Agriculture In Rural Development Research Articles

A Bibliometric Review of Sustainable Agriculture in Rural Development

This bibliometric review investigates the scholarly landscape of sustainable agriculture in the context of rural development, spanning from 1986 to 2024. With a comprehensive analysis of 980 publications, the study examines key themes, influential works, and emerging trends in the field. Through bibliometric techniques such as co-citation analysis and network visualization, the research identifies clusters of research topics, including technological advancements, social dimensions, economic impacts, and environmental considerations. Notable contributions by influential authors are highlighted, shedding light on critical issues such as rural livelihoods, participatory approaches, and alternative food networks. Furthermore, the study provides insights into the evolution of research interests over time, revealing emerging areas for future exploration. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of sustainable agriculture's role in rural development and offer valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers seeking to promote sustainable practices and enhance rural well-being.

The role of NGOs agriculture in rural development from the perspective of their workers in the southern West Bank -Palestine

The role of NGOs agriculture in rural development from the perspective of their workers in the southern West Bank -Palestine

The Nurturing Food Sovereignty from the Peripheral Side: the Village Law and the Soul of Agriculture in Rural Development in Indonesia

After the enactment of the Village Law, the opportunity for the village as the spearhead of food sovereignty is widely open and the Village Law is considered a soul for village development. Village’s main activities are agriculture, including the management of natural resources with the composition of the area as a place for rural settlements, government services, social services, and economic activities. Most of the population works in the primary sector, which has various challenges to reducing or even eliminating dependence on the global food market. Rural development and the orientation of village agricultural soul so far seem to go hand in hand but tend to be particular. This study aimed to study the primary sector of agriculture and food needs as the main political discourse with the subject of the village. The study was prepared using a qualitative methodology with secondary data and policy analysis. The political economy framework is used to see how far the potential and challenges ahead are toward Indonesia's food sovereignty, amidst the onslaught of neo-liberalism in the global food system. The findings show that Village Law seeks to restore the village's dignity so that it becomes an empowered village faced with the unpreparedness of village capacity.

Farmers Contribution to Agriculture in Rural Development of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to access farmer’s contribution to Agriculture in Rural Development of Fufore LGA of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Seven wards within the LGA were selected (Ribadu, Gurin, Farang, Mayo-ine, Pariya, Karlahi and Yadim). Thirty (30) questionnaires were randomly distributed to the household in each ward selected through multi-state random sampling technique as primary data. A total of Two Hundred and Ten (210) farmers were selected for the study. Data were analyzed with the aid of descriptive statistics and multiple regression models. Results show that Age, Marital status, Farm size, Family size, Education level have percentage ranging from 10-28.6, 13.3-31, 4-69, 5.2-31 and 15.2-37.6% respectively while Primary occupation, Access to credit, Number of extension visit and farm income percentage values ranged from 3.8-43.9, 15.7-25.7, 5.7-53.4 and 8.1-35.7% respectively. The result further shows that the majority of the respondents are still in their youthful stage and 31% of them were married. The study further reveals that 69% of the respondents cultivate on 1-5 hectares of land, the result of the multiple regression analysis indicates that farm size was negative and significant at 5% level; Education level has a positive coefficient and significant at 1% level while access to credit coefficient was positive and significant at 5% level. The findings of the regression equation determine the manner towards farmer’s contribution to agriculture in rural development and examine the constraints militating farmer’s contributions to agriculture in the study area. Cob-Douglas function with R­2 value of 0.813 was chosen as the lead equation. Low price of farm output poor extension visits, market distance, is some of the major problems affecting the contribution of agriculture to the development of the study area. It was therefore recommended that there is need to train and provide farming equipment’s, agricultural credit should also provide the needed environment to foster rural development facilities in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

AGRICULTURE AS A POSSIBLE WAY FOR SUSTAINABLE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT IN BULGARIA

Agriculture is an important sector of Bulgarian economy and is a trigger for the development of rural areas. The analysis of district development takes into account the importance of European cohesion policy and national support for the achievement of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The main aim of this study is to reveal the place and the role of Bulgarian agriculture in rural development. Based on the clusterization on a district level we defined 3 clusters. The first one – “economically poor - ecologically stable” has the highest probability for agricultural development and ability to transform into a well-developed agrarian cluster and to develop environmentally friendly activities and tourism. The second cluster –” economic developed” has potential for good prospects for the realization of the population, development of the diverse sectors, access to education and a high standard of living. The third cluster called “transitional - towards good economic development and ecologically unstable” has potential for the development of activities, including agrarian and use of new technologies to contribute to GDP per capita growth. The given policy recommendations are directed into the development of the three clusters. In the first cluster, policy makers should direct efforts to overcome the economic problems by transformation into a well-developed agrarian cluster. Cluster 2 is well developed and the policy should be directed at increasing the economic capacity of the studied areas. Cluster 3 is a transitional one and there the policy makers should try to develop a multifunctional way of transformation to sustainable territory for living.
 The results are part of the scientific project DN 15/8 2017 Sustainable multifunctional rural areas: reconsidering agricultural models and systems with increased demands and limited resources funded by the Bulgarian research fund.

Can smallholder avocado production reduce poverty and improve food security through internal markets? The case of Giheta, Burundi

ABSTRACTThe role of agriculture in rural development is widely documented in literature. Many analysts regard agriculture, specifically small-scale agriculture, as an effective instrument for poverty reduction and food security, particularly in rural communities of developing countries where large numbers of poor people are concentrated. However whether the focus of such production should be on export crops or for domestic food security remains an issue for debate. Using the avocado industry in Giheta-Burundi, this paper argues that some emerging tree crops such as avocados present enormous opportunities to income generation and food security for small-scale farmers. This paper suggests that small-scale avocado farming presents the economic, market and health potentiality to contribute to a viable and sustainable rural economy through internal markets thereby reducing levels of poverty and malnutrition in this area. From a policy perspective, the paper suggests that the avocado sector needs to be supported by both the private and public sectors, irrespective of whether the crop is consumed, traded domestically or exported. Increasing the capacity of avocado production and trade will then enable small-scale farmers and vendors to gain greater income from this sector.

Food poverty, hunger and household production in rural Eastern Cape households

ABSTRACTMore than two decades since the advent of democracy in South Africa, the place of small-scale agriculture in rural development, poverty alleviation and food security remains ambiguous and highly contested. However, there is now some new evidence that official income poverty estimates in South Africa may be underestimating the contribution of rural, land-based livelihoods when measuring household well-being. This paper aims to explore this possibility further by identifying how household production activities are associated with improved food security among rural Eastern Cape households in the former homelands. The analysis is based on data from Statistics South Africa’s 2008/9 Living Conditions Survey and its annual General Household Surveys. In adopting a food poverty lens, the findings suggest that hunger levels are lower among farming households in the Eastern Cape even though a higher percentage of these households (relative to non-farming households) live below the national food poverty line. The paper concludes by discussing some implications for policy.

Land and Longhouse: Agrarian Transformation in the Uplands of Sarawak ‐ by R.A. Cramb

<i>Land and Longhouse: Agrarian Transformation in the Uplands of Sarawak ‐ </i>by R.A. Cramb

An Institutional Transactions Approach to Property-Rights Adjustment: An Application to Spanish Agriculture

European agriculture is undergoing major institutional changes, which are of great relevance to our understanding of the role of agriculture in rural development. They are also taking place in contexts in which agricultural development seems to be continuing within the traditional modernisation paradigm. This is the case for agriculture in Spain. The authors develop a theoretical scheme based on the concepts of institutional transactions and institutional arrangements which may be relevant across a variety of contexts. This approach is applied through an analysis of Spanish agriculture, concentrating on (a) changes introduced through the regulation of the environmental impacts of agriculture, (b) new schemes for the control of food quality and altered relations in the food-marketing chains, and (c) shifts deriving from changes to the major support mechanisms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Spanish agriculture is becoming increasingly embedded in the food-production process, and this is associated with a dissipation of property rights from the production sector. The analysis illustrates the usefulness of the approach, although identification of the specific nature of some institutional transactions remains uncertain. Applications in other countries and at more local levels will facilitate regional and international comparisons of the restructuring processes underway in differing contexts.