ABSTRACT
PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to determine the profile of dairy product consumers in the organic market.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on a survey questionnaire developed by the author and administered to a total of 1,108 respondents. The statistical analysis (including descriptive statistics, the analysis of the discriminative function and the Chi2 test was performed with the use of Statistica 13.1 PL. The respondents' gender was the factor behind the differences in how they behaved.FindingsThe consumers indicated the channels they rely upon to find information on organic dairy products;in addition to trusting the opinions of their family members and experts, they also use web platforms. Further, they specified their preferred locations for buying favorite products during the pandemic: specialized organic food shops, large distribution chains and online stores.Practical implicationsThese outcomes will help in identifying target consumer segments and information channels for specific information and advertising messages. They also form an important resource for developing some potential strategies which the supply chain stakeholders could implement to promote organic consumption of dairy products.Originality/valueThis study identifies consumers' preferred dairy products;motives for purchasing organic dairy products;barriers that consumers believe exist in the market;sources of knowledge about products purchased by consumers;and consumers' preferred channels for purchasing organic dairy products. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study of dairy product consumers in the organic market in Poland.
ABSTRACT
Aquaculture production in Bulgaria has increased over the last decade, reaching 16 442 tonnes in 2019. Fish production has doubled in comparison with 2007, while that of mussels has increased tenfold. The Bulgarian contribution to EU aquaculture production has been increasing significantly in both volume and value over the years, making up 1.15% of the volume and 1.0% of the value of EU production in 2019. Freshwater aquaculture accounts for 78% of total production. Common carp dominates with about 29.4% (4836 t), followed by rainbow trout with 29.2% (4820 t) in 2019. The cultivation of sturgeon species and caviar production are among the most dynamically developing aquaculture segments. Mariculture in the Black Sea has increased in recent years, with the production of Mediterranean mussel reaching 2932 tonnes in 2019. An average of 405 farms operated during the period 2010-2019. Four regions (Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas and Montana) account for 50% of the total fish production. Pond aquaculture is the dominant technology used in Bulgaria, and it serves as the basis for numerous other activities, including management of fish stocks in various water bodies mainly for recreational fishing. Approximately 35 net-cage farms currently operate in bigger dams. Recirculating fish farms output made up only 0.15% of the total amount of aquaculture for the period 2010-2019. The aquaculture sector exhibited difficulties in recovering from the financial crisis of 2007-2008, manifested by a slow growth for the period 2010-2014. From 2015 to 2019 there has been a significant growth, manifested in a sharp increase of total revenue and profitability, especially among the larger enterprises in the sector, as well as an increase in the number of employees, and the labour productivity. As a result, in 2019 the registered total revenue per enterprise and total revenue per employee were more than double the respective figures for 2010. The profits of larger enterprises increased more than three times on average, but smaller entities, micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees, operated at the border line between profit and loss. The COVID-19 crisis could have lasting consequences. Despite EUR 1.2 million direct payments in the sector in 2020, there has been a significant drop in the export of aquaculture products. Consumption of fish and other aquaculture products remains low compared to those in the other EU countries.
ABSTRACT
Sustainable agriculture is the backbone of food security systems and a driver of human well-being in global economic development (Sustainable Development Goal SDG 3). With the increase in world population and the effects of climate change due to the industrialization of economies, food security systems are under pressure to sustain communities. This situation calls for the implementation of innovative solutions to increase and sustain efficacy from farm to table. Agricultural social networks (ASNs) are central in agriculture value chain (AVC) management and sustainability and consist of a complex network inclusive of interdependent actors such as farmers, distributors, processors, and retailers. Hence, social network structures (SNSs) and practices are a means to contextualize user scenarios in agricultural value chain digitalization and digital solutions development. Therefore, this research aimed to unearth the roles of agricultural social networks in AVC digitalization, enabling an inclusive digital economy. We conducted automated literature content analysis followed by the application of case studies to develop a conceptual framework for the digitalization of the AVC toward an inclusive digital economy. Furthermore, we propose a transdisciplinary framework that guides the digitalization systematization of the AVC, while articulating resilience principles that aim to attain sustainability. The outcomes of this study offer software developers, agricultural stakeholders, and policymakers a platform to gain an understanding of technological infrastructure capabilities toward sustaining communities through digitalized AVCs.
ABSTRACT
Until recent decades, labour-intensive subsistence farming was a way of life and livelihood in the hill communities of Uttarakhand, India. However, the nature of agriculture falls far short of the expectations of the main labour force, the rural youth, leading to their mass migration to non-agricultural occupations. The large-scale youth migration has left many hill farming landscapes depopulated and farmlands abandoned. As youth have special stakes in food systems, they must be included in the sustainable transformation of food systems. By doing so, the migration-prone hill region may be transformed into a place where rural youth have more options for work and income. Therefore, the agriculture sector needs to change and develop into a more engaging and youthful workplace. There are opportunities to explore and barriers to be removed. Besides identifying priority research areas on local food systems, in this exploratory research, we investigate opportunities to involve rural young people in the transformation of the food system. We document information by conducting focus group discussion (FGD) meetings in about 100 villages in the Uttarakhand hills, representing all major farming landscapes. This study mainly focuses on improving the production and consumption aspects of local food, which not only benefits the health and wellbeing of local communities but also has many positive economic, social, and environmental effects. In addition, we explore opportunities for reviving mountain agriculture through agri-ecotourism, which is a symbiotic relationship between tourism and agriculture. Making home- or farm stays in agri-ecotourism a subsistence strategy for local youth will contribute to a more prosperous rural economy. Recognising Uttarakhand's rich culture and heritage while exploring the culinary travel opportunities in homestays will provide opportunities to focus more on traditional food systems, exposing various tangible and intangible aspects of the host region's food culture to tourists. The findings of this study will aid in identifying specific policy issues for consideration by planners and policymakers at the local and state levels. Additionally, this exploratory study will assist young, motivated researchers in conducting follow-up, in-depth investigations and producing empirical data in their specialised fields.
ABSTRACT
32 milhões de brasileiros sofriam com a fome na década de 1990. Para dirimir este problema a implantação de políticas públicas de fomento à agricultura familiar no País foi uma das ações mais eficazes. Desde 2015, os recursos destinados a tais políticas reduziram drasticamente, gerando descontinuidade no fornecimento de alimentos a entidades e usuárias(os) dos programas, perdas na renda de agricultoras(es) e insegurança alimentar, situações agravadas com a pandemia de Covid-19. Partindo dos conceitos de segurança alimentar, agricultura familiar e políticas públicas, este artigo objetiva compreender os rebatimentos do desinvestimento das políticas públicas e da pandemia no cotidiano de agricultoras(es) familiares de Barbalha-CE. Prosseguiu-se com o exame de documentos públicos, entrevistas, observações e conversas no cotidiano com agricultoras(es), cujos dados foram compreendidos a partir da análise de práticas discursivas. Os resultados assinalam dificuldades das(os) trabalhadoras(es) em acessar serviços públicos, produzir, comercializar e garantir a segurança alimentar de suas famílias.Alternate :32 million Brazilians suffered from hunger in the 1990s. To solve this problem, the implementation of public policies to promote family farming in the country was one of the most effective actions. Since 2015, the resources allocated to such policies have drastically reduced, generating discontinuity in the supply of food to entities and users of the programs, losses in the income of farmers and food insecurity, situations aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the concepts of food security, family farming and public policies, this article aims to understand the repercussions of the divestment of public policies and the pandemic in the daily lives of family farmers in Barbalha-CE. We continued with the examination of public documents, interviews, observations and daily conversations with female farmers, whose data were understood from the analysis of discursive practices. The results point out the difficulties of the workers in accessing public services, producing, marketing and guaranteeing the food security of their families.
ABSTRACT
The cause of rural changes, in terms of demographic, technological developments, climate changes, and the Covid-19 pandemic potential to cause vulnerabilities, especially for women as individuals in household members. These must be responded with livelihood resilience by involving the women's role to contribute in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. This study aims to (1) describe the vulnerabilities of farmers' households and (2) analyze women's role in household resilience through the use of livelihood assets during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research was conducted in Gubugklakah village, Malang regency as a tourist village affected by the closure of TNBTS tourist visits due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This research used the simple random sampling technique, with total sample of 64 women farmers. Data were analyzed using WarpPLS software. The results showed that farmers' households experienced several vulnerabilities by that the households' livelihood assets: natural, physic, human, social and financial capital can be optimized to achieve a degree of resilience. The women's role in resilience efforts is as the core of the household, because all financial cycles involve housewives' role, such as reducing consumption expenditures, selling jewelry assets, taking savings, involving in farm worker, and others.
ABSTRACT
The US military, intelligence, and diplomatic communities have overlooked a key vulnerability in their assessment of a potential military conflict between China and Taiwan- Taiwan's growing reliance on agricultural imports and its food stocks (except for rice) that could endure trade disruptions for only six months. This article assesses Taiwan's agricultural sector and its ability to feed the country's population if food imports and production are disrupted;identifies the food products that should be prioritized in resupply operations, based on Taiwan's nutritional needs and domestic food production;and outlines the required logistical assets. These findings underscore the urgency for US military planners to develop long-term logistical solutions for this complex strategic issue.
ABSTRACT
Climate change is one of the cores of the herders' movement in Nigeria. Some other variable is the classification of the Fulanis as indigenous peoples that have no specific abode of their own;they roam around looking for water and foliage for their animals. During the dry season, they move towards the southern part of Nigeria where they would find foliage and water for their animals because of their status under international law. A notion that in a bid to look for food for their animals, these herders sometimes feed their animals with grown corn, cassava, millet, sweet potato and even yam of the sedentary farmers. One of the geneses of food insecurity in many communities of the southern part of Nigeria. Food availability, affordability and accessibility in the country was compromised in 2020 due to these challenges by the urban dwellers which was compromised due to the activities of mobile herders. With general lockdown in Nigeria, many farmers were unable to go to farm while the Fulanis who were hardly affected by lockdown had their field-days in feeding their animals on crops planted by small scale farmers, the only source of food security in the country. The core of this paper is to interrogate Fulanis mobility as indigenous peoples based on relevant international law and its impact on small-scale farmers' sources of income and food availability for the teeming population of Nigeria. We contextualised this based on the COVID-19 pandemic that restricts the movement of people between March and December 2020. We conclude that the rights of the indigenous peoples at the domestic level need further interrogation to create an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence through aversion of herders-farmers clashes that envelope southern Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Gedryf deur die totale koste van eienaarskap, handel en tegnologiemededinging tussen die Verenigde State van Amerika en China, en die COVID-19-pandemie, ondergaan wereldwye voorsieningskettings 'n groot herstrukturering wat binnekort die besigheid en ekonomie oor die hele wereld sal transformeer. Onlangs het voorsieningskettings met end-totend-integrasie vir premium landbouvoedselprodukte as 'n nuwe sakemodel na vore gekom. Hierdie artikel ondersoek hoe hulle moet funksioneer, en identifiseer die voorsieningskettingstruktuur / - produksie / - besigheids toestande wat nodig is vir hul ontwikkeling. Ons bestudeer 'n premium voorsieningsketting wat bestaan uit baie klein plase wat piesangs van topgehalte produseer, een integreerfirma en duisende kleinhandelwinkels. Ons gebruik industrie- en besigheidsdata om 'n meervoudige roete-vloei-gebaseerde model te kalibreer van plase tot integreerder tot kleinhandelaars/markte. Ons gebruik dan sensitiwiteitsanalise om die belanghebbendes se besluitgedrag te analiseer, en identifiseer en bespreek drie hoofbesluitkwessies: kontrakboerdery, kapasiteitstrategie en besigheidsrobuustheid. Vir kontrakspesifikasie is kontraktering op prys, eerder as hoeveelheid, bevorderlik om die belange van die belanghebbendes te koördineer. Vir die kapasiteitstrategie moet die integreerder rou produkte van baie klein plase verkry eerder as minder groot plase. Vir besigheid se robuustheid kan die integreerder steeds robuuste winste verseker deur sy produkaanbod te reguleer wanneer nuwe mededingers ontstaan of vraag verander. Hierdie resultate word onder verskeie scenario's getoets om die impak van insetparameters of voorsieningskettingstruktuur te bepaal, en word geverifieer met 'n bedryfspraktisyn wat ondervinding het met veelvuldige premium agri-voedselprodukte. Die resultate, tesame met die vloeimodel en sy berekeningsprosedure, kan deur voorsieningskettingbeplanners gebruik word om nuwe besighede te begin of om kleinhandelaars se premium produkaanbiedinge in mededingende besigheidsomgewings te onderskei.Alternate :Driven by the total cost of ownership, US-China trade and technology competition, and the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chains are undergoing a major restructuring that will soon transform business and economics all over the world. Recently, supply chains with end-to-end integration for premium agri-food products have emerged as a new business model. This paper examines how they should function, and identifies the supply chain structure/production/business conditions necessary for their development. We study a premium supply chain consisting of many small farms that produce top-quality bananas, one integrator firm, and thousands of retail stores. We use industry and business data to calibrate a multiple-route flow-based model from farms to integrator to retailers/markets. We then use sensitivity analysis to illuminate the stakeholders' decision behaviour, and identify and discuss three main decision issues: contract farming, capacity strategy, and business robustness. For contract specification, contracting on price rather than quantity is conducive to coordinating the interests of the stakeholders. For the capacity strategy, the integrator should source raw products from many small farms rather than fewer large farms. For business robustness, the integrator could still ensure robust profits by regulating its product supply when new competitors arise or demand changes. These results are tested under various scenarios to determine the impact of input parameters or supply chain structure, and are verified with an industry practitioner who has experience with multiple premium agri-food products. The results, along with the flow model and its computation procedure, could be used by supply chain planners to start new businesses or to differentiate retailers' premium product offerings in competitive business environments.
ABSTRACT
The agricultural sector must receive serious attention today since it faces many challenges such as the small size of land ownership and the low interest of the younger generation for doing this business. Various efforts have been made, including the agricultural technology park program and other programs for increasing production and farmer welfare. All those agricultural programs need to be supported by technology and model to get properly development. This study aims to increase the productivity and income of farmers in the agricultural development area. The research activities include potentials and problems of farm identification by a Forum Group Discussion and research implementation using a factorial randomized completely block design with four new high yield varieties and one existing variety. The results showed that farmers were very enthusiastic and responsive to the use of new high yield varieties which combined with Jajar Legowo Super technology. The highest yields in the first and second planting season were consistently reached by Inpari 30 variety. It was carried out both in Batui and South Batui District and there was an increase in production around 1.7-2 t/ha. Crop yields and farmers' incomes have increased. The guidance and assistance for farmer groups has not shown best results, however, collaboration between the breeder group and the off taker (PT Pertani) has been formed, while the development of premium rice has not been optimally implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the issue of project sustainability through an analysis of the experiences of a Faith-Based Development Organisation (FBDO) in Bo, Sierra Leone. The FBDO in question was approached by members of their local Catholic Women Association (CWA) to help them with the planning and management of a farm that had been donated to them by a chief. They agreed to this, and a series of workshops were held in June 2014, along with follow-up discussions with local experts and businesses as to what could be done to help support the women in their endeavour. Amongst other priorities, the women identified the need for the farm to produce food, income and help with their development. However, an outbreak of the Ebola virus that occurred between 2014 and 2016, following as it did on the back of an 11-year (1991–2002) civil war in Sierra Leone, led to a re-evaluation of the farm project in the eyes of the FBDO as they decided to shift to earlier priorities in education and health care. Given the constraints regarding resources and personnel, community projects, such as the CWA farm project, became of much lesser importance even though it resonated strongly with the goals of the FBDO and government, and had garnered much support amongst international donors. The paper sets out that story, beginning with the workshops and discussions held in 2014, and the ramifications of these responses to various ‘shocks', such as those presented by the civil war and disease outbreaks (Ebola and COVID-19);it also provides recommendations that might be of use regarding the interface between project and institutional sustainability within FBDOs and, indeed, the wider community of development organisations.
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the extent to which ad hoc farm payments made under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) affected voting patterns in the 2020 Presidential Election. MFP and CFAP payments were historically unique not only in terms of their magnitude, but also because they were authorized almost entirely by the incumbent Administration of President Donald Trump without direct Congressional authorization or appropriation. Our results indicate that these payments did influence county‐level voting outcomes. The observed response is driven almost exclusively by increased turnout among Trump supporters—we do not observe evidence that ad hoc payments generated widespread "vote switching” away from the Democratic or third‐party candidates and toward Trump. We find the MFP and CFAP programs generated 677,512 votes for Republican candidate Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election with an estimated cost‐per‐vote‐gained of $66,124. These votes induced by ad hoc farm payments were insufficient to change electoral college outcomes in any U.S. state.
ABSTRACT
PurposeTo explore the perceived credibility, relevance, legitimacy and accessibility of videos and podcasts in farm extension.MethodsA two-phase mixed methods approach consisting of a pre-COVID online survey of farmers (n = 221), farmer telephone interviews (n = 60) and in-person focus groups of farmers (n = 4) followed by an analysis of how viewers interact with Agricology videos and podcasts, a further online survey (n = 141) and online farmer focus groups (n = 4) during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsIf they are to be perceived as effective extension methods, videos should be short, concise, practical, advert-free and visualise how to implement a practice. Podcasts can be longer, more detailed, and allow multitasking. Both should use farmer-friendly language, be easily accessible, high quality, non-biased, and be created by someone whom farmers respect.Practical implicationsHelps policy-makers and extensionists understand the potential of videos and podcasts and the trade-offs in using them with other forms of extension. The findings are also of use to global advisory services seeking to offer hybridised advice as a result of the ongoing COVID pandemic.Theoretical implicationsElucidates the trade-offs of using videos and podcasts when face-to-face extension is not possible and develops the CRELE framework.OriginalityDiscusses the role of podcasts in farm extension and re-evaluates the role of videos when face-to-face extension is impossible.
ABSTRACT
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, commercial relations have undergone many changes. The advancement of digital technologies that allow instantaneous and real-time communication regardless of geographical distance have changed several daily activities, among them, the way of buying and selling. In the case of agriculture, the direct sale of agricultural products to final consumers, through social networks, emerges as a new form of rural business. However, the encounter between interested parties occurs, most of the time, informally, and it is up to producers and consumers to "meet" in order to sell and buy. In this context, the Fair in the Palm of Your Hand project aims to act as an agent between these two ends so that the encounter is facilitated. To this end, a methodology for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) was developed with the aim of creating a digital platform (application and website) that would allow these transactions to be carried out more quickly and credibly. The research area includes locations in the state of Espirito Santo (Brazil) that already have producers and consumers capable of meeting this new market dynamic.
ABSTRACT
Food waste is a global concern today. Increasing the level of food security requires a better use of food systems, including reducing food waste and losses. Food crisis and the increase in the price of food, in the context of the climate changes, the Covid pandemic or the war in Ukraine, have sharpened the approach to food waste, including in Romania. National legislation on reducing food waste was adopted relatively late, and data on food waste in Romania are limited. According to international statistics, Romania wastes 2.5 million tons of food annually, with an average of about 70 kilograms/inhabitant, placing it in the middle of the European ranking of food waste. Research has shown that almost half of waste comes from households and a third from industrial food processing. The large commercial food chains in Romania already have programs to combat food waste. Educating the population, starting from primary education, adopting national strategies and applying good practices in reducing food waste from other European countries can represent potential solutions for Romania.
ABSTRACT
Sludge generation as an organic by-product of wastewater treatment has seen a consistent increase worldwide due to population growth and industrial activities. This poses a chronic challenge regarding management options and environmental concerns. The agricultural valorization of unconventional organic materials has become inevitable, especially in semi-arid and arid countries that suffer from depleted soils and shortages in farm manure supply. High-income countries have also been interested in this recycling practice to mitigate landfilling or incineration issues. Sewage and some industrial sludges contain a complex mixture of beneficial and harmful substances, which varies with the origin of effluents. Therefore, sludge land application should be well managed in order to achieve sustainable agro-environmental goals. This review paper focuses on different aspects related to sludge reuse in agriculture, starting by investigating the diversity of sludge types and composition. In addition to the preponderant urban sewage sludge, the less-studied industrial sludges, such as those generated from pulp and paper mills or gas-to-liquid industries, are hereby addressed as well. Then, post-land application effects are discussed in relation to sludge quality, dose, and reuse conditions. The present paper also examines the disparities between guidelines that determine sludge conformity for land application in various countries or regions. Accordingly, special attention is given to increasing risks related to emerging pollutants in sludge such as pharmaceuticals, which have been overused since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. This exhaustive investigation will assist the establishment of sustainable strategies for the safe agricultural reuse of biosolids.
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic has devastated economic activities around the world. The tourism industry is facing severe challenges, such as reduced tourist flow and the lack of tourist consumption at destinations. Recreational farms are one of the business types of agricultural tourism in Taiwan and have the characteristics of small and medium-sized agriculture businesses. The operator is facing an uncertain environment in the epidemic market, and the operator's dynamic capability is considered to be effective in coping with the current environment. In this study, 20 selected recreational farms were interviewed to explore how operators use dynamic capabilities to make responses. The results show that recreational farms have the three elements of dynamic capabilities: sense, seize, and transform, to change farm marketing channels and develop new products or services to respond to the new market. Recreational farm operators adopted resource optimization, computerization, and cost control strategies to respond to the market.
ABSTRACT
Family farming is an important food supplier, but it faces difficulties in commercialize its production. Alternative forms of commercialization of agricultural products have been emerging, and an inclination towards the use of e-commerce is perceived, which has also helped in the disclosure of its products. The objective of this study was to present the state of the art in research that relates family farming to the use of e-commerce and its disclosure strategies in recent years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technical procedure used was a systematic literature review, following the Methodi Ordinatio protocol. The results showed that e-commerce has helped family farmers in the commercialization and disclosure of their products, bringing economic and social benefits. Additionally, gaps in future research on the subject were pointed out.
ABSTRACT
Many governments closed their borders in spring 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid, but they also made exceptions to allow farm employers to recruit temporary foreign workers to fill seasonal farm jobs. The pandemic changed many parameters of food systems. Closed restaurants led to widespread layoffs in leisure and hospitality, rates of Covid were high among nonfarm food processing and meatpacking workers, and there was less Covid than expected among the foreign workers who increased their share of employment in production agriculture. The pandemic accelerated three major changes that were already underway, viz., more labor-saving mechanization, more foreign workers, and increased imports of labor-intensive commodities. Mechanization increases the resilience of production agriculture to labor supply shocks.
ABSTRACT
Approximately 70% of the food consumed in Brazil comes from family farming, mainly composed of small farmers. Small farmers are especially active in the fruits and vegetables (FV) chains in Brazil and were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the degradation in the country's food security. This paper explores how social innovation in the FV sector can contribute to social-ecological systems resilience and supply chain resilience, using as the main theoretical background the adaptive cycle framework. The article was based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews, exploring the FV sector issues at a macro-level and then focusing on the case study of Sumá, a social enterprise from Southern Brazil. Sumá develops small farmers and connects them to regular food purchasers in small towns, promoting sustainable food systems. This case study stands out as an example of how to identify, evaluate and take advantage of market opportunities and public sector gaps in order to generate economic growth and multidimensional social impact.