Agriculture and Food Security最新文献

{"title":"Farmers' risk attitude, agricultural technology adoption and impacts in Eastern India.","authors":"Vikram Patil, Prakashan Chellattan Veettil","doi":"10.1186/s40066-024-00497-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-024-00497-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Agricultural production is inherently risky, as farmers are exposed to multiple stresses. The adoption of improved agricultural practices could become a key coping strategy to sustain production in such a risky environment. As several technologies are being developed and disseminated along this line, it is important to examine the factors influencing farmers' adoption of these strategies and their impact on productivity. Using survey data of rice growing farmers from eastern states of India, we tested how farmers' risk attitudes influence their decisions to adopt improved agricultural practices and whether the adoption has any influence on rice productivity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Risk-seeking farmers are more likely to adopt mechanization, whereas risk-averse farmers are more likely to adopt stress-tolerant rice varieties (STRVs), which represent a low-/no-capital-cost improved technology. Adoption of these improved technologies has resulted in productivity gains. Yet, their overall adoption is (s)low in India and other developing countries, presenting a broader challenge of suboptimal productivity and requiring deeper policy engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adoption of STRVs and mechanization has been found to have positive impact on rice productivity. These two agricultural technologies, as our results reveal, are adopted by two distinct categories of farmers depending on their risk attitude. However, both technologies could play a complementary role increasing and stabilizing rice production of farmers, and that is where scope for policy lies to bridge this gap. Targeted policy measures such as subsidizing the purchase of machineries for establishment of custom hiring centers, implementing effective extension mechanisms, and integrating STRVs in the seed systems to enhance physical and economic access to these technologies, could significantly increase their adoption and consequently improve productivity and income of farmers.</p>","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"13 1","pages":"50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11602806/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142774986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The significance of goat milk in enhancing nutrition security: a scientiometric evaluation of research studies from 1966 to 2020","authors":"Emrobowansan Monday Idamokoro","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00441-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00441-5","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background The present study aimed to reveal scientific findings on goat milk as an instrument to combat food and nutrition insecurity, while considering the recurrent challenge posed by food dearth and high rise of hunger among susceptible people of numerous nations. Results A sum of 9206 research outputs were extracted in a BibTeX design for evaluation by means of bibliometric package in R studio software. The generated result included, but not restricted to authors, citations, affiliations, journals and key words. Published research findings on goat milk as related to nutrition security retrieved from web of science (WOS) and Scopus data bases were used with an increase in scientific findings of an annual growth of 14.42% during the period of study. From the result of the study, Spain was rated in first position with a total of publications ( n = 953), and a massive global scientific influence with the highest article citations ( n = 17,035). The most commonly referred authors’ keywords in this research field were goat/s ( n = 1605), milk ( n = 920), dairy goat/s ( n = 372), fatty acid/s ( n = 307), cheese ( n = 251), milk production ( n = 220), milk consumption ( n = 173), which all together gave a hint on associated research studies on goat milk and nutrition security. Conclusions The current study presented a global picture that covers the pool of scientific knowledge on goat milk research and its relevance in nutrition security, while giving a direction for more studies in this research area. It is of utmost importance to stress that the present findings only addressed prime areas of goat milk production as linked to nutrition security research, therefore, it is proposed that novel empirical study and potential research outcomes would give new understanding and insight on goat milk utilization as an avenue to tackle nutrition security issues as new findings emerges.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":" 26","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135242465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climatic extremes’ resilient livelihoods of rural households in the Eastern Ethiopia","authors":"Daniel Assefa Tofu, Mesfin Mengistu Mekuria, Gemechu Shale Ogato","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00446-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00446-0","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Climate change is affirmed as a major challenge to global food security in the twenty-first century and a threat to availability of adequate food for the population. This study was conducted to analyze rural households’ vulnerability to climatic extremes, and their resilience capacities in the eastern Ethiopia. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data, and analysis to achieve the objectives. While 397 sample households were randomly selected for household survey, key informants and focus group discussion participants were purposively selected. To analyze the quantitative data, both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed while thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. Rainfall variability, increase in local temperature, frequent drought, irregularity in rainfall, and pest infestation were identified as the key climatic extremes in the study area. The findings of the study asserted that rural local households in the study area have very high vulnerability to climatic extremes underpinned by their dependence on rain-fed farming. Reduction in crop yield (93%), and decline in production and productivity of livestock (91%) were confirmed as the major impacts of climatic extremes in the study area. Contrary to very high vulnerability to climatic vulnerability, local farming households’ resilience capacities were confirmed to be very poor. Moreover, the overall resilience capacity index was 0.44, which is below the minimum threshold and underpinned by low absorptive (0.45), low adaptive (0.47), and low transformative (0.4) capacity of farmers. Furthermore, the indexes derived from the five resilience building blocks imply that the level of household resilience is still poor (0.47). The very high vulnerability to extreme climate conditions and the very low livelihood resilience of rural farmers requires integrated strategies to reduce vulnerability and enhance livelihood resilience by governmental and non-governmental organizations. More importantly, it is worth to initiate rural livelihoods diversification and sustainable natural resource conservation, and management strategies. Above all, it is worth to integrate climate-resilient social protection programs into rural poverty reduction policies at national, regional, and local levels to reduce vulnerability, and enhance resilience of rural households in the study area.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"21 9","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135819506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecosystem services and biodiversity appraisals by means of life cycle tools: state-of-art in agri-food and forestry field","authors":"Cristian Soldati, Anna Irene De Luca, Nathalie Iofrida, Emanuele Spada, Giovanni Gulisano, Giacomo Falcone","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00438-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00438-0","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background In recent years, the importance of ecosystem services (ESs) has been significantly recognized in policy-making processes. The choice of life cycle (LC) methodologies to measure potential impacts, also relative to the changes in the levels of ecosystem services provided by nature, is increasing, but the implementation of ESs in LC approaches does not seem to be widespread, just as there is no comprehensive and exhaustive framework of the directions taken by scientific research in this regard. To explore the state of the art and try to overcome this gap a systematic and critical literature search was conducted for application case studies that evaluate ESs by means of LC tools (Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, and Social Life Cycle Assessment). Using Scopus and WoS databases and PRISMA model, a selection and skimming of the resulting records were carried out based on several criteria such as general criteria, specific criteria related to ESs, and LC methodological criteria. Results In general, the analysis of results showed as ESs uses typical methodological aspects such as the use of the functional unit related and the use of secondary data. Regarding impact categories, the LCIA methods are used also for the assessment of ESs due to the implementation through LCA software such as Simapro or GaBi, to analyse different pressure caused, for example, by land use and land-use change and the assessment of “regulating” ESs. Conclusions Future research advancements should focus on the assessment of cultural and supporting services because, at the actual state, they are very neglected in the literature. Similarly, the implementation of ESs in LC methodologies should provide the inclusion of cause-and-effect relationships that go beyond the environmental services or disservices to understand how and how much the alterations of ESs impact also from an economic and social point of view.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"110 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135933866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of conflict on food security: evidence from household data in Ethiopia and Malawi","authors":"James Muriuki, Darren Hudson, Syed Fuad","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00447-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00447-z","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Violent conflicts threaten food security and household welfare in sub-Saharan Africa. While a more robust understanding of the causal relationship between food security and conflict is vital in mitigating food insecurity and bolstering peace prospects, only limited research exists on this topic, especially at the household level where estimations are more empirically challenging given data constraints and identification issues. Our analysis utilizes a newly developed and novel difference-in-differences model developed by de Chaisemartin and D’Haultfoeuille (2020) to determine the causal relationship between violent conflicts and food security in two sub-Saharan African countries—Malawi and Ethiopia using household-level data from the World Bank’s Household Living Standards Measurement Survey. Results Our results suggest that exposure to violent conflict on average decreases the food consumption score (FCS) by 6.84 units, which corresponds to a 16.13% reduction in FCS. With respect to individual countries, Malawi shows the largest effect-size, with the FCS decreasing by 10.54 units (equivalent to a 20.22% reduction in FCS). In Ethiopia, the causal estimate was slightly smaller at − 4.32 (equivalent to a 11.67% reduction in FCS) although the baseline food security status was lower relative to Malawi. Disaggregated analyses show that the effect-size can be several orders of magnitude larger when conflict is experienced simultaneously with natural shocks. Robustness checks using different iterations of propensity score matching generate comparable causal estimates and reinforce the overall findings. Conclusions The findings help improve our understanding of a broader issue by providing new direct and granular evidence regarding the relationship between conflict and food security using household data. The results hold implications for aid and humanitarian efforts to help households facing food insecurity stemming from violence and other factors.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"21 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136233223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vulnerability to seasonal food insecurity as an exposure to risk: the case of the Southern Province of Zambia","authors":"Akinori Kitsuki, Takeshi Sakurai","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00442-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00442-4","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background Seasonality is an important aspect of food security for subsistence households in developing countries. Among the multidimensional aspects of food security, this paper focuses on how unexpected negative harvest shocks would affect the seasonal food consumption of households. This is particularly important because, with the increasing threat of climate change, the frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods is expected to increase; this would adversely affect crop yields. Methods Given seasonal price changes of staple foods, some households buy them when prices are low and store them for the hunger season (not buy high (NBH) households), while others run out of staple foods before the next harvest and therefore buy them when prices are high (buy high (BH) households). Using three years of weekly household panel data for the Choma and Sinazongwe Districts of the southern province of Zambia, we assess the ability of seasonal consumption smoothing separately for NBH and BH households. Results NBH households successfully smooth their consumption over the 12 months of the crop year. In contrast, BH households, especially for households with few assets, reduce total consumption in response to harvest shocks, just after the harvest and during the “hunger season” just before the next harvest. However, in spite of this, the consumption of staple foods is generally insensitive to harvest shocks. Instead, they reduce consumption only of non-staple food items, such as vegetables and meats. Conclusions Seasonal food insecurity is exacerbated by negative harvest shocks. We emphasize the significance of policies aimed at increasing public awareness of healthier food choices, empowering households to avoid purchasing maize at high prices, and reducing seasonal price disparities.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"16 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135268390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New evidence in the relationship between trade openness and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Kodjo Théodore Gnedeka, Kwami Ossadzifo Wonyra","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00439-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00439-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"127 1","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135996091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainability of community-based workers in multisectoral food security programs: a case study of producer leaders, village vaccinators, mother leaders, and community health workers in Burkina Faso","authors":"K. R. Wilson, B. L. Rogers, D. A. Carroll, A. Ezaki, J. Coates","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00432-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00432-6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The community-based worker (CBW) model is commonly used by food security projects as an approach to catalyze community-driven development and to enhance long-term sustainability of project impacts in rural areas of low-income countries. However, there is limited follow-up research exploring how CBWs continue to carry out expected activities in the years that follow project exit. This case study examines how four different CBW roles—producer leaders, village vaccinators, community healthcare workers, mother leaders—all trained to contribute to the food security goals of a multi-year initiative in Kaya, Burkina Faso, sustained their respective activities post-project. Two years after the project ended, we collected qualitative data to examine how well these CBWs continued providing the activities that they had been trained to provide as expected by the project. We employ a conceptual framework of sustainability and exit strategies to assess what factors contributed to sustained activities and, where activities ceased, what caused them to stop. We find that where activities were sustained, all four hypothesized factors—sustained capacities, resources, motivation, and linkages—were present. We conclude by discussing key lessons and considerations for using the CBW model: (1) gradually transition to independent operation during project lifetime; (2) integrate CBWs into permanent and functional systems through gradual project exit; (3) professionalize the CBW role (re-think the volunteer approach); (4) what to do about resources and (5) co-develop endogenous definitions and indicators from the project onset.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"117 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135095304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of inoculant-based technology adoption by smallholder soybean farmers in northern Ghana: implications for soil fertility management","authors":"Benjamin Tetteh Anang, Gilbert Dagunga, Martin Bosompem","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00435-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00435-3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Inoculant-based technologies are environmentally friendly and economic ways to improve soil fertility status by incorporating atmospheric nitrogen into root nodules of leguminous crops to increase crop yield. The uptake of inoculant-based technologies by smallholder farmers in Ghana is not well documented despite measures by research institutions to introduce these technologies to farmers. This study therefore sought to investigate the farmer characteristics, farm-level, input and institutional-level determinants of inoculant-based technology adoption by small-scale soybean producers in Northern Ghana, relying on cross-sectional data and double-hurdle modelling. This study identified the main drivers of inoculant adoption as farmers’ age, sex, educational status, household size, agrochemicals adoption, soil fertility status, extension contact, farmer group membership and participation in off-farm work. Intensity of adoption, expressed as expenditure per hectare on inoculants was significantly influenced by household size, degree of specialization in soybean production, agrochemicals adoption, cost of ploughing, cattle ownership and participation in off-farm work. The results showed that the decision to adopt inoculant technology and the intensity of adoption are influenced by different sets of variables. Improving smallholders’ access to agricultural extension and promoting participation in farmer groups are expected to enhance inoculant technology adoption to promote grain legume production.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135834099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing knowledge and willingness to use genetically modified crops in Uganda","authors":"Abubakar Sadik Mustafa, Jamilu E. Ssenku, Evelyne B. Nyachwo, Grace Cherotich Ruto, Nelson Bunani, Grace Musimami, Ronald Maseruka, Godwin Anywar","doi":"10.1186/s40066-023-00434-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00434-4","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background There has been a lot of debate on genetically modified (GM) crops both globally and locally in Uganda. Whereas some of the debates have been informed by scientific research, many are not. The level of acceptance and attitudes of people towards GM crops is a function of their knowledge. However, there is a paucity of studies on the knowledge and attitudes of Ugandans on GM crops. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of GM crops in Uganda. Methods We carried out a mixed methods study in September 2021 in Bushenyi, Jinja and Wakiso districts. We conducted 18 focus group discussions (FGDs), 13 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 698 quantitative interviews. The quantitative interviews were conducted using structured questionnaires. The FGD and KI interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The qualitative data were analyzed using framework analysis and the quantitative data were analyzed using modified Poisson regression to identify factors associated with the level of knowledge of GM crops in STATA 15. Results Out of the 698 respondents interviewed, only 273 (39.1%) had ever heard of GM crops. About 204 (74.7%) of the 273 respondents reported having a moderate–high understanding of GM crops and 62.3% (170) of the respondents further reported that GM crops are harmful to their health and environment, despite some of their intrinsic benefits, such as high productivity, improved income and resilience to pests and diseases. In addition, Out of the 698 respondents interviewed, only 37.7% were wary of the possibility of the emergence of super pests due to the development of resistance to some GM crops. Conclusions Most of the community members do not have adequate knowledge about GM crops, hence, there is need for sensitization and legislation on GM crops before their release to the public.","PeriodicalId":55858,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Food Security","volume":"160 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136313553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}