Agricultural Interventions Research Articles

Preference Analysis of Pigeonpea Varietal Attributes among Farmers and Traders in Kalyana Karnataka Region: A Conjoint Analysis Approach

Pulses play important role in the farming economy of Kalyana-Karnataka region. The study was carried out to identify the attributes of pigeonpea varieties preferred by both the farmers and traders using conjoint analysis technique. Multistage purposive random sampling technique was used for selection of respondents. Totally 120 farmers constituting 40 from each districts growing TS-3R and GRG-811 was selected from Bidar, Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts along with 30 pigeonpea traders 10 from each district were selected for the study. The findings of the study indicated that Kalyana Karnataka region is primarily inclined by attributes such as output price, crop duration, resistance to pests and diseases, and yield levels. Farmers prioritize varieties with higher output prices and shorter crop durations. Resistance to wilt and pod borer, along with minimal flower drop, are also significant factors. Farmers aim for yields exceeding 6 to 7 quintals per acre, alongside output prices above Rs.7000. Pigeonpea traders in the study area prioritize moisture content, thickness of seed coat, and recovery percentage for milling. Grains with less than 8% moisture content and thin seed coats are preferred. Recovery rates above 80% and longer keeping quality are also favored, while raw material price holds minimal importance. Conjoint analysis is finding increasing application in the field of market research and wider management decision- making. Hence, in the present study, it was used to measure the farmer’s and trader’s preference for the pigeonpea quality attributes. This study highlights the pivotal attributes guiding farmer and trader preferences for pigeonpea varieties in Kalyana-Karnataka region. Through conjoint analysis, it reveals crucial factors shaping variety selection and market dynamics. Future researchers can leverage these insights to optimize agricultural interventions and enhance crop productivity in similar contexts.

Trade-offs between Farm Incomes and Soil Loss: An Application of Bio-economic Modelling in a Semi-Arid Watershed in South India

Soil erosion is an economic problem and the cost of soil loss and its consequences could be very harsh. The major threat facing the sustainability and productivity is erosion and the associated nutrient loss through run off. And climatic shocks like drought and floods also aggravate the soil loss Aims: The study aims to bring out the different plans and the tradeoff analysis of the conservation and degradation through a multi objective framework. Study Design: Primary data was collected from the farmers of the Padmaram watershed, in Mahbubnagaar district, Telangana state in south India. A detailed questionnaire was prepared which included the current management practices, the input costs and output prices associated. And the soil loss was estimated using the RUSLE equation. And the tradeoffs were obtained by the multiobjective linear programming (MOLP) Place and Duration of Study: The padmaram watershed was selected, from kondurg mandal of Mahabubnagar district of Telanagana. Methodology: The multi–objective linear programming MOLP, is employed to get an efficient solution where in conflicting objectives are simultaneously optimized subject to constraints. The soil loss under different climatic scenarios were modelled using the CMIP data for 2020s,2050s and 2080s. The impact of climate change on soil loss and farm incomes were also assessed. Results: The operational land holding of a small farmer was 1.32 ha, medium famer about 2.71 ha and a large farmer about 4.99 ha. Cotton and maize were two major crops grown in the watershed holding an area of 56 per cent followed by paddy which occupies about 15 per cent. The major rabi crops were maize and rabi paddy (9 %). The cropping intensity of the watershed was 116.87 per cent. The soil loss from 60.0% of the watershed area was below 3.0 t ha−1 y−1. The soil loss from 27.5% area ranged from 3.1 to 4.5 t ha−1 y−1 and remaining 12.5% area have soil loss more than 4.6 t ha−1 y−1. Soil loss and net returns for future climate scenarios were assessed. Conclusion: The analysis of trade off between production and conservation would be useful in identifying optimum crop plans with reduction in soil loss. The results stress that the interventions in agriculture have varying costs and environmental and economic impacts. Their implementation requires appropriate investment decisions.

Risk evaluations of child-livestock interactions by dairy farm parents

The goal of this article is to describe the results of interviews with twenty-five parents of children living and working on dairy farms. The interviews sought to uncover farm parent perspectives and experiences pertaining to raising a kid on the farm and around livestock as well as the risks and benefits involved. Parent perspectives of the risk associated with child-livestock interactions were often uninformed by evidence-based guidelines. Instead, parents showcased a relational understanding of risk primarily informed by their highly localized knowledge and experience. We argue that most dairy farm parents understand the risks associated with child-livestock interactions; however, whether these potential hazards prevent parents from allowing a child to complete a livestock-related task is dependent on complex—though well-rehearsed—processes of risk evaluation. Further, the farm parents we interviewed considered the risks and benefits of child-livestock interactions to be interwoven. We conclude by contextualizing the utility of our findings for developing effective youth agricultural injury prevention interventions and safety messaging materials.

Agricultural extension debatable issues

Extension, and extension workers in particular, drive the agricultural modernization process and the rest of those in associated professions and positions are ‘support staff.’ Whether you are a lecturer, a professor, a dean, a researcher, an extension director or a head of a non-government organization, if your mission is to develop smallholder agriculture at farmer level, you are supporting the field extension worker to achieve your/farmers’ goals. To this extent, it is no surprise that, when no perceptible improvement takes place at the farmer level, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of extension. Despite its importance, agricultural extension is the most misunderstood of all agricultural disciplines, and the lack of understanding reveals itself in several ways. This paper discusses some of the misconceptions and debatable issues that affect the way extension is supported, the way it is structured, the way it is staffed and the way extension workers are trained and capacitated. The misconceptions also affect the kinds and levels of expectations people have of extension. The misconceptions include: unending definitions of extension, expanding extension concepts, blaming extension for perceived failures in agriculture, undermining the extension discipline, inadequacies in extension teaching and training, markets and the role of extension and structural changes in extension. The origins of some of these debatable issues can be traced to development partners who come with their conceptions of what is needed while others come from development theorists who have not done any extension work in the field. Unfortunately, there are no strong extension professional associations in many African countries that could: raise the profile of extension as a discipline, interrogate some of the agricultural development interventions before implementation and help clear some of the misconceptions. In the absence of extension platforms, extensionists operate as individuals, each struggling the best way they know how to make a difference at the farmer level. There is no way of harnessing the experiences the individuals are going through for purposes of learning, sharing and developing common positions. The purpose of this paper is to promote debate on, and scrutiny of these extension issues which are often presented as facts and absolute truths. Key words: Extension issues, debatable, agricultural discipline, misconceptions, professionals, smallholder farmers

Characterization of urban agriculture and farmers’ climate change adaptation: the case of Urban Wa, Ghana

Urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to significantly improve urban food security and feed the underprivileged when promoted. In Ghana, urban agriculture has several characteristics that distinguish it from traditional farming practices. However, climate change poses a significant threat to urban agriculture, as changing weather patterns can lead to droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that damage crops and animals. This study explored the characteristics of urban food crops and livestock production in the Wa township, Ghana. Mixed methods of data collection and analysis were employed. A sample of 362 urban households was administered survey questionnaires supplemented with 12 key informant interviews. Descriptive and content analysis were carried out, with the results presented in tables, graphs, and narratives. The study found that amidst climatic stressors, urban agriculture is characterized by the production of animals such as chickens, sheep, and goats and crops like maize, yam, beans, cabbage, and pumpkin. Land is acquired through purchasing, though other farmers obtain land from relatives and friends. There is a very strong relationship between residential class and the type of urban farming (Cramer’s V = 0.291 > 0.25) and a moderate relationship between residential class and land acquisition type (Cramer’s V = 0.108 > 0.10). The study concludes that urban farming is characterized by mixed farming coupled with crop diversification, which has implications for climate change adaptation measures. To adapt urban agriculture to climatic stressors, the study recommends that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) should streamline agricultural policy interventions in urban agriculture to promote agriculture intensification.

The impacts of widespread agricultural interventions on yields and food security in Ethiopia☆

In the past decades, the Government of Ethiopia implemented widespread interventions with the objective of modernizing the agricultural sector and stimulating transformative growth. This paper assesses the agricultural yields and food security impacts of those interventions. Combining project and remote-sensing data with a nationally representative household panel survey, we identify impacts by exploiting the temporal and geographic variation in the roll-out of the interventions implemented by the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency from 2011 to 2016. Results show that large-scale agricultural interventions are associated with higher agricultural yields and better food security outcomes. These outcomes underscore the linkages that persist between agricultural development and food security for rural households living in mostly agrarian economies and the potential for systems-wide interventions to catalyze agricultural transformation.

How do socio-economic characteristics of communities influence resource use and forest cover in the Cryptosepalum forest of North-western Zambia

Forests are important ecosystems offering extensive material and immaterial benefits to people and the environment. If not well monitored and sustainably managed, forest resource use can lead to degradation, which has global environmental and socio-economic implications. There is currently limited information on the factors that lead to forest use in the Cryptosepalum forests of Zambia, and how these factors potentially influence forest integrity. This study aimed at establishing the socio-economic aspects that determine resource utilisation and forest loss in the Cryptosepalum forest of Manyinga and Zambezi Districts of North-western Zambia. Using a semi-structured questionnaire 207 randomly selected households were interviewed in 7 villages surrounding the Cryptosepalum forest (4 in Manyinga and 3 in Zambezi district). Additionally, three focus Group Discussions were conducted to triangulate interview data. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square test of independence and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The study established 14 forest products used by local communities in the study sites. Socio-economic factors, namely; gender, level of education, household size, wealth, and residence status significantly influenced use of 9 of the 14 forest products. Further, significant relationships (p < 0.5) were established between: (1) gender and use of construction poles, wood fibre, fruits, and honey production (2) level of education and utilisation of timber, tubers, caterpillars, mushrooms, and thatching grass; (3) household size and use of construction poles, wild vegetables, tubers, caterpillars, fruits and thatching grass; (4) wealth status and use of timber, construction poles, wild vegetables, wood fibre, and fruits; and (5) residence status and use of construction poles, tubers and thatching grass. Timber harvesting, agricultural expansion, and population increase were established as key drivers of forest cover loss in the Cryptosepalum forest. The study recommends that policies and strategies aimed at conserving this forest focus on strict law enforcement (monitoring and control) of timber harvesting activities; and provision of agricultural inputs and/or community sensitisation on conservation agriculture interventions to curb shifting cultivation practices. The study adds to the body of knowledge on the importance of forests to rural livelihoods in Sub-saharan Africa, and the influence of socio-economic factors on forest cover and resource use.

Perceptions and experiences of an intervention to improve diets of women and young children in Ghana

BackgroundEfficacious integrated intervention strategies to address the drivers of malnutrition at multiple levels are hardly implemented at scale, although opportunities for cross-sectoral action exist. In 2020, the Improved Feeding Practices (IFP) Project was implemented in Ghana to improve the dietary diversity and well-being of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and children &gt;2 years.ObjectiveThis paper reports the perceptions and experiences of project beneficiaries and the lessons learned from the IFP project.MethodsUsing a socio-ecological framework, data from the IFP project documents (n=8) and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including local government officers, and direct and indirect beneficiaries (n=61), were triangulated to construct an evidence-based overview of the implementation of the complementary strategies of the IFP project. The interviews explored respondents' knowledge, experiences of the project activities, and perceptions of how the project affected their lives. The data were analysed and synthesized thematically using ATLAS.ti.ResultsThe IFP project envisaged an impact pathway through promoting community- or home-based nutrient-rich crop production and poultry to enhance diet quality, child care and feeding practices. Multi-sectoral partners facilitated training and service delivery at community, farm, facility, and household levels. Beneficiaries reported an overall positive experience of participating in the project, including enhanced dietary knowledge, capacity to produce and use eggs and orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), earned revenues, and access to nutritious foods. Caregivers reported that the IFP project contributed to enhancing children’s diet quality, reduced disease incidence, and improved child growth. Community-level program implementers experienced capacity strengthening. The dry season, increased poultry feed input prices, diseases (such as fowl pox, Newcastle and smallpox), and poultry deaths, limited the scale of benefits. Key implementation lessons include leveraging local resources to produce poultry feed at home, crossbreeding local and commercial poultry, and enhancing disease management, leading to improved potential for project sustainability.ConclusionsOverall, the communities reported a positive experience of an integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) intervention, leading to improved diets of households, women of reproductive age, and young children &gt;2 years. These strategies can be adapted for use in other to improve women's and children's dietary diversity in similar settings, giving due consideration to lessons learned.

Development of an automated method for flood inundation monitoring, flood hazard, and soil erosion susceptibility assessment using machine learning and AHP–MCE techniques

BackgroundOperational large-scale flood monitoring using publicly available satellite data is possible with the advent of Sentinel-1 microwave data, which enables near-real-time (at 6-day intervals) flood mapping day and night, even in cloudy monsoon seasons. Automated flood inundation area identification in near-real-time involves advanced geospatial data processing platforms, such as Google Earth Engine and robust methodology (Otsu’s algorithm).ObjectivesThe current study employs Sentinel-1 microwave data for flood extent mapping using machine learning (ML) algorithms in Assam State, India. We generated a flood hazard and soil erosion susceptibility map by combining multi-source data on weather conditions and soil and terrain characteristics. Random Forest (RF), Classification and Regression Tool (CART), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) ML algorithms were applied to generate the flood hazard map. Furthermore, we employed the multicriteria evaluation (MCE) analytical hierarchical process (AHP) for soil erosion susceptibility mapping.SummaryThe highest prediction accuracy was observed for the RF model (overall accuracy [OA] > 82%), followed by the SVM (OA > 82%) and CART (OA > 81%). Over 26% of the study area indicated high flood hazard-prone areas, and approximately 60% showed high and severe potential for soil erosion due to flooding. The automated flood mapping platform is an essential resource for emergency responders and decision-makers, as it helps to guide relief activities by identifying suitable regions and appropriate logistic route planning and improving the accuracy and timeliness ofemergency response efforts. Periodic flood inundation maps will help in long-term planning and policymaking, flood management, soil and biodiversity conservation, land degradation, planning sustainable agriculture interventions, crop insurance, and climate resilience studies.

Understanding the impact of sustainable agricultural interventions on women's economic and social well-being, empowerment and gender equity.

Abstract Background: The world will need to feed a population of nearly nine billion by 2050 (Godfray, 2010). To do so agricultural systems will have to contend to with risks to soil and water resources and the impacts of climate change, including changing weather patterns, an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and increased pest and disease-related threats. These risks threaten the livelihoods of nearly 475 million smallholder farmers in the global south and pose a significant threat to the world's food and nutritional security (IPCC, 2022). Sustainable agricultural technologies and practices offer an innovative and holistic way of meeting food and nutrition needs of current and future generations while ensuring profitability, and environmental and social sustainability (Güven, 2023). Sustainable agriculture practices and technologies seek to transform and reorient agricultural systems to support food security while preserving natural capital including soil, water, and biodiversity, increase resilience to the impacts of climate change, and promote health, and social and economic equity (Brodt et al., 2011) By systematically integrating goals of sustainability along with economic profitability into the planning and development of agricultural systems, sustainable agriculture technology and practices aims to increase agricultural productivity, mitigate negative environmental impacts of agriculture while furthering social objectives. Women play a critical role in agricultural and food systems and often have higher work and time burdens and are less productive due to limited access to social and economic resources. The 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems report by FAO estimates that if female farmers had the same access to productive resources as men, their productivity could increase by up to 30 per cent, reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 12 to 17 per cent. Recognizing existing gender inequalities and the vulnerability of women in agricultural systems is one of the goals of sustainable agriculture furthering goals of gender equity and women's empowerment. Studies show that sustainable agriculture technologies and practices have the potential to reshape gender dynamics, challenging existing gender norms by providing social and economic agency and empowerment. However, this depends on how particular needs, priorities, and realities of women are recognized and adequately addressed in the design and application of these technologies. Presently, there is limited evidence systematically assessing the appropriateness, accessibility and outcomes of sustainable agricultural technologies and practices for women and girls, as well as their effectiveness in addressing longer-term gender-equity goals. Evidence syntheses in this domain remains focused on gendered approaches within interventions or programs targeting women. We seek to broaden the perspective by focusing on how different sustainable agriculture technologies affect women's well-being, empowerment and gender equity even when women specifically are not targeted.

Endogenous measures for stifling corruption within selected agricultural and food development projects in Benue State, North Central, Nigeria

Due to the increasing cases of failed agricultural intervention projects in Benue State, as a result of corruption and sharp practices, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of endogenous measures used for stifling corruption within selected agricultural intervention projects in Benue State, North Central, Nigeria. key players' attitudes toward stifling corruption were also studied. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Benue State populace, but regrettably, this sector has deteriorated, and it is barely an agent of development and empowerment because of the effect of corruption on it. A preliminary survey was carried out to identify and ascertain the existence of endogenous measures employed in stifling corruption in the three local government zones (A, B, and C) of Benue State. Consequently, zone ‘C’ was randomly selected. A total of 129 respondents from all of the selected agricultural intervention projects in the zone were used. Focus Group Discussions (FGD), In-depth interviews (IDIs) with key players, and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. The dimension of sharp practices in the selected agricultural development projects was more pronounced in allocating agricultural supplies to the farmers and less pronounced in bribery, influence peddling, pricing, and duty abandonment. FGD and IDIs with key players revealed that Ekaa or Okpa (oath taking), Aolode (local vigilante), Echi (protective charms), public denouncement, tying of palm frond leaves, Enumajeje (Mucuna pruriens), withdrawal of project from the community, and Onyonkpo (village cult) were the endogenous measures deployed to stifle corruption in the selected agricultural development projects. These various endogenous measures deployed by some key players of the selected agricultural development projects to curb sharp practices significantly prevented intended culprits from indulging in deviant behavior for fear of its instant judgment on culprits. It is recommended based on the findings that endogenous measures should be encouraged to complement the government's efforts and the crude aspects of the measures conflicting with natural justice should be ejected.

Addressing Food Insecurity in Developing Nations: Sustainable Agricultural Interventions

Addressing Food Insecurity in Developing Nations: Sustainable Agricultural Interventions

Unveiling the nexus between solar energy adoption and crop farmer income: evidence from Pakistan

Worldwide, the continuous advancement of off-grid solar photovoltaic irrigation seeks to improve water access, increase food production, and reduce carbon emissions and energy costs associated with fuel usage. Consequently, this enhances human resilience to climate change and contributes to the improvement of farmers’ income. This study investigates the influence of solar energy adoption on farmers’ income, drawing insights from 1,080 growers in Pakistan. It uses the logit model and propensity score matching (PSM) to address bias. Factors influencing income, including gender, education, decision-making autonomy, farm size, extension services, cooperative associations, access to credit, risk perception, market distance, and tube well availability, are identified. Findings reveal a positive correlation between solar energy adoption and increased crop farmer income. PSM analysis validates this, emphasizing the need for government and agricultural extension interventions to enhance financial accessibility for farmers facing mobility challenges. This includes subsidies for technology adoption and knowledge dissemination about digital technology. The study advocates for an accelerated adoption of solar energy to foster agricultural development in Pakistan. In resource-poor nations like Pakistan, government subsidies are crucial to offset technology costs for citizens facing challenges in affording green energy. Addressing Pakistan’s energy crisis through promoting solar energy for irrigation can amplify farmers’ income. It is imperative to promote access to this technology, particularly for water pumping, through subsidies and readily available credit facilities, given the resource limitations and small landholdings of many farmers in Pakistan.

Social learning to promote forest restoration in a semi-arid landscape in North Africa

Forest restoration is a suitable tool to mitigate land degradation and enhance the supply of vital goods and services. Social participation in forest restoration has gained increasing interest. Yet, the impact of participation on people's perception of ecological restoration and the restoration process has barely been addressed despite its relevance for the long-term success of restoration actions. We assessed mutual learning of different stakeholder groups in a ten-year demonstration project, and its potential to foster continued participatory forest restoration in Beni Boufrah valley, a semiarid area located in North Morocco. We performed face-to-face interviews to assess post-restoration individual learning for a subset of 15 highly engaged stakeholders using five components of social learning: reciprocal determinism, self-reflective capability, expectations, self-regulation and locus of control. Furthermore, we organized a workshop to assess collective learning in the study area. The lessons learnt by the project team was described using monitoring vegetation measurements, field visits and meetings, and stakeholder recommendations. Two thirds of the stakeholders showed an increasing awareness of the reciprocal relationship between people and the environment, while recognizing the inappropriateness of current behaviors and practices. Farmers showed continuous mistrust towards the Forestry Agency which justifies the need for more innovative approaches to resolve persistent conflicts, integrate forest and agricultural interventions and establish new mechanisms for economic motivation. Stakeholders acquired theoretical and practical concepts on forest restoration, but self-initiated activities were scarce and reinforcement of environmental awareness is still needed. There was a high impact of drought on seedling survival and growth along with a decrease in stakeholder engagement over the years. We could identify and implement a series of practical corrective measures, namely participatory re-planting, plot fencing, establishment of a local monitoring committee, and raising awareness activities. Such participatory implementation of corrective measures may enhance the credibility of the restoration process and it can be further tested in similar semiarid areas of North Africa even at a larger scale.

Digital Technology: A Game Changer in Vegetable Cultivation

Vegetables are important constituents of Indian agriculture and nutritional security due to their short duration, high yielding capacity, nutritional richness, economic viability and ability to generate on farm and off farm employment. Increasing per capita income, health consciousness, urbanisation, increasing working women, shifting of farmers to high value vegetables are also important ingredients for fuelling vegetable growth in India. But we are still not getting the required /capita vegetables/day.so the answer to increasing the production of various vegetables employing various digital technologies is required. Growing high yielding varieties/hybrids and applying new production methods can significantly increase yield in most vegetables. The application of digital technologies to integrate agricultural output from the paddock to the customer is known as digital agriculture. These technologies can give the agricultural business the tools and data it needs to make better decisions and increase productivity). Information and communication technology (ICTs) and Artificial intelligence (AI) are the two key technologies used in digital agriculture. Information and communication technology (ICT) can be defined as a collection of technologies that aid or support the storage, processing, or distribution of data/information.Despite a big, well-educated, well-trained, and well-organized agricultural extension workforce, over 60% of farmers in the country remain unreached, with no extension organisation serving them. Radio and television are the primary sources of information. e- Extension, Agrisnet, Digital green, e- Sagu, Agmarknet, iKisan, Village Knowledge Centers, Kisan Call Centers, SMS Portal/mKisan portal are some of the e-Agriculture efforts in India. Furthermore, information and communication technology (ICT) aid in the timely completion of decisions, as well as the discovery of the best solutions and efficient systems for water management and irrigation in order to maximise production Artificial intelligence is assisting several agricultural sectors in increasing output and efficiency. In every industry, AI technologies are help in overcoming traditional hurdles. AI intervention in agriculture is assisting farmers in increasing their farming efficiency while reducing harmful environmental impacts. The agriculture business has embraced AI with open arms in order to improve overall results.AI is changing the way food is produced, resulting in a 20% reduction in agriculture sector emissions. Incorporating AI technology into agriculture, aids in the control and management of any unwelcome natural occurrence. It consists of robotic process automation, a machine learning platform, and sensors, among other things. Harvesting, weed management, pest and disease monitoring, irrigation control, and predictive agricultural analytics are all possible with these. Artificial intelligence and information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to be a technological revolution and a boom in agriculture, helping to feed the world's growing population.

A global clustering of terrestrial food production systems.

Food production is at the heart of global sustainability challenges, with unsustainable practices being a major driver of biodiversity loss, emissions and land degradation. The concept of foodscapes, defined as the characteristics of food production along biophysical and socio-economic gradients, could be a way addressing those challenges. By identifying homologues foodscapes classes possible interventions and leverage points for more sustainable agriculture could be identified. Here we provide a globally consistent approximation of the world's foodscape classes. We integrate global data on biophysical and socio-economic factors to identify a minimum set of emergent clusters and evaluate their characteristics, vulnerabilities and risks with regards to global change factors. Overall, we find food production globally to be highly concentrated in a few areas. Worryingly, we find particularly intensively cultivated or irrigated foodscape classes to be under considerable climatic and degradation risks. Our work can serve as baseline for global-scale zoning and gap analyses, while also revealing homologous areas for possible agricultural interventions.

A Framework for Data Collection and Management to Support the Comprehensive Development of African Agriculture

Agriculture is a key source of food and health for humanity. However, the hazardous way this activity is still cared for in some developing countries like the Republic of Benin, with poor quality farming data collection mechanisms, can guarantee neither quality and sustainability of production, nor comprehensiveness and efficiency of agricultural interventions. Such shortcomings ineluctably contribute to the limited success of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) promoted by the African Union and its regional chapters, in most African countries. Based on these preliminary remarks, this paper suggests a systematic and automated monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptation (MEL) framework that will further be tested, consolidated, validated, and promoted, first in the Republic of Benin, and later in other African countries. This framework is made of local, regional, and national geographic information systems (GIS) which will further serve as databases for planning and interventions in the agricultural sector. The proposed GIS superposes lands’ details (sizes, soils’ characteristics, rainfall data, etc.), stakeholders’ details (demographics, crops, livestock, agricultural practices, etc.), and agricultural value chains’ details. Local, regional, and national agricultural value chains’ development platforms will bring stakeholders together, and serve as sources and co-users of the GIS data. Local, regional, and national MEL and GIS management skilled AEAS agents will facilitate systematic data collection and GIS database management. The data collection and treatment tools should allow the use of all kinds of data formats, including voice and image records, given the oral orientation of most agricultural stakeholders. This original idea emerged from observations during national and regional field experiences, and from the literature that revealed the efficiency of automated real-time and quality data for comprehensive and evidence-based decision-making in development interventions.

Commercial Vegetable Growers’ Socio-economic Status on Usage of Social Media in Odisha, India

Social media can be a fantastic agricultural intervention tool, providing dependable information and knowledge to farmers who are not yet addressed at the appropriate time. Extension must be implemented using the newest technology in a world where knowledge drives change in order to persuade and assist farmers. Social media is like a revolution in todays’ time in every aspect and sector resulting in why the study was made. The socioeconomic characteristics of the commercial vegetable growers of Khordha and Puri districts of Odisha was scheduled in order to determine the level of access, information towards their utility of social media for agricultural purpose. For this survey, 90 respondents in total were chosen at random. Pre-structured interview schedules were used to gather the data, and relevant statistical analysis was carried out to determine the respondents' socio-economic profile. The majority of vegetable growers, or 56.67% of the population, were found to be middle-aged; 60% of farmers had families of fewer than five people; 51.11 percent of farmers belonged to the general caste; and 36.67% had completed middle school. It was also discovered that majority (55.56%) of the respondents were marginal farmers with less than 2.5 acres of land, the majority (40.00%) had yearly incomes ranging from (50,000 to 100,000) thousand and 32.22 percent were members of only two organisations. In terms of extension contacts, the data revealed that agricultural input merchants were the most prevalent among vegetable growers, with majority of them (63.33%) having a medium level of extension contacts. 90% of farmers were classified as having a medium level of social media access.

Finding climate smart agriculture in civil-society initiatives

International civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs) play a role in implementing agricultural projects, which contribute to the mitigation, adaptation, and food security dimensions of climate-smart agriculture (CSA). Despite the growth of CSA, it remains unclear how CSA is designed, conceptualised, and embedded into agricultural development projects led and implemented by NGOs, creating a lack of clarity as to the direction of future of agricultural development interventions. This paper examines the extent to which development programmes from the NGO sector actively incorporate CSA principles to benefit smallholder farmers under the major pillars of CSA. Drawing from six projects’ documentation since 2009, we conducted a thematic analysis to reveal the alignment of projects with the pillars of CSA and discuss the extent to which CSA allows for localised adaptability given the diverse agricultural contexts in which civil society and NGOs work. We find that despite a lack of clarity in CSA definition and focus, the agricultural practices in the six projects make heterogenous contributions to the adoption of CSA principles. We illustrate the diversity of ways in which CSA is ‘done’ by a global NGO across six areas: greening and forests, practices and knowledge exchange, markets, policy and institutions, nutrition, carbon and climate, and gender. We discuss the need for balance in contextual adaptability across the three pillars of CSA with explicit consideration of trade-offs to reduce unintended outcomes from CSA initiatives. We conclude with reflections on the role of civil society and NGOs as boundary agents in the agricultural development sector.

Social drivers and differentiated effects of deagrarianisation: A longitudinal study of smallholder farming in South Africa's Eastern Cape province

South Africa's smallholders have progressively become disengaged from farming despite their lack of alternative livelihood options, resulting in the deepening of rural poverty. Farming's reduced role in rural livelihoods represents a wider trend of deagrarianisation seen across contexts and geographies. While most literature on deagrarianisation focuses on its economic dimensions, this paper places the social and cultural dimensions of farming at the centre of its analysis to understand why smallholders are becoming less engaged in agriculture. Drawing on Habermas's concept of the colonisation of the lifeworld and on ethnographic fieldwork in four villages in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, we show how local social cohesion in farming has been undermined by a series of oppressive state policies. Recent agricultural development interventions have not managed to break with this trend, but instead continue to undermine social cohesion and reciprocity. The impacts of this loss of social cohesion in farming have been most severe for the poorest households who seldom plant their fields today. Based on our findings, we suggest that agricultural development programmes should aim to build on smallholders' appreciation of agriculture, their remaining connections to the land and their sense of solidarity, rather than focusing exclusively on stimulating the development of individual entrepreneurs.