Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"Assessment of climate resilience index: Insight from Murrah buffalo-based livestock production system of Western India","authors":"Ruchi Singh ,&nbsp;Sanjit Maiti ,&nbsp;Sanchita Garai ,&nbsp;Mukesh Bhakat ,&nbsp;Sujeet Kumar Jha ,&nbsp;Anil Kumar Dixit ,&nbsp;Anjali Aggarwal","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>India is largest milk producer in the world. The buffalo (<em>Bubalus bubalis</em>), particularly the <em>Murrah</em> breed is the major contributor to the total milk production of India. But this breed is highly susceptible to climate-change induced heat stress due to their physiological characteristics. Therefore, livelihoods depend on the Murrah based livestock production system is highly vulnerable even in its breeding tract i.e. Haryana, a state of western India. Hence, a system-based analysis provides an essential guide to policymakers and other stakeholders to understand the system comprehensively and develop targeted climate actions to enhance its resilience, contributing to India's position as a global leader in milk production.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The present study used a system-based strategic approach to apprise climate resilience of the Murrah Buffalo-based Livestock Production System (MBLPS) and to identify critical indicators of this system functions under changing environmental conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A sample of 320 farmers involved in the Murrah buffalo-based livestock production system and its connected components were selected from the breed's breeding tracts in central Haryana. Resilience capacity, described as its three dimensions, i.e., absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacity, was represented by eleven indicators and 37 sub-indicators. In addition, the climate resilience index (CRI) of MBLPS in their breeding tract was developed. The household resilience determinants and indicators were identified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusion</h3><div>The findings indicate that mean resilience index score of absorptive capacity (0.60) was most significant contributing component of the resilience, followed by adaptive capacity (0.38) and transformative capacity (0.31) mean resilience score. A large portion of the farmers i.e. 43.31 % had medium level of resilience capacity. It was also found that indicators like information about climate change, health, social contact, and the availability of essential services were significantly contributing towards resilience of the Murrah Buffalo-based Livestock Production System.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Since Murrah buffalo rearers were having moderate resilience and particularly lack of strong transformative abilities, plans for climate adaptation should be explicitly developed with their long-term goals in mind, emphasizing strengthening their transformative capacity. This plan for climate adaptation should be tailored to the aspirations of Murrah buffalo rearers to continue to be the largest contributor to the milk production of India. This might involve promoting sustainable practices, diversifying income groups, improving access to markets and resources, and knowledge sharing within the community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104390"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating challenges in native plant-based food value chains within the global food system: A systematic literature review","authors":"Mokaddes Ahmed Dipu ,&nbsp;Julia Checco ,&nbsp;Luke Williams ,&nbsp;Yasmina Sultanbawa ,&nbsp;Natalie A. Jones ,&nbsp;Ammar Abdul Aziz","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104373","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104373","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>While there are thousands of native food plants worldwide, only four major crops account for 50 % of global primary crop production. This trend underscores a troubling erosion of agricultural diversity and the systematic sidelining of native plant foods, which have nourished communities for millennia. Connecting these underutilized native foods to global food systems presents a critical opportunity to enhance food security, economic resilience, nutritional diversity, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation while supporting Indigenous knowledge systems and food sovereignty. However, this connection faces significant challenges, including the small-scale nature of native plant food production systems, demand vulnerabilities, persistent social stigma, and inefficiencies in production and distribution.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We focused on examining the challenges and opportunities within native plant-based food value chains (NPFVC), spanning production to consumption, as a critical step towards mainstream connection.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We conducted a systematic literature review of 40 global studies, selected using the PRISMA workflow, and analyzed the data through thematic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The findings highlight that native plant-based food production systems are typically localized and deeply tied to Indigenous communities, yet the cultural contributions of these communities are often undervalued. A lack of support services, collaboration, and trust within the value chain undermines opportunities such as resilient production systems with low costs, livelihood benefits for communities, increased consumer demand, and willingness to pay premiums. Interventions in the areas of capacity building, industry collaboration, awareness initiatives, and support systems may help capitalize on climate-smart native plants and their low-input sustainable production systems.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The study provides valuable insights into the native food system for chain actors, policymakers, and practitioners. It also contributes to broader discussions on food security, environmental sustainability, Indigenous contributions, and cultural preservation, emphasizing the integration of these critical elements into future global food system policies and practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104373"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of irrigation and biochar management strategies on the multifunctionality of maize field ecosystem in the arid region of Northwest China","authors":"Yang Chen ,&nbsp;Xuyu Feng ,&nbsp;Yuanzhi Shi ,&nbsp;Zunqiu Xu ,&nbsp;Xinmei Hao ,&nbsp;Ling Tong ,&nbsp;Sufen Wang ,&nbsp;Risheng Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Deficit irrigation, brackish water irrigation, and biochar application are widely regarded as crucial technologies for conserving freshwater resources and protecting ecological environment in arid irrigation regions. However, the effects of existing management strategies on agroecosystem multifunctionality and their trade-offs remain insufficiently explored.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study investigated the impacts of varying moisture, salinity, and biochar conditions on agroecosystem functions, services, and their interrelationships. It further explored potential trade-off mechanisms, providing a scientific basis for sustainable agroecosystem development.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted in the arid region of Northwest China from 2020 to 2021. The experiment included eight treatments, which were designed as a factorial combination of three factors: two irrigation levels (full irrigation: W1; deficit irrigation: W2 = 1/2 W1), two water salinity levels (fresh water: S0 = 0.71 g L⁻¹; brackish water: S1 = 4 g L⁻¹), and two biochar application rates (B0: 0 t ha⁻¹; B1: 60 t ha⁻¹).</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Compared to full irrigation treatments, although deficit irrigation significantly enhanced regulating service, it substantially reduced provisioning and economy services, thereby decreasing average multiple agroecosystem services by 28%. Full irrigation with brackish water alleviated the adverse effects of drought on provisioning and economy services, but it generally reduced the supporting, regulating, provisioning, and economy services, ultimately reducing multiple agroecosystem services compared to full irrigation with fresh water. Biochar application significantly enhanced regulating service while also providing certain benefits to supporting and provisioning services, but it significantly reduced economy services, finally leading to an increase of 3%–11% in multiple ecosystem services under appropriate water and salt conditions (W1S0, W1S1 and W2S0). Biochar application decreased the degree of trade-offs among services in most cases under full irrigation with both fresh and brackish water, indicating that biochar provided an ecological agriculture pattern by balancing productivity and environmental sustainability under well-watered conditions.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study demonstrates that biochar application can enhance multiple agroecosystem services and reduce most of trade-offs among multiple services, which is crucial for sustainable agricultural development under special water and salt treatments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104369"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating crop models and machine learning for projecting climate change impacts on crops in data-limited environments","authors":"Seyyedmajid Alimagham ,&nbsp;Marloes P. van Loon ,&nbsp;Julian Ramirez-Villegas ,&nbsp;Herman N.C. Berghuijs ,&nbsp;Todd S. Rosenstock ,&nbsp;Martin K. van Ittersum","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Accurately projecting crop yields under climate change is essential for understanding potential impacts and planning of agricultural adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Crop growth models and machine learning (ML) are often used, but their effectiveness is limited by data availability, precision, and geographic coverage in SSA.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to integrate ML with a process-based crop model to produce geographically continuous gridded crop yield projections while reducing uncertainties associated with standalone ML or crop growth models. As a case study, we implemented it to project the climate change impact on water-limited potential yield of maize across SSA.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We developed an integrated system that combines ML with eco-physiological processes to estimate sowing dates and thermal times, ensuring that crop phenology is accounted for, thus improving potential rainfed yield simulations under varying environmental conditions. Random Forest and crop model-based algorithms are integrated in three steps: (i) RF1, a Random Forest model integrated with a sowing algorithm, designed to estimate the sowing window and sowing date; (ii) RF2, a Random Forest model combined with a crop model algorithm to estimate cumulative thermal time during the growing season, used to determine the timing of phenological stages; and (iii) RF3, another Random Forest model, trained based on eco-physiological principles applied in phases (i) and (ii), employed to simulate water-limited potential yield. The outcomes of the different steps of the framework under historical conditions were tested against reported data across SSA.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>For maize and historical climatic conditions, the framework delivers yields which differ less than 20 % of those simulated with a crop model with high-quality inputs, in 95 % of the cases. Our approach thus shows value for generating crop yield projections in data-scarce regions under historical climate, and under future climatic conditions which already feature today somewhere in SSA and for which the framework has been trained.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Our approach can also be applied to other major food crops in SSA, under both current and climate change conditions. It allows testing the effect of adaptation of crop cultivars in terms of maturity group. Thus, it can be used for different crops and with far less data requirements compared to process-based crop models. It has the potential for significant applications in assessing climate change impacts, guiding adaptation strategies, and supporting crop breeding programmes and policymaking efforts in SSA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104367"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Web-based multicriteria spatial decision support system (MC-SDSS) for land suitability evaluation in olive groves. A case study in Calabria region, southern Italy","authors":"Giuseppe Modica ,&nbsp;Maurizio Pollino ,&nbsp;Gaetano Messina ,&nbsp;Simone Lanucara ,&nbsp;Salvatore Praticò","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104375","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104375","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Effective and sustainable agricultural land management is essential for developing agriculture and food production. Olive trees are among the most significant cultivated plants in the Mediterranean region. Yet, they are especially vulnerable to climatic and socioeconomic changes rapidly transforming agroecosystems at a regional and global scale.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVES</h3><div>This study presents the outcomes of implementing a web-based multi-criteria spatial decision support system (MC-SDSS) designed explicitly for evaluating land suitability for olive cultivation. The aim is to identify areas that are most suitable for sustainable olive growing.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>This system relies on free and open-source geospatial software (FOSS4G). The implemented web platform (WebGIS Suitability Olive) was tested by performing an LSE for olive growing in the Calabria region (Southern Italy). The platform is designed to manage users with different levels of access (i.e., user's privileges): Guest (data visualization), Expert (making evaluations), and Decision-Maker (making final decisions). The decision-maker collects the results produced by each expert, aggregating all the intermediate results through a geometric mean and generating the final Suitability Map, which represents the synthesis of all the evaluations provided by the experts.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The final suitability assessment identifies the most appropriate areas for sustainable olive cultivation. The results indicate that the total area suitable for sustainable olive growing in Calabria is 109,595.10 ha, of which olive groves already occupy 46,912.17 ha.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This tool is designed to support more complex planning processes that require multi-temporal and multi-actor approaches. These approaches are essential for evaluating different alternatives and proposing various sustainable solutions from environmental and landscape perspectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104375"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges and opportunities in using biowaste for sustainable hydroponic netted melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivation","authors":"Yen-Tzu Fan ,&nbsp;Zih-Ee Lin ,&nbsp;Pei-Te Chiueh ,&nbsp;Yu-Pin Lin ,&nbsp;Lien-Chieh Cheng ,&nbsp;Yu-Shen Cheng ,&nbsp;Shu-I Lin ,&nbsp;Chihhao Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Circular agriculture aims to promote resource recycling for a sustainable environment. Substituting chemical inputs with biowaste alternatives is a practical strategy for fostering sustainable agriculture, especially in hydroponic systems that enable efficient production under resource-limited conditions. Netted melons (<em>Cucumis melo</em> L.) are high-economic-valued crops, which represents an opportunity to explore these substitutions. However, using biowaste in hydroponics requires additional pretreatment processes and may lead to lower fruit weights, impacting both environmental and economic outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts of partially substituting conventional fertilizers with biowaste fertilizers in hydroponic melon cultivation.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>This study performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the effects of substituting 20 % biowaste (mealworm frass) for conventional fertilizers (synthetic chemicals) in hydroponic netted melon cultivation. The practical trials were first carried out to measure the impacts of biowaste substitution on plant growth and crop yields. Then, scaled-up analyses were conducted to include seasonal variability in this study.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Biowaste Substitution for conventional fertilizers in hydroponic netted melon cultivation increased the total environmental impacts by 11.3–13.7 %. This increase was primarily attributed to additional energy requirements for biowaste pretreatment and reduced fruit weight, leading to a 2.1 % rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In particular, although biowaste substitution reduced mineral source scarcity by 20.0–30.7 %, the global warming potential increased by 11.6–14.2 %. Also, we initially expected to reduce GHG emissions by 8.2 % when implementing biowaste substitution, but additional energy requirements and reduced fruit weights offset the benefits.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study highlights both the potential and challenges of biowaste substitution in hydroponic systems. This illustrated the unstable conditions in soilless cultivation when applying biowaste fertilizers. As hydroponic farming continues to advance within circular agricultural systems, careful consideration is required for food productivity and energy requirements to achieve environmental sustainability in agriculture systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104366"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From pond to lowland scale, a systemic approach to better understanding small-scale rice-fish farming dynamics: Case study in Guinea","authors":"Lucas Fertin ,&nbsp;Anne Perinelle ,&nbsp;Teatske Bakker","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Rice-fish farming supports rural livelihoods in Guinea, but practices and outcomes vary widely due to differences in environmental conditions and market access. These disparities affect farmers' ability to adopt advanced aquaculture techniques, highlighting the need for context-specific approaches.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explores the practices, constraints, and income contributions of rice-fish farming systems in Guinea, with a focus on the drivers of technical adoption and their effects on household livelihoods.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A census of 1942 rice-fish farmers was combined with in-depth monitoring of 36 production cycles from 16 farms across three agro-ecological zones. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, mass balance, labor productivity calculations and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews. Market accessibility was identified as a significant influencing factor through statistical association with fish prices and practice adoption, and interpreted in light of qualitative information such as proximity to regional markets and the presence of wholesale fish buyers.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>Although farmers generally understand fish farming principles, only 59 % use <em>H. fasciatus</em> and 30 % adopt monosex tilapia. Many recycle small fish as fingerlings, limiting growth potential. Rice-fish farming contributes 18 % of household income, on par with rice (22 %) and plantation crops (21 %). In peri-urban areas, better market access encourages the adoption of advanced practices, leading to higher prices (25,000 GNF/kg vs. 16,000–20,000 elsewhere). In contrast, savannah farmers face challenges such as water scarcity and poor market connectivity, often integrating dry-season horticulture into ponds.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The study highlights farmers' adaptability in developing context-specific practices. It underscores the need for tailored support to enhance the sustainability and resilience of rice-fish farming systems in Guinea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104383"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frost shocks negatively impact the supply of high-stem juicing apples in Switzerland","authors":"Guy Low ,&nbsp;Miranda P.M. Meuwissen ,&nbsp;Robert Finger ,&nbsp;Tobias Dalhaus","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104363","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104363","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Mixed farming and agroforestry systems aim to provide both economic diversification and ecological and environmental benefits. However, downstream actors relying on singular outputs originating from these farms may lack comparable resilience to identical shocks.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We analyse the impact that frost shocks have on meadow orchard apple supplies to a juicer-processor in Switzerland.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We use a panel dataset of 1746 observations containing supplied quantities of apples to a major Swiss juicer, originating from extensive meadow orchards, to 291 delivery points in Switzerland between the years 2016–2021. We merge the supply data with apple phenology data and temperature data. We use fixed effects regression with piecewise linear splines to identify the effect of a frost shock during the flowering period on supply shocks of apples to the juicer, where shocks are defined as random and exogenous deviations of average extreme weather.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS &amp; CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Frost has a significant effect on the quantity of apples delivered to the juicer. Under every degree-hour of frost exposure, supplied apple quantities at postcodes decrease by 394.3 kg. The juicer faces an average input shortfall of 8 %, or 11,548.2 kg of apples, per year due to frostier-than-average temperatures. The systemic and volatile nature of frost shocks, and the inaccessibility of international apple supplies, make the risks posed by frost for Swiss apple processors especially keen.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>We are among the first to quantify impacts of extreme weather on the downstream food supply chain. We illustrate that studying risks and sustainability in agriculture and food production too often ignore impacts beyond the farm-level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104363"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparative study of the legal and regulatory dimension of seed sector development in Sub-Saharan Africa using regulatory systems maps: The case of Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda","authors":"Katrin Kuhlmann ,&nbsp;Adron Naggayi Nalinya ,&nbsp;Tara Francis ,&nbsp;David J. Spielman","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Harmonization of Africa's rules and regulations for seed sector development began several decades ago through efforts of its regional economic communities. This process of regional alignment has, to a degree, incorporated a more pluralistic approach that considers and acknowledges that multiple seed systems make up the seed sector and that national legal systems may contain different innovations and flexibilities. With deeper continental integration foreseen under the African Continental Free Trade Area, the focus on regional alignment of agricultural rules in Africa has increased. While this presents an opportunity for policy and regulatory change in support of seed sector development, deeper study is warranted of how regional and national policy and regulatory systems align and where differences could advance greater equity in seed systems.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to analyze and compare the legal and regulatory dimensions of seed sector development in Sub-Saharan Africa by identifying areas of convergence and divergence across both law and practice in national legal systems.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study applies a relatively novel method—Regulatory Systems Mapping—that allows for both comparative and contextual analysis. The methodology focuses on four qualitative comparative criteria (efficiency, legal design, implementation, and flexibility and equity) to highlight stakeholder experiences and good practices in seed sector development. The method is applied to three countries (Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda), all of which are members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and have reformed domestic law in line with various regional agreements.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>The study finds both differences and similarities between the three countries in terms of practices, flexibilities, alignment, needs, and gaps in the legal and regulatory dimensions of seed sector development, particularly with respect to areas in which written law differs from stakeholder experience. These findings suggest the need for several national-level interventions and a review of regional rules and procedures to integrate flexibility and stakeholder priorities in legal and regulatory design and implementation.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The study not only contributes to the growing body of literature on African policy and regulation for seed sector development but also details a novel methodological approach to comparing seed regulatory systems, with emphasis on analytically isolating intervention points, legal innovations, and fit-for purpose pluralistic approaches. This analysis provides the kind of evidence that policymakers need to improve regulatory systems to better address dimensions such as flexibility and equity that reflect farmers' needs, reduce costs, and increase participation in seed systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104351"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic and climate effects of farm-level biogas adoption: A stochastic partial budget analysis and life cycle assessment for Swedish dairy farming","authors":"Nasir Adam ,&nbsp;Ashkan Tayebi ,&nbsp;Vivian Wei Huang ,&nbsp;Gordana Manevska-Tasevska ,&nbsp;Åke Nordberg ,&nbsp;Per-Anders Hansson ,&nbsp;Helena Hansson","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>There is a growing interest in investments in technology that can help farms to become fossil-free, without compromising their economic incentives, and while significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biogas is an interesting technology in this respect, however, the possible farm-level economic impacts from investing in a biogas-based system are not well understood, yet they are decisive to understand farmers' incentives for adoption.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The objectives are to i) develop a scenario which allows the farms to become fossil-free in their input use, ii) assess the farm-level economic consequences of adoption and iii) quantify change in global warming potential in a 100-year period (GWP₁₀₀) from the biogas-scenario.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We use a stochastic partial budgeting approach to simulate farm-level economic benefits and costs associated with changes and uncertainty related to economic effects. We also use life cycle assessment for the quantification of the climate effects, which enable us to examine the potential climate impact in reduction of fossil-based inputs in baseline scenario by transitioning to the biogas scenario. The study is based on simulation for a hypothetical dairy farm with 300 milking cow and a corresponding 325 ha of arable land that produces 75 % mixed grass and 25 % clover.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The result shows that transitioning to a biogas-based system will yield an estimated deterministic net annual benefit of 1035 SEK for the hypothetical farm. However, when considering simulated scenario, the net annual benefit could be negative, amounting −5398 SEK. Besides, there could be a gain of 185,000 SEK from yet unpaid carbon credits, which could be shared between the farm and the biogas plant. In addition, the biogas-system also results in a 218.4 t reduction of CO₂ eq. emission. Therefore, if all milk-recorded cows in Sweden were considered to be part of the biogas system, it theoretically will imply a 27 % reduction in GHG emissions from the use of agricultural machinery. Results thus established that adopting the biogas-based system will not only result in cost-neutral to farmers, but also a considerable reduction in methane emissions.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The paper provides a joint farm-level economic and climate assessment of transition from conventional dairy farm to a biogas system, highlighting potential trade-offs and synergies between the two outcomes. Our result offers valuable understanding about how market internalisation of fossil-free transition in dairy farming can happen through the creation of economic and business incentives that encourage trading between farmers and biogas plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104358"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}