@masterthesis{Joseph2025, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Joseph, Balogun}, title = {The Role of Online Marketplaces in Reshaping Agribusiness Sales and Distribution: Evidence from Ibadan and Lagos, Nigeria.}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-23358}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {69}, year = {2025}, abstract = {1.1 Context and Background Online marketplaces are applications or web sites on which products are advertised and sold. They are used in the agricultural sector to bring sellers and buyers together. Farmers advertise about their products and customers give their orders. The payment may be done prior or after delivery. The tools enable farmers to sell without traveling. They also decrease the number of intermediaries. There are sites that allow the customer to rate sellers. There are also people sharing updates on delivery or assisting with tracking goods (Eweoya et al., 2021). Trade in farm goods is evolving in Nigeria, owing to online trade. Most of the farmers would sell in open markets only. The prices were frequently low and middlemen absorbed the better part of the profit (Morepje et al., 2024). It is now easier to connect farmers and buyers by way of mobile phones and enhanced internet. Through online, farmers are able to access directly to homes, stores and even export firms. They save time and minimize wastes because customers do not need to travel in order to make an order. This idea was tested with some of the pioneer platforms in Nigeria (Abubakar et al., 2019). Farmcrowdy began as an initiative to finance small growers and match them with consumers. Agricorp constructed a system to exchange crops such as ginger and grains between states. OjaNow also connects small farms with homes and restaurants who desire fresh food. The services are used to assist farmers in selling more as they remain on their farms. Customers are able to shop and deliver farm products to their front door by making an online order. The platforms also assist the farmers to know what is being demanded as well as the price that the buyers are willing to pay. They operate most of them on basic mobile phones and hence can be used even in places with poor internet connections (Ogbeide-Osaretin and Ebhote, 2020). Online market places have changed the way farmers market their produce because they reach a greater distance than the local area. Most farmers used to sell within their towns only, but now digital platforms enable them to sell to the buyers in such cities 2 like Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan. By using such platforms, they are no longer restricted to set days of the market since sales may be carried out at any given time. This flexibility is time-saving, generates more turnover, and allows farmers to deliver food to a larger group of consumers, such as hotels, stores, and schools (Mani and Singh, 2022). Online tools have also decreased the price of selling farm produce in addition to increasing their markets. Farmers will have the opportunity to self-service their prices and deal directly with buyers by eliminating transport costs and bypassing several intermediaries. This enhanced control on prices does not only enhance their earnings, but also promotes fairness and transparency in trade. Buyers, in their turn, have an advantage of price comparison between various sellers prior to acquiring a particular good, which causes more competitive pricing and low fraud potential (Xiao, et al., 2021). The use of online platforms in integrating with local logistics and transport networks has made delivery much faster. Today many platforms collaborate with professional drivers and delivery crews that provide the delivery of the orders and their transportation at the same time. This has been especially beneficial to perishable products like tomatoes, vegetables, and fruits, whose delivery must be done in a timely manner to preserve their freshness and quality. Consequently, fewer produce is wasted as it goes to waste prior to reaching the consumers hence less waste and the general efficiency of the supply chain. Buyers get healthier and fresher food, and sellers save some money and losses of unsold or spoilt products. This credibility also builds trust between the two parties, as customers get to trust merchants with quality goods, and sellers go out of their way to keep their standards (Agrawal et al., 2021). Farmcrowdy, Thrive Agric, OjaNow, and Agricorp are the ones that have introduced similar systems in Nigeria, where both large-scale and smallholder farmers can engage in an effective and efficient digital trade (Akinwale et al., 2023). Most farmers access them via mobile phones as majority of the applications are phone-based. These sites are very popular in cities where there are greater internet connectivity. They are used by farmers to add the name of crops and buyers to make orders. During harvest, when there is plenty in supply, use is greatest. These tools are more acceptable by young farmers compared to the old. They are also common among traders and restaurants as they require constant supply. Information is also 3 useful on online platforms. Farmers are aware of the demand of crops and their price rates. This helps them plan better. They grow what people want. They also make the best decision regarding the time to sell. Buyers utilize the same information to determine whether the prices can increase or decrease. Other websites provide notifications to make fast decisions. This enhances better planning of farmers and reduces waste (Alkahtani et al., 2021). Online sales have simplified the process of farming, but a number of issues also persist. Previous research has concentrated largely on the rural farmers with little attention paid to the use of these digital tools by the smallholder and urban farmers. Visiting the city like Ibadan and Lagos, farmers have special marketing and distribution issues that are not the same as found in the countryside (Sadiq et al., 2025). A large number of these urban farmers work on small pieces of land and depend on fast sales in order to avoid losses after harvest. Nevertheless, they have problems with the lack of storage facilities and the inadequacy of transport systems (Agri et al., 2020). Few studies have examined these particular constraints in the smallholder farmers (Kabo-Bah \& Bannor, 2025). The available research is rather inclined to investigate farmers access to the online platform instead of studying the impact of these tools on logistics, the speed of delivery, or storage (Trang et al., 2024; Olamide et al., 2024). Consequently, some critical questions will go unanswered, including the ways in which digital platforms can mitigate food wastage or make supply more efficient. Smallholder and urban farmers should be given more attention in future studies to offer a complete picture of the effects of online marketplaces (Akanni and Gabriel, 2020). There are numerous impediments in agribusiness in online marketplaces. Trust is a major concern. Online payments are a worry to the farmers since they are not sure that they are safe. Customers are concerned with counterfeits that are sold via these sites. A lot of farmers also cannot access because of poor power supply and weak network. Other farmers are not phone savvy and like their traditional mode of selling (Eweoya et al., 2021). One of the concerns is capacity building. The farmers should be well trained on how to utilize online sales tools. In their absence, a number of them might not enjoy the use of digital platforms. Hence, further research is necessary that will help to investigate the ways these tools are applied in the day-to-day life of farmers and how they can be trained to achieve better results. Online sales can empower farm 4 markets in Nigeria, albeit, its implementation requires farmers to leverage it effectively. It will be possible to understand which areas these platforms are most effective and which ones provide difficulties and use this information to develop more effective training and support programmes by the government and agricultural support groups. It will contribute to reinforcing what is already effective and bridging the gaps that may still exist (Ogbeide-Osaretin and Ebhote, 2020). Therefore, online stores are influencing the movement of food between farms and Nigerian households. They create new sales opportunities and enhance crop planning but there are still numerous problems. The studies are required to observe the impact of these platforms on storage, transportation as well as urban agriculture. An explicit analysis of the areas will inform policies that can empower farmers and enhance food supply.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MenneBeckerSonntagetal., author = {Menne, Jannis and Becker, Rolf and Sonntag, Jan and Waldmann, Anja and Kreter, Ana C. and Wiedemann, Steffi}, title = {AI-Driven Approaches for Animal Welfare Monitoring in Agroforestry Systems}, publisher = {European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP)}, address = {Zuerich}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-23348}, pages = {44}, abstract = {Climate change and shifting agricultural practices require innovative methods to monitor and improve animal welfare for pasture-based and other outdoor livestock. Agroforestry systems, integrating livestock with trees, shrubs and other woody vegetation, might provide shade, shelter, diversified feed and improved microclimates but require advanced monitoring to assess their impact on animal well-being. As part of the Agroforestry Living Laboratory at Rhine-Waal University, we are developing AI-driven, sensor-based solutions to monitor livestock welfare, focusing on small ruminants as well as poultry. To achieve this, we are evaluating AI-based monitoring methods to improve our understanding of animal welfare, while evaluating the role of different data sources. Sensors on animals collect data on movement patterns, and shade use, potentially providing insights into behavioral adaptations and stress responses. Stationary non-invasive camera systems are tested using computer vision and AI to assess posture, interactions, and activity on individual and group levels. Additionally, microclimate sensors might measure environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and radiation to evaluate their effects on animal behavior. As agroforestry systems are often in remote areas without external power, we also analyze the potential of self-sustaining sensor networks powered by solar energy and edge computing. These systems minimize energy consumption through deep-sleep modes and decentralized data processing, ensuring continuous monitoring without constant human intervention. By integrating AI-driven pattern recognition with agroforestry systems, we aim to establish an autonomous, energy-efficient monitoring network for further insights into animal welfare, behavioral changes, and environmental adaptation. Though still in development, early findings suggest these methods might enhance data-driven decision-making for sustainable pasture management, benefiting both animal welfare and agroforestry system resilience.}, language = {en} }