The article focuses on the challenges and opportunities facing the system of social insurance for farmers with regard to adapting to changes occurring in agriculture. Farmers – agricultural entrepreneurs – are implementing innovations, responding to market changes and demands, and making use of technological advances, while the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund and the Farmers’ Social Insurance Contribution Fund are participating in these transformations, responding to the needs of farmers in terms of minimising the risk of loss of earning capacity. The article outlines the objective changes taking place in agriculture, as well as amendments to legal provisions defining a farmer, agricultural activity, ancillary agricultural activity, and the family farm. Together with the description and analysis of these changes, specific proposals for possible solutions are presented in response to smart farming, agritronics, specialisation of agricultural activity, and the development of ancillary agricultural activity. The publication presents arguments for introducing into the act on social insurance for farmers such definitions as: ancillary agricultural services, young farmer, family farm, activity within a group of agricultural producers, and pension insurance for “young farmers” on application. The currently functioning system of social insurance for farmers possesses a clear advantage in the form of the self-financing Farmers’ Social Insurance Contribution Fund. This Fund constitutes a model example of how a self-financing system of social insurance for farmers may be organised. It is worth developing it further towards establishing, within the Contribution Fund, a self-financing disability insurance for “young farmers”. The aim of the article is to contribute to the development of a concept for a system of social insurance for farmers that meets contemporary needs and enjoys public acceptance. The intention is to create a model based on agricultural and ancillary agricultural activity, family farms, and cooperation within groups of agricultural producers. The essence of this system is to safeguard the work of the farmer – including work associated with ancillary agricultural activity. The article outlines a strategic-level update to the system that could be implemented and encourages readers to engage with the proposal for a modern theory of social insurance for farmers, adapted to the objectives currently set by farmers.

This study examines women’s participation in decision-making and land use in vegetable farming in Chitwan, Nepal. Primary data were collected from 100 randomly selected female vegetable farmers through household surveys using a semi-structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics, primarily frequency distribution, were used for data analysis. Results indicate that women contribute significantly across almost all stages of vegetable production; however, their decision-making autonomy is constrained in critical areas such as crop planning, leasing, and land allocation, where male or joint authority remains dominant. Although 41% of respondents independently managed household income and 29% made decisions regarding rented land, only 18% possessed legal land titles. Barriers to greater participation included low levels of education, limited access to agricultural information, inadequate land rights, and heavy time burdens. Only 36% of women had received agricultural training, mostly through cooperatives. Despite these challenges, 83% expressed willingness to remain involved in land-use decisions, largely due to family welfare, farming expertise, and financial necessity. Furthermore, 79% of respondents lacked awareness of available support programs, underscoring gaps in institutional outreach. The findings reveal persistent structural inequalities in women’s formal authority and emphasize the need for policies promoting equitable access to resources, training, and legal land rights.

The objective of this study is to ascertain the sustainability of tomato farming in Sidamangura Village, Kusambi District, West Muna Regency. The present study was based on the information provided by 58 tomato farmers residing in Sidamangura Village. The informants were selected deliberately, resulting in a total of six informants. The data were collected using a combination of methods, including observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with interview guides. The focal point of this study was the sustainability of tomato farming. The subsequent analysis of the data was conducted using qualitative analysis methods. The findings indicated that tomato farming in Sidamangura Village possesses the capacity to persist, despite the presence of variations across various dimensions. In the ecological dimension, sustainability is indicated by the low potential for pests and diseases and the use of fertilizers. However, the use of pesticides is a hindering factor. In the economic dimension, sustainability is supported by income and market access, while production factors continue to encounter challenges. Concurrently, within the social dimension, sustainability is bolstered by factors such as the level of education, the productive age of farmers, and the involvement of families. The sustainability of farming is influenced by ecological and economic factors, as well as the social role of farming families. The sustainability of tomato farming in rural areas is contingent upon a number of social factors, with particular emphasis on the role of family participation.

Food security has been a top priority for the Cuban State since 2011; however, it is exposed to various critical factors: insufficient domestic food production, limited access to food in the international market, degradation of natural resources, and loss of biodiversity (FAO, 2013). Various social issues affect local agricultural development. The migration of young people to more developed areas leads to a reduction in the agricultural workforce, population aging, rising food prices, and the need for training of producers who gain access to land for its proper management (Munster, 2016). To analyze the impact of the use of best practices defined by the Local Agricultural Innovation Project (PIAL, Spanish acronym), a study was carried out with a sample of 25 farming families in the municipality of Pinar del Río, Cuba, for the period 2020-2024. The research methods were the following: bibliographic review, interviews with families, and workshops with domain experts. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the application of these best practices in the agricultural sector, assessing the results in the sociocultural, economic, and productive areas; knowledge management; and women's participation and leadership (Ortiz et al., 2015). The aspects analyzed include food security and sovereignty, efficiency of integrated productive systems, and quality of life, with a focus on gender equity and female leadership. The results show that the use of the best agroecological practices in the productive sector allowed an average monthly increase of about 5000.00 Cuban pesos per family. Substantial changes are observed in the recovery of the agrarian culture at the level of families, children, and youth. All the men and women from the 25 families received training on topics relevant to their interests, resulting in increased autonomy, empowerment, and leadership of women in the local development of these rural communities.

(1) Background: Ecuador is the fourth largest milk producer in Latin America, where ap-proximately 80% of production originates from small family farms located in the Andean region. Despite their socioeconomic importance, these farms face challenges related to low technical efficiency. While there are specific studies on efficiency in dairy systems from other regions, a knowledge gap persists regarding the temporal evolution of technical efficiency (TE) in Ecuadorian Andean dairy farms, especially during crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the evolution of TE of family dairy farms in the Ecuadorian Andean region during the period 2018–2024 and to analyze the impact of the pandemic on said efficiency. (2) Methods: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with input orientation and bootstrap simulation was employed to estimate TE, using data from a representative sample that included between 2370 and 2987 farms per year (approximately 25% of the national database of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock). Farms were selected based on the availability of complete information on key variables: number of milking cows, area dedicated to forage, family and hired labor (annual hours), and total annual milk production. Statistical analysis included ANOVA to compare mean TE values between years, post-hoc tests to identify specific differences between periods, and the identification of factors related to the TE. (3) Results: The mean TE of Andean dairy farms increased significantly from 0.37 in 2018 to 0.44 in 2024 (p < 0.10), evidencing sustained improvement, although the mean is still distant from the efficiency frontier. The analysis revealed a notable decrease in TE during 2020–2021, coinciding with the period of greatest impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by progressive recovery in subsequent years. The TE distribution showed that between 70% and 75% of farms remained below 0.50 throughout the analyzed period, while only 8–12% achieved levels above 0.70. The main sources of technical inefficiency identified were relative excesses of labor and forage area in relation to milk production obtained. When compared with international studies, Ecuadorian farms present TE levels substantially lower than those reported in the European Union (>0.80) and similar to or slightly lower than those found in Turkey (0.61–0.71). (4) Conclusions: Family dairy farms in the Ecuadorian Andean region operate with technical efficiency levels considerably below their potential and international standards, suggesting substantial scope for improvement through the optimization of productive resource use, particularly labor and land. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the sector’s efficiency negatively but temporarily, demonstrating resilience and recovery capacity. These findings are relevant to the design of public policies and technical assistance programs aimed at sustainable intensification of family dairy production in the Andes, with an emphasis on improving labor productivity and the efficient use of forage area.

The present study discusses perspectives on the current role of major digital technologies in modern agriculture, highlighting their contributions to productivity, sustainability, and food security. To this end, a search was conducted in leading databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Scielo, examining articles published between 2015 and 2025 related to IoT, drones, sensors, big data, and AI, with a focus on applications aimed at family farming. The key topics addressed in the review include IoT, drones, sensors, big data, and AI. The main technologies identified are drones for monitoring pests and diseases, sensors for optimizing water use in irrigation, IoT-based automated irrigation, climate analysis for forecasting, and “growth chambers” such as hydroponics. Reported benefits include a reduction of up to 30% per hectare in water waste, more efficient use of inputs, improved product quality and traceability, and expansion of the industry into international markets. However, small producers continue to face challenges such as high costs, lack of knowledge, limited infrastructure in rural areas, civic and bureaucratic barriers, and the absence of public policies. Looking ahead, proposed solutions include open-source and low-cost tools, farmer cooperatives, and sustainable approaches. The conclusion emphasizes the digitalization of the horticulture sector, which promotes social inclusion, reduces inequality, and strengthens both capacity-building and resilience needs.

Social Sustainability in Family Farms: The Case of Apples Production in South Tyrol

Abstract In tropical soils, P stands out as one of the most limiting nutrients for crop productivity, primarily due to its scarce availability by its rapid transformation in non-labile forms. Furthermore, the application of P-based fertilizers may not yield effective results, as this nutrient may quickly combine with soil minerals, making it difficult for plant roots to access. Strategies that maximize P utilization, including the use of solubilizing microorganisms, integrated soil management, and efficient fertilizer application, are crucial for promoting a sustainable use of nutrients in agricultural production. These approaches minimize the dependency on rock phosphate, which are limited and restricted to some countries, posing a significant challenge for Latin American and most African countries. Optimizing P use not only reduces environmental impacts, such as the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, but also makes agriculture more viable and profitable for smallholder farmers, strengthening family farming and promoting food security both locally and globally. The adoption of technologies that enhance the efficient use of P is crucial for balancing productivity, sustainability, and social inclusion in tropical agriculture. Information © The Authors 2025

The advance of agribusiness has reconfigured the relations of production and power in the countryside, threatening the traditional reproduction strategies of peasant families. Meanwhile, within the framework of a service economy, tourism is presented as an economic alternative for the rural world. The departments of Pocho and Minas are located in the west of Córdoba Province. With a history linked to forest extraction and mining, they exhibit a high degree of social heterogeneity and productive diversity, with goat production playing a key role. In 2018, the Traslasierra National Park was created, which, together with the asphalting of part of the Provincial Route 28 up to Los Túneles, reconfigures the local economic landscape with a potential for tourism development, threatened by forest fires. Our objective is to analyse the strategies of farming families seeking to adapt to tourism, based on the concept of pluriactivity. The tools of the ethnographic method are used in semi-structured interviews, supported by photographic recording and the development of cartography. It is concluded that successful development lies in balancing the need to improve the economic conditions of the population with the exercise of their identity and the preservation of the environment.

Family farming is based on the work of the family to obtain products both for self-consumption and for the commercialization of surpluses. Its contribution is considered fundamental to food security and global change adaptation strategies. The objective of this study was to characterize the socioecological environment of family farming and agrobiodiversity, as well as to analyze its transformations in a rural-urban area of the municipality of Centro, Tabasco. Applying a mixed methodological approach, a literature review was carried out and, using remote sensing tools, the change in land use and vegetation in the region between 1986 and 2023 was analyzed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 production units to explore perceptions of socio-productive transformations in that period, recording both production and crop diversity. The social and economic history of the municipality is marked by agricultural development plans and the growth of the oil industry in the region, which have significantly transformed the socio-environmental setting of the area. Urbanization and agricultural activity have increased by 2.32% and 1.72% annually, respectively. Farmers attribute changes in their livelihoods to urbanization and economic growth, with differentiated impacts on family farming and agrobiodiversity. Despite these changes, family farming continues to be a fundamental part of peasant identity and a solid base for agrifood diversification, as it provides traditional foods that are essential to the region's food culture.

The objectives of this study: 1). To determine the role of shallot farming in improving the household economy (RT) of farmers in Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency. 2). To determine what factors hinder shallot farming in Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency. The study was conducted in Batuyang Village, Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency. The study began in July 2025 until August. This type of research is Qualitative. To obtain data, the author conducted observations, interviews, questionnaires and documentation studies. The results of the study: (1) The role of shallot farming in improving the economy of farmer families (case study of Pringgabaya District, East Lombok Regency), that shallot farming can improve the economic standard of living of farmer families. (2) The obstacles faced by farmers in shallot farming are the scarcity of basic materials for shallot farming needs such as fuel (gasoline) scarcity, fertilizer scarcity, and the high price of medicines. The unstable price with the results obtained from shallot farming, thus affecting the economic sustainability of farmers' households. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that: (1) the regional government of East Lombok Regency must issue a policy that will regulate the stability of shallot prices. (2) to all farmers who have shallot farming businesses to actively participate in determining prices according to the costs they incur during the shallot farming process.

Agrarian pragmatics: How women on family farms in Queensland, Australia negotiate competing discourses to enact their agrarian ideals

How can rural e-commerce promote green production on family farms in China? Evidence from Hunan Province

Family farm succession and agroecology? A life-history approach to young farmers’ sustainability strategies

Land use transitions and the decline of family farming in Southeastern Brazil: Patterns, pressures, and environmental trade-offs

Assessment of a sargassum-based liquid biofertilizer for enhanced banana cultivation in small-scale family farms

The world is facing a new demographic transition due to the shift from high to low levels of fertility and mortality. Because the relationship between the current demographic transition and rural generational turnover has been understudied, the purpose of this article is to explain this relationship in Latin America, with an emphasis on Colombia. Mainly through the analysis of statistical databases, the results suggest that the current demographic transition acts as both a cause and a consequence of rural generational turnover. This transition, combined with other factors, has led to rural depopulation, and the data projects a rapid expansion of this phenomenon globally. Among the consequences are the productive, economic, and cultural risks for Latin America, due to the high prevalence of this phenomenon in the area of food production, primarily through family and peasant farming.

Between 2023 and 2024, Uruguay focused on the construction of the National Family Farming Plan (PNAF), in line with the guidelines of the Global Decade of Family Farming at the United Nations and the agreement of the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming (REAF) to promote national plans. The aim is to position the sector on the public agenda, while promoting state actions in conjunction with civil society for the strengthening of a key player in the economy, rural territories and food sovereignty. In that context, the country carried out a construction process that had as a framework citizen participation, technical feasibility and prioritization in the political agenda. Under the coordination of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (through the General Directorate of Rural Development and REAF Uruguay), a 2024-2028 planning aimed at strengthening family farming in the work of public, agricultural and extra-agricultural institutions was convened, articulated and developed. This note seeks to synthesize the diagnostic elements that give rise to the plan, the methodology used in the process of construction of the PNAF at the Uruguayan level, and the characteristics and emphasis of the resulting product. It also introduces reflections from a perspective of Family Farming as State policy, on the elements of implementation and governance of the plan that, due to its periodicity, overlaps with an election process and change of government administration.

Public procurement policies focused on family farmers can play a key role in achieving food security and food services, helping to consolidate the trajectories of family farming. This article describes the situation of family farmers in northern Uruguay who participate in the public procurement system in 2022 and supply more than one hundred institutions or organizations of the Ministry of Social Development through the Feeding Rights Program of the National Food Institute. It is a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, with a convenience sample of 33 family farmers and 44 food service representatives. Secondary sources were used, along with semi-structured interviews, self-administered questionnaires, and focus groups (four with family farmers and five with food service representatives). The family farmers surveyed were from the departments of Artigas, Salto, Paysandú, Rivera, Tacuarembó, and Cerro Largo. They were characterized by their heterogeneity in access to resources and in their production and marketing strategies. The implementation of Law No. 19,292 has strengthened their capacity to integrate into formal marketing channels through the public procurement system, even as they address structural limitations such as indebtedness, insufficient technology and infrastructure, and lack of collective organization. Purchasing institutions adapted their administrative management and training to integrate a greater diversity of fresh, local foods. Effective communication between producers and institutions represents a fundamental challenge for strengthening the relationship and ensuring the policy's success.

The Support Program for the Development of Sustainable Activities was a public policy developed by the Argentine State to strengthen family farming between 2020 and 2023. Through the presentation of a case study, this article aims to explore its contributions to the United Nations Decade of Family Farming Plan. Specifically, it seeks to show how family farming was characterized from this State perspective and what the policy's contributions to territorial development were. To this end, the program's implementation in the Province of Formosa is taken as the object of study. The program was selected for this research because it presents typical characteristics in the treatment of family farming and a relative backwardness in the development of its productive forces, making it a paradigmatic case of the challenges of sustainable development. The research utilized documentary analysis of official sources, participant observation, surveys, and interviews with qualified informants. It is concluded that the case under study constituted a response to the socio-productive conditions of the environment as well as to the incentives that, proposed through public policies, favored an organizational experience of sustainable family agriculture.