Sustainability of urban mobility projects in the Curitiba metropolitan region

Throughout Brazil as part of the preparations to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, urban mobility, stadiums, and tourism development projects were proposed. In Curitiba and the surrounding metropolitan area, these mobility works were financed with public resources. A financial institute directly related to the federal government monitors these projects, which are a part of the National Policy of Urban Mobility, instituted in 2012, and yet no criteria to assess their contribution to sustainable development were adopted. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the sustainability indicators of these projects through a sustainability assessment method. The Urban Mobility Project Sustainability Index (UMPSI) was determined for such projects, as well sub-indices for environmental, social, and economic aspects, in order to verify their contribution in all of the three sustainability dimensions. The values of the UMPSI resulted between 43 and 75%, according to the proposed scale of the index, which has an upper limit of 100%. Finally, minimal benchmarks are suggested to determine the economic viability of mobility enterprises in order to contribute to sustainable urban mobility.     

Measuring progress in agricultural sustainability to support policy-making

The concept of sustainability is one of the forefront issues in discussions of the challenges facing global agriculture, given the mounting pressure to increase food production in both socially responsible and environmentally friendly ways. From the perspective of Irish agriculture, sustainable intensification is of particular relevance, given ambitious targets to increase milk production in the context of European Union (EU) milk quota removal in 2015. A series of farm-level sustainability indicators are developed here using the Teagasc National Farm Survey FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) data for Ireland from 2012. Three dimensions, reflecting the multifaceted nature of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) are considered. Given the environmental challenges inherent in the sustainable intensification of agriculture, it is encouraging to observe that the more intensive, top performing farms (in an economic sense) emit relatively less greenhouse gases when compared to their less intensive counterparts. Conversely, the better performing farms in economic terms tend to have a higher nitrogen surplus per hectare on average. This is consistent with their higher rates of production intensity, but poses a challenge in terms of sustainable intensification and expansion. That said this analysis demonstrates that the nitrogen use efficiency of milk production is positively correlated with economic performance, with more intensive farms producing relatively more milk per kilogram of nitrogen surplus. From the perspective of social sustainability, demographic traits also tend to be positively correlated with economic performance. Given a growing recognition of the need for interconnected policy in the area of sustainability, this research should help inform policy debates and provides a guide for the undertaking of similar assessments elsewhere.     

Regional suitability for agricultural intensification: a spatial analysis of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania

Global food production will need to increase by 70–110% to meet the growing demand by 2050. Production per capita remains at 1960 levels in Africa while the agriculture sector accounts for 65% of full-time employment and 61% of rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Globally there is new focus on increasing agricultural investments in Africa. There is a need, however, for understanding regional factors that influence the outcome of agricultural intensification beyond the landscape scale and below the global scale. This paper provides a framework for considering socioeconomic and environmental factors in evaluating suitability for agricultural intensification at the regional scale. The method employs a spatially explicit multi-criteria evaluation based on freely available data that can be applied in any geography. The focus is on the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania which has an area greater than 28 million hectares. These results indicate that the area considered most suitable for agricultural investment is different when considering multiple criteria compared to considering only potential yield. This approach is important for government planners, funding partners, and development agencies who seek sustainable agricultural intensification in Africa and elsewhere.     

Reconciling rural development and ecological restoration: Strategies and policy recommendations for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Increased demand for both agricultural production and forest restoration may lead to increased competition for land in the next decades. Sustainably increasing cattle ranching productivity is a potential solution to reconcile different land uses, while also improving biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services. If not strategically implemented in integration with complementary policies, sustainable intensification can however result in negative environmental, economic and social effects. We analyzed the potential for sustainable intensification as a solution for a conflict between agricultural expansion and forest restoration in the Paraitinga Watershed at the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, we provide policy recommendations for sustainable development in the region, based on interviews with producers and local actors. We found that the Paraitinga Watershed has the potential to increase its cattle-ranching productivity and, as a result, relinquish spared land for other uses. This was true even in the most conservative intensification scenario considered (50% of the maximum potential productivity reached), in which 76,702 ha of pastures can be spared for other uses (46% of total pasture area). We found that restoration, apiculture and rural tourism are promising activities to promote sustainable development in the region, thus potentially increasing food production and mitigating competition for land. Our study shows that results from socioeconomic interviews and biophysical modelling of potential productivity increases offer robust insights into practical solutions on how to pursue sustainable development in one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots.     

Urban agriculture and sanitation services in Accra,Ghana: the overlooked contribution

While urban agriculture has long been valued for providing food security and nutrition within cities, it contributes to many other urban services that are seldom cited as rationales for protecting or even expanding urban food production. Articulating the actual and possible contributions of urban agriculture to municipal sanitation and health services is critical for sustaining these urban farms and their functions into the future. In the context of the low coverage and performance of wastewater treatment plants in Accra, Ghana, health risk reduction measures implemented on and off farm can substitute to a large extent for this absence of conventional wastewater treatment. We estimate that Accra generates approximately 80,000,000L of wastewater per day, of which urban vegetable farms alone use up to 11,250,000L. By mitigating the health risks for farmers and consumers associated with widespread wastewater irrigation, these urban farms have the potential to significantly contribute to the city's sanitation needs. This could allow partial outsourcing of public health services from treatment plants to the farm, where wastewater is considered an asset instead of a problem. Urban agriculture could also significantly support buffer zone management along streams and rivers, resulting in a reduction of solid waste dumping and environmental pollution, but most importantly an improvement in flood control and related public health challenges. While urban agriculture is not the panacea for addressing these urban challenges, it can significantly contribute to their solution.     

基于碳足迹的设施蔬菜生产环境效率及其分解

[目的]将碳排放纳入生产效率框架来评价设施蔬菜生产效率与资源环境之间的协调关系,对于蔬菜生产的可持续发展具有重要意义。[方法]从碳足迹视角对设施蔬菜生产的环境效率进行评价分析。基于2011—2016年21个设施蔬菜生产省(区)的面板数据,采用SBM模型和Malmquist生产率指数,对主产区蔬菜生产环境效率进行测算和分解。在此基础上,构建环境效率—生产率矩阵对地区低碳化发展潜力进行了评价。[结果]不同蔬菜主产区环境效率存在差异,整体呈现为先升后降的倒U型变动趋势;设施蔬菜生产环境效率损失主要来源于种子、机械排灌等投入冗余以及碳排放过量;蔬菜生产中,技术"退步"是导致环境全要素生产率下降的主要原因,技术效率的提高促进了环境全要素生产率的增长,但未能抵消因技术进步"恶化"所带来的负效应。[结论]第一、二主产区设施蔬菜低碳化转型速度减缓,其他产区低碳化发展处于低迷状态,因此注重低碳生产技术的创新,加强技术推广,发挥技术进步和技术效率提升的协同效应,对加快建设资源节约和环境友好型农业至关重要。     

Drivers of sustainable intensification in Kenyan rural and peri-urban vegetable production

Sustainable intensification promotes environmentally sound and productive agriculture. However, use of sustainable intensification practices (SIPs) is low in many sub-Sharan African countries. This study examined the adoption of SIPs in Kenyan rural and peri-urban vegetable production to understand the scale of and underlying factors in the use of SIPs. A multistage sampling technique was employed to randomly select 685 rural and peri-urban vegetable farm households. Household data was then collected and anaylsed for four practices namely improved irrigation, integrated soil fertility, organic manure and crop diversification using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. A multivariate probit model was run to model simultaneous interdependent adoption decisions. Adoption of organic manure and African indigenous vegetables (AIV) diversification was high in both rural and peri-urban areas. However, adoption of improved irrigation systems and integrated soil fertility management was low, and even significantly lower in rural areas than in peri-urban areas (p?相似文献   

海南省蔬菜产业对经济发展的影响研究

[目的]探求海南省蔬菜产业对其经济发展的影响程度,以期更好地布局当地蔬菜产业,从而促进当地经济进一步发展。[方法]文章分别构建海南省蔬菜产业、现代经济发展的评价指标体系。其中蔬菜产业指标体系的建立主要是从区域蔬菜产品生产能力、区域蔬菜产业化的基础、农业资源、蔬菜生产条件等4个方面确定了6个评价指标;现代经济发展指标体系的建立主要从经济增长、经济关系、经济结构、经济制度、经济协调和可持续发展等5个方面确立了9个评价指标。选取海南省2000~2014年的相关指标统计数据,运用因子分析法和spss22.0确定主变量,并运用灰色关联分析确定二者的相对关联度。[结果]人均蔬菜产量的特征值为6.294,明显大于1,累计占89.915%,因此影响海南省蔬菜产业的各因素中人均蔬菜产量为主变量;GDP环比增长指数的特征值为8.921,明显大于1,累计占81.085,因此现代经济发展指标体系的主变量为GDP环比增长指数。[结论]海南省蔬菜产业与经济发展的2个主变量(人均蔬菜产量与GDP环比增长指数相关度为0.54)中度相关,在一定程度上说明了海南省蔬菜产业发展对其现代经济的发展起到了促进作用。海南省蔬菜产业的发展促进了海南省农业产业结构的调整,有效增加了农民收入,同时助力海南省现代经济的发展。     

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) in conservation agriculture: a compelling case for increased adoption

The rapidly growing population will soon require a near doubling of food production. This increase must be achieved in a manner that maintains environmental integrity, preserves public health and resolves food access and distribution equalities. The use of forage legumes in arable rotations can make significant and multidimensional contributions to this sustainable intensification and this paper reviews the potential contribution of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), with particular reference to sustainable cereal production in conservation agriculture systems. The use of red clover as a tool in soil fertility-building and the multiple benefits to the cropping system in which it is used is described. The benefits discussed include atmospheric nitrogen fixation, soil conservation, structural soil improvements and a suite of agroecosystem services including increased soil microbial activity, the phytoremediation of polluted soils and the provision of food for pollinators. Reported allelopathic weed suppression by red clover cover crops and the role of modern plant breeding in creating new varieties that further enhance system sustainability is also discussed. Finally, as economic considerations will always impact on adoption rates, the profitability of red clover rotations in terms of silage value and yield benefits is taken into account.     

The spread of Conservation Agriculture: justification,sustainability and uptake

Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been practised for three decades and has spread widely. We estimate that there are now some 106 million ha of arable and permanent crops grown without tillage in CA systems, corresponding to an annual rate of increase globally since 1990 of 5.3 million ha. Wherever CA has been adopted it appears to have had both agricultural and environmental benefits. Yet CA represents a fundamental change in production system thinking. It has counterintuitive and often unrecognized elements that promote soil health, productive capacity and ecosystem services. The practice of CA thus requires a deeper understanding of its ecological underpinnings in order to manage its various elements for sustainable intensification, where the aim is to optimize resource use and protect or enhance ecosystem processes in space and time over the long term. For these reasons CA is knowledge-intensive. CA constitutes principles and practices that can make a major contribution to sustainable production intensification. This, the first of two papers, presents the justification for CA as a system capable of building sustainability into agricultural production systems. It discusses some of CA's major achievable benefits, and presents an overview of the uptake of CA worldwide to 2009. The related paper elaborates the necessary conditions for the spread of CA.     

Can farmers extend their cultivation areas in urban agriculture? A contribution from agronomic analysis of market gardening systems around Mahajanga (Madagascar)

The rapid urbanization in developing countries implies an increasing pressure on urban agriculture for production. As most perishable food products come from this agriculture in close proximity to population concentrations, we analysed from an agronomic point of view how market-garden farmers can meet this increasing urban demand. This work took place in the case of Mahajanga, a secondary city with high increasing demographic rate on the Northwest coast of Madagascar. Based on preliminary surveys to characterize the farming systems (on a sample of 91 farms), 11 market-garden farmers chosen in the three main agricultural zones of the urban area were surveyed during two years. Surveys aimed at understanding their decision rules in crop choices, crop allocation to land and resource management, and to estimate their room for manoeuvre to increase their leafy vegetable areas under cultivation. The wholesalers and retailers who buy the farmers’ produce were also surveyed. A previous model of decision rules regarding crop location on farm territory was used to analyse the on-farm surveys and cartographic methods (GIS and on-farm manual representations) were used to quantify the land use. We highlight the following major points. (1) The leafy vegetable production in the surveyed farms already intensively uses land: farmers have complex decision rules largely depending on the water dynamics in the two main environments (lowlands and lakesides) where leafy vegetables are cultivated during the dry season. (2) The scarcity of farmers’ resources (labour money and water) leads to very little internal room for manoeuvre to increase the leafy vegetable production in the farms. (3) At territorial level however, some land reserve exist in one of the lowlands, but not on lakesides. The water availability for agriculture must be better informed through specialized hydrologic studies, as one of the main constraints nowadays to extend the agricultural area. An extrapolation to other cases of urban agriculture is then discussed as well as the role of agronomy to help urban planners to consider the place of agriculture in the urban development.     

Solving Brazil's land use puzzle: Increasing production and slowing Amazon deforestation

Brazil has become an agricultural powerhouse, producing roughly 30 % of the world’s soy and 15 % of its beef by 2013 – yet historically much of that growth has come at the expense of its native ecosystems. Since 1985, pastures and croplands have replaced nearly 65 Mha of forests and savannas in the legal Amazon. A growing body of work suggests that this paradigm of horizontal expansion of agriculture over ecosystems is outdated and brings negative social and environmental outcomes. Here we propose four strategies that can reduce deforestation, while increasing production and social wellbeing. First, eliminate land grabbing and land speculation through designation of public forests. This would clarify land tenure and limit the pool of land available for uncontrolled expansion of agriculture and ranching. Second, reduce deforestation on private properties by implementing existing mechanisms in Brazil’s Forest Code to facilitate payments for environmental services, with support from market initiatives for sustainable sourcing of agricultural products. Third, incentivize increased productivity on medium and large properties through targeted investments. By stimulating adoption of proven technologies for sustainable intensification, this would help meet Brazil’s production targets and growing international demand for agricultural products, without expanding into new production areas. Finally, foster economic, environmental and social improvements through technical assistance to small farmers. Small farmers occupy a large swath of the Amazon and often lack access to technical assistance, production technology, and markets. Providing quality technical assistance to small farmers could help them better align production practices with local opportunities; increase household income and improve livelihoods; and reduce deforestation pressure. By implementing these four strategies in a coordinated effort between public and private agents, Brazil can show the world how to reduce deforestation while increasing agricultural output, reestablishing its leadership in managing natural resources and mitigating climate change.     

江苏省农业生态可持续发展评价

[目的]农业生态系统是国民经济的基础,是农民生活和农业发展的基础,农业生态系统的稳定和可持续发展对促进我国农业发展和国家稳定具有重大意义。[方法]文章利用能值分析法以2005—2016年为时间序列对江苏省农业生态系统进行研究,通过一系列指标评价其可持续性。[结果](1)环境贡献率分析结果表明,2005—2010年生态环境受到一定的影响,耕地面积逐渐减少,环境受到一定的影响, 2011年后,环境有所改善。(2)能值投入率分析结果表明,整体呈现先下降后上升再下降的趋势, 2007—2012年能值投入率有所升高, 2014年达到最大值, 2014—2016年开始下降,该结果说明2008—2014年经济发展迅速。(3)环境负载率分析结果表明环境负载压力逐年上升,但2014—2016年环境负载率趋于稳定,说明江苏省对环境的利用达到一定的平衡。(4)能值可持续性指数分析结果表明各年指数均在3～4.5之间,说明江苏省农业生态系统处于较好的可持续发展状态。[结论]江苏省农业生态系统整体上发展较好,可持续发展潜力较大,但在发展农业的过程中注意推广先进的科学技术,提高资源利用效率,降低对环境的负载率,促进环境与农业生态的协调发展。     

Technological and policy options for sustainable agricultural intensification in eastern Uganda

This article presents a bio‐economic household model, which has been developed to assess the potential impacts of agricultural intensification efforts on economic and ecological indicators in eastern Uganda. A study region in the Lake Victoria Crescent was selected with comparative advantages for intensive agricultural production: high agricultural potential, high market access, and high population density. However, current production is characterized by low input–output systems revealing a discrepancy between development opportunities and actual development outcomes. Based on a farmer participatory research approach, production methods were introduced in the study region aimed at fostering sustainable agricultural development. Data from two community surveys, two comprehensive household and plot level surveys, and farm‐trial data were used to develop and calibrate bio‐economic models for four representative household types. Model scenarios reveal that farm households in eastern Uganda would not pursue sustainable intensification under current socio‐economic conditions. The market environment has to be improved substantially, i.e., transaction and transportation costs have to be reduced, innovative credit schemes for smallholders have to be introduced, and alternative forms of labor acquisition have to be promoted, to provide sufficient economic incentives for the adoption of environmentally sound production methods. In addition, agricultural service provision needs to be reformed and more agricultural research is needed for new and better‐targeted technologies.     

Exploring the motivations and problems of farmers for conversion to organic farming in Iran

Identifying and understanding the heterogeneity of the motivations and problems of farmers is critical for designing better strategies as societies strive to convert towards agricultural approaches such as organic farming and sustainable intensification. The objective of this research is to explore the motivations and problems for conversion to organic farming in Iran. Survey data of Iranian organic producers were collected during the first half of 2015. These data were used to find the statistical determinants of motivations and problems for organic production. Results suggest that economic motivations, health, safety concerns and environmental issues are the predominant motives for conversion, while social and ethical motives are of lesser importance. Problems experienced during conversion relate to marketing, agronomic issues, lack of governmental and institutional support, negative pressure from other farmers and farm groups, and lack of physical and financial capital. To prosper, the Iranian organic sector must overcome fundamental economic problems and challenges. Some of the strategies recommended include the development and scaling up of sustainable intensification, strategies that encourage farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives, and sustainable procurement.     

Opportunities and pitfalls for researchers to contribute to the design of evidence-based agricultural policies: lessons from Uganda

Agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa have paid insufficient attention to sustainable intensification. In Uganda, agricultural productivity has stagnated with aggregate increases in crop production being attributed to expansion of cultivated land area. To enhance sustainable crop intensification, the Ugandan Government collaborated with stakeholders to develop agricultural policies using an evidence-based approach. Previously, evidence-based decision-making tended to focus on the evidence base rather than evidence and its interactions within the broader policy context. We identify opportunities and pitfalls to strengthen science engagement in agricultural policy design by analysing the types of evidence required, and how it was shared and used during policy development. Qualitative tools captured stakeholders' perspectives of agricultural policies and their status in the policy cycle. Subsequent multi-level studies identified crop growth constraints and quantified yield gaps which were used to compute the economic analyses of policy options that subsequently contributed to sub-national program planning. The study identified a need to generate relevant evidence within a short time 'window' to influence policy design, power influence by different stakeholders and quality of stakeholder interaction. Opportunities for evidence integration surfaced at random phases of policy development due to researchers’ ’embededness’ within co-management and coordination structures.     

Further participatory adaptation is required for community leaders to champion conservation agriculture in Africa

There is a recognized need for the participation of local communities in designing and implementing agricultural interventions for the sustainable intensification in smallholder systems. This study examines the perspectives of local community leaders towards the widely promoted, but not widely adopted, practice of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in African smallholder systems. Perceptions from 47 community leaders (both from traditional local authorities and farmer organizations) across six African countries are documented regarding how CA matches the wants, needs and capabilities of farmers in their communities. While community leaders generally perceived CA as potentially beneficial, they also indicated that CA is not currently perceived as feasible within their communities and hence has limited relevance. Three key themes were identified that limit both CA use and sustainable intensification more generally: [1] a perceived reluctance of farmers to engage with the community platform as part of a higher input, market-oriented production system; [2] informational constraints due to non-functional exchange mechanisms; and [3] a lack of local adaptation of CA underscored by the persistence of top-down, linear research and extension approaches. Through greater understanding of local perspectives, a clearer picture emerges of the need for greater participatory engagement and local adaptation if sustainable intensification of African smallholder agricultural systems is to be achieved.     

海南省蔬菜产业对现代农业发展的影响研究

文章剖析海南省蔬菜产业与现代农业发展现状,其中对蔬菜产业主要是从蔬菜产业结构构成、蔬菜产业集中度、蔬菜产业竞争力方面进行分析;对现代农业发展则主要从农业国内生产总值及农村家庭人均纯收入、农业生产条件、农业生产效果方面进行分析。在此基础上,分别确定了海南省蔬菜产业和现代农业发展的指标体系。对蔬菜产业指标体系从区域蔬菜产品生产能力、区域蔬菜产业化的基础、农业资源、蔬菜生产条件等4个方面确立7个指标;对现代农业发展指标体系从农业外部条件、农业本身生产条件、农业生产效果等3个方面建立6个指标。选取2000~2014年相关指标的统计数据,运用spss22.0及因子分析法确定人均蔬菜产量与人均地区生产总值为主变量,并运用灰色关联分析确定二者的相对关联度为0.61,充分说明海南省蔬菜产业对其现代农业发展具有重要影响,并提出做强做大本地蔬菜特色产业,促进现代农业发展;优化蔬菜产业结构,促进现代农业发展;延长蔬菜产业产业链,促进现代农业发展;加快蔬菜产业产品的品牌建设,提高蔬菜产品品质,促进现代农业发展等策略。     

Policy recommendations for enabling transition towards sustainable agriculture in India

Aligning existing agricultural polices with UN-Sustainable Development Goals is imperative for the transition towards a cleaner and planet friendly food production, especially for a geographically and demographically diverse country like India. In this context, the present study focuses on ascertaining the major social and environmental challenges affecting agriculture in India, while evaluating the potential of efficient policy restructure in boosting growth within this sector. The methodology incorporates a quantitative assessment of social, ecological and economic indicators of agricultural sustainability in India, coupled with a co-relation analysis between several nutrition and land-based indicators for leading agriculture states across the country. The results highlight that despite attaining sufficiency in terms of food production, access to food by all in the country remains a major challenge along with incoherence between certain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators and their corresponding data values. Furthermore, a critical analysis of operational as well as recommended agriculture and farmer welfare policies indicate that formulation of an overarching policy influencing sustainable management of agricultural systems, combined with proper implementation of social welfare schemes, would lead to the timely realisation of SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), and SDG 3 (good health and well-being) in India. Consequently, an umbrella policy (National Policy on Eco-Agri-Food Systems) has been proposed by authors for sustainable management of the country’s entire agricultural value chain. Recommendations related to agricultural waste management and adoption of planetary healthy diets have also been suggested for enabling the smooth transition of agriculture as a sustainable enterprise in India.