Farm Typology Research Articles

Rural livelihood diversity and its influence on the ecological intensification potential of smallholder farms in Kenya

AbstractSmallholder farmers represent the majority of food producers around the world, yet they are often the most at risk of suffering yield gaps and not achieving their production potential. Ecological Intensification (EI) is a knowledge intensive approach to sustainable agricultural intensification which utilizes biodiversity‐based ecosystem services to support greater yield and reduce reliance on agrochemical inputs. Despite the potential benefit of EI based practices, uptake by smallholders is not as widespread as it could be. Here we test the hypothesis that application of EI on smallholder farms in Kenya is a viable approach that could be taken in order to enhance food security. Focusing on natural pest control and crop pollination, we used farmer surveys to explore the potential for EI in central Kenya. We identified to what extent farm typology and access to knowledge determine the incentives and barriers facing smallholder producers and how this influences optimal pathways for sharing knowledge and providing extension services. We found considerable potential for EI of smallholder farms in this region; most farmers grew insect pollinated crops and some farmers already employed EI practices, while others relied heavily on chemical pesticides. Based on physical, social, and economic factors, three farm typologies emerged including “semi‐commercial,” “market orientated,” and “subsistence.” These typologies influenced the appropriate EI practices available to farmers, as well as routes through which knowledge was shared, and the extent to which extension services were utilized. We propose that to support effective uptake of EI practices, smallholder farm heterogeneity should be acknowledged and characterized in order to target the needs and capabilities of farmers and identify appropriate knowledge sharing and support pathways. The approach we take here has the potential to be employed in other regions globally.

Farm-level exploration of economic and environmental impacts of sustainable intensification of rice-wheat cropping systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic plains

• Farms with higher resource endowment had larger outcome spaces. • Optimization results highlight the trade-off between profit and water use. • Environmental objectives could be improved with re-allocation of current crops. • Sustainable intensification with mung bean was not beneficial for all farm types. Agriculture in rural Bihar needs to maintain its productivity while enhancing its biophysical sustainability. To sustainably intensify the predominant rice-wheat systems, alternative cropping patterns with short duration legumes, planted in the usually fallow summer season, were developed. The addition of the legume ensures near-permanent soil cover, breaks the cereal-cereal cycle, and aims to improve soil quality while yielding between 0.6 and 1.2 Mg ha -1 of protein-rich dry matter. On-station experiments previously demonstrated the agronomical feasibility of the alternative cropping patterns while this study addresses the implications of such field-level changes at farm-level for different types of smallholders. We used the model FarmDESIGN to 1) assess current farm performance, 2) explore options to rearrange cropping patterns and 3) assess the impact of cropping patterns with mung bean. We found diverse farm performances, indicating a heterogenous farming community. Re-arranging current cropping patterns gave all farms possibilities to save water, increase soil organic matter content and decrease nitrogen losses but showed trade-offs with operating profit. Higher resource endowed farms had most potential to favourably rearrange the farm and improve multiple performance indicators. Two out of the five farms assessed did not benefit from including the alternative cropping patterns. We conclude that the impact of innovations greatly depends on farm type and current farm features and performance, described by a farm typology.

Farmers’ environmental perceptions and preferences regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation actions; towards a sustainable agricultural system in México

Climate change compromises sustainable agricultural development. It has deep economic, environmental, and social impacts, particularly on vulnerable rural regions in developing countries where agriculture constitutes the backbone of the economy. This study analyzes farmers’ preferences regarding the potential implementation of several mitigation and adaptation actions addressing climate change. Data were collected on 370 farmers in the “Valle del Carrizo” region of northwestern México. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, the farmers’ preferred mitigation and adaptation actions were identified and related to their stated attitudes regarding risks using the Multiple Price List (MPL) lotteries approach. Farmers’ environmental beliefs and perceptions as key means of understanding concepts of sustainability were related to their preferences. The use of less polluting machinery and investment in improving irrigation infrastructure were identified as the most preferred actions. Environmental opinions reviewed using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale allowed for the identification of the participants’ ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes, highlighting the commitment of most farmers to the sustainable use of natural resources. Agricultural policies should be developed according to farmers’ preferences and behaviors. The design and implementation of measures and policy tools addressing climate change should be inclusive and developed at the micro-level considering farm and farmer typologies.

Characterizing Farmers and Farming System in Kilombero Valley Floodplain, Tanzania

Recognizing the diversity of farmers is crucial for the success of agricultural, rural, or environmental programs and policies aimed at the sustainable use of natural resources. In this study, based on survey data collected in the Kilombero Valley Floodplain (KVF) in Tanzania, we design a typology of farmers to describe the range of farm types and farming systems systematically, and to understand their livelihood and land use behavior. The KVF is the largest, low-altitude, seasonally-flooded, freshwater wetland in East Africa. Despite its values, KVF is a very fragile ecosystem threatened by current and future human interventions. We apply multivariate statistical analysis (a combination of principal component analysis and cluster analysis) to identify farm groups that are homogenous within and heterogeneous between groups. Three farm types were identified: “Monocrop rice producer”, “Diversifier”, and “Agropastoralist”. Monocrop rice producers are the dominant farm types, accounting for 65 percent of the farm households in the valley, characterized by more than 80 percent of the land allocated to rice, showing strong market participation and high utilization of labor. Diversifiers, on the other hand, allocate more land to maize and vegetables. Agropastoralists account for 7 percent of the surveyed farmers and differ from the other two groups by, on average, larger land ownership, a combination of livestock and crop production, and larger household sizes. This typology represents the diversity of farmers in KVF concerning their land use and livelihood strategy, and will allow to target policy interventions. Besides, it may also inform further research about the diverse landscape of floodplain farming, through the classification and interpretation of different socio-economic positions of farm households.

Characterization and typologies of dairy goat farms in the Mediterranean region: A case of Italy and Turkey

Abstract Our objective was to classify and characterize dairy goat farms on the basis of some socio-economic aspects in two Mediterranean countries, Italy and Turkey. Random samples of 11 farms from the north-eastern part of Italy and of 18 farms from Canakkale province in the west region of Turkey have been used. Farmers were interviewed using 44 indicators related to general farm characteristics based on socio-economic structure. For the classification of farms, Principal Component Analysis and cluster analysis have been performed. Farms have been classified into 4 clusters. Cluster 1 (6 farms, 20.7 %) included “Intensive/Semi-intensive, medium-sized with high owned land area, using technology Italian farms”. Cluster 2 (5 farms, 17.2 %) included “Intensive/Semi-intensive, large-sized with high amount of concentrate feed supply, using technology and with highly cheese production Italian farms”. Cluster 3 (14 farms, 48.3 %) included “Semi-intensive, medium-sized, mostly member of cooperatives, directly raw milk seller Turkish farms”. Cluster 4 (4 farms, 13.8 %) included “Intensive/semi-intensive, large-sized with high land area, member of cooperatives, work with highly hired labour, directly raw milk seller Turkish farms”. Results of this study point out the main differences between Italian and Turkish farms, mostly related to the farmer education level, the use of technology, the marketing and organization structure, and the milk yield. However, the older age of the farmers, their membership of union breeders and their commitment to a second economic activity to provide extra income were the more common features. In conclusion, taking into account this socio-economic variety between countries, outcomes of this study might help to identify some possible requirements for developing new strategies and policies on the dairy goat sector during the EU-harmonization process in Turkey.

A new typology of small farms in Europe

We propose a new typology of small farms in Europe using a multivariate analysis drawing from household surveys from 14 European countries. The variables to develop the types covered a range of characteristics from farmers' histories and motivations, to farm production, assets and labour, market linkages and access to support. The clustering analysis found five types of small farms, two with relatively weak commercial orientation (peasant and part-time farms) and three with relatively strong commercial orientation (diversified businesses, specialized businesses, and new enterprises). This typology provides a richer picture of the diversity and nature of small farming across Europe beyond assumptions about their role in subsistence and fragile household economies. We find evidence of entrepreneurship and strong market linkages as well as a range of motivations, including lifestyle options. Typologies such as the one presented here can help to better document and understand the role of small-scale farming in Europe, and provide an input for evidence-based policy making that can enhance their livelihoods and contribution.

Effects of proximity to markets on dairy farming intensity and market participation in Kenya and Ethiopia

The effect of proximity to markets on dairy farming intensity and market participation traditionally has been viewed as a market quality effect stemming from distance to end-markets with resultant travel time. This study departs from this by distinguishing three travel time components: travel time to local service center for inputs and services, to dairy delivery point, and to end-markets. Dairy farms in nine villages each in Ethiopia and Kenya were sampled and interviewed along a double proximity gradient. Effects on many production and marketing parameters were measured and compared using regression analysis, to test the hypothesis that intensity of dairy farming and degree of market participation increase with proximity to end-markets and with proximity to local service centers. Findings prove the hypothesis for proximity to local service center, which causes better market quality for inputs and outputs, smaller farms with less available labor, use of more purchased feeds and services, higher stocking rates, higher yields, and higher margins per hectare. Findings only partly prove the hypothesis for proximity to end-markets, mainly due to unexpected land scarcity in the most remote locations. Low productivity and low dairy farming intensity and market participation for remote farms in Ethiopia are attributed to limited and volatile market demand, a coarse milk-collection grid, and low quality of input and service markets, which are largely publicly organized. Implication of this study is that the common typology of dairy farms in ‘(peri-) urban’ and ‘rural’ farms needs adjustment by outlining local market access and connectivity. ‘Remote’ rural farms need to be connected to milk collection infrastructure, input shops and services to even have the choice to increase participation in dairy- or other markets.

Farming systems’ typologies analysis to inform agricultural greenhouse gas emissions potential from smallholder rain-fed farms in Kenya

Most sub-Saharan Africa smallholder farming systems are highly heterogeneous. Direct quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from these farming systems is hampered by diversity at farm-level. Each farm contributes differently to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and consequently GHG inventories. Typologies can be used as a mechanism of addressing farming systems’ heterogeneity by grouping them into specific farm types. With the GHG quantification simplification initiatives in mind, we developed smallholder farm typologies based on soil fertility inputs. We assessed nitrogen application rate, soil fertility management technologies and the socio-economic factors diversity among the farm typologies in the central highlands of Kenya. We used data from a cross-sectional household survey with a sample size of 300 smallholder farmers. We characterized the farm types using principal component analysis (PCA). To develop farm typologies, we subjected the PCA-derived typologies related factors to cluster analysis (CA). The results showed six farm types: Type 1, comprising cash crop and hybrid cattle farmers; Type 2, comprising food crop farmers; Type 3, composed of coffee-maize farmers; Type 4, comprising millet-livestock farmers; Type 5, comprising highly diversified farmers, and Type 6, comprising tobacco farmers. Land size owned, total tropical livestock unit, the proportion of land and nitrogen applied to different cropping systems were significant in the construction of farm typologies. Univariate analysis showed the household head's level of education, hired labour, group membership, access to extension services, and proportion of income from cropping activities as critical factors influencing farm typologies in the study area. This study demonstrates the importance of smallholder farm typologies in identifying greenhouse gas emissions hotspots, designing quantification experiment and policy framing. We concluded that policies and intervention measures targeting climate-smart agriculture at smallholder farms should consider not only farm-level soil fertility management technologies but also socio-economic characteristics that influence their adoption.

Impact and Opportunities of Agroecological Intensification Strategies on Farm Performance: A Case Study of Banana-Based Systems in Central and South-Western Uganda

Agroecological intensification (AEI) practices relying on on-farm diversity tend to close nutrient cycles and reduce dependency on external inputs in agricultural systems. These practices improve the productivity of banana-based systems in Uganda, but their extent of implementation differs between and within regions. However, the impact of AEI practices on a broader range of objectives including environmental and nutritional objectives, is hardly quantified. Additionally, recommendations to improve the farm performance, given these options, are lacking. We, therefore, analyzed the current farm performance for these broad range of objectives and explored optimal farm reconfigurations in two Ugandan districts, one in Central Uganda and one in Southwestern (SW) Uganda. Given the heterogeneity of smallholder farms, a farm typology based on the applied AEI practices was developed. It classified the subsistence farms in Central Uganda into two extreme groups with an average of 11.0 and 16.4 AEI practices applied per farm. Farms in SW Uganda were moderately intensified (i.e., 13.0 practices). The FarmDESIGN model revealed a higher species diversity, relatively higher profitability (2,039 – 3,270 $/ha/year) and nutritional yield on farms in Central Uganda. However, relatively high soil erosion levels (0.243 – 0.240) and negative nitrogen (N) balances (−72 to −50 kg N/ha/year) were indicative of unsustainable practices. In contrast, farms in SW Uganda were less diverse and more market oriented. Their commercial orientation allowed investments in soil fertility management, resulting in more sustainable [low soil erosion level (0.172) and positive N balance (5 kg/ha/year)], but less profitable (506 $/ha/year) systems. To improve farm performance, bananas and other perennials played a key role. Explorations with Calliandra calothyrsus (Calliandra) hedgerow or Mucuna pruriens (Mucuna) cover crop increased on-farm mulch production, improved sustainability indicators and profitability. We conclude that AEI practices can improve farm performance, and a more intensive use would be beneficial. In addition, the FarmDESIGN model provides a useful tool for redesigning these farms, proposing different redesigns depending on farmers' objectives (profitability, productivity or sustainability), and for evaluating ex ante the impact of new agricultural measures on farm performance.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Establishment Techniques and Their Implications for Soil Properties, Global Warming Potential Mitigation and Crop Yields

Rice-based intensive cropping systems require high input levels making them less profitable and vulnerable to the reduced availability of labor and water in Asia. With continuous conventional puddled rice transplanting, the situation is exacerbated by damaged soil structure, declining underground water and decreasing land and water productivity. To minimize these negative effects a range of new crop establishment practices have been developed (zero tillage, dry direct seeding, wet direct seeding, water seeding, strip planting, bed planting, non-puddled transplanting of rice, mechanical transplanting of rice crop and combinations thereof) with varying effects on soil health, crop productivity, resource saving and global warming mitigation potential. Some of these allow Conservation Agriculture (CA) to be practiced in the rice-based mono-, double- and triple cropping systems. Innovations in machinery especially for smallholder farms have supported the adoption of the new establishment techniques. Non-puddling establishment of rice together with increased crop residue retention increased soil organic carbon by 79% and total N (TN) in soil by 62% relative to conventional puddling practice. Rice establishment methods (direct seeding of rice, system of rice intensification and non-puddled transplanting of rice) improve soil health by improving the physical (reduced bulk density, increased porosity, available water content), chemical (increased phosphorus, potassium and sulphur in their available forms) and biological properties (microbiome structure, microbial biomass C and N) of the soil. Even in the first year of its practice, the non-puddled transplanting method of rice establishment and CA practices for other crops increase the productivity of the rice-based cropping systems. Estimates suggest global warming potential (GWP) (the overall net effect) can be reduced by a quarter by replacing conventional puddling of rice by direct-seeded rice in the Indo-Gangetic Plains for the rice-based cropping system. Moreover, non-puddled transplanting of rice saves 35% of the net life cycle greenhouse gases (GHGs) compared with the conventional practice by a combination of decreasing greenhouse gases emissions from soil and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC). Though the system of rice intensification decreases net GHG emission, the practice releases 1.5 times greater N2O due to the increased soil aeration. There is no single rice establishment technology that is superior to others in all circumstances, rather a range of effective technologies that can be applied to different agro-climates, demography and farm typologies.

The changing face of agriculture in Tanzania: Indicators of transformation

AbstractMotivationThe extent to which African farming systems are undergoing transformation continues to be strongly debated.PurposeWith a focus on Tanzania, this study assesses whether recent trends in farm behaviour, the structure of farming, and agricultural commercialization and productivity conform to stylized facts about agricultural transformation. In the process, we propose an updated typology of farms that reflects recent changes in the relative importance of different farm categories and sheds light on the heterogeneity found even among smallholder farms.Approach and methodsTo this end, we refer to farm‐household survey data over the period 2008–2014.FindingsWe find that medium‐scale farms and small, farm‐focused, commercialized farms are claiming an increasingly prominent role in Tanzanian agriculture. Farmers are more likely to participate in markets for land and labour, to engage in some forms of agricultural intensification and to exhibit a commercial orientation. Over the study period, the real value of agricultural output grew substantially, mostly reflecting a remarkable expansion of cropland rather than increased land productivity. Labour productivity also grew, driven by a reduction in labour intensity. At the same time, Tanzania is experiencing a dramatic movement of labour out of agriculture.Policy implicationsTogether, the evidence suggests that Tanzania is on the cusp of larger transformational processes in the decades to come. With this knowledge, policies can be thoughtfully shaped to support agricultural growth (particularly in land productivity) and meet farmers' diverse needs.

Towards actionable farm typologies: Scaling adoption of agricultural inputs in Rwanda

Rollout of development interventions using a one-size-fits-all model can achieve economies of scale but neglects to account for variability in farm and farmer characteristics. A data-driven approach to incorporate farmer diversity in scaling strategies may help to achieve greater development impact. However, interpreting the multiplicity of smallholder characteristics is complex, time-consuming, and the ways in which the insights gained can be implemented is poorly understood. Navigating these tensions, we present a farm typology study carried out in collaboration with a large development organisation (the “scaling partner”) promoting agricultural inputs in Rwanda. This study was conducted late in the scaling pathway, in order to finesse the scaling strategy, rather than to target intervention selection. Drawing on nearly 3000 interviews from 17 districts of the Western, Southern, and Eastern Provinces of Rwanda, the typology differentiates households along two axes: 1. prosperity (a cornerstone of conventional typologies), and 2. adoption of inputs (fertilisers and improved crop varieties). We used an efficient household survey tool, a minimum-variable approach, and concepts from the study of adoption of agricultural innovations. Through an action-research collaboration with the scaling organisation we adapted the methods and the findings to be “actionable.Approximately two-thirds of the study population were using fertilisers and improved seed to some extent. Along each prosperity stratum, however, there were multiple degrees of adoption, demonstrating the value of including adoption information in typology constructions. Ten farm types were identified, where the key differences along the prosperity axis were land area cultivated and livestock owned, and the key differences along the adoption axis were perceptions of input efficacy, access to training, and education level. We also present a simple decision tree model to assign new households to a farm type. The findings were used in three ways by the scaling organisation: (i) characterisation of the population into discrete groups; (ii) prioritisation, of farm types for engagement, and geographical locations for further investment; and (iii) design of decision support tools or re-design of packages to support technology adoption for specific farm types. The need for field-level validation of the typologies was also stressed by the scaling organisation.

Directions for strengthening cooperative ties in pig production

Possible directions of development of cooperation in the feld of pig breeding have been investigated in the article. The analysis of import and export of pig production in Ukraine in recent years has been carried out, which showed that today there is a need to improve integrated relations in the pig industry. The features of the cooperation process in highly developed countries (USA, Denmark, Netherlands, China, Poland) are highlighted. It is proved that the organization of a cooperative association can be accomplished by the acquisition of processing facilities at the expense of fnancial resources of the cooperative shareholders or the cooperative introduction under the terms of an equal member-shareholder of the meat processing enterprise. In order to increase the effciency of pork production in small farms with livestock up to 50 heads, it is advisable to involve them in competitive pork supply chains based on an agricultural cooperative for the production and marketing of pig production. It is substantiated that pig production cooperative can bring small agricultural enterprises together, individual agribusiness entrepreneurs, owners of private farms, processing enterprises and wholesale and retail establishments. Analysis of tendencies and features of development of cooperation in agriculture on the basis of a survey of managers and leading experts of agricultural enterprises for the production of pig meat, as well as generalizations of the results of studies of Ukrainian scientists give reason to recommend certain models of production cooperation in pig production: 1) the establishment of agricultural production cooperatives on the basis of high-value personal farms that hold three pig heads and more land use area more 1 hectare within a settlement that will integrate land in a single array for the purpose of mechanized cultivation and growing crops to feed pigs; 2) creation of highly concentrated agricultural production cooperatives on the basis of unproftable enterprises of the corporate sector of other organizational and legal forms of management with a clear separation of specialized structural units, which operate on the basis of internal economic calculation. In order to identify ways to improve the functioning of agricultural production cooperatives-producers, approaches to improving the management system are considered. Key words: pig breeding, production efciency, cooperation, typology of corporate sector farms, approaches to improving the management system, model of relations between the subjects of cooperation.

Sustainability Assessment of Goat and Sheep Farms: A Comparison between European Countries

European sheep and goat farming faces diverse challenges at global or local scales and constitutes an important sector for many countries, playing important sociocultural, economic and environmental roles. A closer examination of the overall sustainability of the sector is necessary to assess the performance of different farm types in various geographical settings. This comparative study evaluates the use of a common sustainability assessment (SA) tool for the major European countries in the sheep and goat sector. In particular, the study reports the results of a SA using the Public Goods (PG) Tool, adapted within the Innovation for Sustainable Sheep and Goat Production in Europe (iSAGE) Horizon 2020 project, which includes questions accounting for 13 dimensions of a sheep and goat farm sustainability. In total, 206 farmers from Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, United Kingdom, France and Turkey were interviewed, all of which were typical of specific types of a pan-European sheep and goat farm typologies elaborated within iSAGE. The study resulted in composite indicators of performance in each dimension for each country. Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom performed better than other countries, while Turkey and Greece performed below average in most categories. The results highlight challenges for each country but also at the European level, the latter mainly relating to generational renewal and an unwillingness to invest in the adoption of a more sustainable approach with long-term results.

Linking farmers' management decision, demographic characteristics and perceptions of ecosystem services in the Southern Pampa of Argentina

In the Pampean region of Argentina, uncultivated areas with spontaneous vegetation, such as the sierras (low hills), are important sites for nature conservation. In the last decades, the “agriculturization” process has generated different pressures on these areas and their fate depends on farmers' decision making. In order to understand the context of these decisions, it is important to know the farmers' demographic characteristics and perceptions of ecosystem services (ES). The aim of this study was to explore the link between farmers' management decisions and their demographic characteristics and perceptions of ES in one of the most intensively cropped areas in Argentina. Data were obtained from 40 semi-structured interviews with farmers from the Tandilia system in the Pampean region. A typology of farms was generated according to their management practices and then characterized by the farmers' demographic characteristics and perceptions of ES. The results show a typology of four groups of farms defined by the combination of eight management variables. The demographic characteristics of the farmers that have a strong perception of ES derived from the sierras were related to an emotionally and/or physically close connection with the farm (their parents were farmers, they were raised on the farm, they have worked there for many years, the farm is their place of residence, and it is a family farm). However, neither the farmers' demographic characteristics nor their perceptions of ES were related to their management decisions. This is explained by the fact that the agricultural model that characterizes the region generates different pressures on farmers and leaves them with little choice in the matter of productive management decisions. The information derived from this work could contribute to the design of guidance criteria for sound environmental management strategies and policy instruments for the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of ES in a context with particular ecological, social, and economic characteristics.

Prospects of sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems: A farmer typology approach

Smallholder farming systems are highly diverse, owing to differences in farmers’ resource endowments, levels of technology use, degree of market access and agro-ecological factors. Consequently, the prospects of achieving sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems need to be examined vis-à-vis the dominant farmer typologies, so as to help craft effective and tailored interventions. The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology to establish farm typologies prevalent within the smallholder farming systems and infer their implications for the drive to achieve sustainable intensification of agriculture. A cross-sectional survey was carried out, covering 600 households in four regions of Ethiopia’s Highlands. Multivariate statistical techniques of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) were used to group farmers into four distinct clusters. The study then compared relative levels of agricultural intensification and sustainability across the different typology clusters. The study found that households who are more commercially oriented and have larger landholdings, higher levels of productive assets and livestock ownership, exhibit higher levels of both agricultural intensification and relative sustainability. The study concludes that the farm typology approach has important policy application as it helps identify the set of socioeconomic characteristics of farmers that influence their propensity to achieve sustainable intensification.

Assessment of Agricultural Practices From Sentinel 1 and 2 Images Applied on Rice Fields to Develop a Farm Typology in the Camargue Region

In the global change context, an efficient management of the available resources has become one of the most important topics particularly for the sustainable crop development. Many questions concern the evolution of the rice farming systems in Camargue in Southeastern France, which play a crucial role in controlling the soil salinity. Their surface area significantly decreased from 20 000 ha in 2010 to 14 000 ha in 2014. The arrival of the new Sentinel satellites makes it possible to evaluate these crop evolutions. The objectives of this study were to propose operational methodologies to accurately assess the surface areas of the main crops, rice, wheat, and grassland, from classifications based on multispectral data; map agricultural practices (sowing and harvest residue burning); and elaborate a farm typology based on variables computed from remote sensing data to better understand the farming strategies. Dense time series of Sentinel images acquired at high spatial resolution (10 m) were analyzed for 2016 and 2017. A satisfactory accuracy was obtained for land use classification with 88% of correctly classified fields. The accuracy obtained for the estimation of the sowing date varied according to the studied year from 8 to 12 days, and burned areas were correctly identified (80%). The farm typology allowed to cluster farms at the territory level.

A typology of corporate and family dairy farms in eastern Goiás, Brazil

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to identify a typology of corporate and family dairy farms in eastern Goiás, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 170 farm operators in the municipalities of Cristalina, Luziânia, and Silvânia. Dairy farms were categorized into two groups, corporate and family farms. Data were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis extraction. Four factors were identified: Milking management (F1), Production scale (F2), Productivity (F3), and Sociodemographic characteristics (F4). Corporate and family farms were then compared in terms of factor scores. Corporate farms scored higher on F1 and F2 and were characterized by larger production scale, greater adoption of milking management and hygiene practices; and consequently, greater alignment with institutional and market demands. These results indicated that corporate dairy farms in eastern Goiás have higher sustainability and are more likely to remain in business than family dairy farms.

A survey of biosecurity measures and serological status for bovine viral diarrhoea virus and bovine herpesvirus 1 on dairy cattle farms in north-west and north-east Spain

BackgroundBiosecurity is a key measure to reduce and prevent the introduction of diseases to farms and minimise spread of diseases within a herd. The aim of the study was to...

Farmers’ actions toward sustainability: a typology of dairy farms according to sustainability indicators

Milk production is an important economic and social activity in Brazil. Failure to meet institutional and market demands for quality and sustainability has led farmers, particularly small-scale farmers, to leave agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the sustainability of dairy farms in Paraná, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 75 dairy farm operators. Sustainability indicators were generated on the basis of economic, environmental and social data using exploratory factor analysis. Factor scores were subjected to hierarchical clustering, which resulted in the formation of three groups of dairy farms. Groups 1, 2 and 3 had high, intermediate and low levels of sustainability, respectively. Group 1 comprised large-scale dairy farms with high productivity. Dairy farms with intermediate sustainability (group 2) had medium production capacity, and farms with low sustainability (group 1) had the smallest production scale and capacity. Large-scale dairy farms have greater economic, environmental and social sustainability and are, therefore, more likely to survive in the medium and long term.