Assuring Food Security Research Articles

From a Food Safety Prospective: The Role of Earthworms as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security and in Valuing Food Waste.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of global goals that provide a framework for shared action. These goals also include the reduction of food waste and the definition of sustainable solutions to achieve food security. In this context, the aim of the study was to describe all phases of a pilot earthworm rearing project started in September 2017 and concluded in December 2017, together with a risk analysis carried out in order to evaluate if earthworms can represent a safe and sustainable protein source for human consumption and/or animal nutrition. The conversion rate, that in this study is more appropriately identified as the “waste reduction efficiency,” was also calculated in order to define the extent to which earthworm rearing can contribute to the objective of reducing fruit and vegetable waste (FVW). The results showed that earthworms can bio-convert 3750 kg of FVW in three months producing 1050 kg of compost and 82 kg of fresh earthworms with minimal environmental impact showing good waste reduction efficiency. Moreover, the risk analysis conducted on earthworm rearing highlighted a microbiological hazard after the freeze-drying phase. The critical control point was therefore identified, and, in order to guarantee the total food safety of the finished product, corrective action was taken consisting in the implementation of heat treatment—sterilization at 121 °C for 20 min. The results of microbiological analyses carried out on the earthworm meal after the sterilization treatment showed that the treatment guarantees microbiological safety for the consumer and ensures a balanced approach in relation to two main topics—public health and food-borne diseases. In conclusion, earthworm meal is a concentrate of valuable nutrients useful for human and animal nutrition and can also transform fruit and vegetable waste into a resource.

Ushering horticulture into a new era of research-based novelty

Horticulture, as one of the main agricultural pillars, plays a leading role in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development currently adopted by the United Nations. Wellbalanced but creative and far-sighted models for the future of the horticultural sector are needed to assure food security, decrease poverty, counteract environmental degradation and combat climate change. During the last few decades, the international horticultural scientific community has produced a large body of research aiming to support the development of this critical agricultural sector. Italus Hortus (IH) aims to contribute to this challenging goal, covering all aspects of horticulture where a science-based innovation is possible and required. One of these aspects is the definition of innovative cultivation strategies and post-harvest technologies to allow yield stability and quality improvement. The latter includes also the design of cultivation models that by increasing the resilience of the horticultural crops, can mitigate the impact of climate change on the quantitative and qualitative yield performance of the cultivations. At the same time, horticulture will become one of the main actors of a more circular and climate-neutral economy. Increasing attention will be given to the study of cultivation strategies that can help to reduce soil degradation, and the negative effects of current horticultural management on the environment (smart and efficient use of the required inputs, introduction of environmentally-friendly biodegradable plastics, etc.). Some of these goals will be also achieved by increasing the technological level of agriculture including integrating modeling, proximal/remote sensing, mechanization/automation/robotics, mapping, geomatics, decision making, and/or statistics to define a more precise and smart horticulture. In addition, our scientific community will play a major role in supporting the research of innovative cropping systems, such as vertical farming and other solutions useful for the development of urban greening/agriculture (vertical gardens) and/or space farming. As new Editors of Italus Hortus, we are fully aware of the large volume of new sciencebased insights that the horticultural sector is eager for. We are enthusiastically committed to facilitating its dissemination and we will work to make Italus Hortus play a significant role in defining the horticulture of the future. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the former Editor-in-chief, Prof. Paolo Inglese, the former and current Editorial Boards, and all the paper authors and reviewers for the outstanding job they have done so far or they will do in the future.

Economic impact assessment of foot-and-mouth disease burden and control in pastoral local dairy cattle production systems in Northern Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey

Milk has been envisaged as a major source of high-quality protein and bioavailable nutrients to humans. Its production is constraint by foot and mouth disease (FMD), a contagious viral disease of very high economic importance worldwide. This study was aimed at assessing the economic impact of FMD in pastoral dairy cattle herds in Nigeria and determines returns to investments in its control to better inform policy decisions. An interview questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 660 nomadic and agro-pastoral dairy cattle herds in 2019. Economic impact analyses were conducted using the total economic cost and benefit-cost analysis models. Of the 660 pastoralists enrolled, 92.6% (n = 611) participated. Nomadic pastoralists constituted 50.7% (n = 310) of the respondents while 49.3% (n = 301) were agro-pastoralists. Most of the respondents (66.4%, n = 406) had no formal education. The value of visible losses to the herders was estimated at USD 15,591,694.30 and the cost of control by treatment of secondary infections was USD 463,673.70. The economic impact of FMD due to production losses and costs of treatment to pastoralists was estimated to be USD 16,055,368.00. Return on investment in FMD control was positive with a benefit-cost ratio of 33.6. The estimated total economic costs due to FMD have indicated that it is a disease of high economic importance to dairy production herds and must be controlled to assure food security, local incomes to herders, and protein requirement of human population, especially the children in FMD endemic countries.

Are international capital flows really matter for achieving SDGs 1 and 2: ending poverty and hunger?

This paper investigates the impact of foreign capital (foreign direct investment and foreign aid) on poverty reduction and food security in the case of 50 developing countries over the 1995–2015 period. Four types of foreign aids are included in the analysis, namely: social-infrastructure-aid (SIA), investment aid (IA), non-investment-aid (NIA), and agriculture-forestry-fishing-aid (AFFA). The following findings are obtained through the TOBIT estimations: (i) FDI has a positive impact on food security and poverty reduction, (ii) SIA and NIA have positive impacts on poverty reduction; however, the impacts of IA and AFFA on poverty reduction is insignificant, (iii) SIA, IA, and AFFA positively contribute to food security, and (iv) the impacts of FDI and foreign aids on food security and poverty reduction increases when they are working together, i.e., a great collaboration between FDI and aids will be more effective in reducing poverty and assuring food security in developing countries. This complementarity is also confirmed using the system Generalized Method of Moments method. Policy implications and future research directions are also discussed.

Food Security in Urban Households: The Role of Women in an Asian Context

Assuring food security is one of the challenges in low and middle-income countries with their rapid urbanization. The role of women has been identified as a key to food security in rural societies, however, yet to make conclusions in an urban setting. Hence this study tries to analyse the role of women in urban households while addressing the context-specific social and cultural differences of women’s role in Asia. The study uses data from Sri Lanka Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2016 and estimates the impact of women's role using the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method. The relative status of food security of each household is measured using the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). The study finds a higher level of food security is associated with a higher level of female education. Similarly, households are more food secure when women are more responsible for household income. Further, it reveals that the economic burden on women being the single income earner has not affected on changing the level of food security in their households.

The Analyze of Collaborative Management Perspective of Petungkriyono Forest

Forest Ecosystem has a significant role in assuring food security and sovereignty as well as national defense and security. Sustainable forest management is an effective framework to reduce and to add fuel to the impact of Green Houses Gas (GHG) emission changes. Petungkriyono is one of the last tropical forests in Java and provides biodiversity including rare flora and fauna. This area stores outstanding biodiversity that must be maintained, managed utilized to give meaning to humanity. The objective of this study is to analyze how a collaborative management perspective implemented in Petungkriyono as alternative policies that can be recommended to the government. This research shows that a collaborative management perspective significant factor to obtain sustainable development. Further application collaborative management approach recommended with the support of the government on the policy, rules, and human resource development. Through co-management, it was expected to improve the understanding of what people wanted, helped people to identify the issues, arranged the completion priority, increased commitment, social awareness independence. The collaboration between the private sector, local government, and community empowerment a particularly important factor in the success of sustainability management.

Urban sprawl, food security and agricultural systems in developing countries: A systematic review of the literature

In developing countries, urbanisation and associated demographic changes pose unprecedented challenges in terms of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. A systematic review methodology was conducted, combined with data synthesis, to examine the interactions between urban sprawl, land and resource use changes, agricultural production and food security in developing countries. The Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched to identify 188 relevant articles. The results revealed that existing literature has widely failed to take interactions between different aspects of urban food systems (UFS) into account, indicating disconnects and fragmentation in the approaches used to analyse these interactions. Therefore a further focus on food system transformation pathways, system feedbacks and trade-offs is recommended. Moreover, the results imply that UFS are complex interlinked systems and therefore that policies intending to assure food security in developing countries need to consider these interlinkages and approach them holistically. Finally, an absence of studies examining urban and rural systems from an interconnected perspective was identified. An acknowledgement of such rural-urban connectivity gaps is crucial in order to ensure more inclusive links within food systems and agricultural value chains, and achieve more resilient food systems and more sustainable urbanisation in developing countries.

The assessment of Food Handlers’ Hygiene and Environmental Sanitation in Tofu Home Industry Jombang 2018

Food security is an important aspect to produce quality food that is feasible and safe for consumption by general population. Good Manufacturing Product (CPPB) is a guideline in assuring food security adhered in food production process starting from raw materials to storage system. Tofu is highlyIndonesia and it is a product with a short storability or shelf life. Among other protein sources in food, tofu had a greater consumption value of 0.157 kg/ capita/ week in 2017(Badan Pusat Statistik, 2017). The tofu producers include IRT Jombang. The purpose of this study is to analyze the hygiene of food handlers and environmental sanitation based on Peraturan Kepala BPOM RI 2012 about CPPB conducted in IRT Jombang. This research used qualitative research, observational research, and used data collection techniques such as interviews and observations. Interviews were conducted on food handlers and IRT owners while observations were made using an observation sheets. Tofu and clean water were sampled and tested in the laboratory. The results obtained were lack of food handlers hygiene and environmental sanitation. While for laboratory tests on tofu obtained negative results Salmonella sp. and Staphylococcus aureus, and exceeded the maximum limit of Coliform Total and Total Plate Numbers (ALT). Laboratory test results for chemical quality of tofu were negative in formalin and borax. It is recommended to improve monitoring and supervision system of food handlers’ hygiene and environmental sanitation in the production environment of tofu home industries

Towards assuring food security in South Africa: Smallholder farmers as drivers

Smallholder agricultural sector in South Africa is regarded as one of the main livelihood options for the majority of people living in rural areas. As such, many of the poorest people living in rural areas regard smallholder subsistence agriculture as an important strategy to move out of food poverty and malnutrition. Food security has since been the goal that needs to be achieved by every nation given the agricultural sector reason to be productive enough to meet the food demand of each nation. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the role and potential of smallholder farmers as being the drivers of achieving food security in South Africa. The paper identifies key references backing up this claim and suggests some recommendations which could help improve the synergy between food security and productivity of smallholder farmers in South Africa.

Agriculture and food security in Lesotho: Government sponsored block farming programme in the Berea, Leribe and Maseru Districts

This research paper attempts to investigate the contribution of block farming to assuring food security in households of block farmers. The study used both secondary and primary sources of informat...

Participatory survey of Rift Valley fever in nomadic pastoral communities of North-central Nigeria: The associated risk pathways and factors.

BackgroundRift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging neglected mosquito-borne viral zoonotic disease of domestic animals and humans, with potential for global expansion. The objectives of this study were: to assess perceived relative burden and seasonality of RVF in nomadic cattle herds and validate the burden with sero-prevalence impact; and assess perceived risk factors associated with the disease and risk pathways for RVF virus in nomadic pastoral herds of North-central Nigeria using pastoralists’ existing veterinary knowledge.MethodsParticipatory Epidemiology (PE) survey was conducted in Fulani nomadic pastoral communities domiciled in Niger State between January and December 2015. A cross-sectional sero-prevalence investigation was also carried out in nomadic pastoral cattle herds to validate outcomes of PE. A total of nine nomadic pastoral communities were purposively selected for qualitative impact assessment using Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, while 97 cattle randomly sampled from 15 purposively selected nomadic herds and had their sera analyzed using c-ELISA. Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance W statistics and OpenEpi 2.3.1 were used for statistical analyses.ResultsMean proportional piles (relative burden) of RVF (Gabi-gabiF) was 8.3%, and nomads agreement on the burden was strong (W = 0.6855) and statistically significant (P<0.001). This was validated by 11.3% (11/97; 95% CI: 6.1–18.9) sero-positivity (quantitative impact). Mean matrix scores of prominent clinical signs associated with RVF were fever (3.1), anorexia (2.1), abortion (4.1), nasal discharge (3.3), neurological disorder (8.4), diarrhoea (3.2), and sudden death (4.4), with strong agreement (W = 0.6687) and statistically significant (p<0.001). Mean proportional piles of pastoralists’ perceived risk factors identified to influenced RVF occurrence were: availability of mosquitoes (18 piles, 17.6%), high cattle density (16 piles, 15.9%) and high rainfall (12 piles, 12.2%). Agreement on the risk factors was strong (W = 0.8372) and statistically significant (p<0.01). Mean matrix scores for the Entry pathway of RVF virus into the nomadic pastoral herds were: presence of RVFV infected mosquitoes (tiny biting flies) (7.9), presence of infected cattle in herds (8.4), and contacts of herd with infected wild animals at grazing (10.1). Mean matrix scores for the Spread pathway of RVF virus in herds were bites of infected mosquitoes (5.1), contacts with infected aborted fetuses/fluids (7.8), and contaminated pasture with aborted fetuses/fluids (9.7). Agreement on risk pathways was strong (W = 0.6922) and statistically significant (p<0.03). Key informants scored RVF to occurred more in Damina or late rainy season (5.3), followed by Kaka or early dry season (3.3), with strong agreement (W = 0.8719) and statistically significant (P<0.01). This study highlighted the significant existing knowledge level about RVF contained in nomadic pastoralists.ConclusionsThe use of PE approach is needful in active surveillance of livestock diseases in pastoral communities domiciled in highly remote areas. RVF surveillance system, control and prevention programmes that take the identified risk factors and pathways into consideration will be beneficial to the livestock industry in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. An ‘OneHealth’ approach is needed to improve efficiency of RVF research, surveillance, prevention and control systems, so as to assure food security and public health in developing countries.

Determinants of food security: evidence from Ethiopian Rural Household Survey (ERHS) using pooled cross-sectional study

BackgroundThough agriculture is obstructed by a number of both endogenous and exogenous problems, it is the dominant generator of means of livelihoods for the majority of people in the least developing countries like Ethiopia. The aim of this study is to look at the status of food security and to identify its determinants in the rural Ethiopia.MethodologyThe pooled data for this study were obtained from the sixth and seventh round of the Ethiopia Rural Household Survey (ERHS). Bar chart and frequency distribution tables were used to illustrate the given data. Binary multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify the determinants of food security.Results and conclusionMajority of the households were found to be food insecure, though the figure of food insecurity decreased in 2009 when it is compared with 2004. Food security was significantly determined by rain shock, lack of off-farm income, and region of the households. To assure food security, the farmers should have to consider every rain seasons in the farming activity and the availability of off-farm income-generating activities should have to be enhanced. Finally, there is a need for an international policy regarding the adoption of mitigation strategies to control climate change, the main cause of agriculture and rainfall shock.

Promise, problems and prospects: agri-biotech governance in China, India and Japan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of agri-biotech to play a role in meeting the world’s food, feed, fiber and fuel needs. Using case studies, policy developments in the key Asian countries of China, India and Japan are also scrutinized to determine the extent to which they enable or obstruct biotech’s potential.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first examine some key challenges facing the agriculture and agri-food sector and the potential role biotech can play in addressing them. These challenges include feeding the world’s growing population, improving nutrition worldwide, dealing with allergen risks, reducing nutrient and chemical loading in watersheds, addressing water scarcity issues, and reducing waste in the food system. The authors then turn their attention to the agri-biotech systems in three Asian giants, including China’s centralized governance approach, India’s central-local policy and regulations, and Japan’s pragmatic and evidence-based regulatory framework.FindingsEach nation has evolved its own system of governance based on the different challenges facing the society, the recognized potential of different biotech interventions, and citizens’ collective perceptions regarding both the potential and the risks that biotech innovations embody. Systems that are less evidence-based appear to be more discretionary and therefore are less predictable in their outcomes. This increases risks to prospective exporting firms and importing firms, driving up system costs and effectively serving as barriers to entry and to trade. It also dampens and distorts entrepreneurial and innovation incentives.Research limitations/implicationsFrom the review and observations the authors then discuss ways and means of establishing priorities through a risk assessment framework in which key risks are enumerated and assessed in terms of their likelihoods and their conceivable consequences. Such an approach would allow challenges to be met with a degree of foresight and adaptability.Practical implicationsThe sometimes disjointed, sometimes strategic use of biotech regulations have fragmented markets and created fiefdoms which undermine the potential of novel technologies to address the challenges facing society.Social implicationsFor illustrative purposes, the authors touch on land and water governance, regulatory and institutional bottlenecks and reforms and the potential for agri-biotech to play an elevated role if vested interests and obstructions can be overcome.Originality/valueThis study draws on research and literature from several disciplines. It also includes discussions relating to bureaucratic and administrative behavior which erodes the extent to which markets can be contested. This results in balkanized markets and non-cooperative behavior that undermines and distorts incentives for entrepreneurial effort and innovation. That such behavior takes place in markets and disciplines that are fundamental to assuring food security, nutrition and health, as well as good governance of scarce water and land resources is of considerable concern.

REVIEW ON ADOPTION, TREND, POTENTIAL, AND CONSTRAINTS OF RICE PRODUCTION TO LIVELIHOOD IN ETHIOPIA

Cultivation of rice in Ethiopia is generally a recent phenomenon it was started first at Fogera and Gambella Plains in the early 1970’s, which is preceded by its utilization as a food crop. Hence the present review was to review on adoption, Trend, potential, and constraints of rice production to livelihood in Ethiopia. Although rice was introduced to the country very recently, it has proven to be a crop that can assure food security in Ethiopia. It is reported that the potential rice production area in Ethiopia is estimated to be about thirty million hectares. Since 2006, Ethiopian rice production trends show increases in both area and productivity. Considering the importance and potential of the crop, it has been recognized by the Government as “the new millennium crop of Ethiopia” to attain food security. Rice has become a commodity of strategic significance across many parts of Ethiopia for domestic consumption as well as export market for economic development. Due to the introduction of upland and irrigated rice varieties in the country, rice farming has increased from time to time. There has been twelve upland/lowland NERICAs and Sativa-type, and three irrigated rice varieties released in Ethiopia from 1999 up to 2007. However, Ethiopian rice sector still faces remaining challenges such as high competition with imported rice, poor infrastructure, insufficient mechanization and post-harvest processing technologies, lack of skilled manpower and research facilities, poor marketing infrastructure, and channels. Therefore, building the capacity of the research community, experts, smallholder farmers and the private sector is necessary not only to further increase production but also to improve the quality of rice products through better post-harvest handling and processing.

Negotiating Agriculture in the World Trade Organization: Food Security as a Non-Trade Concern

Food security is an important issue in the current international agenda, for the 2007-2008 economic crisis contributed to the rise in food prices, increasing their volatility. As a complex topic, the efforts to assuring food security cannot be restricted to national initiatives, demanding rather a comprehensive global policy, involving all the interested actors. In this regard, WTO has a shared responsibility in the fight against hunger and in the promotion of the right to food. Trade is one of the many elements related to food security, and it may be a relevant tool in fostering sustainable practices to achieve such goal. Agriculture negotiations in the WTO are aimed at guaranteeing stable and rule-oriented markets, with the liberalization of the agricultural sector and the elimination of distortive practices. Food security is a non-trade concern that must be taken into consideration in the reform talks of the Agreement on Agriculture. The main question on this matter is whether food security should be sought in WTO through the adoption of trade policies, which requires strengthening the discipline on the use of restrictive measures, or through the enhancement of liberalization and cooperation in multiple levels.

An ninh lương thực cấp hộ gia đình vùng Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long

Nowadays, human beings are approaching the intellectual economy with modern and high technology. However, they are facing big challenges, namely environmental pollution, climate change, and increasing decline in agricultural resources, especially land for food production. This brings about the need of assuring food security for each nation and the whole world. Nevertheless, before regional and national food security is assured, food security at household level must be strengthened. To provide a practical basis for ensuring household food security in the Mekong Delta, the questionnaire was used for data collection from 300 respondents. The results of descriptively statistical analysis, correlated to regression based on trends in income per household show that: At present, there still exists households in the regional granary who do not have enough income to get sufficient food supply. Therefore, in addition to the solutions concerning producing, it is essential to increase the income of households, and be assured that households producing food have their income not lower than the general level of the society so that food security at household level in the Mekong Delta will be sustainable.

Indigenous storage practices and related traditional knowledge – a case study from gujarat (india)

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can be defined as the foundation for the ethnic groups for grass root level decision making in the areas like food security, human and animal health, natural resource management, environment conversation and other vital economic and social activities. IK is the most significant tool that adds into the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the development of the communities practicing that knowledge. The paper deals with the indigenous storage practices for grains, pulse, other agricultural products and food items. It also deals with the related traditional knowledge of those storage practices. The practices discussed in the paper are outcome of various extensive field excursions made within Gujarat state for past 4 years. The techniques and cases discussed in here shows immense traditional wisdom which these indigenous people have earned over generations and have added into it by trial and error. These practices are very easy to follow, ecofriendly, cost effective, and also increase shelf life of seeds. Hence, it is wise to promote these indigenous techniques to assure food security in the areas with tribal population. The findings include 11 different types of traditional storage containers, 5 different grain storage practices, and 5 traditional food preservation practices.

Sustainable and Inclusive Food Systems through the Lenses of a Complex System Thinking Approach—A Bibliometric Review

The multidimensionality and complexity of assuring food security in a sustainable and inclusive way requires us to think in systems. Yet, sector specific models or agricultural productivity models are not able by construction to represent the non-linearity and time-dependent nature of the relations underpinning the agri-food system. Two alternative modelling approaches, i.e., System Dynamics (SD) and Agent Based Models (ABM), gained increasing attention in particular after the food commodities prices spikes in 2007 thanks to the conceptual and structural advantages that they provide to the study of food system complexity. In this paper, we develop a first, rigorous bibliometric analysis based on pattern recognition analysis reviewing the peer review journal publications focused on agri-food systems. Using the ISIWeb of Science dataset provided by Thomson Reuters, we apply citation/co-citation semantic metrics to analyse publications from 1970 to 2016 in the field of agricultural models divided in two categories that we define as: (i) agricultural complex systems modelling (ACSM) that includes SD and ABM modelling exercised; and (ii) agricultural modelling (AM) that includes traditional approaches to agri-food systems modelling rooted on the neoclassical approach (e.g., Computable General Equilibrium Models and Partial Equilibrium Models). The publications are identified by applying a filter of specific keywords to the search. We then compare how both approaches appear in the literature looking at the number of publications and citations by scientific journals, identifying key authors and journals, their frequency, the impact factor and citations, and looking at their trend through time. Results show the prevalence of AM approaches for the analysis of the agri-food sector on one side, and the smaller but growing contribution of the ACSM community and literature on the other. We conclude by remarking the need for more systematic analyses on the contribution of the two approaches to the analysis of the complex dynamics and behaviour of agri-food systems to inform evidence-based policies for sustainable and inclusive agriculture.

Effect of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) grain conditions on occurrence of mycotoxin-producing fungi

Sorghum is a staple cereal crop that is well adapted to arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It has a potential of assuring food security and livelihoods in the ASALs. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of sorghum grain conditions on occurrence of mycotoxin-producing fungi. Two kilograms of sorghum grains were sampled from the breeder’s crop at Egerton University research field and at a farmer’s field at Kampi Ya Moto. Sorghum was sampled at dough stage and at physiological maturity. Sorghum grains sampled at dough stage were divided into three sets. Set one was immediately examined for fungi; set two was sun dried for 21 h and set three was stored for a fortnight before being examined for fungi. Grains were plated on potato dextrose agar medium and incubated at 25 ± 2 °C for 7 days. Fungal colonies growing were sub-cultured and identified using a microscope and a standard mycological catalogue based on micro- and macro-morphological features. Identified fungi were Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium species. Aflatoxins were detected in 37 samples using reverse-phased HPLC at a wavelength of 365 nm. The aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 were detected in 10.81, 5.41, 18.92 and 32.43 % of the samples, respectively. There was no aflatoxin detected on 32.42 % samples. These results would contribute to reduced risk of mycotoxin-producing fungi in sorghum grain, minimize grain losses and improve grain quality among smallholder farmers in sorghum growing areas. Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium species of fungi do occur in sorghum grain both in the field and in the store.

A conceptual approach for measuring farmers’ attitudes to integrated soil fertility management in Kenya

A sustainable increase in agricultural productivity is essential in assuring food security in developing countries. Low soil fertility is a major contributing factor to the current vicious cycle of low agricultural productivity and inadequate livelihoods among smallholder farmers. Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) is one way of achieving sustainable agricultural development, but improving soil fertility through ISFM requires interventions that match the behavioural inclinations of farmers and their decision making. Using survey data on 125 commercial peri-urban farmers growing kale (Brassica oleracea) around Nairobi, Kenya, this study examined two conceptual approaches for measuring ISFM attitudes. A Rasch model, where the odds ratio for engaging in an ISFM practice is given by the difference between farmers’ attitude and the difficulty of the practice in terms of behavioural cost, identified ISFM attitudes as a unidimensional concept. However, assessing attitudes based on a standard valence method raised problems of construct validity. Accounting for behavioural costs as determinants of ISFM, in addition to other pecuniary costs, may improve our understanding of how farmers deal with complex choices in the ISFM context. Our findings suggest that high behavioural costs in relation to use of human faeces as manure, use of crop residues and transport impede adoption of ISFM practices vital to increased productivity. These findings can be used to develop ISFM communications and improve the efficacy of different interventions intended to increase potential uptake of ISFM practices.