Role Of Agriculture Research Articles

Agriculture's Role in Environmental Sustainability: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges and Solutions

Agriculture's Role in Environmental Sustainability: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges and Solutions

Italian winegrowers’ Acceptance of result-based agri-environmental schemes

Abstract As the debate around the cost-effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes (AES) is growing at the European level, researchers and policymakers are exploring the potential of result-based AES. Result-based AES initiate payments only if pre-defined environmental outcomes are achieved, thus increasing risks for farmers. Using a contingent valuation method, we investigated Italian winegrowers’ acceptance and intensity of participation in a result-based AES targeted at pollinators’ conservation in vineyards. We focused on the role of farmers’ behavioural factors and risk attitudes in driving the acceptance. Results show that, among the 222 farmers who completed the survey, 71 per cent of participants are willing to participate in such a scheme. Non-participation is associated with a high perceived bureaucratic burden. Risk also plays a significant role, as the perceived risk of the scheme decreases the likelihood of enrolment, while risk-seeking farmers are more likely to participate. We found no evidence of risk affecting the intensity of participation. In contrast, while a treatment of a randomly assigned rare-species bonus did not affect the scheme's overall acceptance, it positively influenced intensity. Behavioural factors appear to be related to both acceptance and intensity. Considering this, we suggest strategies to encourage farmer participation in result-based AES.

UNDERSTANDING DAIRY SMALLHOLDERS’ INTENTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF BOVINE BRUCELLOSIS

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Brucellosis (<em>Brucella abortus</em>) is a disease that affects cattle and has a significant economic impact on the livelihood of farmers in developing countries. <strong>Objective:</strong> The research aimed to understand the dairy smallholders’ intention to participate in the national campaign to control and eradicate bovine brucellosis in Aculco, State of Mexico. <strong>Methodology:</strong> The study was conducted with 196 farmers who were already engaged in the campaign. The reasoned action approach (RAA) was used as a theoretical framework, and Spearman rank-order correlations were used to analyze the data. <strong>Results:</strong> The results showed that farmers firmly intended to participate in the campaign in the next 12 months. The intention was associated with farmers’ years of experience as milk producers and perception of the importance and usefulness of the campaign in addition to farm characteristics. Farmers’ intention was also related to positive beliefs (drivers), such as participation in the campaign, preventing the disease in the herd, enabling access to government support and subsidies, and avoiding spreading the disease to people. Other social referents such as veterinarians, farmers, and farmers’ sons also played an important role in farmers’ intentions. A couple of significant constraints were identified: the lack of financial resources, communication between farmers and personnel in charge of the campaign. <strong>Implications: </strong>The study provided insights to improve extension activities towards small-scale dairy farmers to participate in the national campaign of control and eradication of bovine brucellosis.<strong> </strong><strong>Conclusion:</strong> the three components of the RAA (attitude, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control) were strong predictors of farmers’ intention to participate in the brucellosis eradication campaign. They enabled the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to be explored more deeply.</p>

The Effect of Farmer’s Cognition on the Inconsistency Between Behavior and Intention in Manure Application

Manure utilization in China is below optimum due to the inconsistency between farmers’ behavior and their intention to apply manure to their crops. With increasing constraints on the availability of chemical fertilizer and their impact on the environment, understanding how farmers’ perceptions affect their intention and behavior toward manure application is an issue for the implementation of sustainable agricultural development. This study uses primary survey data from 653 farmers. A probit model was used to assess the influence of cognition on farmers’ intentions, behavior, and the inconsistency between them in the use of manure application. Heterogeneity analysis was conducted to identify differences between farmers with different education levels and operation scales. The results showed that enhancing subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral attitudes could increase their intention and behavior. Furthermore, improving the perceived behavioral control and behavioral attitudes of farmers would reduce the inconsistency between behavior and intention. In addition, some differences were identified in the role of farmers’ cognition with different education levels and operation scales. In general, it is necessary to enhance farmers’ comprehensive cognition of the value of manure through publicity and popularization of technology, reduce farmers’ perceptions about difficulties in applying manure through new policies and subsidies, and stimulate farmers’ enthusiasm to participate in the practice.

Farmers Coping and Adaptation Mechanisms to Perceived Changes and Variability in Climate

There is a growing global concern about the detrimental effects of climate change and variations on rain-fed agriculture. This study determined households’ perceptions of changes and variations in climate and institutional roles in farmers' coping and adaptation mechanisms to changes and variations in climate in Paicho Sub County (S/C), Gulu district in Northern Uganda. Data was collected through structured household interviews and analyzed using regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings showed that respondents perceived rainfall and temperature to be the climatic parameters that had changed most with rainfall onset largely unpredictable. The major coping mechanisms to changes and variations in climate included: buying food from the market, exchange of labor for food, and getting food help from relatives, community, and food agencies while, the major adaptation mechanisms included: getting jobs outside agriculture, adjustment of planting dates, diversification of production, carrying out mixed cropping, and growing improved crop and animal varieties. Additionally, the gender (P<0.05), the size of the land (P<0.05), and the age of the household head (P<0.05) were found to be the most significant factors influencing adaptation mechanisms. Furthermore, the role of existing institutions in community adaptation to changes and variations in climate included: making decisions on planting time, providing access to information relevant to coping and adaptation, providing access to credit, governing entitlements, and capacity building. In conclusion, there is a need for better and new crop varieties that can survive under changed and varied climatic conditions, and a need for more enhanced adaptation mechanisms

Role of Farmers' Cooperatives in Income Generation: A Study of Chitwan District

The farmer cooperatives are the kinds of cooperative that only farmers are involved to run the cooperative and the purpose of the cooperatives is to work for the wellbeing for farmers. The study focuses on role of farmers' cooperative in income generation. Main objectives of the study analyzed the situation of farmers' cooperatives of Chitwan and their activities related to income generation of the members. The study followed descriptive method and data were analyzed both qualitative and quantitative research design. Conclusion of this study was based on primary data. In Chitwan only 15% cooperatives were related to farmers' cooperatives and these cooperatives have no enough capital and investment, however, the attempt of cooperative in income generating was excellence. Income generating activities of the cooperatives created new hope among the members. Profit of the cooperatives showed that those cooperatives were in a right track and in future the cooperatives can be played more effective role in income generation.

Metaheuristic algorithms applied in ANN salinity modelling

Salinity is a classic problem in planning the quality of freshwater resources management. Recent studies related to hybrid machine learning models have shown it's capability to simulate salinity dynamics. However, previous studies of metaheuristic algorithms have not dealt with comparing single- and hybrid-based algorithms in much detail. The present study aimed to develop univariate salinity by applying an artificial neural network model (ANN) integrated with (hybrid-based) coefficient-based particle swarm optimisation and chaotic gravitational search algorithm (CPSOCGSA). The methodology was developed and tested using electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) data collected from the Euphrates River in Babylon Province, Iraq, from 2010 to 2019. The CPSOCGSA performance was evaluated by various single-based ones, including multi-verse optimiser (MVO), marine predator's optimisation algorithm (MPA), particle swarm optimiser (PSO), and the slim mould algorithm (SMA). The principal finding here confirms that hybrid-based outperformed four single-based algorithms based on different criteria. The outcomes for TDS were 0.004, 0.0248, and 0.98 for CPSOCGSA-ANN technique concern scatter index (SI), root-mean-squared error (RMSE), and correlation coefficient (R2), respectively. For EC, the results were 0.96 for R2, 0.0386 for RMSE, and 0.006 for SI. Due to its predictive accuracy, the proposed CPSOCGSA-ANN approach is suggested as a potential strategy for predicting monthly salinity data. Considering agriculture's vital role in Babylon Province's economy, this study may help inform future freshwater quality management decisions.

Karakteristik Petani Sagu dalam Pengembangan Agroindustri Sagu Rakyat di Kabupaten Kepulauan Meranti provinsi Riau

This research aims to: (1) determine the characteristics of sago farmers in Meranti Islands Regency; and (2) knowing the role of farmers in developing the people's sago agro-industry. This research uses a survey method with the help of a questionnaire. This research is further research with the survey method used. The number of samples used in this research is the number of research parameters multiplied by the indicators. The number of indicators in the main research was 5 x 20 so that 100 samples were obtained. The data analysis used is descriptive analysis. The results of the research show that the characteristics of Sago Farmers as seen from age, education, number of family dependents, land area and experience in sago farming are a reflection of the farmer's ability to develop the people's sago agroindustry. The local value of people's processed sago products is the ability possessed by farmers because of their ability to process sago into various products, as well as the existing decision-making mechanism for sago farmers still using a discussion system with traditional leaders (ninik mamak) community leaders, because traditional culture is still implemented with very good.

Soil microbiota resilience in a two-decade long-term experiment comparing an organic and a conventional cropping system

The effect of conventional and organic management in agriculture impacts not only economic and food quality aspects but potentially all biological components of the environment where these activities occur, including soil microorganisms. While there is generally positive appreciation for organic agriculture's role in organic matter accumulation, its beneficial effects on soil microbiota are a matter of debate, mostly due to the varying conditions in which the comparisons are made. To minimize the impact of distant locations, soils were sampled from nearby fields managed separately with the same rotation schemes for 18 years with conventional low-impact and organic agriculture methods. Samples from six different crops were compared using metabarcoding and metabolomic fingerprinting. The major differences were found between late summer and spring, whereas the variations between the beginning and the end of the spring were neither large nor significant. Some significant differences were found between the microbiota of organic vs. conventional management, particularly between r- and k-strategist microorganisms. While other studies found very little differences between microbiota of differently managed soils after shorter time periods, this work highlights that nearly two decades of separate management are necessary to induce significant variations in the microbiota. This suggests a strong resilience of soil populations and the need for very long-term strategies in agriculture to effect significant changes in soil quality.

Understanding dairy farmers' trade‐offs between environmental, social and economic sustainability attributes in feeding systems: The role of farmers' identities

AbstractThere is scope for improving the sustainability of intensive dairy farms through the uptake of sustainable production practices such as more grass‐based feeding systems. Such feeding systems can reduce feed‐food competition and the environmental impacts of feed production, among other farm‐level and societal benefits. However, empirical research on how farmers' feed choices mis(align) with sustainability transitions and the associated drivers is limited. This paper explores the trade‐offs that farmers make between the environmental, social and economic sustainability impacts of grass‐based feeding systems based on data from Swedish dairy farmers. Using an identity‐based utility framework and a hybrid latent class model, we find substantial heterogeneity in dairy farmers' trade‐offs between feed‐related sustainability attributes: greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, animal welfare, feed self‐sufficiency, feed cost and milk yield. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that farmers who are strongly interested in the environmental and social sustainability impacts of their dairy feeding systems, beyond economic gains, are motivated mainly by their pro‐environmental and pro‐social identities. Overall, our findings imply that identity‐enhancing interventions are promising policy instruments for encouraging the uptake of more grass‐based feeding systems.

Survey and Research on the Long-term Mechanism for Increasing Farmers' Income in Anhui Province Empowered by Digital Rural Construction

This article studies the impact of digital village construction on farmers' income increase, and takes Anhui Province as an example for in-depth analysis. The article firstly outlines the background and significance of digital village construction, then discusses in detail the application of digital technology in agricultural production, management, service and rural governance, and analyzes how these applications can promote farmers' income. Then, the article further discusses the impact of regional differences on the role of farmers' income, pointing out that different regions should formulate targeted development strategies according to their own characteristics. Finally, the article summarizes the important achievements and findings of digital village construction in Anhui Province, and puts forward the proposal of constructing an assessment and evaluation index system for digital village construction, with a view to promoting the sustainable development of digital village construction and helping the cause of rural revitalization to flourish.

Implementasi Kebijakan Penyaluran Pupuk Bersubsidi Dalam Upaya Peningkatan Produksi Padi di Subak Kabupaten Bangli

The agricultural sector is an important sector in providing food and has a direct impact on the basic needs of the Indonesian people. The role of farmers and government is needed to increase the amount of rice production. Increasing the amount of rice production by farmers is carried out by continuing to plant rice and increasing the amount of rice production. Due to this, the government issued a policy of distributing subsidized fertilizer in an effort to help farmers increase rice production. Bangli Regency is a district that has land that has the potential to produce rice. In this regard, in efforts to implement the subsidized fertilizer distribution policy, the Department of Agriculture, Food Security and Fisheries of Bangli Regency has the task of assisting farmers in efforts to increase rice production. The purpose of this research is to find out how the Subsidized Fertilizer Distribution Policy is implemented in an effort to increase rice production in Subak, Bangli Regency, using qualitative methods and using research indicators proposed by George C. Edwards III (2009), namely communication, resources, disposition and bureaucratic structure. The results of this research show that communication, resources, disposition and bureaucratic structure are still not running optimally. Thus, the Department of Agriculture, Food Security and Fisheries of Bangli Regency needs to make improvements to each indicator. extension and improving the scheduling of extension and assistance to farmers.

Climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Senegal’s semi-arid zone: role of socio-economic factors and institutional supports

In dryland agricultural systems, developing appropriate climate-smart technology (CST) options is important to adapt agriculture to climate change and transition toward sustainability, as well as increasing productivity and incomes. This study examines the impact of socio-economic and institutional support on community responses to climate change and the impact of changes in three selected regions of Senegal (Meouane, Thiel, and Daga Birame), which fall within different rainfall gradients. It captures community perceptions of climate change, compares them to long-term meteorological data, and identifies site-specific response strategies. Communities are randomly selected from a list of communities within the target sites. We used a two-stage stratified sampling method to select sample households. First, purposive sampling was conducted to select at least six (6) villages as a cluster within each rainfall gradient. Likewise, the selection of households in each cluster was based on the main value chains of crops grown in the study area, namely groundnut, millet, black pea, and livestock. A total of 145 households participated in this study. Data from surveys conducted during the 2022 post-harvest season were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit models. The analysis found that smallholders have a comprehensive understanding of climate indicators, including annual rainfall, shortened crop seasons, and rising temperatures, compared to historical data trends. Additionally, the results highlight how farmers view the negative impacts of seasonal rainfall deficiencies (72%), delayed start of the growing season (88%), frequent dry spells (68%), and longer dry spells (76%), which ultimately lead to decreased grain and fodder yields. The logit model also highlights the importance of socio-economic and institutional factors such as access to credit, extension services, agricultural experience, frequency of interaction with extension workers, and access to government subsidies. These factors play a crucial role in farmers’ decision to adopt CST. Given the specificity of community contexts, these insights have important implications for guiding policymakers and making it easier to reduce climate risk among smallholder farmers.

PENINGKATAN EKONOMI PETANI DAN KOMUNITAS PETERNAK MELALUI POLA SYIRKAH DI KECAMATAN KALORAN KABUPATEN TEMANGGUNG

The role of farmers in the Indonesian economy is very large, but they have not received the recognition they deserve. Farmers have had the hope of living a prosperous life for a long time, but only a small percentage of farmers live comfortably. Farmers' problems are crop failure and prices are determined by the market, requiring additional income. The habit of farmers on the island of Java is farming and raising livestock, so the community service program offered is improving the economy through raising sheep using the syirkah pattern. The aim is for farmers to get financial improvements and be able to live more prosperously. The community service partners carried out are the people of Kaloran District, Temanggung Regency. The results of this activity enable farmers to raise livestock in a modern way with capital using the syirkah pattern and there is a financial increase for farming families as well as livestock communities

A Bibliometric Review of Sustainable Agriculture in Rural Development

This bibliometric review investigates the scholarly landscape of sustainable agriculture in the context of rural development, spanning from 1986 to 2024. With a comprehensive analysis of 980 publications, the study examines key themes, influential works, and emerging trends in the field. Through bibliometric techniques such as co-citation analysis and network visualization, the research identifies clusters of research topics, including technological advancements, social dimensions, economic impacts, and environmental considerations. Notable contributions by influential authors are highlighted, shedding light on critical issues such as rural livelihoods, participatory approaches, and alternative food networks. Furthermore, the study provides insights into the evolution of research interests over time, revealing emerging areas for future exploration. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of sustainable agriculture's role in rural development and offer valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers seeking to promote sustainable practices and enhance rural well-being.

The meaning of animal well-being for farmers and dairy farm employees

Dairy farms in Sweden have undergone a structural change. The number of family farms has decreased, while the number of large dairy farms with employees caring for the animals has increased. This changing situation has created a new farming landscape. From that perspective, it is crucial to gain insight into what factors contribute to the well-being of humans and animals on big dairy farms. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted on three farms. Farmers and employees were interviewed. The material was analysed using a qualitative approach inspired by qualitative content analysis. For the farmers and employees, animal well-being was central for various reasons and from different perspectives. Despite the differences, the impact of animal well-being was interlinked between the two groups. An increased and deeper understanding of the different perspectives and needs arising from the different roles of farmers and employees can provide new knowledge about factors important for improvinganimal well-being.

Integrating vegetables in push-pull technology systems: gendered preferences of smallholder farmers in western Kenya

Transformative rural smallholder agriculture addressing biophysical constraints requires farmer-led innovations for increased technology adoption. Following the need to further intensify the cereal push-pull technology (PPT) for pest and weed control through integration with vegetables, we conducted surveys to determine suitable vegetables across three different counties in Kenya namely Homabay, Siaya, and Trans-Nzoia. Farming in these areas is predominantly maize based and introducing vegetables to the system will improve household food and nutritional security, together with income. A systematic random sampling method was used to sample a total of 124 smallholder farmers who were interviewed during field days where farmer awareness of technology was mobilised. Descriptive results showed kale (47%) and black nightshade (30%) were the most preferred high-value vegetables for integration into push-pull plots in these regions. This was followed by cowpea (15%), onion (6%) and tomato (2%) underlying the wide range of farmer preferences and priorities. There were also gender differences in vegetable preferences with men preferring capital intensive and high value vegetables, while women preferred traditional vegetables. Results from multinomial logit model revealed that age of the farmer, education level, gender, and farming experience were determinants of smallholder farmers’ vegetable preferences for integration into the PPT plots. The contribution of these determinants to farmer preferences varied across different vegetables where the contribution of the market value of the vegetable in selection diminished with while the effect of farmers’ age. Overall, male farmers preferred capital-intensive and market-oriented vegetables in compared to their female counterparts. We conclude that gender and geographic location play a pivotal role in farmers` crop selection for integration in the PPT. Targeted awareness creation pathways accounting for these factors will be critical for wider adoption of the PPT. Key words: Food security, Multinomial Logistic Regression Model, Participatory rural appraisal, Sustainable agricultural intensification, Technology adoption

Econometric modeling of tobacco exports in the milieu of changing global and national policy regimes: repercussions on the Indian tobacco sector

IntroductionTobacco, an important commercial crop, plays a crucial role in farmers' incomes and livelihoods to a sizable population and contributes significant exchange earnings to the Indian economy. Currently, India is the second-largest tobacco producer after China, with a production of 758 million kg (13% of global production) and exports of ~190 million kg of tobacco (9% of global tobacco export volume). However, there are uncertainties surrounding the tobacco sector, such as growing public health and environmental issues associated with tobacco production and consumption and changing national and international tobacco-related policy regimes. In this context, the current study investigates the determinants of tobacco exports and geographical shifts in export destinations over the years.MethodsThe statistical models employed are co-integration, and vector error-correlation models to test the short-run and long-run dynamics relationship between tobacco exports and the explanatory variables, and the Markov chain approach to find out geographical shifts in export destinations.Results and discussionThe econometric model estimated the relationship between the tobacco export volume with domestic production, export price, and global demand for Indian tobacco, and investigated the geographical shift in export destinations of tobacco in the context of changing global and national policy regimes on the sector. The econometric modeling framework confirms that there exists a statistically significant relationship between Indian tobacco export demand, domestic production, export price, and world demand for Indian tobacco. The geographical shift was evident in major export destinations during the post-WHO-FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) regime. The model findings direct that India should take advantage of the export price, and global demand for tobacco as India ratified WHO-FCTC; there is no scope for horizontal expansion of the area under tobacco. This modeling framework aids as a tool to direct and explore the possible options with a greater emphasis on export-centric farming system in tobacco production by augmenting crop compliance and quality to meet the standards of international markets.

The Role of Farmers in Developing the Existence of Madrasah Diniyah Takmiliyah Wustho Al-Munawaroh

Community participation, both material and moral, is very important in efforts to develop the Diniyah takmiliyah Wustho madrasah. This research aims to analyze the role of the farming community in the development of Madrasah Diniyah Takmiliyah wustho in Timbuan Hamlet, Tambakmenjangan Village, Sarirejo District, Lamongan Regency. The subjects of this research are people who work as farmers in the hamlet who are in the development and existence of activities at Madrasah Diniyah Takmiliyah Wustho. This research method is a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques use participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The research results show that the farming community has an important role in the development of Madrasah Diniyah Takmiliyah Wustho. This is proven by the high enthusiasm of the Timbuan Hamlet farming community to contribute to the development and existence of activities at the madrasah. This enthusiasm is based on several factors, namely the opinion that the Diniyah takmiliyah wustho madrasah is an educational institution with complete knowledge because it teaches general knowledge and religious knowledge, the integration of learning Islamic religious knowledge into life, the view that rural communities still prioritize morals over knowledge, and the approach madrasas through regular monthly meetings. very affecting. From this it can be concluded that community relations in the world of education is a unique management function and supports the development and maintenance of community members, both communication and between organizations

Emprego fora da fazenda e pobreza multidimensional: evidências empíricas da bacia do rio Amarelo na China

ABSTRACT: As an essential way to enhance farmers’ self-development ability, off-farm employment plays an indispensable role in farmers’ multidimensional poverty reduction in many countries. Employing a survey of 1926 farmers in five provinces of the Yellow River Basin in China, this paper examined the multi-dimensional poverty reduction effect of off-farm employment and the heterogeneous influence of different dimensions of off-farm employment (modes, levels, distances and frequency). The results showed that (1) although absolute poverty in the income dimension was largely eliminated in the Yellow River Basin, the poverty in social resources, transportation facilities, employment security were the key bottlenecks restricting farmers’ self-development. (2) The province with the best multidimensional poverty reduction effect for non-farm employment was Shaanxi, with the largest contribution to employment security. (3) Improving off-farm employment level, distance and time can significantly alleviate the multi-dimensional poverty of farmers. Therefore, to lessen the multi-dimensional poverty of farmers in the Yellow River Basin, it is necessary to focus on the governance of multi-dimensional key poverty-stricken areas, such as the middle and upper courses of the Yellow River, adopting multidimensional poverty alleviation strategy of off-farm employment according to local conditions, working on the farmers’ deficiencies in social resources, mobility, employment security, and deepening the effect of off-farm employment on benefiting farmers and helping the poor.