Evaluation of Immune Nanoparticles for Rapid and Non-Specific Activation of Antiviral and Antibacterial Immune Responses in Cattle, Swine, and Poultry.

Given the rapid potential spread of agricultural pathogens, and the lack of vaccines for many, there is an important unmet need for strategies to induce rapid and non-specific immunity against these viral and bacterial threats. One approach to the problem is to generate non-specific immune responses at mucosal surfaces to rapidly protect from entry and replication of both viral and bacterial pathogens. Using complexes of charged nanoparticle liposomes with both antiviral and antibacterial toll-like receptor (TLR) nucleic acid ligands (termed liposome-TLR complexes or LTC), we have previously demonstrated considerable induction of innate immune responses in nasal and oropharyngeal tissues and protection from viral and bacterial pathogens in mixed challenge studies in rodents, cattle, and companion animals. Therefore, in the present study, we used in vitro assays to evaluate the ability of the LTC immune stimulant to activate key innate immune pathways, particularly interferon pathways, in cattle, swine, and poultry. We found that LTC complexes induced strong production of type I interferons (IFNα and IFNß) in both macrophages and leukocyte cultures from all three species. In addition, the LTC complexes induced the production of additional key protective cytokines (IL-6, IFNγ, and TNFα) in macrophages and leukocytes in cattle and poultry. These findings indicate that the LTC mucosal immunotherapeutic has the capability to activate key innate immune defenses in three major agricultural species and potentially induce broad protective immunity against both viral and bacterial pathogens. Additional animal challenge studies are warranted to evaluate the protective potential of LTC immunotherapy in cattle, swine, and poultry.

COVID-19 Education and Resource Development for Punjabi-Speaking Sikh Farmworkers in California.

OBJECTIVE: While the vast majority of farmworkers in California are Latinx, a small proportion of the farmworkers are Asian Indian who primarily speak Punjabi. To date, there are few COVID-19 resources developed that specifically target Punjabi-speaking farmworkers. This study examines the COVID-19 educational needs of Punjabi-speaking farmworkers in California and aims to inform future development of educational materials for Punjabi-speaking farmworkers. METHODS: During early 2021, a two-phase qualitative study was conducted. In Phase 1, five key informant interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to assess the content, visual, and cultural relevance of current COVID-19 educational resources. Based on informant feedback, new agriculture-specific COVID-19 educational resources were developed in Punjabi. In Phase 2, three focus groups were conducted (in Fresno and Yuba Counties) with five participants in each group to evaluate the newly developed COVID-19 resources. RESULTS: Informant interviews showed that Punjabi-speaking farmworkers preferred printed handouts, videos, and radio messages to receive COVID-19 related information. Participants preferred 8-1/2"x11" sized printed handouts that were colorful and had culturally relevant photographs. Participant video preferences included live action videos that were short (1-3 mins) with characters representing the Punjabi community. A substantial majority of focus group participants approved the newly developed COVID-19 educational and safety resources. CONCLUSION: Current COVID-19 resources are not meeting the educational needs of Punjabi-speaking farmworkers. This community needs COVID-19 educational and safety materials that are culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate to be available in different formats: handouts, videos, and radio messages.

Water Management Priorities in a Post-COVID World

This paper maintains that the growing crisis of water scarcity cannot be addressed from within the paradigm that created the problem. The extractive paradigm which prevails views high economic growth as the main goal of development to be achieved through the increasing extraction of natural resources. Approaches to water management that are based on this paradigm view water as a resource primarily meant for human consumption. In contrast, the paper proposes an ecosystem paradigm in which water is viewed as being embedded within the ecosystem as an essential part of it to be conserved and preserved for future generations. The author identifies five areas of action for water management in the post-COVID context: move away from water-intensive agriculture through crop diversification;sustainable and community-based groundwater management;protection of river systems and wetlands;ensuring water quality and drinking water security and the creation of strong legal frameworks for water governance. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Agricultural Social Networks: An Agricultural Value Chain-Based Digitalization Framework for an Inclusive Digital Economy

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.

University–Industry Linkages in Agriculture: The Case of Palestine

The usual crisis mode of economic operations in Palestine intersects with the adverse consequences of COVID-19 and necessitates an innovative response to survive. This research builds on potential synergies between industry and university to expand the Palestinian agriculture sector resilience. We report on an explorative study that sought to understand the reality of the university–industry linkages (UILs) by considering information and experience gathered from 29 interviews in January 2020 and April 2021. Interviewees represent five key actor groups: farmers and agribusinesses, private institutions, universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, and NGOs. Content analysis revealed a nascent collaboration scope and uncovered the lack of a confident attitude among farmers towards agriculture research efforts, the poor communication performance, and misalignment of purpose. University actors need to encompass the UILs in their mission and touch farmers' needs by providing novelty evidence research. Yet, farmers and agribusinesses may take the initiative to communicate their problems and search for renovation. We developed a framework of underpinnings to enhance collaboration and a healthier agriculture sector. We suggest activating the cooperatives and diversifying farmers' income as deemed more resilient to face the pandemic.

Real-time vibration monitoring and analysis of agricultural tractor drivers using an IoT-based system

Agricultural tractor drivers experience a high amplitude of vibration, especially during soil tillage operations. In the past, most research studied vibration exposure with more focus on the vertical (z) axis than on the fore-and-aft (x) and lateral (y) axes. This study examines how rotary soil tillage affects the vibration acceleration and frequency, and the power spectral densities (PSDs) at the seat pan and head along three translational axes in a real-field multiaxis vibration context. Moreover, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of the seat-to-head transmissibility (STHT) response to identifying the most salient resonant frequencies along the x-, y-, and z-axes. Nine (9) male tractor drivers operated the tractor with a mounted rotary tiller throughout the soil tillage process. In the event of a COVID-19 pandemic, and to respect social distancing, this study developed an Internet of Things (IoT) module with the potential to integrate with existing data loggers for online data transmission and to make the experimentation process more effective by removing potential sources of experimenter errors. The raw acceleration data retrieved at the seat pan and the head were utilized to obtain daily exposure (A(8)), PSDs, and STHT along the x-, y-, and z-axes. The vibration energy was found to be dominant along the z-axis than the x- and y-axes. A(8) response among tractor drivers exceeds the exposure action value explicitly stated by Directive 2002/44/EU. PSDs along the x-, y-, and z-axes depicted the low-frequency vibration induced by rotary soil tillage operation. The STHT response exhibited a higher degree of transmissibility along the y- and z-axes when compared with that along the x-axis. The frequency range of 4-7 Hz may plausibly be associated with cognitive impairment in tractor drivers during rotary soil tillage.

Transforming India's Agrarian Society in a Post-COVID World: Prospects and Challenges

The need for change in India's agrarian sector came into sharp focus with the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper traces the imperatives that have shaped the trajectory of the development of the rural economy in post-independence India including the social, cultural and political matrix within which the processes and activities of the rural economy are carried out. It also explores the possibilities of social, cultural and political change based on a perspective that seeks to reconcile the imperatives of unity and social justice with a practical reading of the ground reality in India's villages. The paper suggests reform in social, cultural and political structures and practices at the village level along with economic prescriptions such as increasing the marketability of agricultural produce and creating jobs in the manufacturing sector to absorb workers displaced from the agricultural sector. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Characterizing food systems to better understand their vulnerabilities: a case study in Québec and São Paulo

Characterizing food systems, i.e., describing their organizational features, can help to generate a better understanding of the structural vulnerabilities that constrain transitions towards sustainable food security. However, their characterization across different economic contexts remains challenging. In this paper, by linking key concepts from research on food regimes, food system vulnerabilities and responsible innovation, we aim to characterize food systems in a developing and a developed economy to identify their shared vulnerabilities. We applied a case study design to characterize food production, processing and distribution in the province of Québec (Canada) and in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). In both cases, the processing and distribution stages have higher economic predominance when compared to the agricultural production stage. Furthermore, we observed concentration in a few activities in both food systems, with a shared focus on export-oriented supply chains. Vulnerabilities in both food systems include: (1) increased interdependence because some supply chains are export-oriented or depend on foreign labor and are, therefore, exposed to external risks;(2) concentration in a few activities, which threatens present and future local food diversity and (3) unequal power relations, making small and medium players vulnerable to decisions made by big players. The characterization developed in this study shows that the two food systems are mainly pursuing economic goals, following the institutional logics of the neoliberal food regime, which are not necessarily aligned with food security goals. It also exposes the presence of characteristics of ‘responsibility' that may eventually help overcome food systems' vulnerabilities and support transitions toward sustainability.

Reviving Smallholder Hill Farming by Involving Rural Youth in Food System Transformation and Promoting Community-Based Agri-Ecotourism: A Case of Uttarakhand State in North-Western India

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.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Climate Change, and Conflicts on Agriculture: A Trio of Challenges to Global Food Security

Global food security is a worldwide concern. Food insecurity is a significant threat to poverty and hunger eradication goals. Agriculture is one of the focal points in the global policy agenda. Increases in agricultural productivity through the incorporation of technological advances or expansion of cultivable land areas have been pushed forward. However, production growth has slowed in many parts of the world due to various endemic challenges, such as decreased investment in agricultural research, lack of infrastructure in rural areas, and increasing water scarcity. Climate change adversities in agriculture and food security are increasing. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected global food supply chains. Economic and social instability from the pandemic contribute to long-term disturbances. Additionally, conflicts such as war directly affect agriculture by environmental degradation, violence, and breaches of national and international trade agreements. A combination of food security and climate change challenges along with increased conflicts among nations and post-COVID-19 social and economic issues bring bigger and more serious threats to agriculture. This necessitates the strategic design of policies through multifaceted fields regarding food systems. In this comprehensive review, we explore how these three challenging factors, COVID-19, climate change, and conflicts, are interrelated, and how they affect food security. We discuss the impact of these issues on the agricultural sector, plus possible ways of preventing or overcoming such adverse effects.

Migration Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of New England Showing Movements down the Urban Hierarchy and Ensuing Impacts on Real Estate Markets

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States, the media began reporting stories of people leaving cities for rural destinations, setting off frenzied real estate activity in receiving communities. This article builds a case study of New England using nonconventional data collected from mobile devices as a proxy for population to explore the temporal and spatial patterns of movement down the urban hierarchy since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two research questions guide the analysis: (1) How have urban–rural migration systems in New England shifted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) In what ways have real estate markets been affected by these apparent migration shifts? The analysis reveals shifts of population away from metropolitan core areas of the region and into micropolitan and noncore counties. These population shifts were most pronounced in late summer and fall 2020 with loosening travel restrictions. By the end of 2020, migration systems in New England once more resembled prepandemic patterns. Further, these places down the urban hierarchy consistently showed more substantial increases in real estate activity as reflected in rising prices, reduced inventories, and increased sales volume. These real estate dynamics suggest urban to rural migration during the COVID-19 pandemic might be initiating new waves of rural gentrification. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] A medida que la pandemia del COVID-19 afectó por todo lado los Estados Unidos, los medios empezaron a informar sobre historias de gente que dejaban atrás las ciudades por destinos rurales, desencadenando una frenética actividad inmobiliaria en las comunidades receptoras. Este artículo construye un estudio de caso de Nueva Inglaterra, usando datos no convencionales recogidos de dispositivos móviles, como un proxy por la población para explorar los patrones temporales y espaciales del movimiento descendente desde la jerarquía urbana a partir de la aparición de la pandemia del COVID-19. El análisis se guía por dos preguntas de investigación: (1) ¿Cómo han cambiado los sistemas de migración ciudad–campo en Nueva Inglaterra desde el comienzo de la pandemia del COVID-19? (2) ¿De qué manera se han visto afectados los mercados inmobiliarios por estos cambios aparentes de migración? El análisis revela desplazamientos de población fuera de las áreas del núcleo metropolitano de la región hacia condados micropolitanos y no nucleados. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] 随着COVID-19流行病席卷美国, 媒体开始报道人们离开城市前往农村、在农村引发疯狂的房地产活动。本文构建了美国新英格兰地区（New England）案例, 使用来自移动设备的非常规数据替代人口数据, 探索了COVID-19流行病发生以来由城市迁移到农村的时空模式。研究分析了两个问题：（1）自COVID-19发生以来, 新英格兰地区的城乡迁移体系如何变化？（2）这些显著的迁移变化, 对房地产市场产生了哪些影响？分析表明, 人口从新英格兰大都市核心区域迁移到小城镇和非核心县。随着旅行限制的放松, 人口迁移在2020年夏末和秋季最为显著。到2020年底, 新英格兰地区的迁移体系, 再次呈现出类似于COVID-19之前的模式。处于城市等级体系底层的地区, 房地产活动持续大幅增长, 这反映在价格上涨、库存减少和销售量增加。房地产变化表明, 在COVID-19流行病期间, 城市到农村迁移可能会引发新一轮的农村中产阶级化。 (Chinese) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional Geographer is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Combatting Food Insecurity Through Implementing Food Pantry Amenities in Clinical Settings

INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought renewed public attention to food insecurity and other social determinants of health. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food insecurity affects 10.5% of households nationwide. Our study sought to determine the prevalence of food insecurity at the University of Louisville and the effect that implementing food pantry amenities within the clinic has on pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained. We screened pregnant women presenting to our outpatient clinic for prenatal care each trimester. Food security was determined using a modified version of the USDA Adult Food Security Survey over the past 12 months. Women that were determined to be food insecure were provided access to food pantry amenities at each prenatal visit. Screening data were entered in REDCap, then exported into Stata for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Survey data demonstrated that 38% of our patients screened positive for food insecurity. As a result, a total of 5,829 lb of food have been distributed. Secondary outcomes including prenatal care adherence rates, weight gain during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and birth outcomes will be displayed graphically. CONCLUSION: Rates of food insecurity in our clinic population were three times higher compared to the national average. Formal screening allows providers to better identify families experiencing food insecurity and connect them to food pantry amenities. Importantly, our initiative can serve as a guide for other institutions considering food security interventions. Implementing food pantries in academic institutions nationwide will enhance and inform these innovations to target at-risk populations and provide health equity. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Obstetrics & Gynecology is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Harnessing the Opportunities for Sustainable Small-Scale Rural Farming Towards Attaining Food Security in Southern Africa

Agriculture is the main food production industry in emerging economies. Its importance in increasing food security is reflected in SDGs 1 and 2 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thus, improving food production through small-scale agriculture transformation and sustainability is crucial. However, recent pandemic (COVID-19) awareness and impacts necessitate urgent need for sustainable small-scale farming. This study sought to find ways for small-scale agriculture in Southern Africa to withstand natural disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify solutions to boost production amid COVID-19 effects on labour, markets, and access to knowledge or inputs. Local and international reports on small-scale agriculture in Southern Africa, and literature from 2009 to 2022, were systematically used. Technology that could be harnessed to ameliorate the identified challenges and enhance small-scale farming productivity in the region is recommended. Finding solutions to the issues encountered by small-scale farmers in general and due to the pandemic will promote the transformation and sustainability of small-scale agriculture and hence food security in the region. Additionally, the importance of science communication related to small-scale farming in Southern Africa, along with practical and policy implications to enhance and support small-scale farming, and subsequently food security is highlighted. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

(In)segurança alimentar e agricultura familiar: políticas públicas como estratégia de superação da fome

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.

Agroecologia e segurança alimentar em tempos de pandemia de Covid-19

Este artigo tem por objetivo aprofundar o debate sobre a insegurança alimentar durante a pandemia da Covid-19, relatar a iniciativa social extensionista do Plantio Agroecológico Solidário (PAS) da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina e o consequente impacto no acesso e distribuição de alimentos orgânicos em Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. No contexto da crise sanitária, com mais de 645.000 mortos por Covid-19 no Brasil, aliada à crise econômica, acentuaram-se as desigualdades sociais que aprofundaram o cenário de fome no país. O atual cenário pandêmico indica um momento singular para que a nossa sociedade possa repensar o direito global ao acesso a alimentos saudáveis e sobre qual modelo de agricultura se espera fomentar. A agricultura agroecológica é um modelo viável e necessário para a produção digna e consciente de alimentos, fornecendo mecanismos para a promoção da Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, através da democratização ao acesso a alimentos saudáveis e sem agrotóxicos.Alternate :This article aims it is contribute the debate on food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, to report on the social extension initiative of the Solidarity Agroecological Planting (PAS) of the Federal University of Santa Catarina and the consequent impact on the access and distribution of organic food in Florianopolis, SC, Brazil. In the context of the health crisis, with more than 645,000 deaths from Covid-19 in Brazil, allied to the economic crisis, social inequalities were accentuated that deepened the hunger scenario in the country. The current pandemic scenario indicates a unique moment for our society to rethink the global right to access to healthy food and on which model of agriculture it is expected to promote. Agroecological agriculture is a viable and necessary model for the dignified and conscious production of food, providing mechanisms for the promotion Sovereignty and Food and Nutritional Security, through the democratization of access to healthy and pesticide-free food.

From panic to business as usual: What coronavirus has revealed about migrant labour, agri‐food systems and industrial relations in the Nordic countries

This article focuses on migrant labour in Nordic agriculture, wild berry picking and food processing. The starting point is the fear of a food crisis at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic (2020) because of the absence of migrant workers. The question was raised early in the pandemic if food systems in the Global North are vulnerable due to dependence on precarious migrant workers. In the light of this question, we assess the reactions of farmers and different actors in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to what looked like an unfolding food crisis. In many ways, the reactions in the Nordic countries were similar to each other, and to broader reactions in the Global North, and we follow these reactions as they relate to migrant workers from an initial panic to a return to business as usual despite the continuation of the pandemic. In the end, 2020 proved to be an excellent year for Nordic food production in part because migrant workers were able to come. We discuss reasons why the Nordic countries did not face disruptions during the pandemic, map out patterns of labour precarity and segmentation for migrant labour in agriculture and food production in the Nordic countries and propose questions for further research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Competitiveness, Market Structure, and Energy Policies: A Case Study of the World's Largest Crude Palm Oil Exporter

Crude Palm Oil (CPO) is the mainstay of Indonesian agricultural products which is the largest CPO producing country in the world. The high market share of Indonesian CPO exports reflects the high competitiveness of Indonesian CPO in the global market. The purpose of this study is to determine the competitiveness of Indonesian CPO, the concentration of the Indonesian CPO industry, and analyze the factors that are suspected to affect the competitiveness of the CPO industry in Indonesia. The data used in this study are secondary data with a five-digit ISIC (10432) using time series data for 2001-2020 and the analytical techniques used in this study include Revealed Competitive Advantage (RCA), Gini Coefficient, and Error Correction Model (ECM). The results showed that Indonesian CPO has high competitiveness in the international market, the Indonesian CPO industry is not concentrated, in the short term the variables that affect competitiveness are CPO prices, subsidized solar prices policy, and industrial concentrations, while in the long term the influential variables are biodiesel policy, subsidized diesel oil policy and industrial concentration

Taiwan's Food Resiliency - or Not - in a Conflict with China

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.

Influence of climate change, overfishing and COVID19 on irregular migration in West Africa

Throughout 2020, according to the Spanish Ministry of Home Office, 23,023 irregular migrants reached the coasts of the Canary Islands in Spain, 757% more than the previous year. The migrants left from the coasts of West Africa, mainly from Senegal, trying to reach the nearest European Union (EU) territory. Apart from the migrants who arrived in the Canary Islands, nearly 1,500 stayed on the way, and 594 of them died drowned or of dehydration. Behind this migratory tragedy, there is a combination of factors, with three essential ones operating synergistically: climate change, which is affecting agriculture, fishing and exacerbating coastal erosion;overfishing, which is depleting regional fisheries;and the COVID-19 pandemic, which, in addition to the victims caused, has left the region without tourism, and with an economy in recession. This paper reviews these causal factors, highlighting his influence on migration and the responsibility of migrants receiving countries – especially those in the EU – for the causes of migration.

COVID-19 and Its Implications on Agriculture, Environment, and Water Sectors

The advent of COVID-19 had implications for various sectors of the economy, compounding the challenges set in motion by climate change. Whilst the dawn of 2021 came with hope for recovery from the pandemic, the beginning of 2022 came with another complexity of the Russia-Ukraine war, which hampered recovery efforts. This book examines the trends, dynamics, and implications of COVID-19 for agriculture, environment, and water sectors within the broader context of Sustainable Development Goals using a cocktail of primary and secondary research techniques. The book adopts the quantitative, qualitative, and multi-methods of enquiry. Findings show the increasing temporal trend of COVID-19 cases following periodic waves and spatially variable distribution of cases, with more cases in densely populated urban areas. These trends and dynamics, influenced by a web of intermingling factors, have had ramifications on the agricultural, environmental, and water sectors and subsectors with consequent negative outcomes on virtually all facets of life. The recovery process is being hampered by several factors ranging from poor governance, which results in policy distortions and other global factors. Climate change and the Russia- Ukraine war have complicated the COVID-19 recovery process by pushing up oil and food prices, rendering the poor more vulnerable to food insecurity and increased poverty, challenging Zimbabwe's economic resilience. Social safety nets and tackling climate change and other policy distortions are critical to ensure a sustainable future. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.