Women farmers’ participation in the agricultural research process: implications for agricultural sustainability in Ethiopia

Empowering women farmers to participate in agricultural research is a key strategy for sustainable agricultural development. Women empowerment has the potential to improve their roles in agricultural production while enhancing nutrition and food security. Although new agricultural development policies are focusing on improving women engagement in agriculture, there is limited literature on women empowerment in relation to agricultural research. This study used mixed methods to analyse women farmers’ participation in four stages of the agricultural research process – design, testing, dissemination, monitoring and evaluation. Two hundred and thirty individual interviews with women farmers and 16 focus group discussions with men and women farmers were conducted in four Woredas (districts) of Ethiopia. Quantitative data were analysed using binary and multivariate probit models. Qualitative data were analysed using line-by-line coding. The results showed that several empowerment indicator variables significantly (p?≤?.001) influenced women’s participation in different stages of agricultural research. Specifically, input in production decisions, autonomy in plot management, membership to farmer groups, and ability to speak in public enhanced women’s participation in different stages, in addition to access to information and extension services, education and land size. Cultural norms hindered women’s empowerment and engagement in research. To foster sustainable agriculture development, it’s important to integrate holistic and proactive gender perspectives into research strategies to increase women’s participation in farmer research groups, access information and knowledge, have voice and challenge constraining cultural norms and traditions.     

Environmental discounting behaviour of smallholder farmers in Chibombo District,Central Zambia

This study utilised 158 semi structured interviews, three focus group discussions and two key informant interviews to achieve its aim of investigating environmental discounting by smallholder farmers in Chibombo, Zambia. Results suggest that most smallholder farmers were willing to continue using mineral fertilisers in the short to medium term even when they were told there could be potentially negative effects as a result. This result was attributed to the farmers’ experience with neutralising soil acidity through lime application and crop rotations. The proportions of smallholder farmers who would continue using pesticides increased with the period it takes for pesticide induced soil infertility to manifest. The respondents seemed more concerned about effects on the soil that would manifest in five years. Smallholder farmers preferred soil improving practices with short term benefits, and low risk. The proportions of smallholder farmers willing to plant fertiliser trees reduced from 68.5 % when the benefits accrue in five years to about 38 % when said benefits accrue to the next generation. Study recommends that agricultural development interventions should focus on low risk, locally available technologies with shorter term benefits and minimal future costs. Study recommends that agricultural development interventions include innovation of practices with shorter term benefits, minimal future costs and farmer sensitisation on the benefits of sustainable agriculture.     

When my neighbors matter: Spillover effects in the adoption of large-scale pesticide-free wheat production

We investigate the spillover effects in farmers’ adoption decisions of a novel pesticide-free wheat production system. To this end, we exploit the variability and asymmetry in the social ties among neighboring farmers. We find evidence of spillover effects in farmers’ adoption decisions as well as in farm and farmer characteristics. Our results further highlight the importance of accounting for potentially heterogeneous social ties in farmer networks beyond pure measures of spatial proximity: spillover effects are only robust once we account for the strength of social ties through farmers’ stated tendency to consult peers on agricultural decisions. Our findings highlight the relevance of peer influence in the diffusion of sustainable agriculture practices even in contexts of well-functioned institutions and high interest in environmental protection such as European agriculture. We discuss implications for the design of policies and programs for sustainable agriculture, which are currently in the center of attention in agricultural policymaking.     

Do farmer,household and farm characteristics influence the adoption of sustainable practices? The evidence from the Republic of Moldova

Drought represents the main constraint on agricultural production in the Republic of Moldova indicating the need to shift from conventional agricultural practices to more sustainable ones. To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the determinants and barriers influencing the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, an analytic framework combining both binary and ordered probit models addressing the potential endogeneity of variables was applied. A survey was conducted among 234 smallholders in three districts in the Republic of Moldova from July to September 2016. The results indicated that the adoption of sustainable practices by small-scale farmers is influenced predominantly by farmer characteristics and by their perception of risk. The findings of this research confirmed that households with lower access to financial resources are less likely to adopt these practices. Consequently, the provision of alternative financing is needed in the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices.     

大都市郊区农户绿色生产行为影响因素基于上海市金山区数据的分析

目的 加快转变农业生产方式,大力发展绿色农业,是乡村振兴背景下转变农业发展方式,促进农业可持续发展的必然要求。方法 文章以上海市金山区为例,基于第三次农业普查数据,以规模经营户稻谷和小麦绿色生产行为为研究对象,对农户农业绿色生产行为的影响因素进行实证分析。结果 研究发现,播种面积的扩大、采用机播的耕作方式、农户农业经营收入的提高对减少稻谷化肥和农药的施用和促进农家肥的施用均具有积极作用,年龄越大的农户越倾向于增加稻谷农药喷洒次数;技术培训对于减少小麦化肥施用量和农药喷洒次数具有积极作用;农业经营收入和流入耕地面积对小麦农家肥的施用具有显著正向影响;长时间离开本乡镇从事兼业会增加小麦化肥的施用量,各农业绿色生产行为间都存在显著的正向影响。结论 最后为促进农业绿色生产发展,提出应发展适度规模经营、加大对农业机械和绿色生产技术的补贴力度、完善对农户的农业技术培训以及加强绿色农业社会化服务体系建设的对策建议。     

农业产业化机制创新提高农民收入的实证分析———以坝上地区为例

文章基于"数据-行为-绩效"理论研究范式,运用坝上地区5个县602个农户的调查数据,对各种农业产业化模式的经济效益进行了比较研究,并通过建立多元线性回归模型,分析了农业产业化机制创新促进农户增收的影响因素。研究表明:与旅游业相关的3种产业化模式,从业面积纯收益与人均纯收益都明显高于传统产业化模式。回归结果显示:农户家庭特征变量中只有农户财产对农户增收有比较明显的影响;农户资源禀赋变量中各变量对农户增收均具有比较显著的影响;除了传统种养业产业化模式对农户增收的影响不够显著外,坝上地区的其它农业产业化机制创新模式,尤其是生态种养业产业化模式与生态农业与乡村旅游兼业产业化模式对增加农户家庭收入的作用确实很明显。充分说明,不断进行农业产业化模式与机制创新,使农业产业化经营与生态农业、特色农业、休闲农业相结合,可以最大程度地发挥其增加农户收入的积极作用。     

THE IMPACT OF SUPERVISED CREDIT PROGRAMMES ON TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN DEVELOPING AGRICULTURE*

Restrictions on input use frequently accompany the granting of institutional credit to farmers in developing agriculture. A general economic framework is suggested to analyze the net social benefits of such a policy. The paper discusses the potential for manipulating the policy variables to foster more rapid adoption of new agricultural technology. An empirical analysis of the impact of a supervised credit programme in Guatemala on farm performance and farmer decision-making is presented.     

浅析国家自然科学基金申报立项经验和对策建议 ——以2010～2017年中国农业科学院植物保护研究所获资助项目情况为例

[目的]探寻农户参与农地整治项目规划设计阶段的参与程度及其影响因素,以期为促进农户有效参与农地整治项目规划设计提供借鉴.[方法]文章通过构建农户和地方政府的完全信息动态合作博弈模型,基于有序Probit模型,对农地整治项目规划设计阶段的农户参与度及其影响因素进行分析.[结果]户主年龄、户主受教育水平在<0.05的水平上是显著的,且回归系数为正;农业收入占家庭总收入的比重、家庭人均耕地面积、地块面积以及地块数量等4个因素中仅有农业收入占家庭总收入的比重表现出对参与意愿的显著影响,以1%的显著性水平通过检验,且回归系数为正;农户对已实施农地整治项目的满意程度对农户参与程度具有正向影响,其影响程度在1%的显著水平上是显著的,说明农户对已实施农地整治项目的满意程度会显著影响农户的参与程度;农村是否成立农村合作组织和地方政府部门鼓励农户参与农地整治项目的程度等因素对农户的参与意愿具有显著的正向影响, 2个因素均以1%的显著水平通过检验,说明成立农村合作组织能有效促进农户参与规划设计阶段的程度.[结论]农户参与农地整治规划设计阶段的参与程度普遍较低,主要与户主年龄、户主受教育程度、农业收入占家庭总收入、农户对已实施农地整治项目的满意程度、村庄是否成立农民合作组织以及地方政府部门是否鼓励农户参与农地整治项目等因素呈显著正相关关系.     

西藏高原县域尺度农业绿色发展水平综合评价——以白朗县为例

[目的]推进农业绿色发展是实现农业可持续发展的有效途径,为客观了解西藏高原农业绿色发展水平,探讨农业绿色发展的驱动因素,为高原农业绿色发展研究提供参考。[方法]文章以白朗县为典型县域案例,从农业生产、农业资源、农业环境、农业生态和农民生活五方面,选取17个指标系统构建评价体系,采用层次分析法确定评价指标的权重值,基于统计数据、遥感数据和调研数据评价2016—2020年白朗县农业绿色发展水平,并利用两阶段最小二乘法分析影响农业绿色发展水平的驱动因素。[结果]（1）2016—2020年白朗县农业绿色发展水平总体呈现上升趋势,由2016年的0.102 7提高到了2020年的0.233 9,增长约2.28倍。其中,农业生产、农业环境和农民生活水平逐年提升,但农业资源水平2018年后却持续下降。（2）多元回归模型分析驱动因素表明农林水事务性支出与农业绿色发展水平存在显著的负效应（P<0.001）,随着农林水事务性支出的降低,农业绿色发展水平会提高。[结论]白朗县农业绿色发展水平整体呈现良好的发展态势,农业生产和农民生活方面贡献较大,但农业资源方面仍是绿色发展的短板,因此今后白朗县农业绿色发...     

基于农户参与的河南省农产品配送模式研究

文章在对河南省农产品配送现状进行分析的基础上,阐明实行农产品配送模式农户参与机制改革的必要性,并提出了"农户(农场)+市场"、"农户+经济组织+市场"及"农户+龙头企业+市场"等3种农户参与下的农产品配送模式,同时对其配送绩效进行了逐一评述,旨在给予农户在农产品配送中以充分自主选择权的同时,增强农产品配送模式的包容性和连续性,为农产品流通现代化提供必要的政策制度保障。同时针对农产品流通模式的内涵和类型进行系统论述,并从配送模式的评价角度研究了农产品流通模式的比较与选择问题。结果表明:农户自身的特征对农户的农产品流通模式的选择具有显著影响,不仅农户特征的不同对流通模式的影响不同,而且农户特征对不同农产品流通模式的影响程度也不相同。并通过借鉴其他国家和地区成功的农产品配送模式,对河南省农产品的现存配送模式提出创新性意见,以期为河南省农产品配送模式革新、河南省农户经济收入提高、河南省农业可持续发展提供参考。     

How smallholder farmers adapt to agricultural drought in a changing climate: A case study in southern China

Although the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers to climate change and its attendant hazards have attracted widespread attention, the quantitative detection and evaluation of their adaptive behaviors remains a difficult task that deserves further study. This article describes an empirical case study performed in southern China to examine the adaptation strategies of paddy farmers to agricultural drought. We collected first-hand data through household questionnaires, in-depth interviews with local managers, and farm-level land-use surveys. The effectiveness of the adaptation approaches of the farmers was assessed in terms of the ecological, economic, and social benefits. Our findings indicate that over the past three decades, when confronted with recurrent seasonal drought in a warming climate, farmers have gradually abandoned the double-cropping rice production and transformed their cropping patterns into a new diversified mode of “Rice-Cole, rice, cotton, seedling nursery, and coarse cereals”. Current farming practice reduces the vulnerability of local agriculture to drought, and allows farmers to diversify and improve their incomes, which contributes to enhanced resilience and adaptability to drought. However, the autonomous adaptation of farmers may primarily serve their interests of minimizing drought risk and maximizing economic profits but could also undermine the social benefits, such as regional grain security. A robust adaptation strategy should balance the ecological and economic benefits with social interests to maintain agricultural sustainability.     

Retirement farming or sustainable growth – land transfer choices for farmers without a successor

Ireland’s agriculture is characterised by an ageing farmer population and small average farm sizes. These structural issues are shared by a number of European countries and have been identified as barriers to sustainable growth in the sector. While farms with an identified successor usually enter a path of expansion and growth, farms without a successor at some point follow a route of winding down and extensification. Such retirement farming could potentially become an issue for food security and sustainable land use. Understanding the retirement decisions of farmers without a successor is key to address this issue. To this end a survey was conducted with Irish farmers including questions surrounding succession and retirement. About half of the surveyed farmers did not have a successor and two thirds of those did not intend to fully retire from active farming in the future. A logistic regression analysis of the collected data showed that placing a high value on family tradition in farming and only receiving a state pension had a negative effect on the intention to retire, while being aware of changing pension ages had a positive effect. A follow up qualitative study explored the perceptions of farmers without a successor regarding various land transfer options. The participants mainly anticipated negative consequences arising from selling the farm and full retirement such as the loss of land and the end of the farming activity. Other options such as the long-term leasing of part of the land or entering into a partnership with a younger farmer were regarded as having more positive consequences. These included a lowering of the workload, allowing a continuing involvement in farm work, and the ability to be able to stay on the farm.     

基于生产函数理论的林区农户农地利用行为分析——以福建为例

以漳州市、泉州市、龙岩市、三明市以及莆田市257个样本林区农户的调查数据为基础,通过C-D生产函数测算得出:不同的生产要素对林区农业的产出贡献率不一样,由高到低,依次是农地、农药、化肥、柴油、农膜、劳动力;并在此基础上分析了福建省林区农户农地利用行为,进而提出相应的对策。     

土地流转对农户农业机械使用的影响

研究目的:探究农业机械化发展的制约因素,为实现农业现代化和乡村振兴提供理论和实证依据。研究方法:本文基于2016年湖北省农户实地调查数据,采用反事实分析框架,运用倾向得分匹配法(PSM)分析土地流转对农业机械使用的影响。研究结果:土地流转对农业机械化水平有显著影响,土地转入会显著提升农业机械化水平的9.94%,水田转入和旱地转入会分别提升农业机械化水平的10.21%和3.71%;土地转出会显著降低农业机械化水平的9.4%,水田转出和旱地转出会分别降低农业机械化水平的9.7%和8.83%。土地规模效益导致土地流入对农业机械化水平的上升效应大于土地转出对农业机械化水平的下降效应,而不同类型耕地作业难度差异会导致水田流转和旱地流转对农业机械化水平的作用效果有所区别。研究结论:提高农业机械使用程度,需要鼓励农户参与土地流转,加快适度规模经营的步伐,继续加大对农机补贴的力度,培育新型职业农民。     

Sustainable agricultural practices,environmental risk mitigation and livelihood improvements: Empirical evidence from Northern Ethiopia

Using sustainable agriculture practices has various economic, social and environmental benefits. Determining the attitude of farmers toward risk is an important first step in understanding their behaviour and coping strategies to mitigate environmental risks. This paper investigates the dual impacts of some agricultural practices on agricultural yields and farmers’ livelihoods considering sustainable farmland. Cross-sectional data is collected from farmers in six rural villages in Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia using structured questionnaires. Results show that education, labour supply, agricultural extension services, attitudes, social capital, risk mitigation attitudes, farming experience and soil conditions are factors that significantly affect farmers’ decisions to adopt these practices. The practices are adopted either in isolation or jointly of integrated sustainable practices that increase crop production, household income and asset. Therefore, government and other development actors should promote their adoptions especially in drought-prone, degraded and water-stressed areas     

黄淮海区域循环农业发展的认识与思考

黄淮海区域是我国重要的农产品生产基地。随着区域经济与社会发展,农作物秸秆和畜禽粪便等大量废弃物的综合利用已成为国家及区域农业可持续发展的重要议题。该文紧紧围绕循环农业所倡导的"4R"原则,提出了以农田循环为基础,链接农户循环,铸造农村循环,构建农田—农户—农村"三位一体"的循环农业发展的空间尺度;循环农业的组织形式应以政府为主体,拉动农户,联动合作经济组织,引导农业龙头企业参与;黄淮海区域未来5~10年循环农业的发展应以秸秆原位全量还田循环利用、秸秆菌业循环利用生产和秸秆养畜循环利用生产等为主导模式,并研发创新相应的接口技术,以期建立黄淮海区域农业废弃物高效利用的循环农业生产模式和体系。     

Key socio-economic factors influencing sustainable land management investments in the West Usambara Highlands,Tanzania

Low investments in sustainable land management (SLM) limit agricultural production in the East African Highlands, leading to increased soil erosion, low productivity of land and food insecurity. Recent studies in the region show that different socio-economic factors influence SLM investments by farmers, but knowledge on which of these are most influential and how to foster SLM is often lacking. This research fills this gap for the West Usambara Highlands, and determines key socio-economic factors influencing investments in SLM. Data for this research was collected from 196 randomly selected farm households in the Lushoto district, and Factor Analysis was used to reveal patterns of correlation between SLM investments and different household characteristics. Among the eight socioeconomic factors generated by Factor Analysis, four key factors were found to significantly influence SLM investments in upland (mainly rain-fed) agricultural fields: (1) the farmer’s access to support services; (2) the farmer’s experience with collaborative land management; (3) the household’s income from crop sales; and (4) the farmer’s forward driven attitude. The study concludes that a strategy to foster and scale-up SLM in the West Usambara Highlands should therefore improve the access of farmers to support services (especially micro-credits), trigger collaborative efforts in land management (e.g., farmer-to-farmer training) and promote investments in the rural area to create an enabling environment for SLM. A more active role of the Government, together with public and private sector partners, is therefore crucial.     

基于AHP的山东省农业适度规模效益测度

[目的]通过总结山东省农业适度规模经营模式及其实施区域分布概况,并研究其产生的经济、社会和生态效益,以期为山东省农业适度规模经营的可持续发展提供借鉴。[方法]文章采用层次分析法(AHP),构建山东省农业适度规模经营效益指标评价体系,并确定指标权重。然后根据农业规模经营从业者和当地农民根据实际情况对各指标的评分值与权重值加权计算各区域的经营效益指数并分析。[结果]鲁南和半岛地区的农业适度规模经营效益明显好于其他4个区域;农业适度规模经营所带来的经济效益要远大于社会效益和生态效益,尤其是农业土地利用率和农业产出值的增加较为明显,农民人均纯收入也得到较大提高。[结论]山东省农业适度规模经营模式多样化发展,规模经营效益区域差异明显,鲁南和半岛地区的效益最好。农业适度规模经营经济效益较为突出,显著提高了农业土地利用率和产出值。农业适度规模经营是一种在新形势下可以有效改变传统农业发展模式并能带来巨大经济效益的农业发展新模式,值得在更大的区域推广和实施。     

Exploring farmer perceptions of agricultural innovations for maize-legume intensification in the mid-hills region of Nepal

Maize-legume intercropping is a fundamental component of mixed farming systems in the mid-hills of Nepal. However, its productivity is constrained by several biophysical and social factors, and limited adoption of proven agricultural innovations. In this study, we assessed the productivity impact of a selection of relevant agricultural innovations and changes in the associated perceptions of farmers through a series of two-year participatory on-farm trials. The evaluated innovations resulted in higher yields as compared to farmers' current practices. The active involvement of farmers enlarged our understanding of underlying decision-making factors to adopt or non-adopt agricultural innovations. Additionally, the in-depth farmer engagement in our onfarm trials positively influenced farmer perceptions of the innovations and their interest to adopt the agricultural innovations. Yet, farmers final decisions to adopt some of the evaluated innovations were limited by a host of factors including labour scarcity, the availability of inputs, and by cultural preferences despite the increased yields. This was particularly true for low and medium resource-endowed farmers. This study shows the importance of active farmer participation and context-specific design of research and development projects aiming for local impact.     

Assessing the sustainability of vegetable production practices in northern Ghana*

Urban vegetable production is an intensive agricultural strategy through which urban dwellers secure income and improve their livelihoods. An ethnographic study was conducted in Tamale, Northern Ghana, to understand whether vegetable gardening was a sustainable form of intensification. The study used an updated version of the Food and Agricultural Organization’s International Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management. Accordingly, qualitative data were collected on the security and access to land, political acceptability and human and environmental health implications of urban patch farming. Changes between 2008 and 2014 in the spatial area of the vegetable sites were measured. Cabbage farmer incomes were quantified. The study found that urbanization has prompted an increase in the cultivation of highly profitable vegetables like cabbage. However, they are irrigated with grey and waste water while eaten raw. This, and the use of pesticides in high dosages, poses health and environmental hazards. Industrial growth has reduced the area of open space urban agriculture by 8.7% between 2008 and 2014. Farmers cope with this by cultivating on interstitial spaces and moving to periurban fringes. There, farmers develop institutional liaisons to gain access to intensification technologies and commercialize their production. This production system is dynamic but not yet sustainable.