Sustainable Agriculture Education Research Articles

Environmental Conservation and Sustainability: Strategies for a Greener Future

The quest for environmental conservation and sustainability is an urgent and multifaceted challenge, pivotal for securing a greener and more sustainable future. This abstract encapsulates key strategies that are fundamental in addressing the diverse aspects of human impact on the environment, with a focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, water conservation, habitat preservation, and public education and awareness. Renewable energy is at the forefront of this transformation. The traditional dependence on fossil fuels has led to significant environmental problems, including climate change, air pollution, and natural habitat destruction. Transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power is imperative. These sources not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also mitigate the impacts of climate change, thus providing a cleaner, more sustainable energy solution. Improving energy efficiency is another critical strategy. Enhanced energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industrial processes can substantially lower energy consumption and related emissions. Implementing better insulation, energy-efficient appliances, and smart technologies that optimize energy use are practical approaches to achieve this goal. In the realm of agriculture, sustainable practices are essential. Techniques like crop rotation, organic farming, and permaculture promote soil health, conserve biodiversity, and decrease reliance on harmful chemicals. These practices contribute to more sustainable food production systems that are less detrimental to the environment. Water conservation is equally vital. Efficient use and management of water through technologies that support water recycling and rainwater harvesting can help sustain this essential resource, particularly in regions experiencing water scarcity. The preservation of natural habitats and biodiversity is also crucial. Protecting forests, oceans, and other ecosystems from threats such as pollution and deforestation is key to maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance, which are fundamental for life on Earth. Public education and awareness are indispensable in fostering change.

PSIX-28 Impact of Educational Workshops on the Adoption of Genomic Selection Tools Within the Dairy Industry

Abstract Genomic selection is a tool available to the dairy industry, capable of increasing economic returns through improved efficiencies and selection of superior animals. However, these tools are underutilized within the commercial sector, mostly due to a lack of information on how to effectively use them. The objective of this work was to provide producers and veterinarians with educational workshops that included information about genomic selection and evaluate the impact of these workshops on participant receptivity towards using genomic selection tools. Three workshops were held in both Washington and Idaho for industry personnel and veterinarians. Thirty-six individuals attended the workshops and completed a pre-workshop survey to capture their understanding of genomic selection and its uses, as well as information regarding their current usage or interest in the technology. After attending a discussion on the basics of genomic selection, various uses and benefits, and then applying the information to an example herd, participants were asked to complete the same survey. In addition to the initial questions, participants were polled to determine if their opinions surrounding genomic selection had changed and if the workshop was beneficial. A third survey on skills gained and applicability of information was also completed. Before the workshop, 59% reported that they have used genomic selection, 54% stated they would use genomics to select replacement heifers, and 73% would use genomics to make breeding decisions. When comparing pre- and post-workshop survey responses using a t-test, the mean score increased (P = 0.0027) from 83% to 94%. When gauging the success of the workshop, 87% stated they found the workshop helpful and 80% said they would like more information. All individuals stated they will either be using genomic selection in the future (57%) or would consider the technology (43%). Producers in attendance manage over 20,600 cows and 6,600 replacement heifers. Attending veterinarians provided consultations for > 56,000 cows and 30,800 heifers. Moreover, attendees estimated they would discuss the workshop with approximately 240 other individuals. These workshops provide a basis for establishing hands-on learning for industry members to gain information on technologies that can be used to improve their respective businesses. The use of genomic selection could grow exponentially if producers and supporting individuals are given access to educational events and materials to allow for better understanding of how to use the technology to its maximum ability. Funding for this project (# SW21-925) was provided by the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

The Skarù·ręʔ (Tuscarora) Food Forest Project—Reconciliation in Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education through Cross-Cultural Agroforestry Demonstration

Temperate nut trees have long been utilized in eastern North America, providing high quality food, durable materials, and contributing to multispecies relationships across geographic and cultural landscapes. While not widely consumed today, renewed interest in temperate nuts such as hybrid chestnuts and hazelnuts, are part of efforts to realize nature-based solutions to climate change, which include multifunctional agroforestry systems. Indigenous peoples’ contributions to agroforestry and climate resilience are substantial, however sustainable agricultural research often overlooks critical social justice implications underlying the history of colonization in settler nations, including dispossessed land and appropriated Indigenous crops. As one of the most nutritionally dense plant-based foods, nuts were important components of Haudenosaunee foodways. Archaeological, ethnographic, and historical-ecological evidence indicate that the Haudenosaunee subsistence and settlement dynamics transformed cultural landscapes favoring such nut trees. The Skarù·ręʔ (Tuscarora) Food Forest was a community-based project demonstrating contemporary contributions of nut trees to Indigenous food systems in ancestral Haudenosaunee territories, today known as New York State. While domesticated crop polycultures (i.e., the Three Sisters) are iconic of Haudenosaunee horticultural ingenuities, temperate nuts are lesser-known woodland foods that can additionally contribute to food and language revitalization efforts within contemporary Haudenosaunee territories. Here we discuss theories and praxes informing community engaged approaches at the Skarù·ręʔ Nation. By addressing social justice concerns within agricultural science, we demonstrate how the Skarù·ręʔ Food Forest Project can provide a methodological testing ground for reconciliation-based and decolonial participatory action research that expands ongoing food sovereignty, community health, and education initiatives.

Views of Farmers and Other Agri-Food Stakeholders on Generic Skills for Transitioning toward Sustainable Food Systems

Sustainable agricultural education is a fundamental base for the sustainable development of the agri-food systems. Sustainable education should provide the necessary skills to the practical world. This paper is focused on skills and competences required by the agri-food stakeholders for their current work and for future sustainable development around the world. An online survey was disseminated for data collection, and quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to understand the impact of the demographic factors on the variety of skills mentioned by the different stakeholders. As a result, according to all of the stakeholders, the skills of navigating in a changing world, networking and strategic development are relevant for their current work, and technical skills were mentioned as relevant for future sustainable development. The age factor, rather than geography and gender, was found to have a stronger impact on defining the aforementioned skills.

Romanian Farmers’ Markets: Understanding the Environmental Attitudes of Farmers as an Instrument for Bioeconomy Development

Farmers’ markets are vital income sources for many farmers. Farmers’ markets are a direct-to-consumer marketing approach that has existed for centuries, enabling urban dwellers to interact with farmers while shopping for produce and products. In Romania, the piaţa is their version of a farmers’ market. The focus on environmental sustainability within the European Union provides an opportunity for Romanian farmers using sustainable approaches to sell their products. Therefore, understanding the attitudes of farmers selling at farmers’ markets is important to the development of the agricultural sector and the bioeconomy. Furthermore, having knowledge of farmer attitudes enables policy to be developed to encourage the development of sustainable agricultural techniques. The results of this paper indicate that there is a disconnect between the beliefs and attitudes farmers have about the environment and their agricultural practices under various scenarios. Additionally, agricultural training that includes sustainable agricultural techniques and education on the economic benefits of using them would be beneficial. Lastly, the results suggest that a farmer that feels part of the community is more likely to be a steward of the environment.

Soil health: model programs in the USA

Population growth, increasing drought, and natural resources degradation are significant global issues. Fortunately, management practices to improve soil health can address many of these issues in ways that are both good for the farmer and the environment. In 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service initiated its “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil” campaign to assist farmers and ranchers with adopting soil health systems. Other notable efforts at the federal level include research and education projects by USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. The importance of improving soil health is also recognized far beyond federal government programs. The Soil Health Institute, a nonprofit charity, was established to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and adoption. Crop commodity organizations are promoting soil health, such as the Soil Health Partnership. The Nature Conservancy is helping companies and private landowners incorporate soil health into their sustainability efforts. Such efforts are supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, as well as by some of the leading global food companies such as General Mills. These are just a few of the many efforts to improve soil health in the USA. The significance of the expanding global population, natural resource challenges, and responsibilities to current and future generations truly make enhancing soil health a global imperative.

School Agricultural Learning Center for Sustainable Agricultural Learning

Agricultural education based on active learning (learning by doing) is an essential part of the daily school life which may promote the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to the ecological and social dimensions of sustainability. The purpose of this study was to compare the learning achievements and skills in agricultural practices between students who learned through the School Agricultural Learning Center (SALC) and those who learned in the normal classroom. Participants were 150 Thai high school students in grade 12 recruited by purposive sampling. The study included three steps: 1) Investigation of basic data for developing the SALC, 2) Establishment and development of the SALC, and 3) Use of the SALC for learning: Facebook and Line were employed as the channels for knowledge exchange, communication on learning activities holding and activities transfer. A posttest-only control group design was employed. The results revealed that the students who learned through the SALC exhibited significantly (p < 0.01) higher learning achievements and skills in agricultural practices than those who learned in the normal classroom. Our findings suggest that the SALC is pivotal for improving the students’ learning achievements and skills in agriculture and should be promoted to become a natural part of sustainable agriculture education. 

Early detection of arthropod-induced stress in strawberry using innovative remote sensing technology

Event Abstract Back to Event Early detection of arthropod-induced stress in strawberry using innovative remote sensing technology Elvira S. De Lange1* and Christian Nansen1 1 University of California, Davis, United States Innovative imaging technologies are being promoted to automate and optimize crop scouting and detection of emerging pest outbreaks. Due to the large size of farm operations, pest monitoring is time consuming; pests are often detected late, allowing populations to increase. Early, accurate pest detection is key for effective management and control. Spectral imaging, or remote sensing, can be used to indirectly detect pest presence, through stress-induced changes in leaf reflectance (1). However, only a limited number of studies showed that leaf reflectance data could be used to differentiate between stressors (2, 3). We aim to develop a feasible, cost-effective, accurate method for early detection of stress induced by different pests in strawberry, using innovative airborne remote sensing technology. We hypothesized that herbivores with different feeding biology cause significantly different leaf reflectance responses. To address this hypothesis, potted strawberry plants were experimentally infested with three arthropod pests with different feeding modes: two-spotted spider mite, a sucking pest; silverleaf whitefly, a piercing-sucking pest; and beet armyworm, a chewing pest. Control plants remained non-infested. In a greenhouse setting, we acquired data on leaf reflectance over a 14-day period with a novel, greenhouse-suitable setting, containing a hyperspectral camera mounted onto a rail system. Furthermore, in a commercial strawberry field, we acquired data on leaf reflectance using the same hyperspectral camera, mounted on a drone (4). Leaf samples were collected and inspected for arthropod presence or absence. Results showed that in a greenhouse setting, leaf reflectance profiles differed between strawberry plants exposed to feeding by the different arthropod herbivores. In a field setting, leaf reflectance profiles differed between areas in the presence or absence of two-spotted spider mite. These results indicate that reflectance in specific wavelengths can be used to detect early pest infestations in strawberry. Current experiments involve expanded greenhouse trails, aiming to distinguish stress caused by biotic and abiotic stressors in strawberry. Also, we’re performing additional field trials at local strawberry farms. Ultimately, we aim to develop a remote sensing-based decision support tool for improved sustainable pest management on commercial strawberry farms. Acknowledgements We thank Alison Stewart, Machiko Murdock, Robert Starnes, April Van Hise, Keshav Singh, Charissa Tseng, Yasmeen Haider, and Rachel Purington (UC Davis) for technical assistance. We also thank Mark Edsall, Daniel Olivier (California Strawberry Commission) and Hillary Thomas (Naturipe Berry Growers), and the commercial growers who made their fields available. This research is supported by Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (project SW17-060, http://www.westernsare.org/).

Getting the farm to the school: Increasing direct, local procurement in Yolo County schools

Since 2012, the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) has worked with the Yolo County Department of Agriculture to support farm to school activities in Yolo County. In 2015, SAREP partnered with the Yolo County Department of Agriculture to deepen engagement with Yolo County growers and increase direct sales to Yolo County schools. SAREP tracked the volumes and prices of produce purchased by five school districts for the 2014–2015 baseline year and the 2015–2016 school year. Analysis was completed for three school districts for common produce items purchased, increases in in-season purchasing and direct grower versus distributor sales. For these districts, 17 produce items were in the top 10 for at least one of the districts; the five most common were apples, bananas, lettuce, oranges and strawberries, four of which are available locally for some or all of the school year. Districts purchased between 50% and 75% of their produce in season by the end of year two. All districts increased their purchases directly from growers. Findings suggest how services for growers and school food buyers can contribute to more local procurement.

Sustainable Agricultural Extension Education for Oil and Gas Producing Communities in Imo State, Nigeria

Imo State, an Oil producing state in Nigeria is bedeviled with incidences of environmental degradation that caused low food production. Oil and Gas producing communities are restive, resulting to conflicts and kidnaps. Oil and gas multinationals introduced agricultural extension services to educate farmers while Agricultural Development Programmes also embark on same. Smallholder farming system affected extension teaching methods of Private and Public sector extensions. The farmers got confused due to mixed extension education techniques. Objective(s): To: streamline extension education system to enhance farmer participation; Develop synergistic system where Private and Public sector extension interact before educating farmers; Develop indigenous agricultural extension system that would consider peculiarities of Nigerian Niger Delta region. Data were collected through semi structured interviews, focused group discussion, personal observations and questionnaire from randomly selected farmers of both sectors and extension officers. Simple descriptive statistics and Likert-type scale were used. Results showed Public sector extension without focused educational programmes. Extension agents of Public sector capitalized on non-functional system to abandon education for Private sector extension that linked extension to oil and gas production. Results revealed most farmers in oil producing communities taking extension as right and could not account for inputs under REFILS. Subject Matter Specialists became money conscious and leaving farmers’ problems unattended. Agricultural Extension sustainability indices of Acceptability, Functionality, Operability and Durability (AFOD) were developed. There is need for a unified Extension Education curriculum to be developed. Extension Education should be subjected to Sustainability test of AFOD. It therefore concluded that Extension systems should be complementary.

Research topics to scale up cover crop use: Reflections from innovative Iowa farmers

C over crops as a conservation practice continue to receive attention from farmers, researchers, media, and policy makers, given their ability to effectively reduce water pollution and improve soil quality. Recent estimates of cover crop use across the midwestern Corn Belt, as well as the United States, demonstrate large acreage increases over the last number of years. The annual Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education–Conservation Technology Information Center (SARE–CTIC) survey found that nationally cover crop acreage doubled from 2011 to 2016, based on farmers self-reporting cover crop planting (CTIC 2016). However, the total cover crop acreage based on 2012 Census of Agriculture data only represents 3.2% of harvested cropland nationally and just 2.3% of the total cropland in the US Corn Belt (USDA NASS 2014a, 2014b). Cover crops can be a difficult proposition for many farmers in highly productive agricultural regions where priority is given to maximizing crop production and economic returns year to year. The practice is particularly challenging in the upper mid-western portion of the Corn Belt because the climate limits the time to seed and effectively grow another crop following the fall harvests of corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merr.). Farmers frequently report challenges with…

Sociocultural tensions and wicked problems in sustainable agriculture education

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners’ capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

Organic farming and international exchange: participant perceptions of North–South transferability

ABSTRACTInstitutions of higher education and work–study abroad programmes have been instrumental in internationalizing sustainable agriculture education. Informal educational opportunities in the form of internships and apprenticeships have become relatively common features of the organic agriculture landscape in the USA. This research examines an international agricultural exchange programme that effectively combines these two emerging fields of study exploring how exchange participants perceive the transferability of their organic farming experience in the USA, to their home countries in Peru and Ecuador. Learning experiences and host farms vary considerably, with some participants being more optimistic than others about how well organic farming practices on their respective farms could be adopted to their home country contexts. While the cross-border/transnational nature of the exchange programme examined is not unique, the inverse flow of people in the exchange (from South to North) examined in this study allows for a new perspective on the value of agricultural exchanges and the perceived transferability of organic farming ideas and practices. Ultimately, this study suggests that the most valuable elements of international agricultural exchange reside not with the diffusion of agricultural innovations, but with how cross-cultural experiential learning promotes critical reflection on place-appropriate production.

Suggestion On The 2015 Curriculum of the "Sustainable Agricultural Education" in Practical Arts Edicaton

Suggestion On The 2015 Curriculum of the "Sustainable Agricultural Education" in Practical Arts Edicaton

The Error Analysis Approach for the Assessment of Automatic Translation

The Error Analysis Approach has been widely used to improve the learning of foreign languages and to evaluate human translation, but Error Analysis can also be applied to automatic translation, as shown by different scholars (see M. Koponen 2010). This article reports on a European project, called Organic.Lingua, which tries to demonstrate the potential of a multilingual web portal for Sustainable Agricultural & Environmental Education by using a machine translator in order to make available all materials in different languages. The selected texts are taken from the corpus compiled for this project. The source texts are translated into various target languages using computer translation tools. We have chosen some of these texts in English and their translations into Spanish, and have applied a classification of human errors to check whether the errors generated by machines could be avoided if we can ‘teach’ the machines or to what extent they are specific to computer tools or human beings. Some metric systems, such as BLEU (Bilingual Evaluation Understudy), are being employed to evaluate the quality of the target translation. However, our role as philologers is to concentrate on more specific linguistic features. By defining the different types of errors and by trying to establish a scale of gravity, we intend to determine the quality of the automatic translations. After analysing the data, we will propose linguistic measures for improvement that would be implemented by computer experts working on the project.

Perceptions and use of cover crops among early adopters: Findings from a national survey

There is evidence that cover crops can bring both environmental and yield benefits to a farm operation, yet according to the USDA9s Census of Agriculture, in 2012 less than 5% of the nation9s total row crop land was planted to cover crops. In 2014, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) collected data on cover crop use from producers across the United States. Using data from early adopters of the practice, we examine the factors associated with higher percentage of land planted to cover crops and reliance on cost-share assistance. In addition, we provide rare insight into the number of producers discontinuing their use of cover crops and examine whether this group is distinguishable from continuous users. By understanding how producers use and finance cover crops, and identifying those most likely to continue their use, we provide insights into how policymakers and conservation staff can modify their strategies and increase the number of long-term cover crop users. Continuous use among early adopters is associated with a willingness to self-learn and experiment through trial and error, whereas the small number of producers in our sample discontinuing the practice typically operate large farms and perceive adoption to be limited in their area by the increased difficulties and costs cover crops bring to farm management. Promoters of cover crops should attempt to combat these perceptions by showcasing local examples where limitations have successfully been overcome. Despite evidence of concerns over the cost of cover crops, many current users are continuing to expand their cover crop land without the use of cost-share funding.

Banana Farmers’ Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices in the Vietnam Uplands: The Case of Quang Tri Province

This study evaluated factors influencing banana farmer's adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in the uplands of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. Stratified sample technique was used to randomly select 300 respondents from two upland districts of the province with an aid of the structured questionnaire. The study found 65% of the SAPs were not adopted or adopted in a low rate; whereas, 35% of others had a high adoption rate. Moreover, the study ascertained that sustainable agricultural perception, economic status, extension courses, education and feasibility of practices were effective factors on banana farmers’ SAPs.

Higher education and sustainability in Thailand: a review of National Research University roles in sustainable agriculture education

AbstractThe agricultural sector has played a significant role in Thailand's national economy and is a major source of income for many Thais. Yet globally, and for much of South East Asia, agriculture is one of the greatest contributors to environmental problems. At the same time there have been many debates about Thailand's unsustainable agricultural system and the role of education in addressing such concerns.To illustrate broader issues and challenges this paper analyses related themes at an institutional level, while examining specific policies and concerns about sustainability among Thailand's nine government‐designated National Research Universities (NRUs). This paper reviews courses and programmes in sustainable agriculture (SA) offered by each NRU, research funding and budget allocations intended to contribute to sustainability and environmental awareness.Also, this study employs SWOT analysis to demonstrate strengths and weaknesses of sustainability and education in Thai NRUs. The results of this study suggest that national education plans and policies on SA learning and research to support NRUs seem unclear and there is still a lack of comprehensive SA courses and programmes with solid support from most Thai universities and the government. This paper is a first step to systematically document and explain the state of higher education about and for sustainable agriculture reflected in policies and practices of Thai universities and their implications for national development.

Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Agricultural Education in the Philippines and in the ASEAN Region

Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Agricultural Education in the Philippines and in the ASEAN Region

Students Creating Curriculum Change: Sustainable Agriculture and Social Justice

As the sustainable agriculture movement in the U.S. evolves, it faces the challenges of integration and inclusivity. Including social justice questions within sustainable agriculture education facilitates broader discussions about inequality and who benefits from this education and its practice. In this article, we present a case study in which we share our process and lessons learned from our student-led effort to integrate social justice work within the sustainable agriculture graduate curriculum at a Midwest public land-grant university. We analyze different sources and data to discuss: <em>a)</em> how students’ efforts can lead to curriculum development, change, and implementation; <em>b) </em>how integrating social justice within sustainable agriculture curricula can fulfill existing gaps in content and pedagogy; and <em>c)</em> professional and personal lessons learned from this process. Conclusions and recommendations center on how programs undergoing or considering embarking on similar endeavors can learn from our efforts.