Agricultural Development Strategies Research Articles

Green Nanopesticide: pH Response and Molybdenum Selenide Carrier with Photothermal Effect to Transport Prochloraz to Inhibit Sclerotinia Disease.

Accurate pesticide delivery is a key factor in improving pesticide utilization, which can effectively reduce the use of pesticides and environmental risks. In this study, we developed a nanocarrier preparation method which can be controlled by pH/near-infrared response. Mesoporous molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) with a high loading rate was used as the core, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with acid response was used as the shell, and prochloraz (Pro) was loaded to form a pH-/near-infrared-responsive core-shell nanosystem (Pro@MoSe2@PAA NPs, abbreviated as PMP). Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection secretes oxalic acid, forming an acidic microenvironment. In an acidic environment, PMP could quickly release Pro, and the cumulative release amount of Pro at pH = 5.0 was 3.1 times higher than that at pH = 7.4, and the efficiency of releasing Pro in the acidic environment was significantly enhanced. In addition, the release rate of PMP under near-infrared light irradiation was also significantly improved, and the cumulative release of Pro under simulated sunlight was 2.35 times higher than that under no light. The contact angles of PMP droplets on rapeseeds were reduced by 31.2 and 13.9% compared to Pro and MoSe2, respectively, which proved that the nanosystems had good wettability. In addition, PMP shows excellent adhesion and resistance to simulated rain washout. In the plate antibacterial experiment, the inhibitory effect of 0.5 μg/mL PMP on S. sclerotiorum was as high as 75.2% after 6 days, which showed a higher bactericidal activity than Pro. More importantly, PMP shows excellent biocompatibility and safety to plants, microorganisms, and cells. In a word, PMP is a green nanopesticide with a dual response of pH/near-infrared light, which provides a new strategy for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Development Strategy of Food Crop Agriculture Sub-sector In Improving Farmers' Welfare

This study aims to describe the priority strategy of agricultural sub-sector development in improving farmers’ welfare. The data used in this study were primary and secondary data. Secondary data included: GRDP of Sumbawa District, GRDP of NTB Province, and other supporting data for this study. Primary data were: Experts Opinion Questionnaire or experts related to research problems. Respondents of this study were: bureaucrat respondents, academic respondents, farmer group respondents, and businessmen respondents. The determination of respondents used was purposive sampling technique which consisted of 30 respondents. The data analysis used was Process Hierarchy Analysis (AHP). The results of the study showed that: (1) Central government policies were a priority for achieving goals, compared to regional government policies. (2) Related to central government policy factor, protecting farmers was a priority compared to empowering farmers. (3) Regarding to protecting farmers, optimizing the role of Indonesia Logistics Bureau (BULOG) and implementing Warehouse Receipts was a priority. (4) Regarding the empowerment of farmers, the development of systems and facilities for marketing agricultural products was a priority. (5) The results of AHP showed that central government policies need to be considered and prioritized in crop agricultural sub-sector development strategy to improve farmers' welfare. Then to achieve the welfare of sub-criteria farmers, the protection of farmers must be prioritized. Furthermore, the alternative main priority in determining the strategy was optimizing the role of Indonesia Logistics Bureau (Bulog) and implementing Warehouse receipts. Keywords: Strategy, Kesejahteraan Petani, Analythical Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Redesigning a S-nitrosylated pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 to generate high-malate and saline-alkali-tolerant tomato.

Although saline-alkali stress can improve tomato quality, the detailed molecular processes that balance stress tolerance and quality are not well-understood. Our research links nitric oxide (NO) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with the control of root malate exudation and fruit malate storage, mediated by aluminium-activated malate transporter 9/14 (SlALMT9/14). By modifying a specific S-nitrosylated site on pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 (SlGABA-TP1), we have found a way to enhance both plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality. Under saline-alkali stress, NO levels vary in tomato roots and fruits. High NO in roots leads to S-nitrosylation of SlGABA-TP1/2/3 at Cys316/258/316, reducing their activity and increasing GABA. This GABA then reduces malate exudation from roots and affects saline-alkali tolerance by interacting with SlALMT14. In fruits, a moderate NO level boosts SlGABA-TP1 expression and GABA breakdown, easing GABA's block on SlALMT9 and increasing malate storage. Mutants of SlGABA-TP1C316S that do not undergo S-nitrosylation maintain high activity, supporting malate movement in both roots and fruits under stress. This study suggests targeting SlGABA-TP1Cys316 in tomato breeding could significantly improve plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality, offering a promising strategy for agricultural development.

PROPOSING SOLUTIONS TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE USING THE T-FANP MODEL

The aim of this study is to propose priority strategies for agricultural development amidst drought in Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam. In the context of drought, the agricultural sector faces significant challenges due to the impact of both natural and socio-economic factors. In order to conduct this research and propose effective strategies, the study utilized the SWOT analysis model via the TOWS matrix, delineating 15 strategies to pinpoint the most fitting approach for the agricultural sector. The study quantified and ranked factors within the SWOT analysis and prioritized strategies using the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP). The outcomes identified advantageous strategies for agricultural production, emphasizing the evaluation and identification of drought while focusing on market development for economically valuable agricultural products based on primary crops. The step-by-step application of these prioritized strategies aims to contribute to the sustainable development of agricultural production in Ninh Thuan province and facilitate the utilization of a multi-criteria decision-making model in resource and environmental management.

Understanding the Chinese online fresh agricultural market through the extended technology acceptance model: the moderating role of food safety trust

PurposeThis study investigates how food safety trust works as a critical moderator in the Chinese online fresh agricultural market based on an extended technology acceptance model.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a research model that integrates attributes from the technology acceptance model, perceived product quality, logistics service quality, risk, and food safety trust. Structural equation modeling was applied to estimate the causal relationships using data from 851 Chinese customers.FindingsThe results indicated that perceived usefulness, product quality, and logistics service quality significantly enhance Chinese customers' intention to shop online for fresh agricultural products. Further, the positive effects increase when customer trust in food safety changes from low to high. In contrast, perceived risk reduces Chinese customers' willingness to engage in online shopping, but the negative influence is weaker for customers with high trust in food safety than for those with low trust. However, perceived ease of use plays an insignificant role in predicting online purchase intention and the impact does not vary depending on food safety trust.Originality/valueThis study suggests managers should consider the important moderating role of food safety trust to make effective strategies for fresh agricultural e-commerce development in China.

Research progress on remediation of organochlorine pesticide contamination in soil.

Deteriorated soil pollution has grown into a worldwide environmental concern over the years. Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues, featured with ubiquity, persistence and refractoriness, are one of the main pollution sources, causing soil degradation, fertility decline and nutritional imbalance, and severely impacting soil ecology. Furthermore, residual OCPs in soil may enter the human body along with food chain accumulation and pose a serious health threat. To date, many remediation technologies including physicochemical and biological ways for organochlorine pollution have been developed at home and abroad, but none of them is a panacea suitable for all occasions. Rational selection and scientific decision-making are grounded in in-depth knowledge of various restoration techniques. However, soil pollution treatment often encounters the interference of multiple factors (climate, soil properties, cost, restoration efficiency, etc.) in complex environments, and there is still a lack of systematic summary and comparative analysis of different soil OCP removal methods. Thus, to better guide the remediation of contaminated soil, this review summarized the most commonly used strategies for OCP removal, evaluated their merits and limitations and discussed the application scenarios of different methods. It will facilitate the development of efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly soil remediation strategies for sustainable agricultural and ecological development.

Leverages of financial and environmental management in agricultural sector of the economy

The article is aimed at determining theoretical views on processes of financial and environmental management of the agricultural sector. It analyzes the financial and environmental management of the agricultural sector of the economy, including the assessment of components of air, water, forest and land resources, crop and livestock production. The authors substantiate the system of ensuring the balanced development of the agricultural sector and examine measures to motivate the organization of eco-friendly agricultural production. The analysis of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere from stationary sources of pollution in Ukraine for 2017-2021 showed that the largest sources of pollution into the atmosphere in Ukraine for 2017-2021 were sulfur dioxide (25.7% in 2021), carbon monoxide into the atmosphere in Ukraine for 2017-2021 (31.4% in 2021) and methane (20.3% in 2021). The article defines the ways of state support for the agricultural sector of the economy and outlines the main principles of the agricultural sector development strategy. The revealed positive impact of the agricultural sector on the environment is ensured by two factors: financial and environmental responsibility manifested through management decision-making measures and financial and environmental motivation manifested through material, social and environmental values of the agricultural producer, consumer and society as a whole.

EFFECT OF IRRIGATION SCHEDULING UNDER SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACELOCALIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON BEAN PRODUCTIVITY

The sustainable agricultural development strategy relies on optimizing field irrigation water use through modern systems that align with Egypts goal of efficient water utilization. Given limited water resources and the governments push for modern irrigation in existing farmland, this approach promises improved economic returns and better irrigation management regarding timing and quantity. To enhance water resource utilization for local bean crops in Egyptian conditions, our research aims to improve both subsurface and surface localized irrigation systems. Addressing water scarcity, especially in older farmlands, calls for transitioning from traditional surface localized irrigation to modern methods. We conducted a 2022-2023 open field experiment on clay soil at Giza Governorate. The research objectives were studying the impact of two irrigation methods surface localized irrigation method and subsurface localized irrigation method with three different levels of irrigation water applications, on moisture distribution, water productivity and some physiological indicators of crop plant length, number of branches, number of horns, number of seeds, plant weight and productivity. The results showed no significant difference between the treatment of surface localized irrigation with 100% water requirements and subsurface localized irrigation with 80% water requirement. Consequently, using subsurface localized irrigation with only 80% of irrigation requirements will achieve almost the same results with less irrigation water consumption. On the same regard, results showed that, the highest water productivity was obtained in the treatments A80 (4.7 kg/m³) compared to the treatments B80, C80 and A100where the water productivity were 4.5 kg/m³ 4.4 kg/m³ and 4.3 kg/m³ respectively, meanwhile the lowest water productivity was obtained in the treatment C100 which was 3.5 kg/m³.

PEMBANGUNAN SEKTOR PERTANIAN SEBAGAI UPAYA PENINGKATAN PEREKONOMIAN KABUPATEN SUMBAWA

This study aims to analyze the agricultural sector development strategy as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District. This study used a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The type of data used in this study is qualitative data in the form of research informants' perceptions regarding agricultural sector development strategies as an effort to improve the economy of Sumbawa District obtained through interviews. Informants in this study were determined using a purposive technique, namely determining informants based on certain criteria. The informants for this study consisted of the Head of the Agriculture Department, the Head of UPTD. Untir Iwes Sub-District, rice farmers and corn farmers. Data analysis in this study used the SWOT analysis technique. The results of this study showed that the SWOT analysis of agricultural sector development as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District produces four alternative strategies, namely SO Strategy, ST Strategy, WO Strategy, and WT Strategy. In general, the results of this study describe that the agricultural sector in Sumbawa District has enormous potential to be developed as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District. The priority of the agricultural sector development strategy as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District is to increase the government's active role in the development of the agricultural sector and to collaborate with related agencies to design a program to accelerate the development of the region's leading agricultural sector.

Farmers’ Perceptions of Extension Officers’ Role in the Agricultural Development Strategy Command (KOSTRATANI) Program

Tantangan dalam program KOSTRATANI, antara lain adalah masalah koordinasi dan keterbatasan sumber daya, mempengaruhi persepsi petani. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi petani terhadap peran penyuluh pertanian pada Program Komando Strategi Pembangunan Pertanian (KOSTRATANI) di Boyolali. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif analitis dengan pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Lokasi penelitian dipilih secara purposif di Kecamatan Cepogo, Selo, dan Musuk yang anggota kelompok taninya lebih dari 200 orang. Sampel penelitian diambil secara simple random sampling, yaitu sebanyak 150 responden petani dilibatkan dalam penelitian ini. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya variasi persepsi petani terhadap peran penyuluh pertanian, mayoritas responden setuju dengan kontribusi penyuluh pada aspek yang diteliti. Namun ada juga sebagian petani yang mempunyai persepsi negatif terhadap peran penyuluh. Untuk mengatasi persepsi negatif tersebut, diperlukan inovasi dan strategi yang dapat meningkatkan efektivitas konseling. Penyuluh pertanian perlu memperkuat pengetahuan dan keterampilannya dalam memberikan pendampingan kepada petani, khususnya dalam aspek ekonomi, sosial, dan lingkungan. Dalam hal ini penyuluh dapat melakukan pendekatan komunikasi yang lebih terbuka, melibatkan petani dalam pengambilan keputusan, dan memanfaatkan inovasi teknologi informasi dan komunikasi untuk meningkatkan akses petani terhadap informasi dan sumber daya. Rekomendasi kebijakan dan strategi tersebut diharapkan dapat memperkuat peran penyuluh pertanian dalam mendukung pembangunan pertanian berkelanjutan dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan petani.

აგრარული პოლიტიკის ფორმირების რეგიონული გამოწვევები საქართველოში

The modern world has entered an acute phase of irreversible changes and implementation of global economic transformation. In today's situation, a sensible, coherent, flexible and adaptable national economic strategic doctrine created by the state, delineating the proper role and function of the country's regional and agrarian policy, is becoming urgent. The Strategy of Agriculture and Rural Development of Georgia for 2021-2027 considers the creation of competitive products the main objective, however, the single action plan and the service programs available to the Ministry today do not leave the feeling that we have understood all the problems and challenges that arise at different stages, step or phase. Based on the foregoing, it is appropriate to raise the issue of policy options to promote production of agricultural products in the regions. Georgia's agriculture and regional development are moving absolutely haphazardly. It is this kind of inertia that needs to be stopped and urgently reformed and transformed, where the determination of the “rules of the game” of the institutional economy and the activity of regional structures in terms of statistical-analytical and situational-contextual studies become a prerequisite for targeted-program actions and the development of the field. It I safe to say that creating a regional agriculture and rural development strategy is an urgent and at the same time difficult task in today's situation. First of all, the problem is specified in the area of –administrative-territorial system and imperfections of legislation. As for the socio-economic aspects and the range of actions and thematic diversity here encourage us to think creatively and determine the advantages of causal programs. Contemporary world challenges in recent years show even more attention to issues of regionalization and the introduction of decentralization-deconcentration principles in the processes generally. The programs developed in the regions, which should be formed according to the “bottom-up” principle, fall under the institutional order network, because they become a continuation of the centripetal macroeconomic strategy of the government and create the needs of the centrist policy with the help of the principles of the regional economy. It is of the utmost importance that flexible and effective institutional changes appear in the regions, thus we will be able to analyze the resource potential and prospeects of the economy, motivate active behavior, which will replace evolutionary inertia and fragmentation with a complex, structurally-organizationally formed, technical-economically sound policy. The five directions of agricultural production optimization presented in the paper, starting from the land optimization formula and ending with the importance of introducing innovative technologies, are a single complex action module, where each has its own unique function-duty, and it is not unacceptable to disable or ignore them from a business and economical point of view.

Impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on yield of smallholder tomato farmers in Nigeria

Tomatoes are one of the most significant fruit and vegetable crops in Nigeria. This could be ascribed to the fact that it helps many farmers support their way of life and improve their financial status. However, due to ineffective production management techniques, restrictions on the supply of pesticides and fungicides, access to information, market fluctuations, and crop shelf life, the yield of tomatoes is low. There is a need for powerful institutions like agricultural cooperatives to increase tomato yield. Agricultural cooperatives have been promoted in Nigeria as an agricultural development strategy that will increase crop yield and farmer income. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on the yields of smallholder tomato farmers in rural Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure is used to collect data for the study. The Endogenous Treatment Regression model was used to analyze the data. According to the findings of the first regression (Probit regression), age, years of formal education, main occupation, years of farming experience, farm size, years of experience in tomato farming, aged dependents, distance to market, access to credit service and access to extension service have a positive and significant impact on the membership of farmers in the agricultural cooperative. The results of the endogenous treatment regression model reveal marital status, age, years of formal education, years of informal education, main occupation, years of farming experience, farm size, years of tomato farming, aged dependents, distance to market, access to credit services, cost of processing, access to extension service and agricultural cooperative membership are all statistically significant variables influencing tomato yield. According to the ATE estimate, the average farmer would produce 9.159 times more when he/she joined an agricultural cooperative. The conditional treatment effect (ATT), which assesses the impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on tomato yield, was correspondingly approximately 9.447 and statistically significant at 1%. As a result, the typical farmer who is a member of an agricultural cooperative would produce a yield that is 9.447 times more than it would be if he/she was not a member of an agricultural cooperative. The study found that membership in agricultural cooperatives has a positive impact on tomato yield among smallholder farmers in rural Nigeria in contrast to what it would have been in the absence of being a member of agricultural cooperatives after adjusting for both observable and unobserved factors. Tomatoes farmers must be encouraged to join an agricultural cooperative to boost their yield.

Community Structure and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Seeds

Endophytic bacteria play a crucial role in the life cycle of Spermatophyta, and exploring the beneficial interactions between seeds and endophytic bacteria is an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural development and improved crop productivity. In this study, we employed Illumina Hiseq high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the amplified fragments of microbial 16S rRNA sequences from melon seeds of MR-1, HH and their F1 generation, which displayed varying levels of resistance to bacterial fruit blotch disease. Initially, we extracted endophytes from eight melon samples and performed sequencing, obtaining an average of 84,758 effective tags per sample. At the 97% similarity level, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) derived from melon seed endophytes ranged from 447 to 492. After filtering out low-level OTUs, we obtained an average of 65,866 valid tags from the eight samples, representing approximately 160 genera and 167 species across eight phyla. It was found that the composition of the endophyte communities in the eight samples was basically similar, and their abundance showed some variability. Furthermore, we utilized the KO and COG databases to functionally predict the genes of endophytes in melon seeds. The analysis revealed a significant enrichment of genes associated with pathways related to protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, substance transport, and metabolite synthesis. These findings greatly contribute to our understanding of endophytic bacteria in melon seeds and serve as a vital reference for the selection and breeding of high-quality melon seeds, as well as the prevention of seed diseases.

Principles of legal regulation of relations in the field of production, circulation and labeling of organic agricultural products

The article is aimed at studying the legal framework for organic agricultural production through the prism of the principles of legal regulation in this area, and also at formulating, on this basis, conclusions and proposals aimed at improving current legislation. One of the modern objects of agrarian legal regulation, as well as a way to implement the strategy of sustainable agricultural development, is organic agricultural production, which is a guarantee of balancing economic, environmental and social priorities of agricultural development, a guarantee of a high level of safety and quality of agricultural products, and ensuring food security of the State. The effectiveness of legal regulation depends on the level of scientific development of the principles, but a significant drawback of the current organic legislation is the absence of some important principles. An important basis for legal regulation of organic agricultural production is the principle of priority, which is a general requirement in the law that organic agricultural production has advantages over conventional production in the form of rules designed to ensure not only its stable functioning, but also the spread and improvement of such activities. The manifestation of the principle of priority of organic agricultural production is also evidenced by the state’s interest in a separate legal regulation of this type of activity and filling its content with some public law features that ensure the production of agricultural products of the highest quality. Given the undeniable strategic importance and priority of organic agricultural production, one of the main directions of the state agricultural policy should be state support for this activity. An extremely important characteristic of organic agricultural products is a high level of quality and safety. Therefore, the defining principle of the State policy of these social relations should be the principle of ensuring quality and safety and State control at all stages of production and circulation. Based on the analysis of current organic legislation, the article concludes that an essential need for proper legal regulation of relations in this area is the need to legislate the above-mentioned legal principles on which the State policy in the field of production, circulation and labeling of organic agricultural products should be based.

Development and Promotion Strategies of Chinese Agricultural Products in the Context of International Trade: Based on the Perspective of Intellectual Property Protection

In today's globalized economy, the means of economic competition between countries has shifted from relying primarily on tariffs and quotas to relying on talent, intellectual property rights and technical standards. The decisiveness and influence of international intellectual property rights on international trade is becoming increasingly obvious. As a big agricultural country, China possesses a large number of special agricultural products and is also a big exporter of agricultural products, so the protection of intellectual property rights of Chinese agricultural products is particularly important. Since the promulgation of the Agreement on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), the United States will be linked to international trade and intellectual property protection and as a reason to continuously improve the international intellectual property protection standards. At present, China's agricultural products in international trade there are still many difficulties, from the perspective of intellectual property rights, mainly manifested in the lack of protection of agricultural patents, agricultural products, geographical indications. This paper will start from the beginning, with intellectual property protection as the entry point, analyse in the new situation of international trade in China's agricultural products development and promotion strategy.

Role of Women Farmers Group on Agriculture Development in Jeruksawit Village

Agriculture development requires the role of many institutions. Achieving agricultural development is needed to develop economics. At the regional level, agriculture is one of the primary sources of livelihood. We need to solve problems in agriculture to achieve agricultural development. One institution that will be observed in this study is the women farmers group, their role in solving agricultural issues, and agriculture development strategy in the village. This study analyzes women farmers' role in agriculture development strategy in Jeruksawit Village, Gondangrejo, Karanganyar, Central Java. The primary research method used in this study is descriptive with an explanatory research approach. The location was chosen in Jeruksawit Village, Gondangrejo, Karanganyar, Central Java. The study was carried out from November to December 2021. The place was chosen because there is a women farmers group and some problems with agricultural developments. The data used are primary and secondary. The preliminary data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observation, and triangulation. To assess information for primary data, this study uses key informants as the information source. The secondary data were collected from Central Bureau Statistics Central Java, literature review, and farmers group archives. The analysis method used is the analysis of Miles and Huberman, which is carried out through data reduction, display of data collection, and verification. The results of this study show that the women farmers group plays an essential role in agriculture development by training farmers to increase farmers' education, doing comparative studies to understand agriculture better, providing partnerships between farmers, and providing agriculture counseling.

The Role of High Standard Farmland Construction in Ecological Restoration

High standard farmland construction is an important agricultural development strategy promoted by the current Chinese government, aimed at improving agricultural production efficiency and quality, and promoting sustainable agricultural development. However, the impact of high standard farmland construction on the local ecological environment cannot be ignored. The article will explore the impact of high standard farmland construction on the local ecological environment and its effective governance methods from three perspectives: ecological environment, economy, and society.

The extent of economic success of the sustainable agricultural development strategy in the desert environment

The agricultural sector suffers from several problems in the state of EL-Oued in southern Algeria at the farm level as a productive unit in the rural desert area due to human practices. Changing the way of dealing with the components of agricultural work brings many benefits in various fields. The implementation of the strategy of sustainable agricultural development achieves positive results on four axes: first, the economy ensures a higher income for the farmer with less and regulated expenditures; second, the crop is more productive and of quality; third, preserving the environment through less resource consumption with the ability to recycle agricultural waste, which reduces the environmental pollution of soil and water; fourth, biodiversity of animal and plant organisms. All axes are in the interest of man as an activist, consumer, and living being who influences and is influenced by the environment in which he lives.

Social Protection and Rural Transformation in Africa

This article develops a conceptual framework on pathways through which noncontributory social protection can support resilient and inclusive agricultural growth in rural Africa. It draws insights from a review of rigorous empirical evidence on the impacts of cash transfers and multifaceted cash plus programs on a range of relevant productive outcomes, including accumulation of productive assets, inputs and farm management practices, off-farm labor and nonfarm enterprises, and farm production and income. This review demonstrates an emerging consensus in the literature: that access to social protection programs contributes positively to increasing the productive asset holdings of rural people, increasing the use of improved inputs and farm practices, and shifting away from casual wage labor arrangements. Moreover, there is limited evidence on heterogeneous effects across different baseline characteristics (income, sex, and labor-constrained households, among others). Finally, the article highlights how social protection programs should be considered an integral part of broader rural and agricultural development strategies in order to achieve a more productive, resilient, and equitable rural transformation in Africa.

Addressing agricultural labour issues is key to biodiversity-smart farming

There is an urgent need for agricultural development strategies that reconcile agricultural production and biodiversity conservation. This is especially true in the Global South where population growth is rapid and much of the world's remaining biodiversity is located. Combining conceptual thoughts with empirical insights from case studies in Indonesia and Ethiopia, we argue that such strategies will have to pay more attention to agricultural labour dynamics. Farmers have a strong motivation to reduce the heavy toil associated with farming by adopting technologies that save labour but can negatively affect biodiversity. Labour constraints can also prevent farmers from adopting technologies that improve biodiversity but increase labour intensity. Without explicitly accounting for labour issues, conservation efforts can hardly be successful. We hence highlight the need for biodiversity-smart agriculture, that is farming practices or systems that reconcile biodiversity with land and labour productivity. Our empirical insights suggest that technological and institutional options to reconcile farmers' socio-economic goals and biodiversity conservation exist but that more needs to be done to implement such options at scale.