Subsistence Farming Research Articles

Biostimulants Using Humic Substances and Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria: Effects on Cassava (Manihot esculentus) and Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Yield

Traditional agriculture represents the most-extensive food-producing segment in the world. However, these agroecosystems are widely and closely associated with rural poverty, reflecting the dualism between the subsistence and the commodity-producing sector in the peripheric countries. Therefore, socially adapted technologies may be a reliable and helpful methodology to enhance subsistence crop production. Humic substances are natural organic biostimulants extractable as water suspensions from renewable sources such as agricultural biomass and farming residues. These easy-to-handle extracts may be mixed with plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and used as biostimulants within a low-cost technological application in the circular economy strategy. Few investigations have been focused on the use of biostimulant practices on marginal or subsistence crops. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) are two essential foods for poor communities of rural territories in tropical and subtropical countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the foliar application of a humic/PGPB mixed biostimulant on cassava and okra crops grown in an agricultural soil with very low natural fertility. In pot trials, the applied biostimulant improved the plant development with a 200% increase of the root weight in cassava, while the preservation of active diazotrophic bacteria was improved by 10- and 100-times in cassava and okra in the mixed formulation with humic acid. In real field systems, the plant treatment increased the yield of cassava and okra by 70% and 50%, respectively thereby allowing a simultaneous nitrogen savings with the best yield performance obtained at the lower N fertilization rate. The use of biostimulants can play a role in the transition process, helping the food security and the autonomy of impoverished farmers. Combining the elements of traditional knowledge and modern science is essential to create innovative technologies enabling the sustainable management of agroecosystems.

Producers' Response to Changes in Prices and Marketing Policies: A Case Study of Sugarcane and Paddy in Eastern U.P. by S. C. Gupta and A. Majid. New York: Asia Publishing House, 1965.

It is alleged that the agricultural output in poor countries responds very little to movements in prices and costs because of subsistence-oriented produc¬tion and self-produced inputs. The work of Gupta and Majid is concerned with the empirical verification of the responsiveness of farmers to prices and marketing policies in a backward region. The authors' analysis of the respon¬siveness of farmers to economic incentives is based on two sets of data (concern¬ing sugarcane, cash crop, and paddy, subsistence crop) collected from the district of Deoria in Eastern U.P. (Utter Pradesh) a chronically foodgrain deficit region in northern India. In one set, they have aggregate time-series data at district level and, in the other, they have obtained data from a survey of five villages selected from 170 villages around Padrauna town in Deoria.

A Family Mobilization for Migration to Europe from Casamance, Senegal


 
 
 The ratio between basic salaries in Western Europe and in sub-Saharan Africa is at least of a factor ten. Many young Africans therefore dream of emigrating to Europe. However, the air route remains a privilege reserved to members of elite families: to take a plane one needs a visa for most European countries. Without a visa, the only two possibilities are the sea route via coastal navigation along the African coast and the land route through the Sahara. These are the very dangerous and uncertain routes that tens of thousands of migrants nevertheless take each year. This article examines the case of a family of small-scale subsistence farmers in Casamance, the Southern region of Senegal. It shows how this family of 42 persons decided to send one of its members to try to enter France illegally. How they chose the migrant, how they collected the necessary funds, and what happened during the two attempts. This detailed case study gives an idea of the steps taken each year by tens of thousands of other families in Africa who try sending one of their sons across European borders. 
 
 

Masculinities in context: how food insecurity shapes conjugal dynamics in northwestern Benin

ABSTRACT Further place-based empirical research on food insecurity and masculinities is necessary, particularly in West Africa, where notions of agrarian masculinity remain entrenched and rigid gender norms dictate the division of labour and household organization. Responding to the calls for more empirical research at this nexus in rural Africa, we draw on focus group and interview data collected in the Atacora region of Benin. We find that men’s identities as household breadwinners are being undermined by worsening food insecurity, which is contributing to growing inequality in the gendered division of labour. The result is a fraught renegotiation of gender roles within the household, wherein men attempt to reassert their masculinity and dominance in the gender hierarchy through violence. By engaging in a nuanced place-based analysis, our study explains how food insecurity in subsistence farming contexts intersects with masculinities to reproduce inequality and violence against women within the household.

Screening Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Genotypes for Drought Tolerance at the Germination Stage under Simulated Drought Conditions.

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L. Verdc) is grown by smallholders and subsistence farmers in the marginal parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This legume is native to Africa and is cultivated throughout semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa. It is hardy and has been recognized as a nutritious food source in times of scarcity. Drought can negatively affect the germination or establishment of seedlings in the early stages of crop growth. Drought can limit the growing season of certain crops and create conditions that encourage the invasion of insects and diseases. Drought can also lead to a lack of crop yield, leading to rising food prices, shortages, and possibly malnutrition in vulnerable populations. A drought-tolerant genotype can be identified at the germination stage of Bambara groundnut by screening for drought-tolerance traits, and this knowledge can be applied to Bambara crop improvement programs to identify drought-tolerant traits during early growth phases. As an osmolyte, polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) reduced water potential and simulated drought stress in Bambara groundnut seeds of different genotypes. Osmolytes are low-molecular-weight organic compounds that influence biological fluid properties. In this study, 24 Bambara groundnut genotypes were used. Data were collected on seed germination percentage (G%), germination velocity index (GVI), mean germination time (MGT), root dry mass (RDM), root fresh mass (RFM), and seven drought tolerance indices: mean productivity (MP), tolerance index (TOL), geometric mean productivity (GMP), stress susceptibility index (SSI), yield index (YI), yield stability index (YSI), stress tolerance index (STI) as well as seed coat color measurements. The data were applied to the mean observation of genotypes under simulated drought conditions (Ys) and the mean observation of genotypes under controlled conditions (Yp). Germination%, germination velocity index (GVI), mass germination time (MGT), and root fresh mass (RFM) differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the two stress conditions. Bambara genotypes Acc 82 and Acc 96 were found to be the most drought-tolerant.

Restoring competitive and commercial agriculture in river basin of Nepal, focus in Daraudi river, Gorkha

Daraudi river basin and sub-basins consisted of numerous fertile tars, phants and upland (24173 ha) supplying foods in settlements and neighboring cities. Agriculture in this area is no more attractive because of small size land/farm holdings (0.25ha/HH), subsistence farming, high production cost, higher agricultural risks, low productivity and low income. The aim of this research was to investigate the way of economic resilience by means of commercial agriculture, agricultural risk reduction, implementation of agriculture engineering and linking farm activities to services. Relevant literatures were reviewed, field verification and interactions were made in different rural municipalities/municipalities in the year 2021. The study found that the maize and millet in upland and rice-based cropping system in irrigated land are common in water shed and basin area. Cattle (35,709), buffalo (27,921), goat (82,358), sheep (6,806), pigs (5,430) and chicken (1,92,584) are major livestock kept. The area is in balance only on cereals (17,864 mt) and spices (735.3 mt/year) and deficit in all other foods. Land fallow (27.0%) is increasing because of youth out migration (0.72 persons/HH/year). The respondents demanded establishment of larger farm sizes (82.2%) from land pulling, farmers/entrepreneurs organizations development (54.4%), identification of profitable and competitive value chain for commercial production (74.4%), promote agriculture engineering activities (94.4%), minimization of agricultural and environmental risks (57.8%) and creation of local off farm employment (56.7%). They also suggested to have a commercial farm operation guideline (46.7%), linking all farm operation to services (55.6%, linking neighboring small producers with commercial farm for services (52.2%) and establishing a strong collaboration among all stakeholders in an integrated approach (42.2% respondents). It is recommended to address the demand of the respondents for restoring the competitive and commercial agriculture in river basin of Daraudi river. Similar recommendation may apply to other river basins in Nepal.

Trends in Subsistence Harvests of Ice Seals in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region, Alaska, 1962 – 2018

Ringed (Pusa hispida), bearded (Erignathus barbatus), spotted (Phoca largha), and ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata), or ice seals, are harvested for subsistence purposes by many Alaska Native communities. We address trends in the subsistence harvest of ice seals for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of Alaska for more than 50 years using two types of data collected by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: (1) bounty data collected from 1962 to 1972 for 16 communities, and (2) household survey data collected for seven of these communities from 1997 to 2018. Both include information on the number of ice seals harvested by each community annually. In addition, more detailed household surveys were conducted from 2008 to 2018 for Hooper Bay, Tununak, and Quinhagak, which collected data on the number of seals harvested by species, the percentage of households engaged in hunting or using seal products, and hunter perceptions. For the bounty period, we identified several years where most communities had above or below average harvests, suggesting regional drivers contributed to patterns in the ice seal harvest. For the seven communities with household survey data, the mean total harvest estimate during the household survey years was only slightly lower than during the bounty period, however, the human population doubled during this time, resulting in a substantial decline in the mean number of seals harvested per person. The more detailed surveys for Hooper Bay, Tununak, and Quinhagak also showed declines in seal harvests during the most recent decade. The declining harvest in some communities may be driven by reduced participation in hunting and less use of seal products. Ongoing sea ice loss is also likely contributing to the decline in harvest across the region. Current seal population estimates indicate all four species are abundant in Alaskan waters, and most hunters have not observed changes in seal abundance.

Agricultural Mechanisation in the Hills of Uttarakhand

Agricultural Mechanisation in India has completely changed the condition and direction of agriculture. After mechanisation India has emerged as one of the biggest producer of food grains and also net exporter. But the development of mechanisation has been very uneven some states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are highly mechanized while the hilly states like Uttarakhand still struggling with traditional methods of farming. Farmers in Uttarakhand especially in hilly regions are still using outdated and old methods of farming which are not feasible with this modern and technically advance world where there is high demand of food grains due to increasing population. People are still doing subsistence farming manually which has made it drudgery prone occupation. Agricultural mechanisation will make agriculture less drudgery and more efficient for the farmers. It helps in increasing farm productivity and production. This paper highlights the existence of agricultural mechanisation in hilly regions and the issues faced in transformation of agriculture.

The Effect of Climate Change on Food Crop Production in Lagos State.

Climate change is set to be particularly disruptive in poor agricultural communities. This study examines the effects of, and farmer's perceptions of, climate change on farming practices for cassava and maize in Lagos, Nigeria. Analysis of weather data from 1998 to 2018 (the most recent available) reveals little impact on cassava yield but a significant impact on maize yield. Furthermore, survey results indicate that farmers in this area are currently implementing techniques to adapt to changes in climate based on the type of crop grown. Agriculture in Lagos, Nigeria, is largely rain-fed and climate change negatively impacts crop productivity by decreasing crop yield and soil fertility, limiting the availability of soil water, increasing soil erosion, and contributing to the spread of pests. A decline in crop production due to climate change may be further exasperated by a lack of access to farming technology that reduces over-reliance on the rain-fed farming system and subsistence agriculture. This study indicates that there is a need for initiatives to motivate young and older farmers through access to credits, irrigation facilities, and innovative climate change adaptive strategies.

Local Engagement in the Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) Operation in Cambodia

Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) have empowered farmers to develop resources sustainably. They transfer traditional subsistence agriculture to diversify crops and develop a value chain. This paper aims to analyze local engagement by focusing on the degree of participation, factors influencing local engagement in ACs operations and the constraints of ACs operations to support communities. With a cohort of 421 farmer members in the Kampong Speu and Pursat provinces of Cambodia, household surveys were designed to consider how factors influence local engagement. It was discovered that: (i) local engagement in ACs operations is limited, and management of boards of directors is a critical constraint to motivating local involvement; (ii) local engagement in ACs operations is associated with access to water, benefits from ACs, participation in ACs activities, risk control and ACs management, and ACs operations do not promote access to agricultural inputs; and (iii) ACs operations have faced several constraints, including poor management, inadequate capital accumulation, unavailable loans, loan mismanagement, a lack of skills, high illiteracy levels, small share values, a lack of access to credit facilities, access to the competitive market and a lack of support from extension services. This empirical study, with implications from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), addresses a gap in the literature by exploring engagement in ACs operations.

The Transition from Subsistence to Cash Crop Farming in Abogeta Sub County of Meru from 1937 -1980

This study is about a history on the transition from subsistence to cash crop farming in Abogeta Sub-County is in Meru County, Kenya from 1937-1980. Before 1937 farming practices were mainly for subsistence. Crops grown included millet, sorghum, peas, arrowroots, yams, beans and cowpeas. The purpose of this study was to examine the transition from subsistence to cash crop farming in Abogeta Sub County of Meru from 1937 to 1980. It was guided by Articulation of Modes of Production theory whose main precept is that penetration of capitalism in Africa affected modes of production. The study employed descriptive research design to describe the events as they occurred systematically. The instruments of data collection were interview schedules, focused group discussions and observation schedule. The sources of data included oral sources, archival sources and secondary sources which were corroborated to meet the reliability and objectivity of the research. The study was analyzed and presented through Qualitative Data Analysis. The study revealed that traditionally people from Abogeta Sub County engaged in subsistence farming. Farming shifted to cash crop farming from 1937 with introduction of cash crops like coffee and tea. This drift was fueled by search for money and industrialization. The study also noted that the transition had both positive and negative impacts on people of Abogeta. Food insecurity and migration were noted while on positive side it became the major economic activity and hence a source of livelihood to those that practiced. The study may be useful to future researchers in related area. Policy makers in the government may use the study to find solutions to food insecurity in Abogeta Sub County of Meru-County.

Higher sowing density of pearl millet increases productivity and water use efficiency in high evaporative demand seasons.

Pearlmillet is themain subsistence crop for smallholder farmers systemswhere it is grown at low plant density. Intensifying pearl millet cultivation could boost productivity although it may have trade-offs. Increasing planting density would indeed increase the leaf area and the related water budget, whereas a denser canopy could create a more favorable canopymicroclimate to the benefit of the water use efficiency (WUE) of the crops. The first aim of this work was to test the yield response of popular pearlmillet varieties to an increased density and to assess possible genotypic variation in this response. The second aim was to measure the water use and the WUE of the crop in different densities. To this end we designed several field and lysimetric experiments To increase the robustness of the results, these trials were carried out in India and Senegal, using two independent sets of genotypes adapted to both sites. In the field, the higher sowing density significantly increased yield in all genotypes when trials were carried out in high evaporative demand conditions. There was no genotype x density interaction in these trials, suggesting no genotypic variation in the response to density increase. The high-density treatment also decreased the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in the canopies, both in the field and in the lysimeter experiments. In the lysimeter trials, although the higher density treatment increased water use, the resulting increase in biomass was proportionally higher, hence increasingWUE of the crops in all genotypes under high density. The increase in yield under high density was closely related to the increase in WUE, although this link was more tight in the high- than in the low evaporative demand seasons. This confirmed a strong environmental effect on the response to density of all genotypes tested. Although they did not open a scope for breeding density tolerant cultivars, these results highlight the possibility to improve pearl millet yield by increasing the density, targeting specifically areas facing high evaporative demand.

The Current Challenges of Sustainable Aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific Region and the Measures Recommended

A key output from the GCA +20 has highlighted the principles and strategic pathways to maximise the contribution of sustainable aquaculture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and meeting the pledge of ‘Leaving no one behind’. Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, their country members and partners collaborate and cooperate with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other UN specialised agencies for building climate resilience in aquaculture and agriculture systems for supporting small-scale and subsistence farmers in Asia and the Pacific Region. Aquaculture growth can be sustained through mitigating the impacts of aquatic animal diseases, addressing the antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture, adapting and mitigating climate change, addressing food safety in the entire market chain from hatchery to consumer, identifying the capacity-building needs, and organising training courses and technology transfer for small scale fish farmers. The growing transboundary movement of aquatic animals calls for regional cooperation and collaboration among members to improve the conditions for sustainable aquaculture. NACA assists members in assuring the safety and quality of aquaculture products in member countries, which will likely assist small-scale farmers to adapt to the changing trade and safety environment. Cluster-based management approaches and forming farmer societies are promoted as practical mechanisms for implementing better management practices.

Challenges and resilience of an indigenous farming system during wartime (Tigray, North Ethiopia)

Due to war conditions, the local farmers had to largely rely on their own crop production, mainly by subsistence farming, in Tigray, North Ethiopia. We assessed the crop stands in 2021 and evaluated the level of resilience of the indigenous farming system. Quantitative data were collected from 161 farm parcels in various ecoregions of this tropical mountain region, in order to detect the share of sown land, crop types, and their status. This participatory monitoring was accompanied by semi-structured interviews. Farmers cultivated their farms late, left it uncultivated or marginally sowed oil crops as improved fallow (28%), due to lack of farming tools, oxen, fertilizer, seeds, or manpower. As compared to peace years, only few lands were sown with sorghum as there was active warfare in the sorghum planting period. The relatively good stands of wheat and barley (47%) are in line with the farmers’ priority given to cereals. Teff got a large land share because it could be sown up to the middle of the main rainy season and because farmers had consumed the seeds of their major cereal crops (wheat and barley) when hiding for warfare. Seeds left from consumption were only sown by late June, when troops had retreated, and the communities could revive. With almost no external support, the local farming system has proven to be remarkably resilient, relying on indigenous knowledge and local practices, block rotation, manure, improved fallow, changes in relative importance of crops, seed exchange, and support for one another. This is the first analysis of the socio-agronomic roots of the 2021–2022 Tigray hunger crisis, with a cereal harvest that could not at all sustain the local population as the planting season had been largely missed. The ability of the indigenous farming system to partially rebounce in times of autarky is another novel finding.

Limited role of climate change in extreme low rainfall associated with southern Madagascar food insecurity, 2019–21

Southern Madagascar recently experienced a severe food security crisis, made significantly worse by well below average rainfall from July 2019 to June 2021. This exceptional drought has affected a region with high pre-existing levels of vulnerability to food insecurity (subsistence agriculture and pastoralism in the region is rain-fed only), while impacts have been compounded further by COVID-19 restrictions and pest infestations. The rainy seasons of both 2019/20 and 2020/21 saw just 60% of normal rainfall across the Grand South region and was estimated as a 1-in-135 year dry event, only surpassed in severity by the devastating drought of 1990–92. Based on a combination of observations and climate modelling, the likelihood of experiencing such poor rains in the region was not significantly increased due to human-caused climate change: while the observations and models combine to indicate a small shift toward more droughts like the 2019–2021 event as a consequence of climate change, these trends remain overwhelmed by natural variability. This result is consistent with previous research, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report concluding that any perceptible changes in drought will only emerge in this region if global mean temperatures exceed 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.

Shifting Cultivation to Settled Agriculture: Land Ownership Rights and Cropping Pattern in Meghalaya, Northeast India

The traditional shifting cultivation areas in Meghalaya have been undergoing changes in their agricultural landscape along with the rest of the North Eastern Hill Region (NEHR). This study from ten villages of Meghalaya analyses the land ownership rights and cropping patterns of the shifting cultivators vis-à-vis settled agriculturists. Overall, signifi cant diff erences have been observed in the land owned, total area cultivated and the type of crops between the shifting cultivators and settled farmers. This establishes the transitions in the jhum landscape and their increasing dependence on the market economy whilst also throwing light on infl uence of the land tenure on the choice of land use system. The cropping pattern indicated that settled farmers who had higher tenure security as compared to shifting cultivators reduced the acreage under subsistence crops and preferred to grow high value cash crops. With the support of various schemes and programmes on cultivation of marketable crops, it is inevitable that the jhum landscape would be dominated by monoculture of commercial crops, hence, provisions should be made with a community-led approach or participatory consultation for settled systems so as to promote multi-cropping system whilst building the resilience of the sedentary cropping system. Notably, harmonization of common property regime under traditional customary tenure arrangements with individual rights in settled agricultural systems is indispensable to ensure transition is inclusive of landless farmers.

Welsh Princes in an Anglo-Norman World: A Historicist Reading of the Third Branch of the Mabinogi

This article examines the internal historical evidence of the Third Branch of the Mabinogi. Through a close examination of the historical detail of Manawydan's sojourn as a craftsman in the cities of England, it becomes evident that the Third Branch reflects aristocratic social and economic anxieties in the decades following the Norman invasion of Wales. In light of an as-yet-unrecognized connection between the Third Branch and the twelfth-century royal biography Vita Griffini Filii Conani, this article suggests an early twelfth-century date for the former text.<br/> The Third Branch of the Mabinogi is generally seen as the 'simplest' – and arguably the most cohesive – of the Four Branches. It revolves around a single principal character in Manawydan fab Llŷr, who is never out of the frame throughout the tale. Its plot develops in a relatively linear fashion, moving steadily towards a 'happy and harmonious end'. The plot of the Third Branch may be summarized in terms of a three-part structure, as recognized by Glyn E. Jones:<br/> i. 'Manawydan fab Llŷr marries Rhiannon, Pryderi's mother' [and becomes the ruler of the kingdom of Dyfed].<br/> ii. 'Enchantment falls on Dyfed [leaving it entirely without people apart from Manawydan, Rhiannon, Pryderi and his wife Cigfa] and Manawydan and Pryderi spend a period in England. On their return to Dyfed, Pryderi and Rhiannon become entrapped in a magic fortress which vanishes'.<br/> iii. 'Manawydan succeeds in lifting the enchantment and freeing Pryderi and Rhiannon'.<br/> So far, so simple. Of course, the joy of the Third Branch is in the details: the stark image of Dyfed completely devoid of human and animal life; the psychological dimension of four characters having to deal with the emotional and practical consequences of this magical apocalypse; and the rather comic denouement, in which Manawydan stubbornly but cunningly negotiates with the villain of the piece (the sorcerer Llwyd fab Cil Coed) while holding the villain's wife hostage in the form of a mouse. Some of the most interesting details in the Third Branch come during Manawydan's period of poverty – during this time he and Pryderi (and later Cigfa), with their workforce suddenly having been taken away, are forced to make a living for themselves, first as hunters and scavengers in what is left of their home, then as craftsmen in the cities of Lloegyr, and finally as subsistence farmers back in Dyfed. 5 With these details we are torn from the mythic, heroic, otherworldly setting of much of the Four Branches and cast into the mundane realities of daily life. The Third Branch lends itself to a historicist reading, which reads these mundanities in the context of the early twelfth century, a time when Anglo-Norman culture and society was steadily encroaching on Welsh life. 6 This is especially evident in the representation of Manawydan and Cigfa's time spent as artisans in the cities of Lloegyr, which provides the clearest evidence for an Anglo-Norman context of composition for the Third Branch. This reading has potentially significant implications for the dating of the text, particularly in light of a possible and hitherto unrecognized connection between the Third Branch and the twelfth-century royal biography Vita Griffini Filii Conani.

Environmental heat stress on maternal physiology and fetal blood flow in pregnant subsistence farmers in The Gambia, west Africa: an observational cohort study

Anthropogenic climate change has caused extreme temperatures worldwide, with data showing that sub-Saharan Africa is especially vulnerable to these changes. In sub-Saharan Africa, women comprise 50% of the agricultural workforce, often working throughout pregnancy despite heat exposure increasing the risk of adverse birth outcomes. In this study, we aimed to improve understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the adverse health outcomes resulting from environmental heat stress in pregnant subsistence farmers. We also aimed to provide data to establish whether environmental heat stress also has physiological effects on the fetus. We conducted an observational cohort study in West Kiang, The Gambia, at the field station for the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (named the MRC Keneba field station). Pregnant women who were aged 16 years or older and who were at <36 weeks' gestation of any gravida or parity were invited to participate in the study. Participants were eligible if they were involved in agricultural or related manual daily tasks of living. Participants were ineligible if they refused to provide consent, had multiple pregnancies (eg, if they had twins), were acutely unwell, or were diagnosed with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Heat stress was measured by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and by using the universal thermal climate index (UTCI), and maternal heat strain was directly measured by modified physiological strain index calculated from heart rate and skin temperature. Outcome measures of fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal strain (defined as a FHR >160 beats per min [bpm] or <115 bpm, or increase in umbilical artery resistance index) were measured at rest and during the working period. Multivariable repeated measure models (linear regression for FHR, and logistic regression for fetal strain) were used to evaluate the association of heat stress and heat strain with acute fetal strain. Between Aug 26, 2019, and March 27, 2020, 92 eligible participants were recruited to the study. Extreme heat exposure was frequent, with average exposures of WBGT of 27·2°C (SD 3·6°C) and UTCI equivalent temperature of 34·0°C (SD 3·7°C). The total effect of UTCI on fetal strain resulted in an odds ratio (OR) of 1·17 (95% CI 1·09-1·29; p<0·0001), with an adjusted direct effect of OR of 1·12 (1·03-1·21; p=0·010) with each 1°C increase in UTCI. The adjusted OR of maternal heat strain on fetal strain was 1·20 (1·01-1·43; p=0·038), using the UTCI model, with each unit increase. Data from our study show that decreasing maternal exposure to heat stress and heat strain is likely to reduce fetal strain, with the potential to reduce adverse birth outcomes. Further work that explores the association between heat stress and pregnancy outcomes in a variety of settings and populations is urgently needed to develop effective interventions. The Wellcome Trust.

Food justice and land justice in São Paulo: urban subsistence farming on the margins of the city.

By relying on the case of São Paulo, this article seeks to develop a critical look at urban farming and its potential for contributing to food justice. While this activity constitutes a means of subsistence for urban communities, it is also underlain by principles relating to land ownership, which tend to divert attention from its primary role in food systems. There is an important need first to fight against land inequalities and bad housing in São Paulo, before considering urban farming as a lever for food justice. For this study, I made use of qualitative surveys carried out between 2018 and 2022 in São Paulo, during which I conducted 118 interviews with farmers, consumers, shopkeepers, associations and politico-administrative institutions. My results show at first a socio-economic dichotomy between well-off city dwellers who use community gardens and farmers who practise urban farming on the margins of the city. I maintain that the issue of food justice affects the latter and is filtered through a policy of institutional action and visibility. In conclusion, I argue that urban farming is a potential lever for food justice which is still highly constrained by inequalities and land speculation in São Paulo.

LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF RAINFALL SCARCITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON WATER AND FOOD RESOURCES: A CASE STUDY OF MOLETJIE COMMUNITY IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

Local communities are conscious of changing climatic conditions, the main variables, and their impacts on human livelihood requirements. This study describes the local community members’ perception of rainfall scarcity and its impact on water and food resources. Semi-structured interviews with a sample of 150 participants produced data about the perceptions of rainfall scarcity, its main variables and the impacts on water and food resources. The health impacts of poor status water resources and poor production of subsistence crops involve lack of reliable water provision for household consumption, and malnutrition and poverty as a result of subsistence crop production. A major recommendation from the study is an exploration of coping, adapting, and building the resilience capacities of local communities towards the impacts of climate change on water and food resources.