but left as “inessential” the important “lateral” value chains delivering labour, materials, and logisti…
What factors influence smallholder farmers’ decision to select a milk marketing channel in Zambia
Farmers are faced with computational and informational limitations when making marketing decisions. This holds true for Zambian dairy farmers. This study examined the factors that influence the choice of milk marketing channels among 251 smallholder farmers in Zambia participating in milk production and marketing using a multinomial logit model approach. Three milk marketing channels were identified: direct, traditional, and modern. Relative to t…
Asymmetry in food safety information – the case of the 2018 Listeriosis outbreak and low-income, urban consumers in Gauteng, South Africa
This study considered the efficiency with which food safety information is received and retained by low-income consumers in South Africa. Primary data from 110 low-income, urban, food consumers around Gauteng were collected and analysed with a willingness to pay (WTP) experiment and a proportional odds model. The study found that initially, 47% of the respondents claimed to know what Listeriosis is. Data validation, and a WTP experiment, however,…
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Asymmetry in food safety information – the case of the 2018 Listeriosis outbreak and low-income, urban consumers in Gauteng, South Africa
This study considered the efficiency with which food safety information is received and retained by low-income consumers in South Africa. Primary data from 110 low-income, urban, food consumers around Gauteng were collected and analysed with a willingness to pay (WTP) experiment and a proportional odds model. The study found that initially, 47% of the respondents claimed to know what Listeriosis is. Data validation, and a WTP experiment, however,…
What factors influence smallholder farmers’ decision to select a milk marketing channel in Zambia
Farmers are faced with computational and informational limitations when making marketing decisions. This holds true for Zambian dairy farmers. This study examined the factors that influence the choice of milk marketing channels among 251 smallholder farmers in Zambia participating in milk production and marketing using a multinomial logit model approach. Three milk marketing channels were identified: direct, traditional, and modern. Relative to t…
Hotspots of vulnerability and disruption in food value chains during Covid-19 in South Africa
We use a primary data set from a survey of medium and large firms and farms in the beef, citrus, and maize value chains in South Africa during March-June 2020, the early and late phases of the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. We have five main findings. (1) The initial lockdown regulations declared as “essential” the product (vertical) value chains but left as “inessential” the important “lateral” value chains delivering labour, materials, and logisti…
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economists have continuously raised questions about their role in the wider economy and society since the discipline's establishment. This led to continuous reinvention, development and stretching of the discipline's boundaries. We have seen the same critique by scholars in other disciplines; many of these evolved to thrive or regressed to die. This begs the question, is the agricultural economics discipline evolving and adapting to …
Is persistent “loadshedding” pulling the plug on agriculture in the Western Cape, South Africa
Besides a few industry reports on the impact of loadshedding on agriculture, there is a dearth of literature on the electricity dependence and the impact of loadshedding on the South African agricultural sector. We aim to make two main contributions. First, we analyse the electricity dependence of the agricultural sector and assess how loadshedding impacts the sector's various economic activities. Second, we employ Interactive Qualitative Analysi…
How do we secure a future for the youth in South African agriculture
Despite agriculture being the largest employer of young people, South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. The youth are increasingly disinterested in agriculture and often view it as a last resort in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. This paper explores strategies to change these negative perceptions and attract young people to agriculture. Drawing on twenty-two studies conducted over the past decade, national grade 12 st…
Blockchain in agricultural value chains of developing economies – progress, challenges, and future pathways
Blockchain technology has been evolving with widespread applications where it enables timestamping and transfer of goods based on cryptographic proof instead of trust. This allows parties to transact without a trusted third party, which lowers transaction costs and supports efficient trade. Although sharing almost tamper-proof records is a significant benefit of blockchain, several authors caution against presenting the technology as a silver bul…
Trade or trap? The impact of EU trade policies on South Africa's agri-food exports
This paper investigates the potential negative impact of the European Union's (EU) agri-food import practices on the competitiveness of South Africa's agricultural sector by applying the Constant Market Share (CMS) model to a 20-year dataset in the context of trade liberalisation and the slowdown in global value chain activity on agri-food trade. This study is the first to utilise the CMS model over an extended period to assess the competitivenes…
Case in point
This paper makes an empirical and methodological contribution to estimating the impact of failed support services, such as electricity, on agricultural value chains. Our research offers estimates of the effects of loadshedding (scheduled power outages) on three distinct agricultural value chains, along with strategies used to manage these disruptions. To compare the effects of loadshedding with a baseline of uninterrupted electricity supply, we u…
Economics (8 works) · Business (6 works) · Agriculture (5 works) · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development (4 works) · Agricultural Innovations and Practices (3 works) · Geography (3 works) · Industrial organization (3 works) · Agricultural economics (2 works) · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact (2 works) · International trade (2 works)