COVID-19 exposure setting, social and gender determinants in a Mediterranean region

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of social and gender determinants, which influence the places where people are exposed to COVID-19, may be relevant in the development of preventive and control strategies. The aim of this paper was to determine the context in which COVID-19 cases were infected (household, work/labor, health, social-health, and social-leisure settings) according to country of origin, occupational social class and gender, which is essential in order to designing public health strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of an epidemiological registry of 56,628 COVID-19 incident cases was made, whose exposure/ contagion setting was studied according to the previous variables from June 15 to December 23, 2020, in the Region of Murcia (Spain). An exact Fisher test was used to study the distribution of COVID-19 cases based on the above variables. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence was higher in people from Africa (5,133.5 cases/100,000 inhabitants) and Latin America (11,351.1) than in non-immigrants (3,145.7). It was also higher in women (3,885.6) than in men (3,572.6). It is noteworthy, that 53.3% of the cases with employment were workers in industry or construction, artisans, agricultural workers, or elementary occupations. In contrast, during the second semester of 2020, 41.3% of the employed population in the Region of Murcia performed such jobs. The household was the main exposure setting (56.5% of cases with a known setting), followed by social-leisure (20.7%) and work/labor (18.2%). The labor settings were more important in immigrants from Africa (28.4%) and Latin America (35.7%) than in non-immigrants (12%), inversely to social-leisure settings. Labor context was more important in women (19.6%) than in men (16.5%) and in manual workers (44.1%) than in non-manual workers (26.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The context in which COVID-19 cases were infected is different according to social inequalities related to country of origin, gender and occupational social class.

COVID-19 pandemic: impact of agricultural labour migration on income levels of farmers in Telangana

The present study was undertaken during 25th March 2019 to 25th March 2021 to examine the impact of agricultural labour migration due to COVID-19 pandemic on the income levels of farmers. Both primary and secondary data were used in the study, multistage sampling technique was used in selection of district, mandals and villages. Tools and techniques like tabular analysis, gross returns and net returns were used. Economic impact on farmers in the study area was studied by selecting three major crops viz., Paddy, Cotton and Maize. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in the kharif and rabi season, in all the three major crops, the labour availability was increased when compared with the period of before the pandemic. This situation was appeared due to reverse migration during pandemic. The average wage rates received by the agricultural labourers for almost all farm operations in case of paddy, maize and cotton crops were decreased due to increase in labour supply due to reverse migration. The available man days also clearly got increased for almost all the operations except harvesting of paddy and cotton crops. In case of paddy and cotton crops, net returns were found to increase. In case of Maize crop, the gross and net returns were decreased due to increase in total operation costs and decrease in price per quintal during rabi season of the pandemic period respectively.

Policy recommendations for the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on seasonal agricultural workers: the case of Turkiye

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic introduced with itself some socio-economic transformation as well as a myriad of problems. Closure of borders, alongside a fall in trade and human mobility brought forward concerns related to the self-sufficiency of nations. Throughout the pandemic outbreak, there was an emerging need for the countries to harness their own manufacturing resources and capacity efficiently to answer soaring demands of domestic market. At this point, visibility of agricultural sector has become foregrounded because of its inherent role in food and nutrition. Particularly speaking;producers who supplied need for seasonal labor from other countries were forced to take instantaneous measures and implement political changes. In Turkiye, since demand for seasonal labor could be met through domestic resources, it was feasible to prevent any failures during manufacturing process. Nevertheless, there were common concerns arising among the public on the measures to take for the work and life conditions of seasonal agricultural workers and required policies to implement. Within the context of this study, research on the discussions, practices, and measures to follow for agricultural sector during Covid-19 pandemic period has been conducted. Analyses have been drawn on the regulation in Turkiye and relevant policies have been suggested.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive and compulsory social isolation on the workers of two circulatory territories in Argentina's agriculture

In this paper, we analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive and compulsory social isolation, called ASPO in Argentina (Decree 297/2020), on the temporary and cyclical mobility of agricultural workers towards different productive areas of the country. On the one hand, we observe the effects on workers of Salta province who were involved in harvesting and packing tasks in the viniculture sector in Mendoza and the fruit growing sector in Rio Negro when the ASPO was declared by the government. On the other hand, we inquiry about the impact on Bolivian workers that were doing different works in tobacco and horticulture farms in Salta province at the beginning of the pandemic and the isolation measures. Moreover, we observe some effects on Bolivian people that were permanently (residents) or temporarily in Salta at the time when the ASPO and the closing of the border between Argentina and Bolivia began. The findings are based on interviews to agricultural workers, leaders of social organizations both from Bolivia and Salta origin, and civil servants of the Bolivian consulate in Salta carried out during 2020 and 2021. We incorporate in our analysis the collection of national and provincial news articles, web portals, decrees and official resolutions. We also include the findings of our previous research conducted before the pandemic about Bolivian mobility associated to tobacco and horticulture labor market in Salta province.

Overcoming barriers to including agricultural workers in the co-design of new AgTech: lessons from a COVID-19-present world. (Special Issue: More than disaster: creativity in growing, distributing, and accessing food during covid-19.)

Collaborative design (co-design) is a design strategy for generating relevant and socially acceptable technologies, and is inherently political by nature of its inclusion of particular groups and interests. This paper explores how to ethically and responsibly prepare for, notice and overcome barriers to including agricultural workers in the co-design of new agricultural technologies. Drawing from feminist science and technology studies (STS), we offer response-able mattering as an analytic tool to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic caused and illuminated existing barriers to inclusion within an Aotearoa New Zealand-based co-design project. We argue that addressing barriers to inclusion requires prioritizing relationships and relationship building in technology design projects. This prioritization must account for a multiplicity of relationship building tempos (e.g., the time/pace necessary to ethically establish and maintain research relationships), temporal tensions (e.g., the pace of technology development versus the ability to meaningfully include collaborators), and un/intended relational cuts (e.g., boundaries or barriers affecting relationship building).

Strategies for the development of participatory organic agriculture network (PGS), Pad Riew, Chachoengsao province

The objective of this qualitative research was to determine a network development strategy through a focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and non-participant observation from 18 key informants. The major findings indicated that the strengths were the farming-facilitating areas, the network's PGS quality assurance system, the management strength and member participation, the knowledge of the PGS, bargaining power, and selfless leaders. However, weaknesses were insufficient inspectors, unsystematic network document storage, members' lack of note taking, lack of packaging model, inability to keep up with modern agricultural technology, labor shortages, and high wages. Opportunities were local agencies support, government policies focusing on organic agriculture, and growing organic consumption trends. The threats were climate change, aging agricultural workers, high production costs, and the COVID-19 epidemic situation. Network development strategy using TOWS Matrix method could be defined in 4 aspects as follows: For the management aspect, strategies include (1) Encouraging members to form a community enterprise. (2) Developing a course for field inspectors and training the new generation of farmers. For the development of network members, strategies include (1) Promoting the Young Smart Farmer. (2) Educating and the importance of note taking. For the development of production, the strategies include (1) Promoting knowledge in applying for higher organic farming standards. (2) Promoting the establishment of underground water banks. For the development of marketing and packaging, the recommended strategies include (1) Developing a model of packaging for organic products, and (2) Creating understanding of organic products with consumers.

Agricultural professionals' perceptions of COVID-19 and occupational health and safety. (Special Issue: Journal of international agricultural and extension education.)

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous challenges to citizens and industries worldwide. The present study contributed to efforts underway toward developing alternatives to combat COVID-19 in the agricultural industry, including the farm and forestry sectors. The study utilized qualitative interviews to assess the perceptions of agricultural stakeholders in the Southeastern United States on the impact of the pandemic to occupational health and safety and the likelihood of implementation of safety guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eleven individuals, purposefully selected, were interviewed. The results suggested that despite its challenging aspects, the pandemic offers an array of opportunities to the industry to revamp operations and adjust approaches. The challenges related more to the uncertainties due to the unfolding elements of the pandemic. Transportation, housing, and culture were the top three barriers identified to implementing CDC guidelines. These barriers depend on the size of the companies, the types of operations, and the amount of required labor. Agricultural stakeholders' positive behavior, the availability of incentives, and the use of innovation, including technology, were revealed to be the three main supportive factors relating to the execution of the CDC guidelines. These results could evolve as the pandemic continues to unfold. Therefore, we suggest that continuing assessments be conducted to capture shifting perceptions and attitudes as they change to reflect updated information. Further investigations about the side effects of mask-wearing on heat-related illnesses were also advised to explore in terms of guidelines for agricultural workers.

Economic study of the performance of Egypt's agricultural sector in the face of contemporary challenges

In the light of the research problem, the main objective of this research is to determine the extent to which the agricultural sector is able to fulfil its role in the development of the Egyptian economy and to assess its performance in the light of contemporary local and regional changes during the first and second decades of the twenty-first century by examining a set of sub-objectives. The research has produced a series of findings, the most important of which are: The agricultural sector has contributed to reducing the economic burden on the Egyptian economy during the second decade of the present century in terms of its contribution to foreign trade It was also found that the exchange rate increased in favour of exports and imports, as well as that the agricultural sector declined in its role in the national economy in terms of its contribution to GDP, suffered from periods of contraction in the size of its economic activity affected by some economic decisions made in the Egyptian economy, as well as some political changes that were not matched by economic changes. The research also found that the rate of utilization of the agricultural area unit in Egypt declined during the two study periods. The research also showed that the political events of the second decade of the present century and the subsequent economic and social changes were never in favour of agricultural employment. It has also been shown that the agricultural sector has become a volatile employment sector and that its aim in absorbing more employment must go hand in hand with the implementation of comprehensive development programmes that balance the use of technology and labour, and that the continued omission of this social aspect will lead to a decline in the ability of the agricultural sector to absorb more labour in the coming years, which will have a negative impact on the national level. An assessment of the performance of the agricultural sector between reality and target shows that about 66.7% of the targeted increase in the value of Egyptian agricultural exports over the period was achieved. (2017-2020) A gap of $ 2.83 billion in this value is expected by the year 2030, as shown by the achievement of the target for the contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP, as well as a significant gap between the reality and the planned increase in the agricultural area by rehabilitation where about 56 have been achieved,8% of the target increase up to 2020, as shown by the difficulty of achieving the agricultural sector's employment absorption targets.1% dropped to about 21.7% in 2018 and then decreased to about 20.0%.6% in 2019, and with the spread of Covid virus in 2019, this proportion is expected to fall short. On the basis of the findings, the research recommended a review of the set of actions and policies that would restructure agricultural activity, which would increase the contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP, especially in view of the many challenges that might hamper agricultural activity, and a study of the possibilities for horizontal agricultural expansion in the light of the anticipated crisis in Egypt's share of the Nile waters after the next phase to fill the Zabia renaissance dam. The research also recommends that operational programmes should be reviewed to promote economic development in the agricultural sector, with comprehensive development programmes that balance the use of technology and labour so as to stabilize the situation of agricultural labour, especially skilled labour, and to impede the inhibitors to achieve the objectives of the agricultural sector.

Overcoming precarity: how informal women workers coped during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and successive lockdowns worsened the working conditions for women in the informal economy, resulting in loss of jobs, food insecurity, and reverse migration from cities to rural areas, more often than not along with their families. This article presents findings from an evaluation and looks at how informal women workers, such as domestic workers, beedi rollers and agricultural workers, fared in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal during the pandemic. It looks at the impact of collectivisation efforts through SEWA's programme to assuage the socio-economic challenges that emerged for these informal women workers.