Views Of Farmers Research Articles

Should cows graze? A relational approach to understanding farmer perspectives on the ethics of grazing and indoor dairy systems

AbstractIn the United Kingdom, around 20% of dairy farms house cows all year round. Research suggests that farmers value animal health and comfort over the expression of natural behaviour through grazing. The concept of natural behaviour is notoriously complex, however. The article reframes the topic of grazing through a relational approach to understand farmer views on the practice in Great Britain, using qualitative interviews. The article also considers critiques of the relational approach. In this study, participants were reluctant to see a distinction between farms that graze and those that do not in terms of animal welfare, but they also valued the positive affective experience of grazing their cows on their own farm. The article argues that the latter account is not adequately included in debates about grazing. What this account excludes is the situated nature and limitations of relationships on farm even when cows graze.

Qualitative Analysis Following the Delivery of a Farmer Lifestyle Program

ABSTRACT Background Irish farmers are adversely affected by noncommunicable diseases. Although there has been an increase in farmer health promotion activities in Ireland, farmers views on lifestyle programs are currently unknown. Objectives To qualitatively analyze the impact of the previously mentioned 6-week physical activity and health education intervention on farmer health and to investigate how best to support this cohort moving forward. Methods A qualitative study was conducted online (two interviews, three focus groups) with fourteen Irish farmers (53.5 ± 6.5 years) who completed the 6-week program in December 2019. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. Results The main themes that emerged from this study were barriers, facilitators, and recommendations for lifestyle programs aimed to improve farmer health. Additional views on health and lifestyle behaviors were mentioned. Time of year was reported as the main barrier for farmers to engage in lifestyle programs. The key facilitators reported by farmers were the social health benefits obtained from the program and the farmer-specific nature of the program. Farmers suggested that physical activity and health education programs that are farmer-specific, delivered locally and catering for all fitness abilities should be more widely available to them. Although some farmers reported that they maintained the lifestyle behaviors they established during the initial 6-week program, follow-up supports are needed to encourage sustainable behavior change. Conclusions Interventions that are farmer-specific, community-based, and feasible within the context of available resources may be effective in improving farmer health. Working in partnership with organizations that support farmers has the potential to improve farmer health.

KETERAMPILAN PETANI DALAM PENGENDALIAN HAMA TERPADU DI DESA GUNUNG BATU, KABUPATEN OKU TIMUR

While the importance of biological control for crop production is widely recognized, research on how farmers view predatory insects in eradicating pests on agricultural land is still rare. Although there is much ecological research on predatory beetles as part of biological control, little social research has been conducted on the critical level of understanding of biological control and the organisms involved. This research examines farmers' understanding of using predatory beetles as a biological control concept on agricultural land in Gunung Batu Village, East OKU Regency. Therefore, this research aims to see how farmers' skills are in managing integrated pest control using predatory Coleoptera beetles in managing rice cultivation. The research results show that farmers still use predatory beetles as part of controlling pest populations on agricultural land. Farmers consider predatory beetles to prevent pest outbreaks that can harm quality rice production. So, farmers can build a network of farmers so they can learn from each other and share local knowledge. Apart from that, the results obtained from integrated pest control, farmers can experience positive results and can positively influence farmers' perceptions of natural enemies of agricultural pests. Keywords: Agricultural pests, Coleoptera beetles, biological control, predators

Comprehending farmer's views on climate change and agricultural/livestock adaptation in Halavarthi Village, Koppala District, Karnataka: a case study

This study conducted in Halavarthi village, Karnataka, delves into the intricate impact of climate change on the community's livelihoods. Over two decades, the semi-arid region has witnessed erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and droughts, with profound consequences for agriculture, livestock and overall food security. The farmers in this area have grappled with numerous challenges, including water scarcity, diminishing water quality, crop losses, increased pest and disease outbreaks and the migration of plant species to new locations. These changes have also led to a weakened immunity in humans and a surge in diseases among both people and livestock. While the farmers have initiated some climate change adaptation measures, like crop rotation and intensifying the use of agricultural inputs, there remains a substantial gap in knowledge and awareness regarding climate change mitigation. This research underscores the pressing need to address the extensive repercussions of climate change on agriculture, food security and human health. It highlights the importance of developing comprehensive strategies to enhance the resilience of farming communities such as Halavarthi in the face of an evolving climate.

The future of agriculture and agricultural policy: perceptions of non-farmers and farmers

We examined the views of Finnish non-farmers and farmers on the desirable future developments of agriculture and agricultural policy using principal component and cluster analysis by focusing on three key themes: the structure of agricultural production, agri-environmental issues, and the funding of agriculture. There is strong public support for maintaining the viability of domestic agriculture through government intervention, but views differ on allocation of agricultural support and how agricultural production should be developed. A significant number of respondents supported the idea that climate and other environmental issues should be better considered in agricultural policy. However, about half of the respondents accepted environmental damage caused by agriculture and one-fifth perceived the importance of agriculture in a society as declining. These views, not prominent in the public debate, emphasize the importance of regular investigation of citizen opinions for including all the relevant stands in policy discussion to design legitimate policy measures.

From the farmers' point of view, how threatening and harmful are natural hazards? A Q methodology

Droughts, floods, and dust storms have increased the vulnerability of farm families in developing countries. Well-timed and effective interventions could reduce vulnerability to natural hazards. However, the adoption of adaptive strategies is significantly influenced by the farmers' viewpoints about the causes and effects of natural hazards and their perceived capacity to deal with these crises. This study employed the Q methodology to investigate farmers' viewpoints on vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards in the Sistan Plain, Iran. The Q-sort procedure was conducted with the participation of 29 farmers, and the qmethod package in R software was used to analyze the Q-factor. The results revealed four types of perceptions regarding vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards: passive-oriented, pragmatic activists, consequentialists, and change-averse. Different viewpoints demonstrate that farmers have divergent opinions regarding vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards. Identifying these viewpoints can provide useful information for policymaking and the scaling up of specific adaptive strategies for each group, which can eventually enhance farmers’ resilience to natural disasters.

Fertilizer management practices in potato cultivation: a baseline study for the introduction of GE potato in Bangladesh.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops have the potential to contribute to agricultural sustainability, food security, and nutritional enrichment. However, these crops cannot be released for commercial cultivation without undergoing environmental risk assessments (ERA), thus biosafety evaluation. ERA assessments are performed comparatively with their natural non-GE counterparts. As Bangladesh is progressing with GE potato research, the present study aims to collect baseline information on non-GE potato cultivation with an emphasis on current agronomic practices focusing on fertilizer management and farmers' knowledge base. The survey had three parts, including information on the farmers, information on potato cultivation practices, especially fertilizer use, and lastly, the farmer's view on GE potato. From 2020 to 2021, data were collected through interviews with experienced growers in four potato-growing regions, the Central and Mid-East, North-West, Mid-West, and South-East regions (n = 1757) of the country. The study revealed that farmers of all regions used more than the recommended amounts of fertilizer; for instance, 67.1% more nitrogen fertilizer was applied as an extra dose during potato cultivation in Munshiganj (Central and Mid-East) than in the Dinajpur region (North-West). This overuse of nitrogen fertilizer can enhance plant vigor but makes the plants more susceptible to insect attraction and allows pests easier access to the plants. As a result, the excess dose of nitrogen fertilizer in Munshiganj may act as a catalyst to increase the probability of late blight. The findings also showed that 73.6% of farmers observed unexpected flowering in certain potato cultivars, which corresponded to the higher application of phosphate and potassium fertilizers aimed at late blight control. Furthermore, this study reported infestations of Solanaceous weeds, specifically Solanum torvum and Physalis heterophylla, in potato fields. Finally, our findings demonstrated that more than 68.7% of the potato growers intend to adopt disease-resistant GE potato as that may reduce the need for excess fertilizer use and thus reduce cultivation costs.

Investigation and recording of livestock waste for the creation of biogas plant

In this paper, the research focuses on the recording of livestock waste and the investigation of the views of cattle, sheep and goat farmers of the Municipality of Amyntaio (Region of Western Macedonia in Greece) regarding renewable energy sources and more specifically biogas plants which can contribute to waste management. In order to achieve the research goal, a quantitative survey was carried out on a sample of 38 livestock farmers, which showed that the farmers are not negative towards the prospect of creating a biogas plant in their area, but they do not have sufficient knowledge about it, thus requiring training in the area.

The application of biosecurity practices for preventing avian influenza in North-Eastern Italy turkey farms: An analysis of the point of view and perception of farmers

IntroductionItalian and international outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), particularly in densely populated poultry areas (DPPAs), have increased over the past few decades. These emerging risks, which endanger both human and animal health and the entire poultry industry, can be effectively limited by biosecurity measures implemented at human-animal food chain interfaces. Some problems, however, persist in the application of these measures on the part of poultry farmers, prompting the need to explore those aspects and causes that limit their implementation. Material and methodsA qualitative approach was selected for the study and a semi-structured interview technique was applied to collect data among turkey farmers (n = 29) working in the north-east of Italy. The aim of this technique was to gather data on farms in order to understand the biosecurity practices adopted and the reasons for and impediments to farmer implementation, or lack thereof. This article presents and discusses the main data collected. ResultsThe study revealed that farmers were familiar with the biosecurity measures necessary to contain avian influenza (AI) and other poultry diseases; personal disinfection and animal isolation practices were particularly prominent. Based on the reported procedures, managerial, economic, and psychosocial factors were among the barriers behind the failure to implement biosecurity measures. These obstacles were variously intertwined and associated with the different action settings. In particular management factors, such as lack of time to apply the rules and difficulties contingent on the farm’s structural characteristics, mediate the application of biosecurity measures. In terms of communication channels, the company, particularly its technicians, proved to be the primary source of information for farmers in case of emergencies, as well as the primary source of information on the application of biosecurity measures. However, other sources of information were indicated, such as word of mouth among farmers or other non-institutional figures (relatives and acquaintances). ConclusionsWhat emerged, was the need to improve not only the biosecurity management skills, but also to implement forms of cooperation among the various key stakeholders in the poultry sector. The information presented in this pilot study needs to be discussed among competent authorities, public and company veterinarians, company technicians, and farmers. Furthermore, this information will help in participatory co-planning of risk prevention and communication strategies to implement a long-term, sustainable, effective approach to address future epidemic emergencies.

Environmental Sustainability Aspects in Short Food Supply Chains: the Views of Organic Farmers and Consumers

Abstract Globally, food systems are the most significant cause of environmental change; therefore, efforts to create more environmentally sustainable food systems are presented. One of the directions is strengthening the local actors and short food supply chains. Simultaneously, changes in farming systems are needed, and organic agriculture is one of the ways to make food systems more environmentally sustainable. Despite the abundance of research on the environmental consciousness of consumers in short food supply chains, the question is raised whether local food chain farmers are also committed to environmental sustainability. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the importance of environmental sustainability to organic short food supply chain actors. More specifically, the research depicts the views of organic farmers and consumers and their relation to the actual environmental sustainability of short food supply chains. During the research, a specific short food supply chain – a direct purchasing network – was explored. A qualitative approach was applied to reach the aim. Thus, in-depth interviews and observations were used as a research method. The research results demonstrated the views of farmers and consumers of the specific network regarding environmental sustainability aspects in the network. In the research, such environmental aspects as the circularity of resources, biodiversity, chemicals in the environment, seasonality and locality of diets, and the distance (food miles) were admitted as crucial ones by the specific short food supply chain actors. The differences in opinions of consumers and farmers emerged when thinking about the scale of their views.

Inter-firm relations and resource-based performance: a contingent relational view of small-scale farmers in Zambia

PurposeEffective and flexible organizational models have become an avenue for driving smallholder competitiveness in the agricultural sector. However, little is understood about the processes by which resource-constrained actors deploy their organizational networks to generate and retain value in rapidly changing agrifood environments. This study examines the moderating effects of business contingencies on the interplay between organizational relationships and the resource-based performance of small-scale farmers in a developing country.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a novel conceptual framework grounded in the relational view, netchain and contingency theories. Cross-sectional data obtained from 330 maize farmers in rural Zambia were analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling, which involves mediation-moderation analysis.FindingsThe results show that all relational networks – vertical, horizontal and lateral – positively mediate the effects farm resources and social capital have on farmers' performance. However, these effects change depending on the predominant agency situations. Specifically, asymmetric power from customers and reputable competitors weakens the positive effect of closer horizontal relationships on business performance, while the positive effect of tighter informal vertical relationships on farmers' performance weakens under conditions of high affective trust. Moreover, the gender-based multigroup analyses highlight variations in the contingent relational view of men- and women-headed households.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on cross-sectional data from one agribusiness sector in Zambia, thus generalizations should be cautious.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of this study lies in the proposed theoretical framework and new empirical insights, which extend the scope of the relational view to small-scale farming households in developing countries.

EXPLORING THE PRAXES OF INDIGENOUS AND EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON PEASANT FARMERS IN GHANA

The global concern that Africa’s strong economic dependency on climate-related activities makes it vulnerable is troubling as the continent is lagging in embracing scientific techniques for adapting to the changing global environment. However, challenges exist where the application of ‘modern scientific’ knowledge to addressing climate change appears to disregard resilient ‘indigenous knowledge systems.’ This study situates the praxes and experiences of peasant farmers in Ghana to explore the indigenous knowledge systems they use to navigate climate change’s impact on their livelihoods. The study adopts the theoretical framework of Bruchac’s ‘indigenous knowledge theory’ in unpacking the socio-cultural ways peasant farmers in Ghana create unique ways of ‘knowing’ and understanding climate change. Utilising Focus Group Discussion and interviews, the views of peasant farmers on climate change and its impact on their livelihood were explored. The study found that the transferability of indigenous knowledge passed down to participants by their ancestors has shaped their ontological reality of changing climate patterns and its impact on their livelihoods. However, challenges exist in contemporary times in applying this knowledge to their farming practices. The study pushes for synthesising indigenous knowledge systems with modern scientific knowledge systems for institutional and behavioural change regarding climate change in Ghana.

Attitudes of western Canadian dairy farmers toward technology

Dairy farms have become more reliant on technology. The overall aim of this study was to better understand how dairy farmers view technology and its effects on animal care, including their views on the prospect of integrating gene editing technology in the future. Virtual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with dairy farmers (n = 11) from British Columbia and Alberta. To facilitate discussion, the participants were asked to develop and discuss a timeline describing when and why various technologies were adopted on their farm. While farmers defined technology broadly and affecting multiple aspects of farm management, this paper focuses on their views regarding how technology can affect animal care. Following thematic analysis of the data, the following 3 themes emerged: 1) the changing role of the farmer (including intergenerational considerations and learning new technology), 2) the impact of technology on the cow and her relationship with the farmer and, 3) technology as the future of the farm. The discussions also highlight the concerns that some farmers have regarding challenges associated with reduced human-animal interactions and effective use of the large amounts of data that are collected through technology. We also specifically asked the participants their views about gene editing as a potential future technology. Most of the participants did not specifically address their views on gene editing but spoke about on the impact genetic technologies more generally, often making reference to genomic testing. However, some questioned how this technology may impact farmers more generally and spoke about how it could impact human-animal relationships. These results illustrate differences among farmers in the way they view technology and how this can affect the dairy cattle they care for.

Farmers' preferences for breeding goal traits and selection indexes for Slovenian dairy cattle

The aim of the study was to determine the role played by farmers' sociodemographic factors in the characteristics of dairy farmers' breeding goals and how they are clustered in Slovenia. Understanding how farmers formulate their breeding objectives is crucial because their perspectives may diverge from those of the stakeholders engaged in selection and breeding. Involving farmers in the process of setting breeding goals can improve the use of selection tools and confidence in the selection process. For a more complete picture of how farmers view breeding work, their expectations, and the changes they would prefer to see in the future in terms of new traits and a total merit index, a mixed methods approach was used. Initially, 3 focus groups with 30 participants were conducted on the following main topics: farmers' needs and attitudes regarding genomic selection, the main barriers and advantages to adopting genomic selection, the design of a total merit index, and preferences for breeding goals. To generalize the results to the whole population, an additional online questionnaire was sent to dairy farmers affiliated with Slovenian breeding associations, with 212 farmers responding. Based on how the farmers distributed weights across the trait categories in the total merit index, a cluster analysis identifies 3 distinct groups of farmers. Milk production proved to be an important common factor for all farmers, especially production-focused ones. Functionality-focused farmers expressed the strongest preference for fertility (22%), longevity (18%), and animal health (18%), whereas resilience-focused farmers concentrated on fertility (13%), health (13%), longevity (11%), and workability (11%). Yet, the results also showed that dairy farmers hold quite similar preferences for breeding goal traits, with animal health and welfare, reproductive traits, dominating across the sample and environmental and meat traits being the least important. The quantitative analysis of the preference for new environmental traits showed that farmers express less importance to them due to pressure and negative public opinion about the environmental impact of dairy farming. The focus group participants, although acknowledging that adaptation to climate change and heat stress will be essential, were even more negative about traits related to greenhouse gas emissions, which can be attributed to negative public opinion and constraints on agricultural activity.

Understanding farmer views of precision agriculture profitability in the U.S. Midwest

Precision Agriculture (PA) technologies are well known to be useful in addressing field heterogeneities and enabling informed site-specific management decisions. While profitability is the foremost factor considered by farmers when making PA adoption decisions, information in this regard is lacking from the farmers' perspective. This paper analyzed 1119 farmer responses from a 2021 survey conducted in four states along the western margins of the U.S. Midwest. Our findings show that while most (around 60%) non-adopters indicate that they are unaware of PA profit change, adopters are likely to rate a major profit increase. About two thirds of adopters rated at least a 5% increase in profitability towards variable rate (VR) fertilizer application (72%), VR seed application (68%), and automatic section control (66%). We modeled farmers' profit change subsequent to PA adoptions. Our regression results demonstrate that the profits from PA usage increase over time and that use of conservation practices likely influences PA profitability in a positive way. As soil quality and weather factors also affect profit ratings, it would be beneficial to compare and demonstrate profitability potential of various PA technologies on a regional basis and tailor the promotion efforts to farmers most likely to benefit from them.

Dimensi Sociopreneurship pada Usaha Agribisnis Wijaya Vegetables di Desa Baturiti Kecamatan Baturiti Kabupaten Tabanan

Dimensions of Sociopreneurship in Wijaya Vegetables Agribusiness Business in Baturiti Village, Baturiti District, Tabanan Regency
 The uncertain market coupled with the view of dirty farmers among the millennial generation makes work as a farmer even more forgotten. So it is important to increase the interest of the younger generation in the agricultural sector, one of which is by entrepreneurship in the sociopreneurship nuanced agriculture. Wijaya Vegetables is located in Baturiti District, Tabanan Regency, Bali Province. Data collection methods used are interview techniques and direct observation. This business model becomes a 'marketer' so that fair trade occurs between farmers and consumers so that they are able to break the long market chain. Farmers' harvests will be marketed directly to consumers with a profit allocation of 25% for business expansion plans, 30% for social programs and 45% for three HR management. In the social aspect, Wijaya Vegetables has carried out the sociopreneurship dimension starting from social value in the form of providing markets to farmers from upstream to downstream, while for civil society in the form of giving donations to the surrounding community. In innovation, this business makes short, medium and long term innovations. Finally, on economic activity, Wijaya Vegetables creates economic activities that have a positive impact on farmers sales.

Livestock Farmers’ Attitudes towards Alternative Proteins

New food technologies such as cultured meat, precision fermentation, and plant-based alternatives may one day supplant traditional modes of animal farming. Nonetheless, very little is known about how traditional animal farmers perceive these new products, despite being directly impacted by their advance. The present study explored the views of livestock farmers regarding emerging protein alternatives. We used a comparison group of omnivorous non-farmers as a frame of reference. Forty-five UK-based livestock farmers and fifty-three non-farmers read an informative vignette about emerging food technologies that reviewed their advantages vis-à-vis intensive animal agriculture. Afterwards, participants rated four products (plant-based burgers; plant-based milk alternatives; cultured beef; animal-free dairy milk) in terms of their personal appeal and how much they represented a positive change to the market. Participants furthermore voiced their agreement or disagreement towards 26 statements representing potential facilitators or barriers to product acceptance. Overall, farmers rated the four products less appealing and less beneficial to the industry compared to non-farmers. Positive change ratings tended to be higher than personal appeal ratings for all products. Both groups tended to agree that the alternatives offered advantages, particularly for the environment, resource use, food security, and animal treatment, though agreement rates were lower for farmers. Farmers tended to perceive more barriers to acceptance than non-farmers, with ‘threat to farmers’ and ‘lack of support to local farmers’ of paramount concern to both groups. These findings highlight how farmers’ attitudes towards alternative proteins are mixed and, ultimately, shaped by the perceived vulnerability of farming communities.

Introduction

Introduction

How far are green products from the Chinese dinner table? ——Chinese farmers’ acceptance of green planting technology

In the global practice of sustainable agricultural development, China has put forward a plan for agricultural green development, with strict control from the production side to ensure the safety and health of green products “from farming land to dinner table” through strict control from the production side, and green planting is one of the key technologies. Green planting technology (GPT) is an important initiative in China to achieve sustainable agriculture under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Farmers' acceptance of this technology not only requires national publicity and promotion, but also the adoption of agricultural entities across the country. In this study, we widely distributed questionnaires to farmers in 26 provinces and cities, and received 970 valid responses. This paper uses structural equation model (SEM), a multivariate statistical analysis method, to analyze the influencing factors of farmers' intention to adopt GPT. These results demonstrated that the farmers first consider their own behavioral competences and personal gains and losses before deciding to adopt GPT, followed by the impact of people closely related to farming, while environmental concerns and environmental values rank last. Agricultural technology extension plays an intermediary role in farmers’ behavioral intention, and government support acts as a safeguard. The findings will not only help to grasp the reasons behind ineffective promotion of GPT to improve the dissemination and adoption of GPT, but also enable government agencies and authorities to better understand the views of farmers, and subsequently formulate feasible policies and plans.

The Impact of Standardization of Livestock Products on the Economy of Farmers and the Local Economy

Abstract There is a strong link between agriculture and the economy. Smallholder farmers are the foundation of the livestock sector and an essential element in building and developing the local dairy value chain, critical to the development of its local economy. Economic growth is necessary for poverty reduction. The main objective of the study is to know the impact of livestock production on the regional economy of Gjirokastra. The result of the study identifies employment generation and income generation as the major benefit of standardized livestock production. The study hereby recommends that the government should take standardized livestock production as one of the major factors contributing to the economy and also put some policies in place in order to encourage farmers to collaborate in this regard. In Gjirokastra, and despite the efforts made since the transition from the communist regime until now, farmers still face many problems that prevent them from participating effectively in the development of the milk value chain. This research study refers to the views of small farmers in the Gjirokastra region about the milk production sector and the problems faced by these farmers. This study also investigates the effect of several factors (ethical factors, tradition, animal welfare, cultural factors, etc.) on the milk value chain. Convergence model was used in mixed method triangular design as a methodology for this research study. As part of the social data, 34 farmers who produce and sell milk and cheese in the Gjirokastra District were interviewed. The results showed the influence of ethical, cultural and traditional factors on the development of the value chain. The results also showed the problems and difficulties faced by small farmers in rural areas, on the one hand, and the gap between these farmers and government and private organizations on the other.