Proportion Of Farmers Research Articles

Conflicts between large carnivores and farmers/beekeepers in the Ukrainian Carpathians: Structure, dynamics, spatial distribution and effective coexistence measures

Conflicts between large сarnivores and humans have been common in mountainous regions, with the Carpathians being particularly affected. Recently, interest among researchers and wildlife managers in studying and managing these conflicts has grown significantly. Unfortunately, the coexistence between humans and wildlife and its implications for nature and society have been largely overlooked in Ukraine. This study analyzed conflicts between large carnivores (Canis lupus, Ursus arctos and Lynx lynx) and farmers/beekeepers within designated model territories in the Ukrainian Carpathians, focusing on the effectiveness of conflict prevention strategies implemented between 2018 and 2023. Among the stakeholders analyzed, 79.0% were farmers (livestock owners) and 21.0% were beekeepers. It was observed that 73.0% of farms and apiaries experienced conflicts with large carnivores during the study period; incidents included 64.8% with wolf attacks, 31.3% with bear attacks, and 24.2% with lynx attacks. Notably, conflicts involving livestock owners and large carnivores decreased nearly fivefold, from 54.9% in 2018 to 11.0% in 2023. Similarly, bear-related conflicts among beekeepers nearly halved, from 29.2% to 16.8%. The adoption of electric fences significantly increased among farms and apiaries from none to 33.9%, and the proportion of farmers using dogs for livestock protection without experiencing large carnivore conflicts rose from 3.3% to 20.9%. These pilot findings highlight the effectiveness of such measures in reducing conflicts and improving coexistence quality. The results provide valuable insights into the structure, dynamics, and spatial distribution of conflicts in the Ukrainian Carpathians, underscoring their importance for the conservation of rare species and the implementation of effective management strategies for wild animal populations, sustainable farming, and habitat conservation in regions inhabited by large carnivores. An integrated approach that considers the needs of both human communities and wildlife, involving collaboration among scientific bodies, public organizations, and government entities at various levels, is crucial for devising and executing effective conflict management strategies in diverse landscapes.

Linear modeling of zonal level crop production in Ethiopia

Accounting for zonal-level variations and identifying factors that have linear effects on crop production help to make better decisions and plan new policies for effective crop production and food security. The main objective of this study is to identify potential subsets of covariates and estimate their linear effects on crop production. A linear mixed effects model (random--intercept) is used on agricultural sample survey data for Meher seasons from 2012/13 to 2019/20 to explore and identify the best variance-covariance structure for the longitudinal data on 90 zones with eight repeated observations and different sampling weights. The minimum, mean, and maximum crop production by farmers across the country are 1.616, 8.693, and 147.843 quintals, respectively, and about 98 % of farmers produced less than 25 quintals. There is a small rate of increase in mean and median crop production by farmers across the years, and the variability between zones is highest in the year 2019/20 and in the Somali region. The histogram, kernel density, and P–P plots suggested a common logarithm transformation on the crop production variable. Results from the data exploration and variance-covariance structure selection methods suggested a heterogeneous compound symmetry (CSH) structure. Covariates region, year, proportion of farmers who practice pure-agriculture and other-agriculture types, proportion of farmers who use any type of fertilizer, farmer's age, area used, farmer association crop production, indigenous seed used, improved seed used, UREA fertilizer used, other fertilizers used, and percentage of crop damaged are significant in linearly explaining/affecting log crop production, and among these area used, farmers association crop production, UREA fertilizer used, and indigenous seed used have relatively highest effect on log crop production. Zones Wolayita, North-Shewa (Am), West-Arsi, West-Welega, Dawro, and Guji are top/good performers while zones Southwest-Shewa, Waghimra, Guraghe, South-Omo, Keffa, North-Wello, South-Wello, and Eastern Tigray are bottom/poor performers in crop production. Model assumptions and influence diagnostics results suggested the linearity of the model and normality of random effects and residuals are not violated, even though some zones have influences on either model parameters, precisions of estimates of these parameters, and predicted values.

Evaluation of the Economic Impact of Streptococcus suis-Associated Disease.

The economic impact of Streptococcus suis-associated disease at farm level is well known by the producers, but the cost in a region or a country is more difficult to evaluate due to the lack of a centralized data system, the different incidences, and the control measures applied by each producer. In this chapter, we describe a method based on the information gathered through interviews with veterinary practitioners. A comprehensive questionnaire created specifically for the disease can help to conduct the interviews. The questions include information about the proportions of farms, batches and animals clinically affected, mortality, metaphylactic and therapeutic treatments, use of vaccines, and proportion of cases that are diagnosed at the laboratory. As the questionnaire is quite complex, the best option to obtain the data is send the questionnaire to the selected veterinarians to allow them to collect some data and make an interview with them some days later. The information allows to estimate the costs due to mortality, antimicrobial treatments, the use of autogenous vaccines, and analyses performed. Initially they are calculated per animal in each affected production phase, and later it can be extrapolated to estimate the annual cost per affected production unit and per country. The model does not consider indirect costs such as the cost as a zoonosis, the revenues forgone, or an increase of labor.

Role of traditional feeding practices in solving forage inadequacy issue in sub-mountainous Punjab, India

An on-farm study was conducted to record the role of traditional livestock feeding practices, particularly the role of tree leaves in fulfilling the fodder requirement of dairy animals in 'low-input and low-output' systems of sub mountainous zone of Indian Punjab. Findings of the study were based on primary data of mixed farms equally spread over different farm size groups sub-mountainous zoneof randomly selected district Hoshiarpur from of Punjab state. The study highlighted that the supplementation of tree leaves in addition to cultivated fodder helped the small and medium farmers to attain the adequacy of green fodder. During the summer season, tree leaves, on an average, improved the green forage DM availability at small farms by 128.0% (1.89 to 4.31 kg/d/ACU) and at medium farms by 70.6% (2.69 to 4.59 kg/d/ACU). In the winter season, the corresponding percentage for small and medium farms stood at 112.8 and 76.0%, respectively. The study further enunciated that fodder utilization/ACU on fresh basis was statistically higher in large farms, while in terms of dry matter (DM), fodder utilization was statistically at par for all selected landholding categories. Following the traditional practice of supplementing tree leaves with cultivated fodder (scenario 2), the proportion of farms (irrespective of size) with adequate fodder was recorded at 62.2% in summer season and 88.9% in winter season in comparison to 26.7 and 40.0% in hypothetical case of relying only on cultivated fodders (scenario 1).

An integrated model for anthrax-free zone development in developing countries

Anthrax is more prevalent in impoverished nations and those without veterinarian public health initiatives. A comprehensive strategy was pursued to build an anthrax-free model in which there would be no anthrax. The strategy included routine vaccination, increased public awareness, rapid confirmation, and prompt disposal, as well as the establishment of an effective surveillance system, the development of an emergency prevention system, the enforcement of regulations, and the improvement of collaboration between human health and veterinary services. From 2017 through 2020, several initiatives including both social and laboratory activities were performed. After strictly applying the study's procedures, it was determined that the vast majority of community people (97.5%) were knowledgeable of the disease's nature, prevalence, significance to public health, and treatment in the study area. The farmers' risky practices and attitudes about the killing of sick livestock decreased dramatically (85%). The vaccination rate climbed from 40% to 85%, and the proportion of farmers who can presumptively identify anthrax based on its prominent clinical symptoms rose from 30% to 85%. A confirmation methodology based on PCR was implemented. A geographical map depicting the green and dangerous pastureland was created. The formation of a steering group to assess the progress of scientific activity. Locals established a slaughterhouse in that location, where individuals slaughtered their animals following veterinary examination and strictly followed drug withdrawal period. The contaminated area has been free of anthrax infection for four years as a consequence of these efforts. There also reduction of antibiotic used due to mass awareness. The study indicated that the model is an efficient, effective, and appropriate technique for establishing an anthrax-free zone where no anthrax outbreaks would occur. It could be replicated in any part of the world where socioeconomic and geographical conditions are similar.

Frequency of isolation and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance of fecal Salmonella enterica recovered from dairy cattle in Canada

Salmonellosis is one of the leading causes of gastrointestinal infections in humans. In Canada, it is estimated that approximately 87,500 cases of salmonellosis occur every year in humans, resulting in 17 deaths. In the United States, it is estimated that 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths occur every year. In dairy cattle, infections caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica can cause mild to severe disease, including enteritis, pneumonia, and septicemia. Our study objectives were to determine the proportion of fecal samples positive for Salmonella in dairy cattle in Canada and determine the resistance pattern of these isolates. We used data collected through the Canadian Dairy Network for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Resistance (CaDNetASR). Pooled fecal samples from preweaning calves, postweaning heifers, lactating cows, and manure storage were cultured for Salmonella, and the isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration test, and resistance interpretation was made according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. A 2-level, multivariable logistic regression model was built to determine the probability of recovering Salmonella from a sample, accounting for province, year, and sample source. The proportion of farms with at least one positive sample were 12% (17/140), 19% (28/144), and 17% (24/144) for the sampling years 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. Out of the 113 Salmonella isolates, 23 different serovars were identified. The occurrence of Salmonella appeared to be clustered by farms and provinces. The most common serovars identified were Infantis (14%) and Typhimurium (14%). Overall, 21% (24/113) of the Salmonella isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Resistance to tetracycline was commonly observed (17%); however, very limited resistance to category I antimicrobials (categorization according to Health Canada that includes third-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, polymyxins, and carbapenems) was observed, with one isolate resistant to amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The proportion of Salmonella isolates resistant to 2 and 3 antimicrobial classes was 3.5% and 8.8%, respectively. Our study provided valuable information on the proportion of fecal samples positive for Salmonella, the serovars identified, and the associated resistance patterns across CaDNetASR herds, at regional and national levels.

Isolation of Biofilm-Forming Staphylococci from the Bulk-Tank Milk of Small Ruminant Farms in Greece.

The objectives of this study were (i) to describe staphylococcal isolates recovered from bulk-tank raw milk collected from sheep and goat farms during a countrywide study performed in Greece, (ii) to study management factors potentially associated with their presence in bulk-tank milk and (iii) to provide evidence regarding their association with the quality of the milk. In total, 312 staphylococcal isolates, recovered from samples of bulk-tank raw milk from 444 small ruminant farms in Greece, were evaluated in this work. The in vitro formation of biofilm by the isolates was tested by combining the findings of (a) culture appearance on Congo Red agar plates and (b) results of a microplate adhesion test. The most frequently identified species was Staphylococcus aureus (75 isolates); other frequently recovered species were S. simulans (44 isolates), S. equorum (34 isolates) and S. haemolyticus (26 isolates); in total, 23 species were identified. In total, 224 (71.8%) isolates were biofilm-forming and were recovered from the bulk-tank milk samples of 148 sheep flocks (45.5%) and 55 goat herds (46.2%). There was evidence of seasonality in the isolation of staphylococci: during spring, mostly biofilm-forming isolates were recovered, whilst during summer, mostly non-biofilm-forming isolates were recovered. Among farms applying machine-milking, the proportion of farms from which biofilm-forming isolates were recovered was higher where water with temperature < 50 °C or ≥90 °C was used to clean the milking parlour. In the multivariable analyses, for farms applying machine-milking, the temperature of the water emerged as the only significant variable (p = 0.024), whilst in farms applying hand-milking, the only tendency that emerged was for the frequency of collection of milk from the farm tank (p = 0.08). In sheep flocks, recovery of biofilm-forming staphylococci from the bulk-tank milk was associated with higher somatic cell counts and higher total bacterial counts in the milk. The study identified abiotic factors related to the presence and isolation of these bacteria, specifically the temperature of water used for the cleaning of the milking parlour (in farms where machine-milking is applied) and the frequency of milk collection from the farm tank. These factors apply after the production of milk, and they could thus be regulated appropriately in order to reduce bacterial load and improve the quality of milk delivered to dairy plants. In sheep farms, an association was also seen between recovery of biofilm-forming staphylococci and high somatic cell counts in milk.

Farming with Trees for Soil Fertility, Moisture Retention and Crop Productivity Improvement: Perceptions from Farmers in Rwanda

Agroforestry is widely considered as a sustainable land management practice with multiple ecosystem benefits that support farmers’ livelihoods. While there is much evidence that the technologies are not being embraced as expected, there is knowledge gap about farmers’ perceptions to help devising extension strategies tailored to farmers’ needs in many countries, including Rwanda. This study determined factors that influence farmers’ perceptions on trees effects on soil fertility, moisture retention and crop productivity in semi-arid and humid regions of Rwanda. Logistic regression was used to analyze household survey data that covered 107 and 146 farmers in semi-arid and humid regions, respectively. Results showed that the proportion of farmers with fertile soil in the humid (92%) and the semi-arid (65%) regions was higher on farms with trees. In the semi-arid region, farmers’ perceptions of trees effect on soil fertility was positively influenced by education (P < 0.05) and negatively influenced by farm size (P < 0.1) whereas in the humid region, it was positively influenced (P < 0.1) by family size. Farmers’ perceptions of the effect of agroforestry on soil moisture were influenced by farmers’ knowledge (P < 0.1) in the semi-arid region and gender (P < 0.05) in the humid region. Farmers reported higher yields of potato, maize and beans on farms with trees in the humid region and beans in the semi-arid region. These factors should be taken into consideration to target agroforestry technologies more efficiently within farmer populations. However, constraints including lack of seedlings, tree-crop competition, droughts, termites and lack of mineral fertilizers for seedlings need to be addressed to increase farmers’ uptake of agroforestry technologies.

Wykorzystanie platformy Polski e-bazarek na rzecz rozwoju smart usług w gospodarstwach rolnych województwa wielkopolskiego

The Internet is one of the distribution forms in terms of establishing direct contacts between farmers, food producers, and consumers. The aim of the research undertaken was an attempt to diagnose the state of information technology used by farmers in the direct sale of produce and services providing the basis for the development of smart services in rural areas. The diagnosis of farmers’ attitudes has been drawn on the research embracing the online marketplace Polski e-bazarek which enables farmers to place free of charge food sale offers and promotion of produce developed in agricultural holdings. It is to promote short supply chains and support agricultural producers in selling unprocessed and processed foods. The beneficiaries of Polski e-bazarek are farmers and end-consumers who seek healthy, fresh products that use traditional recipes and traditional manufacturing methods, as well as those produced under quality systems. The information obtained concerns the first half of 2022. The agricultural holdings selected for the study are situated within the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, where the proportion of farmers using the Internet amounted to 88.3% in 2021, as compared to Poland, where it was 75.1%.

Structure innovation of agricultural supply chain in china: from farmers’ perspective

Abstract There are three serious problems in the traditional agricultural supply chain structure in China, namely, the blockage of information channels and the poor transmission of information, the subordination of farmers and the low distribution of network profits, the unstable contract and the loose supply chain. Among them, the first problem is the core problem. This paper attempts to design an innovative ASC structure to solve these problems. Firstly, from the perspective of farmers, this paper analyzes the agricultural sustainable development of network embedding, and draws the following conclusions: with the increase and deepening of farmers’ network embedding relationship, farmers can obtain more effective information about the whole agricultural sustainable development, and finally improve their profit distribution ratio. But how to increase this network embedding relationship? To solve this problem, we introduce the platform theory and consider redesigning ASC by embedding the integrated management information platform (IMIP). Then, we made a mathematical analysis. Through the comparison of absolute value and relative value, we find that the innovative structure can not only increase the amount of effective information that farmers get from ASC, but also increase the total amount of information from all stakeholders and the proportion of farmers’ information in the total amount of ASC information. In view of this, we believe that the innovative structure of ASC can effectively solve the problems existing in the traditional ASC structure.

乡村振兴视角下农户生态系统服务依赖度及多层次影响因素

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 乡村振兴视角下农户生态系统服务依赖度及多层次影响因素 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202203170652 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目(42171256,41971271) Farmers' dependence on ecosystem services and it's multi-level influencing factors from the perspective of rural revitalization Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:厘清乡村振兴视角下农户生态系统服务依赖度及其多层次影响因素对落实乡村振兴措施、改善农户福祉具有一定实践意义。以生态脆弱区陕西省米脂县为例,基于价值法评估农户生态系统服务依赖度,同时分析乡村振兴视角下服务依赖度的村庄差异和农户差异,最后利用多层次模型揭示服务依赖度的影响因素。结果如下:(1) 农户的服务依赖度均值为0.673;农户主要依赖供给服务,对调节和文化服务依赖较低;供给服务中主要依赖作物收益,对水果和牲畜依赖度较低。(2) 示范村农户的服务依赖度高于非示范村,且各类服务依赖度存在较强村庄异质性。"作物+牲畜+调节服务""作物+水果+调节服务"与"作物+调节服务"类型农户占比约80%,依赖度分别为0.690、0.835、0.410;服务类型多样化指数为2.882,且示范村多样化指数高于非示范村。(3) 环境变量中,土壤保持能力较高的村庄,农户对作物与牲畜的依赖度越高;政府资金投入较多的村庄,农户对水果和文化服务的依赖度越高;海拔与水果依赖度呈现显著正相关,人口密度与调节服务呈显著负相关。 Abstract:It is of practical significance to clarify farmers' ecosystem service dependence and its multi-level influencing factors from the perspective of rural revitalization for local rural revitalization practices and farmers' well-being improvement. Taking Mizhi County of Shaanxi Province in the ecologically fragile area as study region, the farmers' ecosystem service dependence was evaluated based on the value method. At the same time, the differences between villages and between the farmers in the index of dependence on ecosystem services were analyzed from the perspective of rural revitalization, and finally the multi-level model was used to reveal the influencing factors of the farmers' index of dependence on ecosystem services. The results were as follows: (1) the average value of the farmers' index of dependence on ecosystem services was 0.673. The local farmers mainly relied on the benefits of provisioning services, and were less dependent on regulating services and cultural services. The local farmers mainly depended on the benefits of crops in provisioning services, and their dependence on fruits and livestock was relatively low. (2) The farmers in rural revitalization demonstration villages were more dependent on ecosystem services than those in non-demonstration villages, and there was strong village heterogeneity in the various ecosystem services dependence. The proportion of farmers in the ecosystem service combination types of "crops plus livestock plus regulating services", "crops plus fruits plus regulating services", and "crops plus regulating services" accounting for about 80% of total farmers, and the indexes of dependence on ecosystem services were 0.690, 0.835, 0.410, respectively. The diversity index of farmers was 2.882, and the diversity indexes of farmers in demonstration villages were higher than that in non-demonstration villages. The more diverse the ecosystem service types of the farmers, the higher the farmers' index of dependence on ecosystem services. (3) Individual variables such as age, proportion of patients, per capita annual income, and per capita arable land affected the index of dependence on ecosystem services. Among the environmental variables, villages with higher soil conservation ability had higher dependence on crops and livestock; villages with more government funds had higher dependence on fruits and cultural services. At the same time, altitude was significantly positively correlated with fruit dependence, and population density was significantly negatively correlated with regulation services. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

How to solve the dilemma of China’s land fallow policy: Application of voluntary bidding mode in the Yangtze River Delta of China

Long-term intensive use of arable land has caused soil quality degradation and threatened the sustainable development of agriculture. Faced with these challenges, numerous countries and regions have adopted fallow policies with different modes of implementation. Among these places, China has adopted a fallow policy, which is compulsory and has the same compensation standard. This policy has subsequently resulted in new problems, such as farmers’ dissatisfaction and financial pressure of the government. Hence, a question on this matter emerges: At present, should China abandon the compulsory mode and adopt a voluntary bidding mode for farmers? We conducted an experiment on 714 farmers in the core area of the Yangtze River Delta region. For the following fallow project, farmers would apply independently according to their willingness and arable land conditions and provide the lowest compensation standard they were willing to accept. The contingent valuation method (CVM) and the Heckman two-stage model were applied in this study. The results showed that (1) the proportion of farmers willing to participate in voluntary bidding mode was as high as 72.83 %, while only 50.84 % opted to participate in the original mode. (2) In addition, the voluntary bidding mode performed better than the original mode in terms of both the scale of fallow land and the compensation expenditure of the government. The regression results showed that (3) women were more likely to participate in the voluntary bidding mode, while farmers with higher agricultural output were more likely not to participate in the original mode. At the same time, farmers with larger arable land and higher agricultural output significantly increased their compensation requirements. We propose that voluntary bidding mode should be piloted in some economically developed areas, and various types of fallow modes should be set according to the willingness of farmers, the scale of arable land, and agricultural output. And public awareness of the dangers of soil degradation and the significance of fallow, as well as the training of farmers in non-agricultural employment skills, must be strengthened. Moreover, the fallow supervision mechanism needs to be improved.

Portrait of Household Income and Corn Farmers Welfare City and Village Area in Gorontalo District, Indonesia

The purpose of this research is to):1 examine the contribution of income from corn farming to household income of farmers in city and village areas and 2) photograph the welfare level of corn farmers in village and city areas. This research was conducted in Gorontalo Regency. The object studied is the welfare of corn farmers based on the Sajogyo criteria approach. The type of research data is primary data, with the data source being corn farmers; therefore, the method used is a survey. The sampling technique used purposive random sampling. The purposive technique (deliberately) was carried out for samples of city and village areas. The criteria for the regional sample are; distance, accessibility, the form of government administration, and facilities. The selected sample cities are Tenilo and Tilihuwa Villages, while the selected village areas are Modelidu Village and North Dulamayo Village. The number of sampling units is 87 farmers, with the distribution of each region using proportional allocation. The results showed that: 1) the contribution of income from corn farming to the total household income of corn farmers in city areas is 33.69%, and in village areas, it was 59.02%. Statistically, in village areas, the proportion of farmers whose sources of income from corn farming exceed other incomes is significant, while in city areas, the proportion is not significant; 2) if the household income of corn farmers only comes from corn farming, based on the Sajogyo indicator, the welfare level of corn farmers in city areas is included in the poor category, while corn farmers in village areas are in the near poor category.

Antibiotic usage practices and its drivers in commercial chicken production in Bangladesh.

Irrational and inappropriate use of antibiotics in commercial chicken production can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance. We aimed to assess antibiotic usage in commercial chicken production in Bangladesh, and identify factors associated with this practice. We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional study to collect information on antibiotic usage in commercial chickens from January to May 2021. Structured interviews were conducted with 288 broiler, 288 layer and 192 Sonali (locally-produced cross-bred) farmers in 20 sub-districts across Bangladesh. The frequency of antibiotic usage, the types of antibiotics and purpose of usage were estimated for each production type. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated to measure the association between antibiotic usage and factors related to the characteristics of the farms and farmers using multivariable logistic regression models. The proportion of farms, irrespective of their production type, reporting usage of antibiotics in the 24 hours preceding the interview was 41% (n = 314, 95% CI: 37-44%). Forty-five percent (n = 344, 41-48%) reported antibiotic usage in the last 72 hours, 86% (n = 658, 83-88%) in the last 14 days, and almost all farms, 98% (n = 753, 97-99%), had used antibiotics since the start of their production cycle. Use of antibiotics in the 24 hours preceding an interview was more frequently reported in broiler (OR 1.91, 95% CI: 1.36-2.69) and Sonali (OR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.33-2.33) than layer farms. Oxytetracycline (23-31%, depending on production type), doxycycline (18-25%), ciprofloxacin (16-26%) and amoxicillin (16-44%) were the most frequently used antibiotics. Antibiotics were reported to be used for both treatment and prophylactic purposes on most farms (57-67%). Usage of antibiotics in the 24h preceding an interview was significantly associated with the occurrence of any illnesses in chickens (aOR broiler: 41.22 [95% CI:13.63-124.62], layer: aOR 36.45[9.52-139.43], Sonali: aOR 28.47[4.97-162.97]). Antibiotic usage was mainly advised by veterinary practitioners (45-71%, depending on production type), followed by feed dealers (21-40%) and farmers (7-13%). Improvement of chicken health through good farming practices along with changes in key stakeholders (feed dealers and practitioners) attitudes towards antibiotic recommendations to farmers, may help to reduce the levels of antibiotic usage and thus contribute to mitigate antimicrobial resistance.

A "Good Life" for Dairy Cattle: Developing and Piloting a Framework for Assessing Positive Welfare Opportunities Based on Scientific Evidence and Farmer Expertise.

Simple SummaryThere is increasing appetite to understand how we can provide quality of life to farm animals. A framework to evaluate positive welfare opportunities for dairy cattle was developed using a participatory approach where farmer’s recommendations were integrated into a scientific framework and piloted on farm by vets. When provided with the opportunity to collaborate, farmers and scientists broadly agree on what constitutes “a good life” for dairy cattle and worked together to develop an assessment framework. Farmers did not agree equally on the value of each positive welfare opportunity. However, farmers supported positive welfare assessment as a means of recognition and reward for higher animal welfare, within existing farm assurance schemes, and to justify national and global marketing claims of higher animal welfare.On-farm welfare assessment tends to focus on minimising negative welfare, but providing positive welfare is important in order to give animals a good life. This study developed a positive welfare framework for dairy cows based on the existing scientific literature which has focused on developing positive welfare indicators, and trialled a participatory approach with farmers; refining the framework based on their recommendations, followed by a vet pilot phase on farm. The results revealed that farmers and scientists agree on what constitutes “a good life” for dairy cattle. Farmers value positive welfare because they value their cows’ quality of life, and want to be proud of their work, improve their own wellbeing as well as receive business benefits. For each good life resource, the proportion of farmers going above and beyond legislation ranged from 27 to 84%. Furthermore, barriers to achieving positive welfare opportunities, including monetary and time costs, were not apparently insurmountable if implementation costs were remunerated (by the government). However, the intrinsic value in providing such opportunities also incentivises farmers. Overall, most farmers appeared to support positive welfare assessment, with the largest proportion (50%) supporting its use within existing farm assurance schemes, or to justify national and global marketing claims. Collaborating with farmers to co-create policy is crucial to showcase and quantify the UK’s high welfare standards, and to maximise engagement, relevance and uptake of animal welfare policy, to ensure continuous improvement and leadership in the quality of lives for farm animals.

Contributions of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) to various sustainable intensification impact domains in Tanzania

CONTEXTThe implementation of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) varies widely among farmers, from no ISFM to multiple computations of ISFM components (i.e., improved germplasm, organic resources, fertilizers, and local adaptations e.g., soil and water conservation (SWC)). There is no comprehensive report on farmers' use of ISFM components and their impact on sustainable intensification domains of productivity, economic, social, human condition, and environment and the associated variations across farmer fields and agro-ecological zones (AEZs). OBJECTIVEThis study 1) evaluated the current implementation status of ISFM by farmers in relation to the various ISFM components and 2) provided multi-dimensional multi-scale evidence of ISFM implications that can guide ISFM investments within SSA contexts, with a specific focus on Tanzania. METHODSWe used data collected from 1406 plots between 2013 and 2020 in semi-arid and sub-humid AEZs. The data are from farmer practices. The plots were grouped by the various combinations of ISFM components implemented and analysed using Tukey's test to examine the association of ISFM use with selected indicators within a domain. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe number of ISFM components used by farmers is higher in sub-humid (1 to 4) than in semi-arid AEZ (0 to 3). Except for SWC used by 40% of farmers in both AEZs, the proportion of farmers using improved seeds (95%) and manure (55%) in the sub-humid AEZ are more than double those using these ISFM components in the semi-arid AEZ. Productivity and economic benefits increase with the number of ISFM components at the expense of higher labour demand. Increasing plot-level ISFM benefits also translate to increased household-level whole-farm income but contributions to human nutrition are unclear. The contribution to SOC by increasing ISFM is insignificant, compounded by strong effects of slope position of the field. Differential access to resources, decision-making and control rights drive the number and choice of the specific ISFM components. SIGNIFICANCEUnderstanding of ISFM impacts across domains is essential to guide the scaling of ISFM in Tanzania and beyond and therefore recommended in future studies.

The influences on farmers' planned and actual farm adaptation decisions: Evidence from small-scale irrigation schemes in South-Eastern Africa

Studies are scarce linking planned farmer adaptation practices with their actual practices over time. This study addresses this gap by investigating planned and actual adaptation behaviour, using data collected in 2014 and 2017, from various irrigation schemes in south-eastern Africa. Four planned farm adaptation indexes were created and analysed, with findings suggesting that land size, previous adaptation experience and credit access were positively associated with all types of adaptation. The results from the two waves of survey analysis also indicated very different influences between planned and actual practices, with the proportion of farmers actually undertaking a particular practice far greater than those who planned to undertake it. This result might be related to the project intervention within the study schemes, where numerous factors previously hampering irrigation were resolved, increasing farmers' ability to adapt. Enhancing the availability and quality of education, extension services and finance could be valuable in encouraging further farm adaptation.

Credit supervision and trading strategy of rural e-commerce based on evolutionary game

PurposeThis study investigates the credit supervision issue in rural e-commerce. By studying the trading strategies of buyers and sellers under different credit supervision measures and the impact of different pricing strategies on the trading strategies of both parties, this paper proposes regulatory suggestions for the increasingly severe credit problems in rural e-commerce.Design/methodology/approachIn the online agricultural product transaction between farmers and consumers, both parties' decision-making is a dynamic process. Using the copying dynamic model of the evolutionary game, this study establishes two evolutionary game models to explore the factors affecting credit supervision in the rural e-commerce transaction process. Then, the study provides corresponding countermeasures and suggestions.FindingsFirst, credit supervision measures implemented by rural e-commerce platforms and the Government's legal system construction and infrastructure construction guarantees influence both parties' trust choices in rural e-commerce transactions. Second, price is a key factor affecting both parties' trading strategies. In the case of relatively fair prices, the higher the proportion of farmers who choose “low price” and “honest transaction” strategies, the easier that is for consumers to choose to trust farmers. In contrast, the higher the price, the higher the proportion of consumers who choose the “trust farmers” strategy, and the more willing farmers are to choose honest transactions.Originality/valueThis work develops a new approach for analyzing rural e-commerce credit supervision. Moreover, this study helps establish and improve the credit supervision mechanism of rural e-commerce and further realize the long-term sustainable development of the rural economy.

Research on the Eco-Efficiency of Rice Production and Its Improvement Path: A Case Study from China.

The eco-efficiency of rice production is an important indicator in the measurement of sustainable rice development. Scientific evaluation of the eco-efficiency of rice production facilitates accurate evaluation of the real level of rice ecosystems to realize efficient utilization of agricultural resources. This paper measured the eco-efficiency of farms growing rice using both the life cycle assessment (LCA) and the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods based on survey data from 370 farms mainly growing rice conducted in 2020 in the Hubei Province, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China. Then, sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis were carried out on the comprehensive index of the rice environmental impact and eco-efficiency of rice production, respectively. The results indicate that the comprehensive index of the rice environmental impact was 2.0971. Water toxicity, soil toxicity and eutrophication were the main influencing factors. The mean value of the eco-efficiency reached 0.51. More specifically, the proportion of farms in the low-, middle- and high-efficiency groups was 87.03%, 1.89% and 11.08%, respectively, with mean values up to 0.42, 0.86 and 1.14, respectively. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the pesticide sensitivity was higher than the fertilizer sensitivity in terms of the environmental impact sensitivity of rice systems. When comprehensively considering environmental and economic benefits, the fertilizer sensitivity was higher than that of pesticides. Moreover, reducing the application of both fertilizers and pesticides by 50% could promote the eco-efficiency of rice production systems by 6%, and the value could reach 0.54. Thus, reducing the application of fertilizers and pesticides and improving the utilization efficiency are effective ways to improve green rice production.

Internet use and land transfer in: empirical evidence from China's rural panel data.

In the context of the Internet power strategy, "Internet + agriculture" has gradually become a key force in realizing agricultural modernization. Based on the data of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2012, 2014, and 2016, this paper uses conditional mixed process (CMP) to solve the endogeneity problem and tests the impact and mechanism of Internet use on farmers' land transfer in. The results showed that (1) from 2012 to 2016, the proportion of farmers using the Internet increased in turn, while the proportion of farmers transferring in land decreased in turn. (2) Farmers' Internet use is significantly negatively correlated with land transfer in. In 2012, 2014, and 2016, each unit increase in the proportion of farmers' Internet use reduces the probability of land transfer in by 2.6%, 10.7%, and 20.8%, respectively. (3) The analysis of mediating effects shows that the Internet can promote land transfer in by expanding social networks and inhibit land transfer in by improving the stability of non-agricultural employment, and both are partial mediating effects. From the micro-perspective of farmers' Internet use, this study can strengthen our understanding of Internet use and land transfer behavior decision-making and then provide a reference for rural digitalization construction and land transfer-related policy making.