Case Study Of Farmers Research Articles

Abatement costs for agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus loads: a case study of crop farming in south-western Finland

Designing efficient agri-environmental policies for agricultural nutrient load reductions calls for information on the costs of emission reduction measures. This study develops an empirical framework for estimating abatement costs for nutrient loading from agricultural land. Nitrogen abatement costs and the phosphorus load reductions associated with nitrogen abatement are derived for crop farming in south-western Finland. The model is used to evaluate the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy reform currently underway on nutrient abatement costs. Results indicate that an efficiently designed policy aimed at a 50% reduction in agricultural nitrogen load would cost € 48 to € 35 million, or € 3756 to € 2752 per farm.;

Stewards of Virtue? The Ethical Dilemma of CSR in African Agriculture

ABSTRACTIn recent years companies have responded to increasingly powerful consumer politics by expanding the scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to include ethical trade. This article examines the ethic embedded in and promulgated through ethical trade by use of a case study of African agriculture. Building on recent conceptualizations of globalization, neoliberalism and anthropological analyses of the audit economy, the authors put forward three inter‐related arguments. First, that there is a clear, if largely unacknowledged, ethic that positions ethical trade as an inherently neo‐utilitarian response to the economic and political imperatives of globalization, with important implications for its intended beneficiaries in the South and advocates in the North. Second, that this ethic is at the core of a form of governmentality that advances the project of neoliberalism, not by force but rather through the technologies and embedded norms of voluntary regulation, resulting in a model of governance that is fundamentally constrained by structurally embedded limitations. And third, that attempts to remove these limitations may be less likely to achieve the democratic, empowering outcomes of ethical trade's proponents than to serve the interests of the internationally dispersed ‘stewards of virtue’ that grant ethical trade its legitimacy.

Prioritisation of farm scale remediation efforts for reducing losses of nutrients and faecal indicator organisms to waterways: A case study of New Zealand dairy farming

The international competitiveness of the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry is built on low cost clover-based systems and a favourable temperate climate that enables cows to graze pastures mostly all year round. Whilst this grazed pasture farming system is very efficient at producing milk, it has also been identified as a significant source of nutrients (N and P) and faecal bacteria which have contributed to water quality degradation in some rivers and lakes. In response to these concerns, a tool-box of mitigation measures that farmers can apply on farm to reduce environmental emissions has been developed. Here we report the potential reduction in nutrient losses and costs to farm businesses arising from the implementation of individual best management practices (BMPs) within this tool-box. Modelling analysis was carried out for a range of BMPs targeting pollutant source reduction on case-study dairy farms, located in four contrasting catchments. Due to the contrasting physical resources and management systems present in the four dairy catchments evaluated, the effectiveness and costs of BMPs varied. Farm managements that optimised soil Olsen P levels or used nitrification inhibitors were observed to result in win–win outcomes whereby nutrient losses were consistently reduced and farm profitability was increased in three of the four case study farming systems. Other BMPs generally reduced nutrient and faecal bacteria losses but at a small cost to the farm business. Our analysis indicates that there are a range of technological measures that can deliver substantial reductions in nutrient losses to waterways from dairy farms, whilst not increasing or even reducing other environmental impacts (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use). Their implementation will first require clearly defined environmental goals for the catchment/water body that is to be protected. Secondly, given that the major sources of water pollutants often differed between catchments, it is important that BMPs are matched to the physical resources and management systems of the existing farm businesses.

Spillovers from high‐value agriculture for exports on land use in developing countries: evidence from Madagascar

AbstractHigh‐value agriculture for exports is increasingly important in developing countries. In a case study of contract farming for exports of vegetables from Madagascar, strong spillover effects of these trade opportunities on land use are found to exist. Using a matched plot sampling design, the productivity of rice—the main domestically consumed staple—is shown to be two‐thirds higher on fields that were contracted during the off‐season for the production of vegetables. This increase in yields is linked to an increase of soil fertility due to the application of fertilizer and compost, which farmers did not use prior to the contracts. Although agricultural output goes up significantly, labor productivity stays the same, suggesting that there is greater labor absorption on existing land and the diffusion of this type of technology at a larger scale throughout Madagascar would be expected to substantially decrease incentives to deforest by increasing wages and to boost productivity of existing lands relative to newly deforested ones.

Guest Editorial: Introduction to the Special Issue on Wind Power

The twenty-seven papers in this special issue focus on wind power. The special issue highlights wind electricity's rapidly evolving influx into conventional power systems on a global scale. Some of the topics covered include farm case studies, failure surveys, and experience with wind power's integration into, and impact on, thermal generation. Other topics include wind power's environmental impact, novel generator design, and spinning reserve requirements. Voltage and reactive power control as well as maintenance management issues are also addressed.

Budgetary Implications of, and Motives for, Converting to Organic Farming: Case Study Farm Business Evidence from Great Britain

ABSTRACT This paper explores the financial implications of converting to organic farming in Great Britain through a case study of farmers considering conversion in 2002. Most study farmers were motivated to convert for financial, not ideological or life-style reasons; organic meat production was the most common planned enterprise, although those choosing to produce milk, vegetables and cereals were also studied in depth. At the time of study, organic beef and sheep meat production was particularly profitable. It was found that, in these product sectors, a large improvement in Family Farm Income would result if organic production was introduced on the case study farms. With few exceptions, a fall in Family Farm Income during the conversion period would not be an obstacle to farmers changing to organic methods. Fixed cost changes would also not deter conversion but expensive investment in new livestock and appropriate buildings would be required by some of those businesses studied. These findings are, however, dependent upon the price premia assumptions used and, whilst these premia have dropped slightly since the time of study, this would lessen the financial shortfall during the conversion period. There is also the possibility that reversion to conventional agricultural production might occur, perhaps at a faster rate than the original conversion process that was taking place around the turn of the century.

Learning to Think for Ourselves: Knowledge Improvement and Social Benefits among Farmer Field School Participants in Cameroon

A case study of farmers who attended cocoa integrated crop and pest management (ICPM) farmer field schools in Cameroon and non-participating farmers provides empirical results on areas where there are gaps and mixed results in the FFS literature. FFS provided farmers with new skills and knowledge on cocoa ICPM and FFS graduates demonstrated superior knowledge on cocoa ICPM generally compared to non-FFS farmers. However, the tendency of FFS participants to retain and diffuse new skills and practices more than concepts and principles suggests the need to review aspects of the training. Forty-nine FFS graduates spontaneously provided hands-on informal training to 193 other farmers on key ICPM practices, demonstrating the contribution of farmer-to-farmer diffusion to scaling up farmer training. The case study suggests that FFS can be a starting point for farmer empowerment, but points out that social and technical outcomes can only be sustained if the appropriate local and national level institutions, support systems and policies related to agricultural extension and research are developed. The paper also highlights methodological issues related to measuring the social impacts of FFS.

Testing the Veracity of Supply Chain Management Technology in a Developing Country - Context: A Case Study of Agriculture in Bacolod, The Philippines

This paper describes in the broad terms, the field of supply chain management and then, in particular, its application to agriculture. Modern supply chain management technologies have a lot to offer in the development of agriculture in developing countries.

生徒の農作業体験学習の受け入れに対する住民意識の把握―宮城県加美町における都市農村交流活動を事例として―

生徒の農作業体験学習の受け入れに対する住民意識の把握―宮城県加美町における都市農村交流活動を事例として―

06/02344 Analysis of the turbine standstill for a grid connected wind farm (case study): Abderrazzaq, M. A. and Hahn, B. Renewable Energy, 2006, 31, (1), 89–104.

06/02344 Analysis of the turbine standstill for a grid connected wind farm (case study): Abderrazzaq, M. A. and Hahn, B. Renewable Energy, 2006, 31, (1), 89–104.

The Decision to Finish Cattle on Pasture: An Ethnographic Approach

ABSTRACT Conventional cattle enterprises send grain-finished beef to a commodity market. Pasture-finishing offers farmers better returns in an alternative “niche” market with different costs, uncertainties and risks. Such enterprise decisions are not well-structured problems soluble with classical decision analysis. Instead, they require an ethnographic process of “framing” from a personal viewpoint. Here we examine the natural and cultural setting of beef cattle enterprise systems, and their time frame for action planning and implementation. We present four brief case studies of farmers who practice pasture-finishing. An “ethnographic decision model” (EDM) asks farmers about their personal, material, social and financial resources. In behavioral decision theory, a parallel line of research is “naturalistic decision making” (NDM), focused on the proficiency of decision makers dealing with ill-structured problems, incomplete information, uncertainty, and urgency. Pasture-finished beef production can be an addition to a risk-reducing portfolio of enterprises. The key is classification of the herd into two groups, destined either for the niche market or for the commodity market. When forage growth conditions are unfavorable, the niche group receives preference and commodity animals get second best.

Farmers' knowledge of soils in relation to cropping practices: A case study of farmers in upland rice based slash-and-burn systems of northern Laos

Understanding indigenous knowledge of soils has come to be seen as essential in understanding the local realities of farmer and may be critical for the success or failure of agricultural development. However, little effort has been made to capture the indigenous knowledge of upland farmers in northern Laos where many projects are working to develop sustainable crop production systems as alternatives to slash-and-burn systems. This paper discusses the indigenous knowledge of Loum and Khamu slash-and-burn farmers in relation to soil quality and cropping practices. Most farmers interviewed distinguished two or more soils in their field. When farmers were asked to describe their soils, farmers took a holistic view and not only discussed the soil (primarily color or texture) but also the occurrence of weeds on the soil and the quality of burn. Glutinous rice, their staple food, tended to be planted on good soils, while non-glutinous rice and cash crops (i.e. Job's tears and sesame) were planted on poor soils. Farmers' classification of soils showed good correlation with soil chemical and physical analysis and agronomic performance. For example, color was the most common descriptor of soils. Black soils, which farmers ranked highest in preference, had higher pH, total N, total C and CEC levels than the other color soils. Also, upland rice yields were significantly higher on black soils compared to other soils. Such information can facilitate collaboration between farmers, extension workers and researchers to improve crop production systems and the use of soil and natural resources.

People and wildlife: conflict or coexistence?

Foreword John G. Robinson 1. The impact of human-wildlife conflict on natural systems Rosie Woodroffe, Simon Thirgood and Alan Rabinowitz 2. The impact of human-wildlife conflict on human lives and livelihoods Simon Thirgood, Rosie Woodroffe and Alan Rabinowitz 3. Characterisation and prevention of attacks on humans Howard Quigley and Stephen Herrero 4. Non-lethal techniques for reducing depredation Urs Breitenmoser, Christof Angst, Jean-Marc Landry, Christine Breitenmoser-Wursten, John D. C. Linnell and Jean-Marc Weber 5. Techniques to reduce crop loss: human and technical dimensions in Africa F. V. Osborn and C. M. Hill 6. Evaluating lethal control in the management of human-wildlife conflict Adrian Treves and Lisa Naughton-Treves 7. Bearing the cost of human-wildlife conflict: the challenges of compensation schemes Philip J. Nyhus, Steven A. Osofsky, Paul Ferraro, Francine Madden and Hank Fischer 8. Increasing the value of wildlife through non-consumptive use? Deconstructing the myths of ecotourism and community-based tourism in the tropics M. J. Walpole and C. R. Thouless 9. Does extractive use provide opportunities to offset conflicts between people and wildlife? N. Leader-Williams and J. M. Hutton 10. Zoning as a means of mitigating conflicts with large carnivores: principles and reality John D. C. Linnell, Erlend Birkeland Nilsen, Unni Stobet Lande, Ivar Herfindal, John Odden, Ketil Skogen, Reidar Andersen and Urs Breitenmoser 11. From conflict to coexistence: a case study of geese and agriculture in Scotland David Cope, Juliet Vickery and Marcus Rowcliffe 12. Hen harriers and red grouse: the ecology of a conflict Simon Thirgood and Steve Redpath 13. Understanding and resolving the black-tailed prairie dog conservation challenge Richard P. Reading, Lauren McCain, Tim W. Clark and Brian J. Miller 14. People and elephants in Shimba Hills, Kenya Timothy J. Knickerbocker and John Waithaka 15. Safari hunting and conservation on communal land in southern Africa Dale Lewis and John Jackson 16. Socioecological factors shaping local support for wildlife: crop raiding by elephants and other wildlife in Africa Lisa Naughton-Treves and Adrian Treves 17. Jaguars and livestock: living with the world's third largest cat Alan Rabinowitz 18. People and predators in Laikipia District, Kenya Laurence G. Frank, Rosie Woodroffe and Mordecai O. Ogada 19. Searching for the coexistence recipe: a case study of conflicts between people and tigers in the Russian far east Dale Miquelle, Igor Nikolaev, John Goodrich, Boris Litvinov, Evgeny Smirnov and Evgeny Suvorov 20. A tale of two countries: large carnivore depredations and compensation schemes in Sweden and Norway Jon E. Swenson and Henrik Andren 21. Managing wolf-human conflict in the northwestern United States Edward E. Bangs, Joseph A. Fontaine, Michael D. Jimenez, Thomas J. Meier, Elizabeth H. Bradley, Carter C. Niemeyer, Douglas W. Smith, Curt M. Mack, Val Asher and John K. Oakleaf 22. Policies for reducing human-wildlife conflict: a Kenya case study David Western and John Waithaka 23. An ecology-based policy framework for human-tiger coexistence in India K. Ullas Karanth and Rajesh Gopal 24. The future of coexistence: resolving human-wildlife conflicts in a changing world Rosie Woodroffe, Simon Thirgood and Alan Rabinowitz.

The ecological dynamics of low external input agriculture: A case study of hill farming in a developing country

This paper on Low External Input Agriculture (LEIA) has explored how indigenous hill farming systems in a developing country setting of rural Nepal are functioning and which ecological properties of such systems could contribute to the development of Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA). Three cases were studied using direct field observation, group discussion and interviews, and the important practices of LEIA were ranked into eight classes to analyse the ecological sustainability of the hill farming systems. The study shows that the hill farming system is complex, diverse, heavily reliant on local resources and focuses on the renewability of production resources within the farm. All this can greatly contribute to make the system ecologically sustainable. However, demands for increased production put considerable pressure on farmers to apply external inputs which, if in excess, may jeopardise the whole system. A prerequisite for guidance in careful soil management is the strengthening of supportive research aimed at teaching farmers how to use external inputs. This must agree with the principles of sustainable agriculture and take into account the site-specific variations which are characteristic of Nepalese hill farming systems. We defined the term Ecological Dynamics as 'the pattern of changes in structure and/or forces in processes which govern the development of natural and artificial ecosystems'. This definition assists in identification of trends in ecological sustainability. Understanding indigenous farming systems reveals important ecological clues essential for the development of sustainable agriculture.

Certified organic agriculture in Mexico: Market connections and certification practices in large and small producers

Certification within organic agriculture exhibits flexibility with respect to practices used to demonstrate that a product meets published quality standards. This case study of Mexican certified-organic agriculture finds two forms. Indigenous smallholders of southern Mexico undertake a low-input, process-oriented organic farming in which certification is based upon extensive document review, group inspections, and assessment of on-farm capacity to produce organic inputs. More recently, northern Mexican large agribusiness producers have implemented certifications based upon laboratory testing and assessment of purchased inputs. To specify these differences, this article examines large and small producers in Mexico's organic agriculture sector based on a diagnostic census of Mexican organic agriculture in 668 production zones and field surveys in 256 production zones in which 28 indicators were analyzed. After comparing the organic cultivation and certification practices of large, agro-industrial, input-oriented private firms versus small, cooperatively organized, indigenous and peasant groups, we analyze the implications of this duality for certification frameworks. We argue (with Raynolds, L., 2004. The globalization of organic agro-food networks. World Development 32(5), 725–743; Gonzalez A.A., and Nigh, R., 2005. Smallholder participation and certification of organic farm products in Mexico. Journal of Rural Studies; DeLind, L., 2000. Transforming organic agriculture into industrial organic products: reconsidering national organic standards. Human Organization 59(2), 198–208) that the increasing bureaucratic requirements of international organic certification privilege large farmers and agribusiness-style organic cultivation and present the possibility of a new entrenchment of socio-spatial inequality in Mexico. While organic and fair trade agriculture has been touted as an income-generating production strategy for small producers of the Global South, our study suggests that Mexican organic agriculture reproduces existing social inequalities between large and small producers in conventional Mexican agriculture.

The Persistence of Family Farming in the Wake of Agribusiness: A New Brunswick, Canada Case Study

This article explores how and why small (subsistence, hobby, and small scale commercial) farms have persisted in the face of agribusiness and the pressure to “get big or get out” of fanning. Drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted for a case study of dairy and potato farming in New Brunswick, Canada, the article argues off-farm employment, mixed farming, and inter-/intra-generational family farming are strategies families have used to stay in farming despite pressures to expand and modernise. The article contends smallscale operations that have followed these strategies are the farms that have essentially maintained the vistas and agricultural infrastructure of rural New Brunswick. They are not a residual or marginal category of farm operations left behind by modernisation, but a conscious economic strategy and approach to rural life. It is these farms that are critical for the long-term maintenance of local communities and food production, yet they tend to be marginalised by agricultural policy makers.

The role of social capital in the promotion of conservation farming: the case of ‘landcare’ in the Southern Philippines

Abstract‘Social capital’ refers to the relationships of trust, communication, and cooperation that facilitate collective action in a community. It is particularly relevant to soil conservation in developing countries, which requires collective efforts to raise awareness of soil degradation, provide effective training in soil conservation practices, and implement soil conservation measures on individual farms. The Landcare Program in the Southern Philippines promotes simple conservation practices in upland environments through establishing and supporting community landcare groups and municipal landcare associations, thus augmenting the social capital of farmers in these locations. An evaluation of the Landcare Program in Barangay Ned, South Cotabato, based on a survey of 313 farm households and case studies of nine landcare groups, shows that, despite extreme isolation and difficult working conditions, farmers responded by rapidly forming landcare groups and a landcare association, and adopting contour barriers on their maize farms. They utilized the bonding social capital inhering in their local communities to build stocks of bridging social capital, linking them to information, training and resources from outside their immediate locality. A logistic regression model of the factors affecting adoption of contour barriers shows that farmers who had undergone the practical, farmer‐based training provided by the Landcare Program, and who were members of a landcare group, were significantly more likely to adopt conservation measures. These results confirm the value of investing in social capital to promote soil conservation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Farm Buildings and the Industrial Age

Following a review of the nature of research on historic farm buildings during the past third of a century, it is suggested that buildings can be a source of primary historical evidence which complements material derived from written sources, rather than merely illustrating it, and that some of the greatest advances in understanding may arise from inter-disciplinary studies. Links between the development of agrarian and industrial production and society are explored, partly by means of a case study of farming in the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland.

Effects of market liberalization on income from sugarcane farming in Guangxi, China

The economic reforms characterized by trade liberalization, market opening, change of land tenure system, etc. have had significant impacts on the agricultural sector in China. In order to examine the effects of market liberalization on farmer income in relative poor regions, a case study of sugarcane farming in Guangxi province has been conducted. The study shows that the effects of liberalization of international trade, as well as domestic output and input markets, etc. on farmer’s household income are considerable. After liberalization of international trade on sugar and sugarcane in 1995, the domestic sugar price responses to the world sugar price more significantly than before the liberalization. The elasticity of domestic sugar price to world sugar price is 0.52. The liberalization of domestic market also had significant effects on the sugarcane production and producer price. The local sugarcane price did not respond to domestic sugar price significantly before the liberalization, but it does respond to the domestic sugar price significantly after the liberalization. The liberalization in input markets leads to dramatical increase in input prices particularly in short run, and increase the total cost of sugarcane farming. As a result, the household incomes from sugarcane fanning are affected significantly. Simulation study shows that sugarcane farming in Guangxi would be affected more greatly after China’s WTO accession, and it will affect the rural household income eventually.

POWER, NATURE AND NEOLIBERALISM: THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF WATER IN CHILE

ABSTRACTSince the 1990s, international water sector reforms have centred heavily on economic and market approaches. In regard to water resources management, tradable water rights have been promoted, often supported by the neoliberal model adopted in Chile. Chile's 1981 Water Code was reformed to comprise a system of water rights that could be freely traded with few restrictions. International financial institutions have embraced the Chilean model, claiming that it results in more efficient water use, and potentially fosters social and environmental benefits. However, in Chile the Water Code is deeply contested. It has been criticised for being too permissive and has produced a number of problems in practice. Moreover, attempts to modify it have become the focus of a lengthy polemic debate. This paper employs a political ecology perspective to explore the socio‐environmental outcomes of water management in Chile, drawing on a case study of agriculture in the semi‐arid Norte Chico. The case illustrates how large‐scale farmers exert greater control over water, while peasant farmers have increasingly less access. I argue that these outcomes are facilitated by the mode of water management implemented within the framework of the Water Code. Through this preliminary examination of social equity and the environmental aspects of water resources management in Chile, I suggest that the omission of these issues from the international debates on water rights markets is a cause for concern.