National Agricultural Census Research Articles

GeoGOBLIN: A catchment-scale land balance model for assessment of climate mitigation pathways considering environmental trade-offs for multiple impact categories

GeoGOBLIN, a novel environmental impact and land balance assessment tool, builds upon the GOBLIN biophysical land use emissions model for Ireland, offering enhanced resolution and system-level detail. It combines remotely sensed data and national agricultural census data to model climate change, air quality, and eutrophication emissions at the catchment level. Integration of the CBM-CFS3 forest carbon modelling framework (utilised in Ireland's National Inventory Report) increases alignment with national emissions reporting. GeoGOBLIN disaggregates emissions by life cycle assessment impact categories, making it a valuable tool for policymakers and researchers evaluating environmental and economic trade-offs associated with land-use scenarios. Illustrative scenarios demonstrate GeoGOBLIN's ability to assess the multifaceted impacts of alternative land uses, supporting informed decision-making for sustainable land use, food production, and a circular bioeconomy.

Does digital technology service foster income gains in rural villages? Evidence from China’s third agricultural census

The application of digital technology service like rural e-commerce service centers (RESCs) has captured considerable attention in China, but existing literature has not yet provided solid empirical evidence regarding its potential to foster rural income gains. Utilizing large-scale survey data from the Third National Agricultural Census (TNAC) of China, this study attempts to investigate the impact and underlying mechanisms of RESCs on income gains across 49,135 villages. The results indicate that RESCs significantly increase village income gains in rural China, which confirm the theory of “space of flows.” In addition, heterogeneity analysis reveals that this income increasing effect is significantly higher in eastern China, as well as in rural villages with migrant populations and college-graduate cadres. The conclusion remains robust even after conducting several robustness checks and instrumental variable estimation. Furthermore, mechanism analysis unveils that RESCs improve village income gains by promoting characteristic agricultural development, encouraging entrepreneurship, and enhancing government funding support. The findings shed light on policy implications for the design and implementation of rural digital technology policies in developing countries.

Agricultural management practices in China enhance nitrogen sustainability and benefit human health.

The potential of enhanced agricultural management practices to drive sustainability is rarely quantified at grassroots level. Here we analyse nitrogen use and loss in Chinese cropland, drawing from data collected in 2,238,550 sites in two national agricultural pollution source censuses from 2007 to 2017. We find an upswing of 10% in crop yields and an 8% reduction in nitrogen pollution during this period, owing to the promotion and adoption of various management practices (including the combination of organic and chemical fertilizers, straw recycling and deep placement of fertilizer). These practices have collectively contributed to an 18% increase in nitrogen use efficiency in the country. By fully embracing them, we project that annual cropland pollution could be further reduced by up to 1.4 Mt of nitrogen without compromising crop yields. Environmental and human health benefits are projected to consistently outweigh implementation costs in the future, with total benefits reaching US$15 billion.

Business strategies in agricultural units to incorporate value chains in new national and international markets: a case study of Colombia

The research recommends business strategies that allow agricultural units to incorporate value chains to reach new national and international markets. Positivist, quantitative, descriptive and transversal methodology, with a population (56) agricultural production units of the department of Atlántico, Caribbean region of Colombia, according to the most recent National Agricultural Census (CNA) prepared by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE, 2014), data analysis was carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics V.22 program. It is concluded that the strategies are of quality, differentiation and efficiency, establishing a vertical and hydroponic agriculture, with competitiveness, quality, organization, capacity development, cooperation, innovation, dimensioned by technological, social, and environmental aspects. The findings show the adoption of new emerging technologies, processes and practices for total product quality, with sustainable emerging trends and knowledge cells to make the constantly evolving agricultural market profitable, providing a differentiating factor.

Оценка размерности личных подсобных хозяйств на основе группировокпо земельной площади

The article analyzes the approaches of state statistical bodies to the construction of analytical groupings of private subsidiary farms by the total land area and the total sown area. Analytical groupings published according to the national agricultural censuses, as a rule, represent distribution series, where the characteristics of the selected groups are limited only by the number of farms, the volume of the phenomenon and its ratio to the total. In addition, the program for publishing the results of the agricultural microcensus does not provide for a regional section. In order to improve the quality of the summary, analysis and presentation of the data on private subsidiary farms, it is proposed to revise the intervals for a number of grouping indicators and to significantly expand the set of features characterizing analytical groups. On the basis of depersonalized primary data of the agricultural microcensus, the article shows the possibilities of analyzing the size, specialization and intensification of agricultural production of private subsidiary farms while conducting a complete summary of the signs of the observation program. The trends of decrease in the total number of private subsidiary farms and their land and sown area revealed according to the census data indicate a reduction in the size of agricultural production of the category of households of the population, which makes it possible to raise the question of the expediency of their continuous survey and the introduction of censorship, as it is done in some foreign countries. On the basis of the data of the sample survey of private farms and the microcensus of 2021, an estimation of the value of the gross agricultural production by groups of farms according to the size of the land area was given, and it was proposed to introduce a requirement of 1000 m2 of land area for the inclusion of private subsidiary farms in the list of respondents of agricultural censuses.

Dynamics of agricultural land systems in western Mediterranean areas: a clustering approach based on the self-organizing map

In the present study, we implemented an unsupervised learning procedure, a self-organizing map (SOM), for characterizing the main agricultural land systems (ALS) in western Mediterranean areas. Input data derived from national agricultural censuses of two periods (2000 and 2010) at the municipality level. The SOM allowed us to aggregate the items into clusters based on the proximity between the associated input variables. The main clusters were then mapped back to the geographical space and interpreted in terms of ASL typologies. The main ALS from the census 2000 included one permanent grassland system with extensive farming; two arable land systems, corresponding to winter and summer crops; and two permanent cropland systems, relatable to intensively cultivated or marginal areas. The ALS from the census 2010 included only one arable land system with a non-intensive use of irrigation; two permanent cropland systems similar to those found in 2000; one more extensive permanent grassland system; and a mixed system characterized by permanent grassland and arable land. In summary, the main trends emerging from the transitions between the two censuses periods were: i) a reduction in agricultural land use; ii) an increase in utilized agricultural and irrigated area; iii) a contraction in arable land and permanent grassland. Using a data-driven approach such as SOM allowed us to discover hidden patterns in the input census data. Therefore, the prevalent agricultural typologies characterising the ALS in the two analysed periods resulted to be shaped by the reality of the surveyed area solely, with regard to its agronomic assessment.

A study on the mode choice of large-scale households' farmland transfer-in in rural China: Based on the economic analysis paradigm of transaction costs.

Regarding the mode choice of farmland transfer, the existing literature have more examined the choices between market-based transfer (spontaneous transfer) and government or village committee-led transfer, and between formal contract and informal contract. However, the question that how the two parties choose among various specific transfer modes has not attracted extensive attention of scholars. Based on contract theory and transaction cost economics, this paper uses the public samples of the third national agricultural census data to investigate how large-scale households choose among the specific transfer modes when transferring into farmland, like the transfer of the contracted management right (TCMR), lease and shareholding. The findings of this paper are as follows. Firstly, with the increase in the transfer-in area and the education level of the household head, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding increases relatively, but the latter rises faster. Secondly, compared with large-scale farmers whose aim is to plant crop, the probability of those who transfer into farmland for gardening and forestry operation choosing shareholding has increased significantly. Thirdly, the age of the household head and the number of household laborers have an interactive effect on the mode choice of transferring into farmland. In addition, the mode choice of large-scale households' transferring into farmland is also significantly affected by environmental factors such as local topography, irrigation, traffic conditions, industrial structure, and social security development. Therefore, adhering to the parties to choose the mode of farmland transfer independently is crucial. The government and rural grassroots organizations should help the parties to understand the characteristics, adaptability and supply and demand of different modes, and help the parties to explore the most economical mode. The contribution of this paper is that it expands the study of the transfer of rural land rights to the choices of specific transfer modes, and partially reveals the rule of choices, which provides a reference for the parties to choose the most efficient transfer mode under different conditions and for the government and rural grassroots organizations to play a role.

Model to Estimate Determinants of an Area Harvested in Cocoa Production Systems

The stakeholders of the cocoa sector should be introduced with determinants that influence an area of cocoa harvest. Objective of the study is to identify the determinants of a harvested area in small cocoa production units in Huila. A correlational method, cross section, and quantitative approach was used with data from the last National agricultural census. Results of the study revealed that major area does not use credit, advice and irrigation increase the area while the organic fertilization is positive. Those displaced by violence have less harvest area and the primary and secondary sectors are positively associated with an increase in area. It can be concluded that the determinants of harvested area identified in this study exhibit a low management behavior in the agronomic practices of cocoa producers that limit the expansion of the harvested area in Huila. This aspect affects the medium and long-term economic sustainability of this agricultural activity. Therefore, continuous training and education of the producers are essential in order to improve this problematic situation.

Spatial distribution of CH4 emissions from livestock farming in Poland: a comparison of 2010 and 2020

ABSTRACT Among greenhouse gases (GHGs), methane (CH4) is a major contributor to global warming. Agriculture accounts for about 40% of CH4 emissions, with livestock being a crucial source. CH4 emissions from livestock primarily arise during enteric fermentation and manure management in livestock. This study aims to estimate Poland’s CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in 2010 and 2020 at the municipal level (LAU-2). Data from the National Agricultural Census (NAC) and the UNFCCC National Inventory Report (NIR) for 2010 and 2020 were used for the analysis. The results reveal a slight overall increase in total CH4 emissions from livestock farming in Poland over the decade. The highest emissions were observed in regions where livestock farming was predominant, while significant changes in emissions occurred in regions experiencing considerable livestock production growth. Conversely, the lowest emissions were found in areas where the decrease in livestock population was most prominent. Understanding the spatial distribution of CH4 emissions from livestock farming at the municipal level is essential for effective climate change mitigation efforts. This study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and analysis of livestock farming in Poland to assess its impact on GHG emissions and facilitate informed policy-making for sustainable agricultural practices.

Diversification of agricultural activity in the territorial breakdown of Lubuskie Province

Abstract Research background Each type of administrative unit, including cities, towns and villages, plays a different role in the regional economy. In the case of rural areas, their most important function is agricultural production. Purpose This paper offers a contribution to the discussion on the review of the agricultural development strategy for Lubuskie Province. It attempts to present selected characteristics of the agricultural sector in a cross-section of municipalities of Lubuskie Province against the background of the general features of the agricultural sector in the region. Its purpose is to draw the attention of regional authorities and institutions to the heterogeneity of agricultural development within its territory. Research methodology The research was conducted using a principal component analysis as one of the methods of the graphical presentation of multivariate data. Data from the National Agricultural Census 2020 was used in the analysis. Results The results of the research corroborate the hypothesis of the existence of significant differences in the agricultural sector in the area of the examined rural and urban-rural municipalities in the region, and the need for differentiation of the measures used by the regional authorities to support agriculture in its territorial cross-section. Novelty The paper presents the results of a research on the heterogeneity of the development of the agricultural sector in the municipalities of the examined region. Such an analysis has never before been carried out for the province under consideration.

The Impact of Agricultural Credit on Banana cultivation in Valle del Cauca, Colombia

This study aimed to explore the use and effect of agricultural credit disbursed from banks and financial institutions on banana yield in farmers from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) using data from the National Agricultural Census (2014). Additionally, it evaluated whether the effect of credit differs according to the items in which the farmer prefers to invest. For this purpose, because credits are not granted randomly, this research used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology to manage selection bias. Initially, it was found through the probit model that having one's own agricultural machinery, using chemical fertilization to improve soil fertility, not belonging to an ethnic minority, and having some type of basic or higher education, increases the probability of obtaining an agricultural credit. On the other hand, the results suggest that credit has positive and significant effects on crop yield (6.2%), but the effect is greater if it is invested in land purchase and post-harvest processes, with an increase of 39% and 37% in yield, respectively. On the other hand, this study also suggests that, if credit is invested in items not related to agricultural activity, yields can be affected with a 10% reduction. Finally, it is recommended that a public policy be implemented to encourage greater participation of banana farmers in Valle del Cauca in agricultural credit programs, given their low participation (10%) despite the high acceptability rate (86%).

Geography matters for learning and innovation in natural resource-based activities: regional differences in technical linkages across Argentine agriculture

ABSTRACT Although innovation is present in all economic sectors, innovation surveys and empirical research are biased towards high-tech activities. Meanwhile, quantitative studies on agricultural innovation systems (AIS) usually neglect the regional dimension. As in many developing countries, Argentine agriculture seems to have evolved towards a new techno-productive paradigm, but no study has yet analyzed its geographical scope. This article proposes a regional-structural approach to study where, how and with whom technical linkages and interactive learning processes are developed. Using under-explored data from the 2018 National Agricultural Census and multivariate analysis techniques, the results reveal significant regional differences in technical linkages and show that the new techno-productive paradigm is limited to the Pampean region. While private sources of knowledge are mainly concentrated in central areas, technical linkages with public agencies are geographically widespread. Acknowledging these regional heterogeneities poses different policy challenges for promoting AIS in developing countries with large and diverse territories.

CHANGES IN THE NUMBER AND STRUCTURE OF FARMS IN POLAND

The aim of the research was to assess the scale of changes in the number of and spatial variations in the agricultural structure of farms in Poland taking place at the beginning of the 21st century. The publication is a review and is based on the results of National Agricultural Censuses from the year 2002 and 2020 conducted by Statistics Poland as well as the reports on the activity of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture covering the period 2004-2020. Voivodeship was adopted as the basic study unit. The publication consists of two main parts. The first one is an analysis of the changes in the number of farms. The second one is assessment of the similarity of the agricultural structure of the farms located in individual voivodeships. The conducted analyses have confirmed that there was an increase in the percentage of farms characterised by a larger size in the period under study. An interesting observation is the fact that in most of the voivodeships under study the agricultural structure of farms was slowly but clearly becoming similar. The polarization of farms in terms of their size in the surveyed groups of provinces is also deepening.

Análisis comparativo de la cobertura vegetal (2015) con la frontera agrícola ( 2018 ) en la subcuenca del río Teusacá

El objetivo fue comparar la cobertura vegetal año 2015 con la frontera agrícola presentada en el último censo nacional agropecuario en la subcuenca del Río Teusacá. Mediante un análisis multitemporal se determinó la dinámica de las zonas agrícolas, bosques y zonas urbanizadas en la subcuenca del Río Teusacá. Se encontró que el área de bosque y vegetación herbácea natural fue de 14143,29 hectáreas en 2015, ocupando un 39% en el área de estudio. Se observó un incremento del 1% del área de bosque con respecto al registro del año 1997; detectado principalmente en las veredas La Diana, Aposentos, Meusa y La Violeta del municipio de Sopó, en las veredas Salitre y Santa Isabel del municipio de Guasca y en las veredas San Cayetano, Frailejonal y El Volcán del municipio de La Calera. También, se evidenció incremento de la cobertura vegetal en el sector suroriental de las veredas Mercenario y San Gabriel del municipio de La Calera y en la vereda Salitre entre Guasca y Sopo. No obstante, la calidad del recurso hídrico del Río Teusacá principalmente en el sector de Sopó está siendo afectada por vertimientos industriales y domésticos sin control. Se sugiere, realizar campañas educativas para que los habitantes comprendan la importancia de conservar, reforestar, mantener el agua en buenas condiciones para que la subcuenca mantenga un equilibrio ecológico sostenible que garantice los servicios ambientales que ofrece.

The impact of credit on agricultural productivity of Musaceae: evidence from Valle Del Cauca, Colombia

This study evaluates the impact of agricultural credit on productivity of Musaceae (banana and plantain) in farmers from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) using data from National Agricultural Census of 2014. Additionally, the effect of credit on two productivity indices (PI1 y PI2) was evaluated, PI1 measured in tons of production per hectare and PI2 in ton of production per employee. To evaluate this impact, the counterfactual without treatment was estimated using the information of those farmers who obtained a credit and similar farmers who did not. Therefore, to control the selection bias, derived from the fact that the credits are not awarded randomly, this study uses the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology applying the 4-nearest neighbor matching algorithm. In general, for banana producers, the results suggest that access to agricultural credit has positive and significant effects with an increase in productivity per hectare (PI1) of 8.4%; on the other hand, for PI2 the result was not statistically significant, however, it may be an indicator that the farmer is not using human resources efficiently to achieve the increase obtained in PI1 . Finally, this study suggests that access to agricultural credit may not be decisive in increasing the productivity of the plantain crop, given that the effect on the two indices evaluated was indeterminate.

National Agricultural Censuses in Poland from 1921–2010: Evolution, Thematic Scope and Relevance for the Study of Rural and Agricultural History

Population censuses have been organised sporadically since antiquity, but in the 19th century they acquired a universal character. These censuses are a good source of information on the rural population, but it was not until the introduction of systematic national agricultural censuses that a broader picture of the countryside and agriculture was obtained. In the censuses conducted after 1918 in Poland, there was a fixed catalogue of questions on the characteristics of farms, but each time new questions were also introduced to reflect the specificity of agriculture in a given historical period. The censuses were conducted on a fairly regular basis and, therefore, they provide valuable information for comparative analyses. Due to their universality and thematic scope, they also collect data on demography and socio-professional and economic relations that are not available in other sources.

All roads lead to the farmers market?: using network analysis to measure the orientation and central actors in a community food system through a case comparison of Yolo and Sacramento County, California

Little is known about how farms and markets are connected. Identifying critical gaps and central hubs in food systems is of importance in addressing a variety of concerns, such as navigating rapid shifts in marketing practices as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and related food shortages. The constellation of growers and markets can also reinforce opportunities to shift growing and eating policies and practices with attention to addressing racial and income inequities in food system ownership and access. With this research, we compare network methods for measuring centrality and sociospatial orientations in food systems using two of America’s most high-producing agricultural counties. Though the counties are adjacent, we demonstrate that their community food systems have little overlap in contributing farms and markets. Our findings show that the community food system for Yolo County is tightly interwoven with Bay Area restaurants and farmers’ markets. The adjacent county, Sacramento, branded itself as America’s Farm-to-Fork capital in 2012 and possesses network hubs focused more on grocery stores and restaurants. In both counties, the most central actors differ and have been involved with the community food system for decades. Such findings have implications beyond the case studies, and we conclude with considerations for how our methods could be standardized in the national agricultural census.

Agricultura y cambio climático. Impactos en los subsistemas de subsistencia en los Andes centrales del Perú

Climate change is a process that is affecting the daily living of societies in the world, especially because it disturbs the behavior of the ecosystems that support life. Agriculture is central to our existence and the effects of climate changes on crop productivity are already being studied with specific recommendations such as those given by FAO for tropical and mountain regions. This time, a rapprochement will be made to the impacts of climate change on subsystems related to subsistence food production and strategies that could be adopted to improve the economic income of its practitioners. Reference will be made to what happens in the Central Andes, especially in Peru, where, according to the 2012 National Agricultural Census, there are 68% of agricultural units from 0.1 to 5.0 hectares affecting 1,231,000 households. The objective is to show that there is a significant number of rural families that must also be considered in efforts to improve their quality of life that can be homogenized with that of the rest of Peruvian society. The development policies of family farming do not take into consideration subsistence farmers with agricultural units under three hectares, however, they should be included in the development agenda to ensure their sustainability against risks, such as climate change. The methodology of this research is deductive-inductive based on written documents and field experiences in different parts of the Peruvian mountains.

Peasants and Pork: The Changing Contribution of Pig Farming to Rural Livelihoods

Drawing on data from the National Agricultural Censuses (1996-2016) and the National Rural Fixed Observation Point Survey (1986-2018), this article provides a holistic review of China’s pig breeding development during the last three decades. Pig farming had developed from extremely small-scale rearing in the mid-1980s to large scale husbandry in the mid-1990s, yet a majority of pigs were still reared by individual agricultural households. From the mid-1990s, individual pig breeders began to withdraw because of the growing opportunity cost of labor and the falling need for organic manure in agricultural activities. Small-scale pig farming has been replaced by highly commercialized and specialized companies who have further collaborated with expert large-scale pig farming households to form a whole pig breeding and sales chain. But even now, pig rearing is still important to the livelihoods of poor rural households. Policies and subsidies should be in place to protect the interests of individual breeders.

Assessment of Different Irrigation Systems and Agricultural Productivity in Nawalparasi (West) District

Agriculture is the mainstay of people living in Nepal. The perception of agricultural yield has been broadly used to clarify the distributional organization and outline of agriculture. Irrigation is the practice of supplying water to the crops unnaturally to fulfill the water necessities. This study attempts to assess the different irrigation systems (surface irrigation, canal irrigation and ground water supply irrigation) practiced in Nawalparasi (west) district and their relation on agricultural productivity. Household survey with structural questionnaires, Key Informant Interview (KII)including field observation and marking on cadastral map has been used as primary sources of data and furthermore review of publications i.e., district profile, national agricultural census report, annual reports of district agriculture development office and research articles have been used as secondary sources of data. The result showed that the average productivity of different crops has affected by the reliability of sources of irrigation systems in all study sites. Further, diverse cropping patterns and cropping intensity were observed in different irrigation systems that ranging from 141 to 226.