Small-scale Agricultural Production Research Articles

Assessing occupational pesticide exposure in Latin America and the Caribbean: Methods review for agricultural vulnerability reduction.

B A rapid review was conducted to describe pesticide exposure assessment methodologies in Agricultural Work Contexts (AWC)s in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in order to provide elements to reduce vulnerabilities within the agricultural population. A final number of 79 articles were selected from Medline via Pubmed, LILACS, and SciELO. In the region, family agriculture is the predominant form of agricultural production (72%) in informal agricultural work contexts (AWCs), which are characterized by small-scale diversified agricultural production, lower educational attainment, limited income, and a lack of social and healthcare security for the families. Indirect exposure assessment methods were the most commonly reported (58%), and its use was associated with informal AWCs (p = 0.011). Understanding AWCs and employing appropriate assessment methods can contribute to addressing vulnerabilities in the agricultural sector.

Knowledge management for small-scale agricultural producers: a thematic proposal for strengthening rural economic units

Objective: To establish a thematic proposal for the management of knowledge of small-scale agricultural producers (peasants) and the strengthening of rural economic units in the state of Querétaro, to energize the social fabric and improve the quality of life of the rural population. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric study of the scientific production on peasant knowledge in Mexico was carried out, as well as an observational analysis focused on specific and general problems. According to the information obtained and the problems detected, three areas for knowledge management were established: technical-productive, managerial and entrepreneurial. Results: In the technical-productive area, training in good agricultural practices should be addressed, along with technological innovation and the generation of added value. In the management area, issues related with strategic management with a broad entrepreneurial vision that could help create strategies for agribusiness development. Concerning entrepreneurship, the internal and external factors of the environment stand out, which allow awakening their interest, encouraging leadership and direction for business development, in addition to promoting associativity in farming regions. The implementation of the topics proposed in the research will strengthen and boost small-scale agricultural production in the state of Querétaro. Limitations on study/implications: This study can serve as a reference for small-scale agricultural producers (peasant). Findings/conclusions: There is a great opportunity through knowledge management to increase the capacities, knowledge and skills of small-scale agricultural producers (peasants) in the state of Querétaro regarding technical-productive, managerial and entrepreneurial themes, which will generate economic, social and environmental impacts for the benefit of this rural sector.

Strengthening the role of local agri-food systems in overcoming the consequences of using food as a weapon in Ukraine

One of the vulnerabilities of Ukraine, which was highlighted by the use of food as a weapon in the Russian war against it, was its excessive raw material export orientation and weak internal rooting of the agri-food system, as well as the insufficient resilience of its local links. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the potential for strengthening local agri-food systems through the fuller involvement of small-scale agricultural producers with a focus on meeting the food needs of all segments of the population. The study employed the following methods: system analysis, grouping and classification, statistical analysis, formalisation, abstract and logical. The study covered the manifestations of Russia’s use of food to achieve political and military goals in Ukraine, as well as the role of small agricultural producers in mitigating their adverse consequences. It was found that the key to strengthening the sustainability of the agri-food system at both the local and national levels is to provide farm enterprises and household farms with diversified access to domestic markets by stimulating demand for their agricultural products. The study substantiated the forms of implementation of this task through the introduction of programmes of linked food subsidies for vulnerable groups of the population, public procurement from small producers for school meals, and promotion of solidarity food security at the community level. The study assessed the need for resources for these programmes and the potential of small farms to produce the necessary products, showing that the introduction of these programmes will facilitate the transition of agriculture to agroecology. The study also covered the possibility of financing measures to overcome the consequences of the use of food as a weapon while supporting small producers through the use of the National Bank’s targeted issue with partial involvement of budgetary funds within the framework of strengthening the national rootedness of the agri-food system, as well as donor support.The practical significance of the findings of this study lies in the possibility of their use in the implementation of food support measures for vulnerable groups and the preparation of a lawsuit to the International Criminal Court regarding the weaponisation of food by the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine.

Pilot study of a digital literacy-based intervention to confront concomitant crises amongst key food system actors in Chile

IntroductionThe fragility of food systems in Chile has been exposed through concomitant crises, from a social crisis in 2019 to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing climate change. There is an increased dependence on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to produce, sell, and consume food and the digital divide has increased. The lack of digital literacy in Chile has not been evaluated or considered within comprehensive interventions.MethodsTo examine how local food systems can be strengthened, we conducted a pilot study of a digital literacy-based intervention with smallholder farmers, vendors, and consumers (n = 96) of different age groups (25–45 y, and 46–65 y) from adjacent urban and rural regions in Chile. Telephone surveys were carried out on the use of ICTs, access to the food environment, and agricultural practices during crises. A 5-week digital literacy intervention was carried out on digital confidence, the use of ICTs to generate networks, networks, the use of apps to sell or buy food, banking operations, and communication with state agencies. We also planned a virtual conversation about the food system and nutrition in Chile.ResultsAll participants knew how to read and send WhatsApp messages but >50% of farmers and vendors reported cell signal problems. Between the 2019 social crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, supermarkets as the main source of food decreased from 79 to 57%, and delivery increased from 2 to 17%. In total, 92% of the participants received the intervention, and 52% expressed satisfaction. Across participants, the average implementation score was 61%. Only one person connected to the virtual conversation.DiscussionCrises have impacted how the Chilean population in both urban and rural regions navigate their food environment for their household as well as small-scale agricultural production in these areas; elucidating a greater dependency on ICTs amongst small-scale farmers, vendors, and consumers in Chile to buy and/or sell food. We also conclude that it is feasible to implement a digital literacy intervention for key food system actors in urban and rural settings in Chile. Future studies will contribute to the evidence base about the feasibility and impact of similar digital literacy interventions; an area of increasing importance given the rising prevalence of the digital food environment worldwide.

Business processes of the feed center as the basis for the revival of animal husbandry in Ukraine

Purpose. Scientific substantiation and development of theoretical and practical approaches to the production structure and business processes of the feed center. Methods. Monographic, dialectical, abstractlogical, analysis and synthesis, statistical analysis, correlation-regression analysis, graphic display. Results. The state of the livestock industry in Ukraine has been investigated. Trends in the development of the feed market have been analyzed. The dependence of the gross production of livestock products on the amount of feed used in dairy cattle breeding was established. It was determined that in small-scale agricultural production, low productivity of animals is observed due to nutritionally unbalanced rations, shortage of feed additives, lack of green fodder. The necessity of creating feed centers within united territorial communities aimed at providing small producers with balanced feeds, and scientific and educational centers formation has been substantiated. The production structure of the innovative feed center is suggested. The use of a process approach in creating a feed center is reasoned. Business processes of the feed center are described, the main of which are: hay, silage and straw procurement; compound feeds and herbal flour production to meet the individual demands of agricultural producers. The requirements for the ration formation in the feed center are defined. Conclusions. The feed center will ensure the demand of agricultural producers of the united territorial community for highly nutritious balanced feeds, taking into account the needs of individual breeds and types of farm animals, and will also contribute to the popularization of innovative technologies through educational and extention system; to the development of small-scale animal husbandry productions; stabilization and growth of employment of rural population, thus the growth of income; social and professional adaptation of veterans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, etc.

Performance evaluation of indirect type domestic hybrid solar dryer for tomato drying: Thermal, embodied, economical and quality analysis

This study evaluated the performance of an indirect type domestic hybrid solar dryer (ITDHSD) for drying tomato flakes in terms of thermal, environmental, economical, and quality parameters. The dryer achieved a final moisture content of 9% (wb) in 10 h during November 2021. Average heat utlisation factor and coefficient of performance during experimentation for drying system were 0.67 and 0.33 respectively. Embodied energy during dryer fabrication was estimated as 1434.176 kWh. Energy payback time, total CO2 mitigation, and earned carbon credit for tomato drying in dryer were projected as 4.21 years, 12.28 Tonnes, and US$364. Initial capital cost for drying system fabrication was US$245. The drying system can pay back all initial costs in 6 months of operation as estimated for tomato flakes drying. Moreover, quality of dried tomato flakes in dryer and open sun drying was estimated and compared. Indirect type domestic hybrid solar dryer provided better quality dried tomato flakes than open sun drying method as estimated from sensory analysis, rehydration ratio, shrinkage and hardness test. Further, present system was duly compared and found superior among several existing solar drying systems in terms of drying efficiency and total CO2 mitigation. The significance of the system performance lies in its potential to provide an economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional drying methods. The results demonstrate that the ITDHSD system can help reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the quality of dried products, making it an attractive option for domestic users as well as small-scale agricultural producers. The findings of this study can provide useful insights for designing and implementing sustainable and cost-effective drying systems for other food products.

Impact of state support on Russian agricultural producers and consumers

State support plays an important role in the development of the agricultural sector, ensuring food security and sustainability. In this article the PSE/ CSE methodology, developed by OECD, is applied to analyzing the impact of support to Russian agriculture in 2021 on the welfare of all market participants: agricultural producers, consumers and the agricultural sector as a whole. We present the results of the estimation of the total level of support to agriculture and, in particular, to agricultural producers, provided at the expense of consumers and financed from budget transfers as well as the impact of agricultural policy on consumers. The level of state support to general services for the sector and to small-scale agricultural producers is also investigated. The interpretation of the PSE/CSE indicators in the situation of underdeveloped market infrastructure and regionalization of budget transfers is discussed. Policies aimed at moderating the price hikes for grains resulted in positive transfers to consumers of those commodities, while consumers of the majority of livestock commodities paid more than in the case of absence of support to agricultural producers. Based on this analysis recommendations are suggested for increasing efficiency of the agricultural policy transfers.

Women in agribusiness amid crises of social reproduction: the case of women workers at the Greenhouse, Turkey

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the particular intersection of crises and change in gender- and generation-based social reproduction with agrarian change in the form of a large-scale land grab/investment from a feminist perspective. Based on a case study, it interrogates women’s laboring practices as waged labor in a greenhouse in Western Anatolia. I investigate the reasons why women seem to be determined to continue their employment at the Greenhouse while keeping their distance from their previous lives as small-producers and agricultural laborers. Three dynamics are taken into account: women’s perceptions of being peasant/worker; their future prospects in small-scale agricultural production and young generations’ participation in those activities; the niches women create to transform their lives via their work with critical reference to empowerment.

Justification of the design and regime parameters of a mobile grain dryer

Relevance. Improving the efficiency of grain drying is possible by increasing the intensity of moisture evaporation from the processed material and reducing energy costs. In this regard, the task was set to study a small-sized mobile installation for drying grain, which would meet the requirements of small-scale agricultural production, as well as to substantiate drying modes.Methods. As a result of the analysis of a priori information, as well as taking into account the relevant requirements, the factors that most affect the grain drying process were identified. At the proposed installation, laboratory studies were carried out in the drying mode of wheat of the Moskovskaya 39 variety. During the research, measurements of the corresponding parameters were carried out. A systematic approach was used to generalize the theoretical and experimental results of the study.Results. An installation for drying grain in conditions of small-scale farms is proposed. During the drying process on this installation, the following is ensured: a uniform supply of heated air to the entire area of the grain layer undergoing heat treatment; continuous removal of moisture formed on the surface of the grain. In this paper, expressions are proposed for determining the power required for drying grain and the specific power consumption with a decrease in grain moisture. The studies carried out made it possible to identify the dependences of the specific power consumption and moisture removal on the temperature and speed of the drying agent, drying exposure. The dependences obtained made it possible to establish that this installation, at the optimum temperature of the drying agent of 60 ± 2.5 °C, is adjustable within 8 ± 2.5 W· h/kg·% specific energy consumption and provides 5% moisture removal. The developed installation has operational parameters acceptable for small farms.

Low Cost Drip Irrigation System: An Appropriate Technology for Rural Women

Despite contributing 80% of the food production in developing countries, women receive only partial support for their efforts. There has been, however, a significant shift in the approach towards well being of women from “welfare during fifties”, to “development during seventies” to “empowerment during nineties” and to “participation during 2000”. Women are also expected to face challenges in food security due to the lack of access to technology. This is because men are more likely to look for work and women have to manage their farm as well as homes. Drip irrigation technology is not only suitable for large farms but also for kitchen gardening. It is also appropriate for operation by women as it does not require use of spade etc as in conventional irrigation. The development of reliable low cost drip system that fits the needs of women farmers in India has long been recognized as a critical need. Three low head drip systems were designed and standardized for vegetables cultivation covering area of 50 to 600 m2 area. Developed systems having bucket, drum, main pipes, portable laterals, and drippers. The drip system operates by gravity from a bucket of 25 litre capacity placed at 1 to 1.5 m height, a drum of 200 litres capacity placed at 3-meter height and drum of 1000 litres capacity placed at a height of 4 meter. About 25 to 50 plants of vegetables can be irrigated by using the single system. This technology is very ideal for rural conditions and small scale agricultural production besides back yard vegetable cultivation in village houses. The management of the bucket kit system is very easy and requires no special skills. Forty (40) family low cost drip systems were installed in the backyards of homes in selected villages especially in those houses where farm women were keen to maintain. Results of these family drip systems are very encouraging. Different bucket kits produced 150 kg of bottle gourd, 90 kg of bitter gourd, 75 kg of okra in one season (March to June). Vegetables production through low cost family drip system and conventional drip system will help achieve nutritional security at village level at nominal cost besides empowerment of rural women.

Reducing food-system nitrogen input and emission through circular agriculture in montane and coastal regions

Reducing biogeochemical flows (e.g., reactive nitrogen [Nr]) is essential for a sustainable food system. Previous studies lack tailored strategies for Nr reduction in smaller-scale agricultural production. We developed a framework coupling material flow analysis and system dynamics modeling to establish a pathway for Nr reduction. We applied this framework to Fujian, southeast China, a mountainous and coastal province with fragmented small-scale agricultural and large-scale aquaculture production. Crops, livestock, and aquaculture accounted for 44.03%, 31.11%, and 23.69%, respectively, of Nr input in 2019. Thus, crop and livestock production accounted for approximately 70% of total Nr emissions. Only 8.66% of the total Nr inputs were recycled from livestock to cropland, and the Nr use efficiency of all three food categories was less than 20%. A balanced diet among residents increased (by 15.5%) Nr emissions, whereas minimized food loss and waste partially neutralized (reduced by 17.9%) the increase in Nr emission from dietary changes. By contrast, recycling kitchen waste, manure, and straw would eliminate 39.5% of the regional-food-system Nr emissions. We conclude that a circular agricultural system with Nr recycling is effective to reduce Nr input and emissions through more unified crop and livestock production in montane and coastal regions of Fujian.

Technological drought: a new category of water scarcity

In this paper, we argue that current definitions of drought, especially in the context of small-scale agricultural production, are incomplete. We introduce the concept of ‘technological drought’ to account for crop failures, reduced yields or water scarcity, which are the consequence of an inability to supplement water when there is a lack of irrigation technology and/or existing poor water management. We illustrate the diversity of causes of technological drought, which can include shortages of fuel or electricity to operate pumps, problematically high costs to access irrigation infrastructure, or constrained access to pumps that have to be shared among multiple farmers. We argue that vulnerability to technological drought can be strongly conditioned by socio-economic conditions and that its impact can be magnified when population growth and the demand for food mean that any decline in yield can have serious consequences for food security. We show that technological drought is a complex phenomenon, and can be differentiated from the more widely-recognised classes of drought (meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic) in multiple ways. In particular, technological drought exhibits an important dependence on the socio-economic context of agricultural production. It is perhaps most evident in developing economies, especially where agricultural output depends strongly on the capacity of individual farmers to manage crop water supply on small holdings. Technological drought can follow from even brief interruptions to monsoon rainfall during critical stages of crop growth, such that technological droughts can be distinguished from other forms of drought by their brevity.

A Data-Secured Intelligent IoT System for Agricultural Environment Monitoring

Collecting environmental information of crop growth and dynamically adjusting agricultural production has been proved an effective way to improve the total agricultural yield. Agricultural IoT technology, which integrates the information sensing equipment, communication network, and information processing systems, can support such an intelligent manner in the agricultural environment. Traditional agricultural IoT could meet the service demand of small-scale agricultural production scenarios to a certain extent. However, the emerging application scenario of the agricultural environment is becoming more and more complicated, and the data nodes of the underlying access to IoT backend system are increasing in large number, while the upper-layer applications are requiring high quality of data service. Hence, the traditional architecture-based (i.e., centralised cloud computing) IoT systems suffer from the problems such as small network coverage, data security issue, and limited power supply time while attempting to provide high-quality services at the edge of the network. Emerging edge computing offers the opportunity to solve these issues. This paper builds an intelligent IoT system for agricultural environment monitoring by integrating edge computing and artificial intelligence. We conducted an experiment to validate the proposed system considering the reliability and usability. The experimental results prove the system’s reliability (e.g., data packet loss rate is less than 0.1%). The proposed system achieves the concurrency of 500TPS and the average response time of 300 ms, which meet the practical requirements in agricultural environment monitoring.

Optimization of Small Agricultural Producer’s Taxation by Creating Innovative-Integrated Structures

Issues of tax optimisation of business entities have always been in the centre of attention of taxpayers. Solving this issue requires strong human, technical, and other types of support. There are substantial features of the functioning of small-scale agricultural producers, which make it difficult to optimise their taxation. Presently, it is possible to solve this issue by creating innovative and integrated structures. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the feasibility of creating innovative and integrated structures in the agro-industrial complex, which should lead to optimisation of taxation of Ukrainian small-scale agricultural producers. Both general scientific and special research methods were used in the preparation of this study, namely: logical generalisation – for theoretical justification of the need to create innovative and integrated structures to optimise the functioning of small-scale agricultural producers; mathematical and system analysis – to justify the feasibility of creating integrated structures to optimise the taxation of small-scale agricultural producers, etc. The study of the theoretical foundations and practices of taxation of Ukrainian small-scale agricultural producers allowed substantiating the feasibility of creating innovative and integrated structures in the agricultural sector of the economy. It was found that in the structure of agricultural enterprises, the largest share belongs to small enterprises that, according to the specifics of their activities, are geographically remote from the centres of civilisation (labour market, tax services, internet resources, etc.) and do not have the opportunity to have highly qualified employees in their staff. It was proved that it is possible to optimise the taxation of small-scale agricultural producers by creating innovative and integrated structures. It is proposed to create integration structures by involving small-scale agricultural producers and employees of advisory services in accounting and analytical work. Delegating complex and variable tasks to a highly qualified specialist would substantially optimise the tax policy of an agricultural enterprise. Further research should be carried out towards developing a mechanism for optimising the functioning of agricultural producers in the context of the development of digital technologies.

Factors preventing smallholder farmers from adapting to climate variability in South Africa: lessons from Capricorn and uMshwati municipalities

Climate variability has adversely compromised food production in South Africa, with severe consequences for the livelihood of smallholder farmers. However, the extent to which adaptation has enabled rural farmers to continue earning their livelihoods has received limited attention. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by examining the constraints faced in food production and the coping strategies adopted by these farmers in responding to climate variability and change. A mixed research approach (primary and secondary) was used to obtain data from the municipalities of Capricorn and uMshwati in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain primary data, while internet, libraries and organizational reports were consulted to obtain secondary data. Results showed that rain-fed agriculture was the most common type of farming (60%), compared to irrigation farming (40%). Furthermore, 25% (8/30 respondents) of smallholder farmers practising mixed cropping had been involved in agriculture for more than a decade. Smallholder farmers have adopted mitigating strategies ranging from social adjustments at the household level and combining food production with off-farm activities to sustain their livelihoods and overall wellbeing. This study argues that an enabling environment will facilitate the ability of rural farmers to adapt to climate variability in the local context and present beneficial socio-economic dynamics within the small-scale agricultural food production sector.

Farm diversification as a potential success factor for small-scale farmers constrained by COVID-related lockdown. Contributions from a survey conducted in four European countries during the first wave of COVID-19.

This paper explores to what extent product and marketing channel diversification contributed to the economic success of small-scale agricultural producers involved in short food supply chains after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted between April and July 2020 in four countries of the European Union-Estonia, Hungary, Portugal and Romania,-resulting in a relatively large sample of farmers (N = 421). The analysis was built on a semi-nonparametric approach. Approximately 19 percent of small-scale producers were able to increase sales during the first wave of the pandemic, although country-level variation was significant. Fruits and vegetables were by far the most popular products. The importance of specific channels varied across countries, but farm gate sales were among the most important marketing channels both before and during the first wave. The importance of channels that were based on digital resources and home delivery increased. Our evidence indicates that diversification was a strategy that paid off, both in terms of marketing channels and different product categories. However, the impact appears to be nonlinear; the initial advantage generated by diversification rapidly tapered off, either temporarily (in the case of products), or permanently (in the case of marketing channels). Later research may clarify whether these findings are generalizable in other socio-economic contexts, as well as in a non-COVID situation.

Management of development of innovative ecosystems in reclamation

In the context of the coming digital globalization of the economy, an important factor in increasing the level of development of ameliorated agriculture is the widespread introduction of innovative agricultural technologies and agricultural production management into the practice of the domestic agro-industrial complex. The methodological basis of research is based on information and analytical methods, methods of expert assessments, system analysis and synthesis. Based on the results of the studies and the performed assessment, the role of innovation systems in the structure of the agricultural production economy and the experience of their application in the ameliorative sector of the economy in comparison with developed foreign countries are characterized. The influence of innovations on the efficiency and productivity of labor is shown and proposals are presented to reduce and eliminate the technological backwardness of agricultural production on reclaimed lands, consistent with the trends in the development of technologies for the production of advanced industries of the domestic and world economy. The main stages of the formation of production management systems, which provide support for the assignment of control actions, are presented. Reasons are revealed that hinder the full use of innovative technologies in agricultural production, associated with the lack of free funds among small-scale agricultural producers and their proper understanding of the strategic importance of innovations in the production process. A prognostic analysis of the innovative development of agricultural production based on “intelligent agricultural technologies”, is presented which unites objects via the Internet for receiving and exchanging information from built-in services.

ПІДВИЩЕННЯ КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКИХ ТОВАРОВИРОБНИКІВ І РОЗВИТОК КООПЕРАЦІЇ

One of the reasons for the insufficient level of competitiveness of domestic agricultural producers is the low level of economic culture. The problem is of a systemic nature, since it is not limited only to the operation of outdated technologies, morally and physically worn out equipment. The same goes for morally outdated management, organizational, marketing approaches, etc. This problem is most acute in the small-scale sector of agricultural producers. There are a large number of small-scale agricultural producers in Ukraine. Their characteristic feature is the use of low-intensity resource-intensive technologies. This makes them less competitive. The management and marketing of small-scale economic units is primitive. Their biggest problem is the excessive costs of material and technical supplies and the loss of part of the income in the sale of finished products. The reason is the unsatisfactory level of economic coordination at these stages of production. The uncontested form of increasing the competitive position of small-scale agricultural producers is the creation of service cooperatives. Their task is to ensure a significant improvement in the organization and management of material and technical supply and the promotion of their products in the market. The proliferation of service cooperatives is restrained by imperfect legislation, a weak material base and a shortage of resources, and a lack of qualified personnel. A positive step towards state stimulation of the development of the rural cooperative movement was the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated June 3, 2020, No. 447. The adopted amendments removed restrictions on the areas of activity of agricultural service cooperatives that can benefit from financial support and the mandatory number of members in it. The list of domestic machinery and equipment has also been expanded by eliminating the condition for their compliance with the list of domestic machinery and equipment for the agro-industrial complex, the cost of which is partially compensated by the state budget.

Between Replacement and Intensification: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Different Land Use Types of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture under Rapid Urban Growth in Nakuru, Kenya

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) contributes to urban food security and provides important livelihood opportunities. Due to rapid urbanization, though, UPA is subject to increasing land use pressure. Existing studies indicate gradual replacement of UPA in favor of other land uses. This study controverts this unidirectional narrative to show that UPA simultaneously persists and intensifies. Using remote sensing and qualitative data in the case of the rapidly growing, medium-sized Kenyan city Nakuru, we analyze spatiotemporal dynamics of four agricultural land use types (large-scale open-field production, smallholder production, intensive small-scale open-field production, and large-scale greenhouse production) to better understand different sociospatial trajectories. The findings show the coexistence of complex patterns of replacement, fragmentation, and intensification. We thus examine the extent to which detected dynamics can be explained by the socioeconomic characteristics of the four UPA land use types. Whereas large-scale production is increasingly fragmented and replaced by both small-scale agricultural production as well as residentially or industrially built-up areas, more intensive land use types focusing on high-value cash crops proliferate and intensify production in the research area. The study clarifies the dynamics of ongoing UPA transformations and is relevant for urban planning policies in rapidly changing urban and peri-urban environments.

Інтеграційний аспект розвитку суб’єктів господарювання в сільському господарстві України

The purpose of the article is to determine the directions of integration processes in the development of entrepreneurial activity in the agricultural sector of the economy. Research methods. Using statistical and graphical methods, the state and trends of integration transformations of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine were assessed. Research results. The dynamics of changes in the number of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine during 2013-2019, their structure on the basis of legal status, scope and results of activities are analyzed and the relevant conclusions on the ways of development of integration processes in the agricultural sector are formed. The functioning of agrarian business entities of different sizes has been studied. The integration potential of small business entities in the agricultural sector has been identified. The dynamics of the main production indicators of small and micro enterprises is given, their share in the total volume of agricultural production is determined. Also, small forms of management due to integration and cooperative processes provide an opportunity to develop in rural areas, making financial contributions to local budgets, while large enterprises (agricultural holdings) usually have minimal impact on the development of rural economy and rural areas. The main segments of agricultural production (such as potatoes, vegetables, fruits and berries) in which households play a key role are identified. Priority areas for the development of personal farms have been identified, in particular, through the creation of family farms and their association in cooperatives, etc. The information base of the study is the scientific achievements of leading domestic and foreign scientists, analytical data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. On the basis of the obtained results the social and economic expediency of development of cooperative forms of management in the countryside and integration of small-scale agricultural producers is substantiated. Scientific novelty. It is proposed to turn personal peasant farms into family farms as components of integration formations in agrarian business. Practical significance. The state of business structures of the agricultural sector of the Ukrainian economy is assessed and the prospects and advantages of the development of integration formations and cooperation in the sustainable development of rural areas are outlined. Tabl.: 8. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 20.