Level Of Self-sufficiency Research Articles

Techno-economic analysis of a PV system with a battery energy storage system for small households: A case study in Rwanda

Due to the inadequacy of distribution networks in developing countries, especially in small residential areas, there are frequent interruptions in the electrical energy provided by the grid. This problem negatively affects the life quality and productivity of the people living in these regions. This problem can be overcome by integrating BESS-supported renewable energy sources into the distribution system. These distributed energy resources contribute significantly to providing energy directly to consumers. On a small scale, such a system is supported by the grid, when possible, to ensure energy supply continuity. This study presents a techno-economic analysis, using PV*SOL simulation software, of a grid-connected solar PV system with BESS that is used to supply a small residential community in Rwanda, Muhanga district, Shyogwe sector. The consumers were a group of one hundred households around a wetland valley. The energy generated from the solar PV system was used to supply home appliances and a water pumping system for agricultural activities. The simulation results showed that the annual energy requirement is 82.34 MWh with a peak load of 30.4 kW. The simulation results also revealed that a PV system, with an installed capacity of 57.33 kWp integrated with a BESS of 89.2 kWh storage capacity, can supply the load with own power consumption of 68.65%, a level of self-sufficiency of 64.38%, and a performance ratio of 86.05% when the desired ratio is set to 110% with a year as the reference period. The financial analysis demonstrated a return on assets of 9.14% and an amortization period of 9.65 years. These results indicate that the proposed method is technically and economically feasible for use in addressing the issue of electrical power outages in developing countries.

ФАКТОРНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ РАЗВИТИЯ МОЛОЧНОГО СКОТОВОДСТВА РЕГИОНОВ РОССИИ

The main task of dairy cattle breeding as one of the most important branches of the agro-food complex is to provide the population with milk and dairy products, and business with the necessary raw materials for the production process. Today, only 20% of Russian regions fully provide themselves with milk and dairy products, the level of self-sufficiency is 67.6%. It is possible to increase milk production by increasing the number of highly productive livestock and increasing milk yield from one cow, taking into account the proposed groups of factors. The main breeds of domestic cows have a high genetic potential and the possibility of further increasing their productivity. To assess the degree and nature of the relationship between the indicators of dairy productivity of cows and the factors that cause them, a correlation and regression analysis was carried out by solving the problem of multiple correlation. Factor analysis was carried out taking into account the impact of natural and climatic conditions on the results of agricultural production, since it is their influence that determines its results. Any kind of productivity is determined by the complex interaction of heredity and environmental conditions. It is known that temperature, humidity and saturation of the environment with gases have an adverse effect on the dairy productivity of cows. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the structure, quality and cost of the feed ration depend primarily on local climatic conditions. With proper feeding, maintenance and use, cows can show high productivity up to 8-10 lactation. For this purpose, the studied set of agricultural enterprises was divided into three natural and economic zones. In each natural and climatic zone, the influence of the same factors on milk yield is ambiguous, which is important when predicting the activities of an agricultural organization. The parameters of the developed regression equations can be used to predict the performance of agricultural organizations in various regions of the Russian Federation.

Gasification of Spruce Wood Chips in a 1.5 MWth Fluidised Bed Reactor

Production of syngas from the gasification of a biomass is attracting attention with an eye to the concepts of circularity, sustainability, and recent needs, triggered by socio-political events, to increase the level of self-sufficiency of energy sources for a given community. This manuscript reports on the gasification of spruce wood chips in a demonstration fluidised bed gasifier (1.5 MWth, height of 5.40 m, internal diameter of 1.2 m), with 0.2–0.4 mm olivine inventory (1000 kg). Gasification was carried out in air, at four different values of equivalence ratio (from 27% to 36%). The bed was fluidised at about 0.6 m/s, and the bed temperature resulted in the range of about 960–1030 °C as a function of the different tests. A mass flow rate of biomass in the range of about 360–480 kg/h (as a function of the different tests) was fed to the fluidised bed gasifier. Syngas lower heating value, specific mass and energetic yield, and chemical composition, were reported along with data on the production of elutriated fines. Moreover, tar compounds were collected, quantified and chemically speciated. The effect of the equivalence ratio on the main process parameter was critically discussed, proposing useful analytical relationships for the prediction of syngas lower heating value, tar mass flow rate and chemical composition.

Regional food systems: assessment of the level of self-sufficiency in food

The article reviews characteristics of food system as part of the model of regional agricultural production. The authors consider groups of indicators used to analyze regional food systems: indicators that specify food self-sufficiency of regional markets and the level of interregional food exchange. In the study, based on official statistical data, the level of self-sufficiency in food was assessed on the example of the regions of the Southern Federal District (SFD). As a result of the analysis, the authors found out that in 2019 only a number of regions of the Southern Federal District, in particular, the Republic of Adygea, the Krasnodar Territory, and the Volgograd Region provided a high level of self-sufficiency in food products. Empirical significance of assessing the indicators of regional food systems functioning and food security monitoring is defined by the relevancy to forecast the need for food for the population in the regions of Russia.

Econometric modelling for estimating of paddy yield and rice production in Melaka, Malaysia

Melaka’s rice industry exhibited a slightly poor performance between 1988 and 2019. The paddy parcel area has decreased from 10,418 ha to 1,837 ha in 32 years. Between 1988 and 2015, the crop intensity factor (CIF) was below 50%. Thus, this research will examine the trend of paddy yield and rice productivity in Melaka from 1988 to 2019 and estimated yield and rice output for 2020 to 2030. This study applies production theory. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with OLS estimation. The findings showed that Melaka paddy production reduced during 1998-1999, 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 due to Asian crisis and global financial crisis. The forecasting study used a 95% confidence range for the average growing rate. Even though paddy output increased by 24.6 percent, the amount forecasted for high paddy yield and rice production in 2030 is unachievable due to high agricultural land needed. Nevertheless, the nuclear paddy is expected to produce more paddy and rice in 2030 than present varieties. Thus, the government should support the development of nuclear paddy varieties, as well as expand paddy parcel area in Melaka. This will assist Malaysia achieve its food security goal of 75% rice self-sufficiency level in the Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025.

External Coercion of a Russian Science to Isolation: Threat and Possible Response

The article examines the attempt made by a coalition of Western countries in 2022 to isolate Russian science from global science, as well as Russia’s possible responses to this forced isolation. Under these conditions, domestic science and the state must break through the ring of isolation, defend their positions in an international science and by all means seek access to world’s scientific and technological achievements. And it is clear that Russia needs not a set of fragmentary measures, but a systemic response to new threats, which implies a significant revision of the state science and technology policy. The scientific and technological complex of Russia needs to be mobilized as soon as possible to solve the real problems of the country’s modernization. Only one’s own ability to conduct research and development provides a high level of technological self-sufficiency. Therefore, the protection and preservation of scientific potential, its maximum use for the technological modernization of the economy and other important areas of life (such as defense or healthcare) are now a strategic priority for Russia.

Food supply of the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan: current trends and potential opportunities

The study was conducted within the framework of program-targeted funding by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Development of the concept and mechanisms for balanced territorial economic and social development of Kazakhstan." The topic of this article is updated by the strategic importance of the country's food security, due to the level of food industry development, as well as the validity of food exports. The goal is to analyze the balance of the needs of the republic with volume of production of socially significant products of food industry and its grouping by self-sufficiency categories. Methods – abstract-logical, monographic, graphic, comparative analysis, grouping. Results – the study is aimed at analyzing the dynamics of the level of self-sufficiency of social products in terms of the needs of domestic market, production, imports and exports. The factors influencing on the growth and decline in the supply of domestic food have been identified. To identify the degree of strength of meeting the demand for groups of goods, they were grouped into categories adopted in accordance with the methodological recommendations on the system of indicators for assessing the degree of physical and economic accessibility to sufficient safe food in the CIS countries in quantitative terms. The presented results of grouping make it possible to determine changes in the structure of provision of domestic market with socially significant food products. Conclusions – the authors identified special commodity groups according to the degree of satisfaction of the internal needs of the population; a number of organizational and economic solutions that are of interest to public and departmental authorities are proposed, as well as management of processing enterprises. The results of the developments can be used in formation of policy documents on development of food industry in Kazakhstan.

Application of multispectral UAV for paddy growth monitoring in Jitra, Kedah, Malaysia

Rice is the staple food for most people in Southeast Asia, mainly Malaysia. Unfortunately, Malaysia does not reach a 100% self-sufficiency level on rice production due to inefficiency of rice farm management, pest and disease outbreak, poorly irrigation system, and climate change. Each spectral band of electromagnetic signature in the rice crops can be identified to analyse the crop condition based on the reflectance value. Therefore, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can capture different spectral band images of the rice field depending on the sensors used. This study aims to produce a paddy growth map based on the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) value and validate the paddy growth map using the soil plant analysis development (SPAD) data. This study was carried out at the paddy field planted with PadiU Putra rice variety in Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), Jitra in Kedah. Three reading samples for each point at the paddy field within 1 m radius were recorded. Then, the samples from each point were scanned using SPAD chlorophyll meter. The image data were collected using multispectral and RGB cameras at the altitude of 60 m, and a calibrated reflectance panel was used to calibrate the image. Ground control point (GCP) was placed at the four corners of the study plot, and it was being used as a georeferencing point for aerial imagery mapping. Those images were undergone orthomosaic process to produce a single overlapped image. NDVI was used to measure the healthy level of rice crops. NDVI map had shown the distribution of NDVI value across the study plot, which includes the healthy and less healthy vegetative area. SPAD value has no significant relationship with the aerial imagery of NDVI value. The NDVI map allows the farmers to monitor the paddy growth status and effectively improve their rice farm management. In the future, advanced classification methods based on the reflectance of weed, water, and soil can be prioritized and separated into different classes, whereby the NDVI map can be plotted on the paddy crops.

Data-driven projections suggest large opportunities to improve Europe's soybean self-sufficiency under climate change.

The rapid expansion of soybean-growing areas across Europe raises questions about the suitability of agroclimatic conditions for soybean production. Here, using data-driven relationships between climate and soybean yield derived from machine-learning, we made yield projections under current and future climate with moderate (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5) to intense (RCP 8.5) warming, up to the 2050s and 2090s time horizons. The selected model showed high R2 (>0.9) and low root-mean-squared error (0.35 t ha-1) between observed and predicted yields based on cross-validation. Our results suggest that a self-sufficiency level of 50% (100%) would be achievable in Europe under historical and future climate if 4-5% (9-11%) of the current European cropland were dedicated to soybean production. The findings could help farmers, extension services, policymakers and agribusiness to reorganize the production area distribution. The environmental benefits and side effects, and the impacts of soybean expansion on land-use change, would need further research.

Environmental and food security as components of ensuring the economic security of Ukraine in a strategic format

The article reveals the evolution of environmental and food security in Ukraine’s national security strategies during the years of independence. It is determined that at the state level a number of issues related to the creation of the most effective system of environmental and food security of the state within the existing at different stages of statehood National Security Strategies of Ukraine, both at the legislative level and in the functioning of relevant competent government agencies.
 The content of ensuring the ecological and food security of the state in four national security strategies of Ukraine is revealed. It is determined that the issue of environmental and food security of the state needs a clear definition of the state in strategic priorities and goals that should meet current trends in the national economy and world realities in this area.
 Threats to national security in the field of environmental and food security have been studied.
 It was emphasized that in accordance with the Final Provisions of the National Security Strategy of Ukraine 2020 on the development of planning documents in the field of national security and defense, which will determine ways and tools for its implementation, clearly regulates the adoption and approval of the President food security.
 The Strategy of Environmental Safety and Adaptation to Climate Change until 2030, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on October 20, 2021 in order to increase the level of environmental safety, reduce the impacts and consequences of climate change in Ukraine, is analyzed. The implementation of the Strategy is aimed at fulfilling Ukraine’s international obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of global climate change. The main environmental threats to Ukraine in this Strategy are: a significant level of air pollution, water and land resources, imperfect system of state supervision (control) and monitoring of the environment.
 The draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On approval of the Food Security Strategy for the period up to 2030”, which will be aimed at defining priorities in the field of food security as a component of national security, the importance of preventing hunger and malnutrition of the most vulnerable. It will include: the establishment of a system of national and regional food security monitoring to detect and prevent food threats; development and implementation of an action plan to provide the population with food in emergency situations; measures for the development of sustainable agricultural production; diversification of production; creation of sustainable production and marketing systems.
 It is emphasized that the most striking indicator of effective implementation of national Strategies in the field of environmental security and food security should be maintaining the proper natural state of our country’s ecology and the formation of a sufficient level of self-sufficiency in food of Ukraine. The directions of increase of efficiency of maintenance of ecological and food safety of Ukraine are defined.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN ENSURING FOOD SECURITY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR KAZAKHSTAN

The paper overviews ways of achieving food security. The mechanisms of formation of food baskets were analyzed on the example of countries such as the USA, Canada and the Russian Federation. The authors, exploring the international aspect of the problem, implement the experience in the context of Kazakhstan. The research subject is may be defined as the phenomenon of food security in its global context. According to the relevance of the studied issues, a comparative analysis of the management mechanisms responsible for the formation of the main business processes in the field of providing the population with sufficient food was carried out. The relationship between the guaranteed level of food supply and compliance with the principles of social justice has been proved. The Republic of Kazakhstan does not face the threat of famine, however, there are certain problems associated with the peculiarities of food self-sufficiency, in particular, there is dependence on imports of a number of strategically important food products. It is shown how the level of self-sufficiency in food affects the state of food security based on the international situation and the current conjuncture of food markets.

CURRENT STATE OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The purpose of the research is to analyze the current state of food security in Kazakhstan. Methodology – the study belongs to the category of desk (marketing), collection and analysis of secondary (preliminary) information, in particular, data from the statistical collection and the website of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the Ministry of National Economy were used to review and analyze the indicators of the Republic Kazakhstan. Originality / value of the research – based on the data of offi cial statistics, an analysis of the state of food security of the Republic of Kazakhstan was carried out. The role of the current state of food security in the Republic of Kazakhstan is determined and indicators such as the level of self-suffi ciency in agricultural products, production of certain types of agricultural products per capita, consumer spending on food and soft drinks on average per household, and consumer price index are analyzed. Findings – it was revealed that the defi ning feature of an eff ective policy for the formation of food security is to provide the population with food at a level that will guarantee high-quality living conditions and life and will also allow sustainable social reproduction based on expanded production. For the sustainability of this process and the all-round satisfaction of the quality of life of citizens, it is the responsibility of the state to form an effective system for the availability of each of them in high-quality and safe food. They can contribute to the expansion of the limits of study on the development of the economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as act as a recommendatory basis for their solution.

Challenges in Assessing the Level of Plant-Based Food Self-Sufficiency Using Publicly Available Data in the Regional Context of Slovenia

Abstract Methods for assessing regional food self-sufficiency are poorly developed worldwide, while knowledge of the characteristics of regional food self-sufficiency could help in designing more sustainable and resilient regional food systems. This paper addresses the challenge of defining and assessing food self-sufficiency at different geographical levels and provides a detailed presentation of the method for assessing the regional plant-based food self-sufficiency rate using publicly available data from administrative sources, taking the Slovenian development regions as an example. The results indicate the need to improve the reliability of the data used to identify the characteristics of regional food self-sufficiency and to a more effective coordination between existing agricultural databases.

ECOLOGICAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS AN ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC BASIS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

From the standpoint of environmental theory, the concept of environmental self-sufficiency of higher education institution (HEI) can be interpreted as an essential attribute of any civilized scientific (educational, social, etc.) community, which is a form of management of internal and (or) external natural and material resources with maximum environmental and economic benefits for ourselves. In the scientific literature there is a classification of well-known in world practice models of organization of such economic activities, which is based on relations between all stakeholders in this process, which includes central government and local government: for HEI, in general, and “Lviv Polytechnic”, in particular, the support is on the state level and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the city administration. The article considers the most common world practices and approaches in the organization of environmental self-sufficiency of organizations, in particular, higher education institutions, notes their characteristics, as well as strengths and weaknesses. Statistical data are presented and the sources of ecological self-sufficiency of HEI in Ukraine and abroad are compared, and the peculiarities of the current models of ecological self-sufficiency of the HEI economic zone of Lviv are compared and analysed. In addition, the article presents an analysis of current innovations in the context of the effectiveness of the resource approach to the system of environmental self-sufficiency of the HEI economic zone. Also the main obstacles to the implementation of the principle of environmental self-sufficiency of the HEI economic zone and difficulties in the formation of internal budgets are outlined of it. The issues of planning, implementation, control, optimization and improvement of environmental self-sufficiency of organizations in general, and HEI economic zones in particular, through self-financing as the basis of self-government in terms of environmental self-sufficiency are also considered. The variant of constant sources of realization of basic and (or) primary level of ecological self-sufficiency of the budget of ZVO is offered, the description of advantages and lacks of the presented variant of HEI ecological self-sufficiency is given, and also requirements for maintenance of functioning of such mechanism on the example of “Lviv Polytechnic” and formulated relevant conclusions from this study.

​Enhancing Mustard Production Through Frontline Demonstration

Background: Mustard is one of the major rabi oilseed crops in Rajasthan. It is cultivated in all the districts of the state. At present, this widening gap between the demand and supply of edible oils is being bridged by the import of oil. The level of self-sufficiency in edible oil is currently up to 50 per cent, due to the adoption of advanced varieties and management techniques developed by scientists by the farmers, the production is increasing continuously. The major constraints responsible for lower yield are adoption of inappropriate production technologies by farmers. The yield of sesame can be increased substantially with adoption of improved practices such as improved variety, integrated nutrient management, seed treatment, sowing method and plant protection measure. Methods: This study was conducted in Nagaur district of Rajasthan to analyse the yield and economics of mustard under frontline demonstrations. Each demonstration was set up on a 0.4 ha field. Before holding the demonstration, all the participating farmers were trained covering all the aspects of oil production and post-harvest management. The front-line demonstrations were conducted under the Supervision of Scientists, Agricultural Research Station, Mandor. The frontline demonstration includes improved technology, newly released varieties, recommended packages and practices, plant population maintenance and plant protection measures etc. This investigation is an attempt to study the enhancing mustard production through frontline demonstration. Result: The results of study revealed that mustard yield under demonstrations was substantially higher over local check. The average yield obtained from the 25 frontline demonstrations was 16.23 per cent higher than the average yield obtained from local check. FLD participating farmers fetched better price of their produce as compared to the control group (local checks) during the study period. The average net returns obtained from demonstrations was Rs. 87379/hectare higher than the average net returns obtained from local check.

Estimation of the food supply level for the population: regional and climatic aspects

The paper considers the strategic importance of the food problem not only on a national scale but also at the level of separate territories of Russia. The territories have different natural and climatic conditions. An estimation of the food supply parameters for such regions as the Far Eastern and Southern Federal Districts, characterized by a contrasting climate, has been carried out. The paper considers the dynamics of consumption and production of basic food products in these regions in comparison with the all-Russian indicators. The authors carry out the analysis of indicators for rational norms of basic food products consumption in relation to the rational norms recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The paper presents the estimation of the food self-sufficiency level in the considered federal districts. The main directions of solving the food problem in the regions are determined.

Homogenising the Design Criteria of a Community Battery Energy Storage for Better Grid Integration

Historically, minimum system demand has usually occurred overnight. However, in recent years, the increased penetration of rooftop photovoltaic systems (RPVs) has caused an even lower demand at midday, forcing some of the conventional generators to shut down only hours before the evening peak demand period. This further complicates the job of power system operators, who need to run the conventional generator at the minimum stable level at the midday low-demand period so that they can reliably supply power during the peak periods. Employing a community battery storage system can alleviate some of the technical issues caused by the high penetration of RPVs. This paper proposed a design criterion for community battery energy storage systems and employed the battery for the improvement of the duck curve profile and providing the desired level of peak-shaving. Furthermore, remote communities with high penetration of RPVs with a community battery energy storage can achieve the desired level of self-sufficiency. To this end, this study recommends and confirms an applicable design criterion for community battery energy storage. The study shows that the suitable size of community battery storage should be based on the community’s daily excess generation and consumption requirements. The results of various scenarios performed on the proposed design criterion show the extent to which the desired objectives of peak-shaving, duck curve mitigation, and self-sufficiency can be achieved.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ РЫНКА МОЛОКА И МОЛОКОПРОДУКТОВ В СОВРЕМЕННЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ

The article deals with the consumption of milk and dairy products in the Russian Federation; the need for the use of tools and methods of state regulation of the milk market was emphasized in order to ensure food stability in the context of import substitution. The analysis of the balance of resources and use of milk and dairy products showed an increase in the production of imports and stocks. During the study of the current state of the milk market and its consumption, it was found that the production and consumption of milk per capita tends to increase. The level of self-sufficiency in milk both in the Russian Federation and in the context of the regions of the Central Chernozem region is also growing. An increase in consumer prices for milk and dairy products was noted. It was revealed that the development of livestock industries, especially dairy, is influenced by a number of factors associated with limited opportunities to enter export markets due to the presence of strict requirements for veterinary documentation. A disproportion has been found between the growth in the cost of production and processing of agricultural products and retail prices, which will contribute to a slowdown in the growth of the raw materials and processing sector. The effectiveness of the implementation of the State Program in 2020 is quite high, since the agro-industrial complex in general and dairy cattle breeding in particular have demonstrated resistance to the influence of external factors, the possibility of ensuring the country's food security. In dairy cattle breeding, the negative trend in overall milk production has been overcome, which is the result of targeted state support for this sub-sector within the framework of the State Program. In conclusion, effective mechanisms for increasing the volume of milk production and the formation of an investment-attractive sub-sector are proposed.

Свойства показателя самообеспеченности продовольствием и факторы, его определяющие

The article considers the features and properties of the food self-sufficiency indicator. It is analyzed how possible combinations between the growth of exports and imports, as well as the capacity of the domestic market of domestic products affect the indicator of food self-sufficiency and food security. The theoretical justification and formalized representation of the factors that have a significant impact on this indicator (forming this indicator) is given. The direction of their impact on level of food self-sufficiency and food security has been revealed.

Оценка адаптации населения региона к нормам потребления продуктов п

Introduction: the problem of rational nutrition is closely related to the quality of population’s life and the social and economic development of regions. At the same time, many regions of Russia are characterized by a discrepancy between food consumption diet and the requirements approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. In this regard, it is necessary to find tools for assessing the region’s population adaptation to food consumption norms. Objectives: to develop tools for assessing the region’s population adaptation to food consumption norms. For this objective, the following criteria were used: consumption level and degree of population needs satisfaction; region’s food self-sufficiency; economic accessibility of basic food products. Methods: tabular and index methods, data grouping, the method of time series and comparative estimates. Results: the basic data characterizing the actual food consumption were compared to the approved rational and minimal consumption standards for food sets. Food production volumes and food self-sufficiency level in the Ural Federal District regions in 1990 and 2005–2019 were analyzed; comparative assessment of the region’s population adaptation to rational food consumption norms was carried out. This assessment based on the following indicators: the level of basic food production; the level of basic foodstuffs consumption and the degree of satisfaction of the human physiological needs; the level of food self-sufficiency in the region. Conclusions: the proposed approach makes it possible to assess not only the effectiveness of the implemented strategies for agricultural production development, but also the quality of decisions made by management structures.