Small-scale Agricultural Activities Research Articles

Palynological study of archaeometallurgical artefacts from the Late Bronze Age copper smelting sites (Georgia): First results

This article focuses on the palynological (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs) study of material found with artefacts from Late Bronze Age archaeometallurgical sites in the Lechkhumi area of the mountainous south-west Caucasus region of ancient Colchis. The analysis of organic residues recovered from voids in slag and crucible fragments have revealed an abundance of pollen and spores of diverse plant taxa. Many non-palynological palynomorphs were also found. In total, more than 50 palynomorphs were identified. It was observed that the chemical composition of the copper smelting slag fragments has contributed to the good preservation of the pollen grains, though detailed chemical analyses and experiments are needed. The spectrum from slag includes taxa that are more poorly preserved in sediments, including soil. This preservation undoubtedly makes palynological research of slag residues promising in the future. The range of fossilized plants and spores recovered proves that during the Late Bronze Age in Lechkhumi, forests dominated by chestnut (Castanea sativa) occupied a much larger area than today. Other thermophilic trees, such as zelkva (Zelkova carpinifolia), oak (Quercus), lime (Tilia), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) were also present. Thermophilic ferns thrived in the undergrowth as well. In the 13th–9th centuries BC, the existence of warmer climatic conditions in Lechkhumi compared to that we have now is additionally confirmed by the presence of freshwater thermophilic algae Pseudoschizaea, Spirogyra and other Zygnemataceae found in the spectra. Spores of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) and fungus Ustulina most probably reflect felling and human exploitation of the woodland in the close neighbourhood of the site. Comparison of palynological and wood charcoal analyses has demonstrated that the metallurgists of that time used the nearby woods as a source of fuel. Thanks to favourable climatic conditions, beside copper smelting some small-scale agricultural activities were performed which was visible in the composition of herbaceous plant taxa.

Scholarly Interest in Forest Fires in Indonesia: A Bibliographical Review

Forest fires in Indonesia have attracted much attention among researchers over the past few decades. This paper aims to systematically map the existing corpus of scientific knowledge on forest fires in Indonesia. The systematic maps visualize which areas of significant activity and indicate specific interests and motives. The systematic analysis is also helpful in improving the understanding of current issues, problems, and challenges. From the scientific database of Scopus, we found 209 peer-reviewed journal articles directly related to forest fires in Indonesia published between 1989 and 2021 (July). In general, the number of publications rose after major fire events, notably in 1997/1998. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related big fires seem to be the primary driver of more scientific inquiries. The present review shows that although fires occurred throughout the year, they mainly occurred in the dry season, indicating the crucial role of weather even though it is not the direct cause of fire ignition. Our research shows that all types of forest functions in Indonesia have experienced fires, but approximately half of the studied fires occurred in conservation areas. More specifically, previous studies have been more dedicated to secondary forests. The studies generally pointed out that secondary forests are more prone to fires. More than a half of the existing scientific work was looking at human-induced fires, although natural hazards drove that came close. Regarding human-induced drivers, most research was dedicated to the links between fires and the use of fires in land preparation for both small-scale agricultural activities and commercial plantations. The impacts of forest fires have been the most studied topic among scholars on fires in Indonesia. More specifically, the existing research was focused on the ecological/ environmental effects dominated by studies on the impacts of air quality and biodiversity. Interestingly, the existing research rarely addressed other issues, such as local livelihoods and how they adapt to environmental changes.

Socio-Environmental Conflicts in the Limits of Natural Parks in Africa: Characterization and Strategies for the Resolution of Conflicts Between Communities and Wild Animals in Kibale National Park - KNP- Uganda

Kibale National Park - KNP is a park located in the western part of Uganda, where there is a great interest from foreign tourists to visit the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) populations that live there. The park is located within a landscape grid, where there are both human settlements of rural populations, where there are small-scale agricultural activities, such as subsistence farming, and large-scale activities such as tea plantations. The KNP’s 2008-2017 matrix of records of negative community-wildlife interactions was used for this work. For the study period, it was found that for the five (5) districts that are in the Kibale park environment, 60% of the incidents were recorded in Kabarole district. As for those of conflicts, approximately 15 wild animals were the ones with whom incidents arose during the study period, 93% of the cases of incidents were found to be with elephants.

Sustainability indicators in the context of family farming: A systematic and bibliometric approach

Actions that promote the sustainability of small-scale agricultural activities are fundamental to maintaining the supply and diversification of products, generating income, and minimizing their environmental impact. This study aimed to identify the main economic, environmental, and social indicators used in studies focused on food production by family farming. A systematic literature review was performed in the Scopus database, where 22 original articles were identified. The largest number of publications was observed in Italy and the United States of America, followed by Brazil, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The main aspect observed in the publications was the interrelationship of the three spheres of sustainability, highlighting the importance of integrated monitoring. Some indicators identified were: in the economic sphere, financial planning, productivity, and profitability; in the environmental sphere, soil use and quality, water, erosion, temperature, and energy; and in the social sphere, food security, job and income generation, and government subsidies. A holistic approach to the use of monitoring indicators as a tool for sustainability is fundamental, but there are few studies that evaluate these three spheres; mainly in the field of agribusiness, due to its greater diversity of activities and aspects to be monitored.

CONSIDERAÇÕES ACERCA DO PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORTALECIMENTO DA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR (PRONAF) NO PROJETO DE ASSENTAMENTO SANTA ROSA EM ITAQUIRAÍ – MS

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar os efeitos do Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar (Pronaf) na produção agrícola, na geração de emprego e renda no assentamento Santa Rosa, localizado no Município de Itaquiraí/MS. Após uma fundamentação teórica sobre o Pronaf e agricultura camponesa sob a ótica da sustentabilidade, apresenta-se os resultados da pesquisa, a qual fora construída a partir de uma abordagem quali/quantitativa baseada em um estudo de caso, com entrevistas e questionários semiestruturados realizadas com os beneficiários do Programa. A partir desta foi possível concluir que o Pronaf contribuiu para o desenvolvimento territorial com sustentabilidade ao elevar a renda, fortalecer a capacidade produtiva da agricultura camponesa e estimular a manutenção local da atividade agrícola de pequena escala, ainda que conte com diversas limitações em relação à sua operação e manutenção.

Towards Cultivating Black Pepper Using Geospatial Technology for Growth Monitoring and Mapping: A Review for Small Scale Practice in Malaysia

Amendment in black pepper cultivation is crucial to level up the productivity of this crop. Implementation of geospatial technology on black pepper cultivation which also classified as small scale agricultural activity is seen to enhance their production. In this paper, we use a comprehensive study on journal papers, conference proceedings, formal web sites and books as fundamental sources of information. Firstly, the study review on black pepper current situation in Malaysia and related producer countries. Secondly, it focused on geospatial technology especially on remote sensing and crop growth monitoring that have been implemented and well established. Lastly, limitation to implement this technology on black pepper cultivation in Malaysia situation was discussed. Therefore, it is predicted that geospatial technology will enhance black pepper productivity and implementation of this technology on small scale cultivation requires consolidation from various agencies since it requires high investment and foundation.

Quantitative landscape reconstruction and erosion history during the past 1,100\xa0years in the Skogaryd Research Catchment, southern Sweden

A sediment sequence from a small forest lake in southwestern Sweden was investigated to explore the effects of forestry and land-use on catchment erosion and delivery of organic and minerogenic matter to the lake. Catchment-scale vegetation changes during the last 1,100 years were reconstructed quantitatively at 50-year resolution using pollen analysis and the Landscape reconstruction algorithm (LRA). Variations in terrestrial organic matter input to lake sediments were assessed by total organic carbon (TOC) content and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios. Changes in minerogenic matter were analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning. The results show that Skogaryd was not intensively used for agriculture throughout the past 1,100 years, but its land-use changes were very sensitive to societal changes. Between ca. ad 950 and 1350, local land-use was characterized by small-scale agricultural activities associated with the Medieval expansion, and enhanced soil erosion was recorded by increased K, Ti and Rb deposition. Around ad 1350 much of the farmland was abandoned, most likely in response to outbreaks of plague. The abandonment of farmland caused increased coniferous woodland cover and lower soil erosion. From the 16th century land-use expanded and gradually intensified, concurrent with a population increase documented in the study area between ca. ad 1600 and 1850. Intensive exploitation of the forest led to soil erosion and increased terrestrial organic and minerogenic matter export to the lake. These processes peaked with the artificial drainage of a nearby wetland for agricultural purposes. During the 20th century, modern forestry management started with the plantation of conifers, and soil erosion declined.

User-producer interactions: Policy implications for developing appropriate innovations for small-scale agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa

The dearth of technological progress in small-scale agricultural activities in sub-Saharan Africa has been majorly attributed to inappropriate innovations. This study employs the user-producer approach to recommend mechanisms to ensure the development of appropriate innovations for the sector. An analytical framework consisting of five types of policy actions which could foster the development appropriate innovations was developed from the approach to execute a qualitative analysis on a series of successful and failed attempts to mechanize small-scale oil palm fruit processing in Nigeria. The study revealed that initial technologies introduced failed because they were made to process other raw materials, were beyond the financial capability of processors and culturally incompatible. More successful innovations were found to be those developed in conjunction with processors. Recommended mechanisms include mandating and supporting research institutions to determine the needs of smallholders before R&D activities commence; funding the adoption and debugging of adopted technologies to further align technologies with smallholder needs; encouraging linkages among research institutions to enhance capabilities for problem solving; and increasing the number and types of research institutions in the sector to reduce the imposition of innovations.

Anthropogenic and climatic impacts on a coastal environment in the Baltic Sea over the last 1000 years

Coastal environments have experienced large ecological changes as a result of human activities over the last 100–200 years. To understand the severity and potential consequences of such changes, paleoenvironmental records provide important contextual information. The Baltic Sea coastal zone is naturally a vulnerable system and subject to significant human-induced impacts. To put the recent environmental degradation in the Baltic coastal zone into a long-term perspective, and to assess the natural and anthropogenic drivers of environmental change, we present sedimentary records covering the last 1000 years obtained from a coastal inlet (Gasfjarden) and a nearby lake (Lake Storsjon) in Sweden. We investigate the links between a pollen-based land cover reconstruction from Lake Storsjon and paleoenvironmental variables from Gasfjarden itself, including diatom assemblages, organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents, stable C and N isotopic ratios, and biogenic silica contents. The Lake Storsjon record shows that regional land use was characterized by small-scale agricultural activity between 900 and 1400 CE, which slightly intensified between 1400 and 1800 CE. Substantial expansion of cropland was observed between 1800 and 1950 CE, before afforestation between 1950 and 2010 CE. From the Gasfjarden record, prior to 1800 CE, relatively minor changes in the diatom and geochemical proxies were found. The onset of cultural eutrophication in Gasfjarden can be traced to the 1800s and intensified land use is identified as the main driver. Anthropogenic activities in the 20th century have caused unprecedented ecosystem changes in the coastal inlet, as reflected in the diatom composition and geochemical proxies.

Bridging gaps in innovation systems for small-scale agricultural activities in sub-Saharan Africa: brokers wanted!

ABSTRACTThe limited development and diffusion of appropriate innovations in the context of small-scale agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to the lack of cohesiveness among actors within agricultural innovation systems. Linkages can however be facilitated among actors by brokerage. Although the practice of brokerage is still at an infant stage, available literature recommends with reservations brokers whose core function is brokerage for the sector. In order to identify actors policy-makers can nominate as brokers to fast-track brokerage activities in the sector, this conceptual study; (a) delineates actors in the innovation system into three groups – smallholders, innovating units and funding/policy support institutions; (b) theorizes that effective brokers – are constructively socially evaluated and high in self-monitoring, have high absorptive capacities, possess global connections and excel in their core functions and (c) applies these characteristics on the delineated groups. The study outlines brokerage content to be information, knowledge and funding and recommends brokers who are embedded in the innovation system by their core functions for the sector.

Collective action in small-scale mushroom production in Swaziland: does organisational form matter?

While substantial literature is available on the determinants of small-scale farmers’ participation in collective action, and the welfare impacts of producing and/or marketing collectively, studies on the likely implications of organisational form on producers’ collective behaviour remain scant. This article attempts to address this knowledge gap by using an example of different forms of small-scale mushroom-producing groups in Swaziland. Given the importance of collective action in sub-Saharan Africa, the overall results of this article provide valuable insights into alternative means of coordinating commercial small-scale agricultural activities, which can improve producers’ ultimate benefits while reducing the likelihood of internal free-riding.

English

Smallholder rural farm households face an increasing need of looking for alternative income sources to supplement their small scale agricultural activities. However, livelihood diversification is determined by complex and yet empirically untested factors in Debre Elias Woreda. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the determinants of livelihood diversification strategies in the study area. The data were collected through both primary and secondary data collection methods. The data were obtained from 160 sample household heads that were selected through a combination of two-stage, purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The descriptive statistics were used to identify the livelihood strategies and the livelihood assets. The finding of the survey result indicates that much of the rural households (61%) in the study area practice diversified livelihood strategies that combined on-farm activities with non/off-farm activities. Multinomial logit model applied to investigate the determinant factors influencing the households’ choice of livelihood strategies. In this regard, the econometric analysis demonstrated that out of the total sixteen variables included in the model only seven variables including land size, livestock holding size, sex of household head, mass media, market distance, total annual household income, and urban linkage are found to be the significant determinants up to 10% probability levels. The results of this study suggest that both agricultural intensification and non/off-farm diversification should be strengthened to attain smallholder households’ livelihood security. Key words: Livelihood, off-farm, non-farm, diversification and smallholder.

Post-Secondary Schooling Quality and Manufacturing Capacity in Africa

Quality investment in post-secondary schooling could facilitate structural transformation of African economies presently dominated by small-scale agricultural activities. To probe the causal relationship between human capital quality and manufacturing capacity, we build a new database of schooling quality. The country-level average test score of students in the GMAT examinations between 1984 and 2006 is used as the main measure of post-secondary schooling quality. Our OLS results suggest a strong and positive relationship between schooling quality and manufacturing capacity. Our results are robust to the addition of a fairly large number of relevant variables, corrections for influential observations and check for self-selection related biases. Furthermore, we use 2SLS technique to correct for possible endogeneity, omitted variable bias and measurement error of the schooling quality indicator. Our instrument passed the tests of exogeneity, although the maximum likelihood technique is used due to weak instrument problem

Conceptualizing Microfinance For Effective Smallholder Farming In Africa

Smallholder farmers in Africa desperately need pro-poor interventions to alleviate their poverty through self-sustenance. In Africa, poverty is more prevalent in rural areas, where the overwhelming majority (about 80%) of Africas population lives and about 72% are poor. Microfinance cannot have substantial impact on poverty until it significantly penetrates the rural areas where small-scale agricultural activities by smallholder farmers need financial support. This paper thus attempts to conceptualise microfinance for smallholder farming in Africa which is done from the integrated view as opposed to a minimalist view.The integrated view was selected because it focuses on the provision of credit facilities plus related follow-up services such as training, whilst the minimalist view is concerned about giving credit only. The paper relied on literature review and digestion to conceptualise microfinance as a strategy for boosting smallholder agricultural production. Many rural farmers have no access to the traditional financial system. Therefore, basic financial services are essential for the management of their productive endeavors. This paper argues that microfinance plays a pivotal role in the commercialisation, not only of smallholder farming activities but also the successful implementation of agricultural ideas. Microfinance is one way of helping farmers to sharpen their agricultural ideas so as to promote rural economic development.With this background it has become imperative to explore the commercialisation of rural agriculture so as to empower the farmers. The financial sector in most countries does not cater for rural finance because they require physical collateral security that rural people do not have. In this article, micro-finance is seen to be a useful intervention that can be employed to economically empower the agricultural sector.

Application of Multivariate Analysis for Identification of Pollution Sources in the Densu Delta Wetland in the Vicinity of a Landfill Site in Ghana

Surface water samples collected from various sites in the Densu delta wetland, Ghana, were analyzed for pH, temperature, TDS, EC, turbidity, TSS, alkalinity, HCO3-, BOD, COD, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, SO42-, PO4-P, NO3-N, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co and Fe using titration and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Multivariate statistical analyses such as cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify heavy metal pollution in the wetland area. Results from CA and PCA suggest positive relationships between the two analyses. Linear correlation analysis done also suggests similar relationships. Heavy metals were identified as originating from a common source in all the analyses. The hydrochemistry of the area appears to have been influenced, to a large extent, by dissolution/precipitation as well as numerous but subsistence small-scale agricultural activities that take place in the wetland environment.

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT—A CASE STUDY IN LEPELFONTEIN

ABSTRACT Investigation of domestic water inadequacy on the South African West Coast in 1995 identified Lepelfontein as a settlement with an insufficient supply of fresh water, initiating a pilot study on fog harvesting aimed at improving the fresh water supply and water security. The success of the pilot study suggested its extension into a development initiative where the introduction of more fog collection screens would launch a community gardening project as a form of small-scale agricultural activity to promote socio-economic development. However, experience with rural development initiatives in South Africa and elsewhere has shown that these projects are often compromised by social issues that do not receive due attention during project planning and implementation stages. An extensive social survey indicated that a number of needs exist in the community, of which electricity was the most important, followed by water and a need for community leadership. Specific areas of concern pose challenges to the sustainability of the project and could impact adversely on the success of the development initiative. These included the lack of life-skills training relating to the fog harvesting process, the occurrence of deviant behaviour as a result of the pilot fog screen, the lack of co-operation in the community, and the need to use existing local knowledge in any development initiatives. It offers further evidence that rural sustainability is best attained by well-planned and properly implemented initiatives that address the social, physical and economic facets of the environment in an integrated and participatory approach.

The Influence of Fire Weather and Land Use on the Fire Activity of the Lake Abitibi Area, Eastern Canada

Abstract The fire history of two adjacent regions of the boreal forest, one characterized by logging (Ontario—510,000 ha) and the other by small scale agricultural activities (Quebec—140,000 ha), was studied before and after these regions were opened up to settlement in 1916. From a review of provincial forest fire records and the assessment of the age of fire-initiated forest stands, it appears that large but rare fires occurred during the presettlement period on both sides of the border. After 1916, due to slash and burn activities, the agricultural region (Que) had proportionally about twice the burned areas and ten times more fires than the forestry region (Ont). Despite differences in population density, road network, and land use, fire size class occurrence did not differ between landscapes over time. However, the occurrence of fires larger than 100 ha, considering three development phases (1916–1939; 1940–1969; 1970–1998), decreased in both regions from settlement to the present, particularly during the late phase (1970–1998) in the agricultural region. An analysis of fluctuations in the Canadian forest Fire Weather Index system (FWI), a rating of fire danger severity, showed major climatic stresses at the beginning of the century (1916–1924), followed by a decrease in the occurrence of extreme FWI values. Combined with the impact of climate, which affected the annual area burned and the number of large fires in both landscapes, the results suggest that the landscape fragmentation, the increase in the percentage of deciduous trees over time and/or effective fire detection by residents led to a decrease in the number of fires larger than 100 ha on the agricultural side for the late phase (1970–1998). FOR. SCI. 49(4):509–521.

Age Structure and Possible Origins of Old Pinus taeda Stands in a Floodplain Forest

PEDERSON, N. A. (School of Forestry, Auburn University, AL 36849), R. H. JONES (Department of Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061), AND R. R. SHARITZ (Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 19802 and Department of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602). J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 124:111-123. 1997.-Stand structure and ages were measured in six old stands of Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine) and one younger stand within Congaree Swamp National Monument, South Carolina. Dominant overstory species included loblolly pine, shade intolerant hardwoods and tolerant hardwoods. All overstory species except pine also occurred in the sapling layer. Five of the six old stands had two or more pine age classes. All but one individual pine was less than 200 years old. According to estimates of future survival, current loblolly pine seedling densities in recently hurricane-disturbed and clearcut areas are inadequate to reproduce tree densities measured in extant old stands. Spatial distributions of mature trees suggest that pines have established in gaps as large as 0.3 ha and as small as a single overstory tree. No evidence of fire (scars on existing trees or charcoal in the upper 10 cm of soil) was found in any old stand. From these results, we speculate that the old loblolly pine stands in Congaree Swamp resulted from small-scale agricultural activities, although wind storms, fires, or combinations of these may have played contributing roles. Because of its apparent ability to regenerate in gaps, loblolly pine will probably remain in Congaree Swamp for several centuries as small clumps and scattered individuals.