Anais
Resumo do trabalho
Agribusiness · Inovação e Tecnologia
Título
Upgrading under Scarcity: Innovation Practices and Local Agency in the Cashew Chain in Guinea-Bissau
Palavras-chave
Frugal innovation
Cashew chain
Peripheral economies
Autores
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Marilia Fátima Cardoso de Pinho BrandãoUNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA (UFV)
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Ana Cláudia AzevedoUNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA (UFV)
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Luana Ferreira dos SantosUNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE VIÇOSA (UFV)
Resumo
Introdução
This study investigates the dynamics of productive upgrading in the cashew value chain in Guinea-Bissau, a low-income country marked by structural scarcity. It explores how local actors engage in innovation practices shaped by informality, weak institutions, and resource constraints.
Problema de Pesquisa e Objetivo
How do upgrading processes unfold in contexts of scarcity and institutional fragility? The objective is to identify context-specific upgrading strategies led by local actors in the cashew sector of Guinea-Bissau.
Fundamentação Teórica
The study integrates insights from global value chains, frugal innovation, and institutional entrepreneurship to propose the concept of "upgrading under scarcity" as a lens to analyze hybrid, adaptive, and context-driven innovation practices.
Metodologia
A qualitative approach combines literature review, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The analytical framework is based on four dimensions of upgrading: product, process, functional, and intersectoral, emphasizing local agency.
Análise dos Resultados
Results reveal fragmented and adaptive upgrading practices, including selective certification, partial automation, energy from byproducts, small-scale diversification, and horizontal cooperation, reflecting pragmatic strategies under constraints.
Conclusão
Upgrading in Guinea-Bissau's cashew sector occurs informally and nonlinearly, driven by local agency and frugal strategies. The "upgrading under scarcity" lens helps explain how transformation happens in peripheral economies under adverse conditions.
Contribuição / Impacto
The article contributes to the literature by showing how value creation is possible in low-income, institutionally weak environments. It proposes a context-sensitive framework for analyzing innovation and upgrading in marginalized settings.
Referências Bibliográficas
Humphrey, J. and Schmitz, H. (2002), "How does insertion in global value chains affect upgrading in industrial clusters?", Regional Studies, Vol. 36 No. 9, pp. 1017–1027
De Marchi, V., Giuliani, E. and Rabellotti, R. (2018), "Do global value chains offer developing countries learning and innovation opportunities?", The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 30, pp. 389–407
Knorringa, P., Peša, I., Leliveld, A. and Van Beers, C. (2016), "Frugal innovation and development: Aides or adversaries?", The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 143–153
De Marchi, V., Giuliani, E. and Rabellotti, R. (2018), "Do global value chains offer developing countries learning and innovation opportunities?", The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 30, pp. 389–407
Knorringa, P., Peša, I., Leliveld, A. and Van Beers, C. (2016), "Frugal innovation and development: Aides or adversaries?", The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 143–153