Environmental Friendly Agricultural Practices Research Articles

Upscaling environmental incentives in the Common Agricultural Policy: an assessment of the potential of transfers from the first to second pillar

Agri-environment-climate measures and organic farming support have been the main contractual instruments promoting environment-friendly agricultural practices in the European Union since the 90s. They are insufficient in reaching significant environmental improvements, partly because underfunded. Using French panel data from the farm accountancy data network, we evaluate the impact of a budget transfer from income support to environmental incentives on contract uptake. We apply a generalised Tobit model to estimate the adoption probability and the acceptable farm-level payment triggering this adoption and simulate a transfer from direct payments to organic farming support and agri-environment-climate measures budget. Results suggest this mechanism increases adoption. Decreasing direct payments affects participation probabilities and acceptable farm-level payments, differently depending on the type of environmental contract, the type of direct payment and the farm technical orientation. We evaluate several transfer scenarios and provide ex-ante elements on how it could help reaching the Green Deal organic target.

Glomus sp. and Bacillus sp. strains mitigate the adverse effects of drought on maize (Zea mays L.).

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an economically important source of food and feed. This species is highly sensitive to drought, which is the most limiting factor for the biomass yield of a crop. Thus, maize cultivation methods should be improved, especially by environment-friendly agricultural practices, such as microorganisms. Here, we provide evidence that Glomus sp. and Bacillus sp. modulate maize response to drought. Inoculation of maize seeds by these microorganisms restored the proper photosynthetic activity of the plant under drought and stabilized the osmoprotectant content of the leaf. The beneficial effect of Glomus sp. and Bacillus sp. was also related to the stabilization of cell redox status reflected by hydrogen peroxide content, antioxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde level in leaves. As we revealed by several methods, shaping maize response to drought is mediated by both microorganism-mediated modifications of cell wall composition and structure of leaves, such as downregulating pectin, affecting their methylation degree, and increasing hemicellulose content. Overall, we provide new information about the mechanisms by which Glomus sp. and Bacillus sp. induce drought tolerance in maize, which is a promising approach for mitigating abiotic stresses.

Long-term organic and inorganic fertilization on economics, energy budgeting and carbon footprint of soybean-wheat cropping system in the Indian mid-Himalayas

ABSTRACT For identification and adoption of improved and environmental friendly agricultural practices with minimum emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), observations were recorded for 3 years (2015–17) in a 22-year-old soybean-wheat based long-term fertilizer experiment that was started in 1995–96. The study involved seven treatments: control (CK), organic manure (M), inorganic fertilizers (NPK), integrated (MNPK), only nitrogen (N), mineral fertilizers in both season (NPK+NPK) and nitrogen with organic manure (MN). MNPK significantly enhanced the system productivity (9.72 Mg ha−1) with higher net return (3128 US$ha−1) and benefit-cost ratio (1.64). Due to better energy output to inputs relation, total energy productivity and energy use efficiency were reported higher in MNPK (0.38 kg MJ−1 and 4.76, respectively) followed by MN (0.34 kg MJ−1 and 4.26, respectively) and M (0.32 kg MJ−1 and 4.16, respectively). In contrast to C efficiency, C sustainability index and yield scaled carbon footprint (CFy), the spatial CO2-e emission (CFs) was found highest under MNPK (~5035 kg CO2-e ha−1) followed by MN and NPK+NPK and lowest was recorded under control. In sum, long-term organic and inorganic fertilization simultaneously in soybean-wheat system may be a preferred strategy for improving soil productivity, profitability, energy use and environmental sustainability of Indian-mid-Himalayas.

Do city dwellers care about peri-urban land use? The case of environment-friendly agriculture around Milan

Undeveloped land adjacent to urban areas has a strong potential to generate high amenity values to urban dwellers via the adoption of environment-friendly agricultural practices. Yet, there is a lack of specific policy measures tailored to unlock such potential and a scant knowledge of the preferences of the main beneficiaries. Analysis of data from a Choice Experiment in the municipality of Milan based on current policy deliverables shows that a large share of the urban population is willing to pay for specific ecological benefits linked to agricultural practices. Organic farming and land strips sown with wildflowers are the two practices whose ecological benefits are found most desirable. Willingness to pay for a policy intervention is shown to significantly correlate with income class, with low income recipients being more interested in organic farming while those with middle or high income deriving higher benefits from planting fast-growing trees.

Selection of Winter Season Crop Pattern for Environmental-Friendly Agricultural Practices in India

Owing to the sudden changes in climatic conditions, monsoon failure, and scarce availability of resources because of population hike, yielding a minimum profit has become a challenge for Indian farmers. This is a severe problem for India, as a major part of the Nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) depends on agriculture. To change this dreadful situation, Indian farmers must employ sustainable agricultural practices in farming, as it will help them to meet their agricultural needs and economic stability. Here, we have built a framework for selecting the ideal crop pattern for Winter Cropping Season (Rabi Season), as crop pattern plays a vital role in the effective function of sustainable agricultural practices. We have used the rough AHP-TOPSIS (Analytical Hierarchy Process-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method for finding the best crop pattern for the Rabi season, by considering all the influential criteria in terms of agriculture sustainability. Our study demonstrates an overall idea to the farmers and stakeholders about attaining maximum crop productivity with optimum use of available resources, without compromising the economic, social, and ecological aspects of agriculture.

Adoption of Environment-Friendly Agricultural Practices with Background Risk: Experimental Evidence

Agriculture is one of the economic sectors most exposed to exogenous risks such as climate hazards and price volatility on agricultural markets. Agricultural policies targeting the adoption of environment-friendly but potentially risk-increasing practices cannot ignore this challenge. Farmers have indeed to decide if they take the foreground risk associated with the adoption of environment-friendly practices, while simultaneously facing exogenous background risk beyond their control. Using a theoretical model and a public good experiment, we analyse the adoption of agri-environmental practices and the effect of agri-environmental subsidies in a context where risks are both foreground and background. While most of the literature on background risk focuses on its impact on individual decisions, we analyse the influence of background risk in a context of strategic uncertainty (contribution to a public good). The results highlight the potential synergies between greening the CAP and supporting risk management. We find that background risk discourages the adoption of green practices, although it affects all farmland independently from the farmer’s choice of practices (environment friendly or conventional). An incentive payment per hectare of land farmed with green practices increases the adoption of risk-increasing practices but is significantly less effective in the presence of background risk.

USING PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING METHOD TO ESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF VIETGAP PROGRAM ON THE HEALTH OF FARMERS IN THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE, VIETNAM

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong></p><p>This study estimates the impact value of the VietGAP program when applied to vegetable production on the health of farmers in Thua Thien Hue province. By employing the propensity score matching (PSM) method, our findings show that the VietGAP program has a significant impact on farmers’ health. In particular, the program reduces farmers’ health problems due to pesticide exposure by 15.6 %, 22.9 %, 25.5 %, and 23.6 %, respectively, from four types of matching. This study provides evidence of the positive impacts of the VietGAP program on the health status of farmers in Thua Thien Hue province. It is therefore hoped that the production, consumption, and management solutions provided by the VietGAP program can encourage farmers to use environment-friendly agricultural practices.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>propensity score matching (PSM) method, VietGAP program, farmers’ health</p>

Farm households' preferences for collective and individual actions to improve water-related ecosystem services: The Lake Naivasha basin, Kenya

Interventions in payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs can involve both collective and individual actions. This study explores the potential for the development of payment for water related ecosystem services (PWES) program in the Lake Naivasha basin, Kenya. Using a choice experiment approach, the willingness to accept compensation is estimated for three water-related ecosystem services (WES) attributes: one collective attribute (reforestation) and two individual attributes (environment-friendly agricultural practices and restoration of riparian land). Moreover, the preferences of upstream farm households are analysed with regard to sub-basins where a PWES program has already been implemented and sub-basins where it has not been implemented so far. For sub-basins where PWES has already been implemented, environment-friendly agricultural practices is the only significant attribute for local farmers' choice to improve WES. Reforestation and environment friendly agricultural practices are significant attributes for sub-basins where PWES has not been implemented so far. Farm households are willing to accept compensation but there appears to be heterogeneity in preferences for WES attributes. We find differences in farm households' preferences and values for collective and individual actions. Therefore, contrary to the current norm in PES interventions with a uniform compensation scheme, we recommend conservation payments to vary among ecosystem service providers.

Owner’s preferences and government intervention: Monfragüe shire study case

The public have an increasing interest in Dehesa environmental services (recreation, option and existence values). The growing Government incentives on environmental friendly agricultural practices have given a new opportunity for private economics of natural and environmental resources in Dehesa. This work presents the results from a Delphi questionnaire on owners’ preferences and demands of compensations for undertaking environmental conservation and improvement measures in Dehesa of Monfragüe shire. The private owners of Dehesa are investors that have, at the same time, commercial aims and private environmental services autoconsumption preferences. A contingent valuation questionnaire has been applied to a group of Dehesa ’ owners to measure the maximum willingness to pay (WTP) —to accept losses— of commercial capital income against the maintenance of private environmental services autoconsumption. The Delphi results show that owners’attitude is in favour to follow the environmental friendly agricultural practices, when the Government incentives are higher than the losses of commercial capital income plus a risk premium. The value of owners’ autoconsumption measured by the WTP question from the contingent valuation gives an autoconsumption profitability rate from 1% to 5% of the total market value of the Dehesa.

Agriculture et agroalimentaire : technologies de l'information pour garantir la qualit� des produits et le respect de l'environnement

Abstract Presently, due to the social demand, two trends weigh heavily on the agricultural and food production : foodstuff quality enhancement and the search for more environmental-friendly agricultural practices. Agriculture and the food industry are expected to take into account technical, social, economical and environmental factors. To do this means developing adaptability, and to adapt quickly one requires reliable and accurate information. This is why it is developed technologies and methodologies for acquiring and processing information in the agricultural fields and in the food processing plants. In agriculture, our main goals are to collect information from the field and to accurately model the cultivation practices that need to be improved. Embedded sensors are based on artificial vision and microwaves. In artificial vision, the main obstacles to be overcome are heterogenous lighting conditions, the great variability of biological products and the segmentation process (due to overlapping objects). Complex cultivation practices such as pesticide spraying or manuring are either optimised — using fluid mechanics for spraying, balistics for manuring- or replaced by robotic-based techniques. In food processing, research has been carried out on the modelling of the human perception and decision-making when assessing food quality. Powerful investigation techniques such as magnetic nuclear resonance are currently being studied to provide more in-depth knowledge of food products. Low—cost sensors (based on artificial vision, infrared spectroscopy) are developed to allow on-line, non destructive measurement of food characteristics (for instance sugar content in fruit). That implies technology studies (choice of the components, design), modelling (for instance, the light distribution in fruit), and chemometrics. Finally, the decisions of the human operator of food processing lines are modelled by artificial intelligence : fuzzy rules are created using either expert knowledge or fuzzy inference systems. These research methods are consistently applied to relevant and every-day problems. They engender multidisciplinary approaches carried out under heavy constraints (of cost, real-time, robustness) at the crossroads where Engineering, and Biology meet Social demands.