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This paper considers the influence of course design on the capability of a vocational college to implement a student-centred learning approach to enhance academic student engagement. It is based on an action research project involving a course redesign within a vocational agricultural education setting that created a more student-centred approach and in turn enhanced academic student engagement compared to its traditional delivery. Phase 1 of research looked at academic student engagement in a traditional lecture format utilising a multi-methodological analysis. This analysis identified that one type of module presented a significant challenge with 0/16 classes rated as 'high engagement', primarily due to the subject content. Phase 2 redesigned a module of this type using a more student-centred learning approach to evaluate if this could enhance academic student engagement. Observations carried out on 24 classes of the redesigned module rated 21/24 as 'high engagement'. The redesign process enabled the use of a more student-centred learning approach albeit limited by requirements to comply with traditional quality assurance requirements of the current course design. This action research contributes a greater understanding of how the principles of course design need to be considered in seeking to enhance academic student engagement in vocational education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper investigated the citation patterns within the Moor Journal of Agricultural Research from the year 2006 to2016, offering a comprehensive analysis of author collaboration, institutional contributions, and preferred information resources. The study spans a significant period and presents key findings that shed light on the journal's significance in the agricultural research community.One notable finding is the prevalence of collaborative efforts among authors, with threeauthored papers leading the pack at 32.79% of the total published articles during the study period. Two-authored papers follow closely, constituting 26.23% of the total output. In contrast, singleauthor papers occupy the fourth position, contributing 14.75% of the recorded papers. These results align with previous research, particularly the findings of Singh (2017), highlighting the collaborative nature of scientific research. Institutional analysis reveals that the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in Ogun State, stands as the journal's most prominent contributor, accounting for 39.80% of the articles. The University of Ibadan in Oyo State follows with 19.14%, while Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife contributes 13.40%. This strong representation indicates the high recognition of the journal among agricultural scientists in the South West of Nigeria. Collectively, fifteen universities from the South West contribute 90.91% of the articles, while five universities from the northern region contribute 5.27%. The South-South region contributes 2.39%. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, representing the South East, contributes the least at 1.43%, emphasizing the need for broader regional coverage. In terms of institutional affiliations of authors, the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) emerges as the dominant contributor, with an impressive 68.47% of the articles. This significantly surpasses other institutions, with the National Horticulture Research Institute and Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, both in Ibadan, contributing 8.11% each. The substantial difference between IAR&T and other institutions suggests a potential advantage related to its role as the journal's publisher. Further analysis reveals that the Federal College of Agriculture in Ibadan contributes the highest number of articles (41.18%), followed by the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology in Ibadan (29.41%).. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive overview of citation patterns in the Moor Journal of Agricultural Research, uncovering valuable insights into author collaboration, institutional contributions, and citation preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on various issues related to agriculture in Australia including shortage of agricultural graduates, global warming, and retention of prime agricultural land as discussed in the papers in the agricultural competitiveness issue. Topics include establishment of intern programs to attract entrants to agriculture courses, sequestration of carbon, and development of national standards by federal government for protection of prime agricultural land from mining and encroachment.

With ever-increasing focus from policymakers on the potential of vocational education to provide skills for livelihoods and sustainability in the rural economy, this study set out to investigate attempts at curriculum reform by agricultural technical and vocational education and training providers in the context of the dual crisis – 'climate and economic' – in Zimbabwe. The question addressed is: How should the agricultural vocational education and training curriculum respond to the climate and economic crisis to ensure sustainability? The paper highlights enablers and barriers to curriculum responsiveness. Moll's model of curriculum responsiveness provided analytical lenses for the study. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, document analysis and observations, and analysed thematically. The study revealed that the climate crisis in Zimbabwe has affected both government and non-government vocational training centres in several ways. However, the curriculum was 'one-size fits all', focused on the needs of a formal labour market. Such a labour market has been decimated by the economic crisis and climate break down. Hence, providers of agricultural vocational education in rural areas ought to consider re-engineering the curriculum to be more responsive to a range of drivers, including climate change, especially within the rural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This agricultural development methods paper presents the Virtual Reality Facilitation, Application, Reflection, and Measurement (VRFARM) framework, an approach for integrating and evaluating Virtual Reality (VR) in agricultural education to enhance agricultural literacy. The VRFARM framework is adapted from Biggs' three key components-- - presage, process, and product. It draws upon the principles of student and teacher characteristics, teaching environments, instructional methods, and reflective and measurement-based evaluations. The framework proposes a mixed-methods approach for evaluation, examining qualitative and quantitative data from teachers and students engaged with VR in the classroom. VR, when appropriately integrated using the VRFARM framework, is designed to improve students' agricultural literacy, engagement, and awareness. Major recommendations include using the VRFARM framework to implement and evaluate professional development programs for educators on VR use and agricultural literacy, along with fostering further research exploring the long-term impacts, diversity of educational settings and geographical locations, and inclusivity of VR in agricultural classrooms. This study establishes the VRFARM framework as a practical and research-based framework for educators, evaluators, and researchers, marking a significant step towards more innovative and effective VR agricultural education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation of the theoretical and literature-based constructs related to the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) practices by young farmers. For this research, primary and secondary data are used. The sample includes 220 young farmers. Among the results of this research, farmers are aware of the positive effects of technology systems in agriculture. Also, young farmers seem to be familiar with precision agriculture and have already adopted some of its methods, but the high cost of investment prevents farmers from adopting such technology. Innovative technologies and production methods can help young farmers to be competitive in the worldwide market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant challenge of skill development in the Global South is providing meaningful opportunities for practical learning. While previous studies have explored this as a pedagogical challenge, in this paper, I take a geographical perspective, arguing the barriers to practical learning extend beyond pedagogy and often relate to socio-economic conditions. I draw on a study of a new agricultural skill development scheme in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in north India. Trainees enrolled in the scheme expressed strong desires for opportunities to 'learn by hand' (hāth se sīkhna), which training rarely provided and which were often availed in informal settings. The extent to which trainees found useful practical learning opportunities varied based on gender, caste and locality. Drawing on theories of communities of practice, I argue that the desired practical learning was marred not only by the inability or unwillingness of trainers to provide practical classes, but also by regionally specific factors, such as administrative constraints, local agrarian structure and regional patriarchies. This suggests that coordinating effective forms of practical learning requires regional-level strategies that are attentive to social and economic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite agriculture being the largest employer of young people, South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. The youth are increasingly disinterested in agriculture and often view it as a last resort in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. This paper explores strategies to change these negative perceptions and attract young people to agriculture. Drawing on twenty-two studies conducted over the past decade, national grade 12 statistics, University enrolments, yearbook reviews, and twenty job advertisements, I identify five key areas for intervention. First, the youth interested in agripreneurship need support to access financial and physical resources. They also need training offered jointly by tertiary institutions and the government. Second, agricultural education in primary and secondary schools will likely attract and retain youths to agriculture. Third, we need to reform the education system at all levels to ensure holistic student development opportunities, including the technical and soft skills required by agricultural sector employers. Fourth, our marketing strategies need reform; collaboration with the media is necessary to increase awareness and change youths' perceptions about agriculture and agricultural careers. Five, we need to strengthen the role of agricultural associations to bridge the gap between the agricultural sector and secondary and tertiary education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines sources, preferred format and language of agricultural extension information and the willingness of pineapple farmers to pay for the information. It is based on analysis of data collected using the structured interview schedule method administered on 132 small-scale pineapple farmers randomly selected from 14 communities in the Akuapem South District of south-eastern Ghana. Agricultural extension agents (96.7%), cooperative societies (83.3%), colleague farmers (70%) and platforms offered by workshops and training sessions (63.3%) were identified as predominant sources of agricultural extension information. Besides, the study showed that 40.9% of farmers were willing to pay for such services, with 28.8% expressing their unwillingness. The results of a chi-square analysis showed a significant relationship between pineapple farmers' willingness to pay for agricultural extension information with respect to sex, age, educational level, household size, years of experience, farm size, and position in the society. However, marital status and membership of cooperative societies of pineapple farmers were not significant (at ρ ≤ 0.05) and therefore did not affect the pineapple farmers' willingness to pay for such services. The paper makes a strong case for policy direction that deepens private sector participation and supports a more balanced public-private-partnership arrangement for extension delivery. This may stimulate pluralistic extension delivery, introduce a lot more diversity and enhance farmer acceptance of the need to invest in extension information. This study represents the first-ever study in Ghana on willingness to pay for extension information that focuses exclusively on producers of a horticultural commodity (small-scale pineapple farmers) with their distinguishing characteristic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential learning has long been a part of higher-education food and agricultural training. This paper focuses on experiential learning in a graduate food studies course on dairy. It suggests that relationships and camaraderie built in part through an experiential approach to learning may act as mediator and facilitator of both empathetic and critical thought around food and agriculture. Shared experiences outside the classroom may also help create a foundation for deep engagement among students and democratized discussions in the classroom. While this kind of approach may not be viable in every institution or situation, this paper seeks to contribute to a growing literature around a variety of teaching strategies that can play a role in food systems education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Departments of animal sciences must be relevant to a society in which a small number of people can raise almost all the food animal products needed. The declining number of people involved in animal agriculture has decreased enrollment of students interested in food animals in many departments of animal science. However, several departments welcomed students from a diverse background and began research on animals other than food animals. In many states, the undergraduate enrollment is made up primarily of students interested only in companion animals. A benefit of this is that we have recruited new students into animal agriculture and they have gone on to excellent careers. We have a new challenge now: how to maintain and expand the efforts in teaching, research, and outreach of companion animal science. Departments wishing to expand in teaching have examples of successful courses and curricula from other departments. Some departments have expanded their teaching efforts across their own university to teach about pets to a wider audience than their own majors; other departments can follow. In research, a small number of faculty have been able to establish extramurally funded projects on pets, including horses. But it will be difficult for more than a handful of departments to have a serious research effort in dogs, cats, birds, fish, or exotic animals. Departments will have to make a concerted effort to invest in such endeavors; joint ventures with other universities and colleges of veterinary medicine (or medicine) will probably be required. Funding sources for "traditional" efforts in nutrition, reproduction, and physiology are small and inconsistent; however, with the progress of the equine, canine, and feline genome projects, there should be opportunities from federal funding sources aimed at using animal models for human health. In addition, efforts in animal behavior and welfare can be expanded, perhaps with some funding from private foundations or animal-supportive organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing public interest in understanding the origins and production methods of dairy products, driven by concerns related to environmental impact, local sourcing, and ethics, highlights an important trend. Nevertheless, a knowledge-trust gap persists between consumers and the dairy industry. Addressing this gap, in this paper, we developed an immersive virtual farm simulation to provide realistic on-farm experiences to the public. Within the virtual farm, users can explore various sites where dairy cows are raised and gain insights into dairy production processes using a head-mounted display (HMD). This simulation was demonstrated at local libraries, involving 48 public participants. We collected and analyzed participants' feedback on various aspects, including usability and their overall perceptions, to assess the simulation's effectiveness as an agricultural education tool. We investigated the impact of the virtual experience on participants' perceived knowledge gain and their awareness of the dairy industry. The results indicate that our dairy farm simulation was positively received as an effective tool for public education. Emphasizing the potential of virtual reality (VR) simulations in agricultural education and the industry, we discuss our key findings and future plans. [Display omitted] • Development process to build a realistic immersive simulation of a dairy farm for public education purposes. • Findings on the usability and user perception of the immersive experience for education purposes. • The system is an effective and useful tool for learning and the provision of information about the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment and natural resources were crucial to the existence of abiotic and biotic organisms, which included human beings. As the environment degraded, one of the key solutions was the next generation's perception, understanding, and attitude toward environmental laws. Thus, the paper studied the knowledge and attitude of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture students toward environmental laws in the Philippines. The study was conducted through a structured survey questionnaire and interview. The study revealed that students of the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture of the DEBESMSCAT-Cawayan Campus had poor knowledge and awareness of environmental laws. However, their attitude towards environmental law enforcement was considered essential. Additionally, students believed that the government was not effective in enforcing environmental laws in the country, their level of confidence in the government towards environmental law was low, and they perceived that most people were not aware of environmental laws. Lastly, community clean-up drives, tree planting, conservation of electricity, and everyone's responsibility were pro-environmental behaviors of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture students. Therefore, strict implementation and molding of agriculture students in their subjects were necessary to strengthen their attitude toward environmental laws. It was also vital to enhance their leadership skills to influence the community as they had positive behavior in the implementation of environmental laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to outline the ideal that the Franco dictatorship pursued for the case of rural women and analyze its evolution during the almost forty years that the dictatorship lasted. For this purpose, we have analyzed the official curricula of the female agrarian training schools, where the women who were to be ‘models’ for the peasant women were trained. The press and reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and women’s magazines of the time were consulted. We conclude that this specific education sought to turn them into housewives by erasing the traces of their peasant identity and that this process entailed the creation of a space that could be called ‘home’ and the assignment to them of specific tasks within it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous development of agricultural technologies and produces trade and updated state reforms strongly shape the dominant organizing styles of local agriculture production. Since the end of the 1970s, rural China has witnessed a drastic agriculture transformation featured by de-collectivization, and recently in Taicang, a developed city in the eastern China, a kind of new cooperative farms have replaced the smallholders by pooling households' contracted farmland, signaling a new shift tendency towards agriculture recollectivization that is distinctive compared to other countries. Given the state governance's leadership in promoting this latest transformation, drawing on the theoretical concept of 'governmentality' that is powerful in understanding how to govern the society to meet certain objectives, this paper examines the accurate processes of agriculture re-collectivization in Taicang City based on the methods of semi-structured interview and participant observation. Our research shows that the China's tax-sharing and relevant reforms in the 1990s framed a new governance structure in line with the new mode of 'governmentality' closely linked to 'advanced liberalism', creating the responsibility shift from central to local governments and a set of evaluation technologies, and guiding various actors to engage in the agriculture re-collectivization practice in Taicang. Importantly, the considerable subsidies and the impressive extension services in terms of farming personnel training and agricultural techniques diffusion underpin the normal running of cooperative farms and contribute to the local implementation of national strategy of agriculture modernization. We argue that the combination of distinctive institutional arrangement of rural land owned by village collectives in China and the burgeoning local economy allows the developed areas to re-collectivizing the agriculture production for ensuring grain self-sufficiency rather than capturing more share in global agriculture products trade, and that the cooperative farms in our case have been deeply integrated into the 'modern procurement system' and become more sensitive to market fluctuation, requiring rural extension service to transform towards farms' capacity building for maintaining the long-term development momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary trends defining the paths toward sustainable development in rural areas of Bulgaria underscore the significant influence of human resources., and the priorities are oriented towards stimulation of the vocational training and science based skills, obtained through appropriate education and specialized training, and leading to success in the development and management of the local economy. The tendency, related to the problem is highlighted as the shortage of adequately educated and skilled entrepreneurs capable of harnessing technological advantages in agricultural production and implementing innovative technologies. The goal of our study is related to investigation and summarization of basic tendencies in this aspect, within Bulgarian agricultural enterprises, the emphasis lies on the crucial connection between theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, particularly highlighting the importance of educating and training agricultural producers. The education and practical application of scientific knowledge by those engaged in agriculture are vital components for achieving success and ensuring the sustainability of economic endeavours at the local level. By promoting education and training for individuals involved in agricultural activities in the agrarian sector, the agriculture guarantees its sustainable and efficient development, which without doubt reflects on the increase of the sustainability of the rural territories, as a whole. The results of the study formulate guidelines, conclusions and recommendations related to recognition of the need of ensuring the proper education and training of agricultural producers, especially in the realm of environmentally friendly practices and innovative technologies. In conclusion, the synthesized research findings provide insight into the tendencies in basic strategic documents supporting knowledge, as well as data for the educational status in the Bulgarian agrarian sector regarding the potential and significance of the human factor. Future guidelines for the study in the sphere of human resources are outlined in the modern agriculture and the Bulgarian rural territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the optimization of VR simulation interfaces for agricultural machinery, emphasizing the critical role of skill development and targeted education in enhancing agricultural efficiency. By utilizing eye-tracking technology, the research evaluates user experience (UX) across two menu designs - panel and radial -in VR settings. Results highlight the significance of intuitive menu design in facilitating user navigation and information access, with the panel menu outperforming the radial menu in usability. Despite some preferences for the radial menu's features, the panel menu is favored for its user-friendly design and ease of access, particularly in agricultural simulations. The findings suggest that effective VR interface design, supported by focused training, can significantly improve operational efficiency in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to share the initiatives of development and offering of an International Agricultural Extension training course by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). MSUE is a global leader in agricultural research, education, and extension and actively shares knowledge and technologies worldwide. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this in-person course rapidly transformed to an online one-week short course for global participants working in agricultural extension. There is a great demand for developing extension expertise and advisory services in line with the emergence of new tools and technologies. The use of ICT was at the forefront in sharing knowledge and disseminating technologies. Several participants were interested in organising similar courses in their institutions and piloting some of the programmes that they learned. The short course designed and offered during 2020 will be further enhanced and offered with a focus on outcome and responses received through a separate survey. This paper focuses on the training and capacity building of the agricultural extension workers from developing countries and the US land-grant model of agricultural extension shared by MSUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moldova traditionally relies on the agricultural sector, rural population representing one third of labor force. The agricultural education and research system in Moldova is characterized by the aging of the teaching and research staff, the reduction of the number of students below the critical level, unattractiveness of science and education for the young generation, the weak connection between education, science and production, but also the inefficiency of the institutional activity. All these represent a major danger for the sustainable development of the rural areas. The aim of this paper is to analyze the major factors affecting the academic performance of research and teaching staff in agricultural higher education of Moldova. The study is based on field surveys of academic personnel of State Agricultural University, the only agricultural higher education institution in Moldova. The data set includes 120 respondents. Main analyzed indicators are related to academic performance as: professional motivation, research activity in projects, published research results and achievements, main problems and challenges within the institution related and other relevant factors. As result, income level remains an important factor for staff motivation in achieving higher performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a genetic optimization-based neural network algorithm to conduct in-depth analysis on intelligent evaluation of teaching quality in agricultural and forestry universities. In the genetic optimization stage, the adaptive variation probability is specifically utilized. When searching the global optimal solution, different variation probabilities are used in time according to obtained different fitness values, so as to reduce the population diversity and the number of global individuals. This can enhance the ability of the genetic algorithm to search the global optimal solution. The final evaluation index system is formed by modifying according to the reliability test and the suggestions made. Next, attribute simplification and calculation of index weights are carried out using rough set theory. And the BP neural network model is established with the assistance of historical data, which can be served as the main software constitution of an online platform. The attribute reduction by kernel and reduction calculation can greatly reduce the actual computation, which is beneficial for the relevant managers in universities to consider the diverse attributes and make corresponding adjustments for the decision-making scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural education is a fundamental base for the sustainable development of the agri-food systems. Sustainable education should provide the necessary skills to the practical world. This paper is focused on skills and competences required by the agri-food stakeholders for their current work and for future sustainable development around the world. An online survey was disseminated for data collection, and quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to understand the impact of the demographic factors on the variety of skills mentioned by the different stakeholders. As a result, according to all of the stakeholders, the skills of navigating in a changing world, networking and strategic development are relevant for their current work, and technical skills were mentioned as relevant for future sustainable development. The age factor, rather than geography and gender, was found to have a stronger impact on defining the aforementioned skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the key role sustainability plays in the agricultural sector and its impact on local communities. With climate change and economic challenges on the rise, it is vital to focus on sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security and well-functioning ecosystems. Throughout the article we highlight global and local initiatives that encourage sustainable agriculture, as well as the benefits to the environment and society, highlighting our shared responsibility to future generations, highlighting collaboration between farmers, communities, governments and international organizations. For the representativeness of what will be presented we use the creative platform Canva, the basic statistical information comes from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and FAOSTAT, the descriptive analysis is performed using the advanced tools offered by Microsoft Excel 365 and in addition to standard reference sources, we have also consulted recognized specialized websites, thus strengthening our perspective and providing readers with up-to-date and verified information. The purpose of this review is to examine the depth and breadth of the implications of sustainability in the context of agricultural work, highlighting the complex interconnections between agricultural practices, the environment and society. In conclusion, this article highlights the need for a collective and integrated approach to achieving sustainability goals in agriculture and building a more resilient and balanced future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the optimizing behavior of agricultural supply and marketing cooperatives in the US Midwestern states. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses firm-level data from CoBank, the primary lender to agricultural cooperatives, to evaluate optimizing behavior of 77 Midwestern agricultural marketing and supply cooperatives from 2014 through 2017. The study uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the weak axioms of cost minimization and profit maximization to identify whether or not a cooperative is following a cost minimization and/or profit maximization objective. Findings: In contrast to previous research, results provide stronger support for profit maximization as the behavioral objective of agricultural cooperatives instead of cost minimization, especially for larger cooperatives. Practical implications: Traditional firm theory for investor-owned firms states that businesses seek to maximize profits. Agricultural cooperatives however, could aim to maximize profits so as to redistribute profits back to user-owners as patronage refunds. Or, they could minimize costs so as to lower cost of products sold and services provided to their user-owners. Given users-control the cooperative, knowing the primary objective of agricultural cooperatives will allow for better design of research and education programming. Originality/value: Given recent changes and consolidation in the agricultural industry among farms and agricultural cooperatives, this study reexamines past work that evaluated the optimizing behavior of agricultural cooperatives. Changes in industry and the necessity to remain competitive from an agribusiness standpoint have resulted in an anticipated shift toward a profit maximizing objective. The value of this study is providing an evaluation framework, using a firm-level comprehensive dataset, that represents the cooperative system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate whether there are gender differences in the livelihood capital of farming households in China. A stratified random sampling technique and household surveys were used to collect data from Dazu District, China. This paper uses capital values to compute the level of livelihood capital, while the ordinary least squares model is employed to compare gender differences in livelihood capital. The results show significant gender differences in farmers' livelihood capital. Male farmers have more livelihood capital than female farmers. There are also significant gender differences in the factors that affect farmers' livelihood capital. Education and agricultural cooperatives are the major factors influencing the livelihood capital of men, while agricultural policy support and happiness are the major factors influencing the livelihood capital of women. These results imply that specific gender-based intervention programs should be implemented to maintain farmers' livelihood sustainability and to overcome gender gaps in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blending agricultural education (AE) and environmental education (EE) frameworks is a promising pathway towards the goals of boosting environmental engagement and support for local agricultural systems among broad public audiences. However, thoughtful and intentional collaboration between researchers is needed to facilitate these outcomes. We feel it is important to collapse existing disciplinary walls between AE and EE to effectively reposition both as critical public goods and address inequitable access to environmental and agricultural knowledge among the next generation. In this paper, we outline the historical context for the silos between U.S.-based AE and EE programmatic and research practice. We then present a new collaborative structure for scholars in both fields to work together to build agricultural and environmental literacy in support of environmentally sustainable, economically robust, and socially responsible agroecosystems. Ultimately, we aim to create structures for broader and more collaborative efforts through which to improve agricultural and environmental literacy for new generations of learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology and innovation are important in addressing complex problems in the agricultural sector in many developing communities. However, ways and mechanisms to integrate them in the agricultural sector are still a challenge due to the lack of clear pathways and trajectories. Value chains are seen as a strong policy instrument to increase profitability in the agricultural sector; there is also debate around whether value chains can be a potential option to organize technology and innovation trajectories in agriculture. This paper contributes to this debate by exploring the question of how value chain interactions are organized for producing, transferring and using knowledge in the Rwandan agricultural sector. Interviews with relevant value chain actors and a review of reports and scientific literature were used to explore this question. Empirical findings show that value chain structural organization can be an entry point to mainstream technology and innovation. However, this requires building synergies and complementarities among actors. Interactive learning among value chain actors is imperative, with the use of both scientific and indigenous knowledge. Linking value chains to innovation systems is one option to explore for maximizing the potential of value chains in integrating technology and innovation in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of social and economic development of countries and individual regions depends on various factors, one of which is the personnel potential shaping the labour market. In recent years, the number of people employed in agriculture has declined and has led to a shortage of agricultural personnel in the labour market. The aim of the research is to study the condition of human resources in agricultural enterprises under the conditions of pandemic and economic crisis and to identify ways of solving personnel problems. The object of the study is the personnel potential in agricultural enterprises in the example of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union for the period from 2016 to 2020. The methods of comparative analysis, absolute and relative values, and abstract thinking served as a methodological basis for the study. The information base of the study was statistical data from the Eurasian Economic Union, and the works of scientists. The article analyses the dynamics of the urban and rural population in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, the number of the employed population by types of economic activity, including the agricultural sector. The main task of improvement of agricultural and industrial enterprises is to provide the industry with highly qualified personnel, solve which it is necessary to pay a lot of attention to agricultural education. Currently, many school graduates do not want to work in the agricultural sector due to the fact that it is considered unclaimed, non-prestigious, and low-paid. Therefore, various measures are needed within the states to attract graduates to the agricultural sector and to retain young professionals in rural areas. The article identifies and proposes the main ways of improving the training of in-demand personnel for agricultural and industrial enterprises based on conducted research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, the used agricultural area is operated by approximately 3.4 million farmers whose main feature is the fact that they have the lowest level of professional training among all European Union countries. Many of these farmers lack basic skills that are considered essential for a modern agricultural economy. The main objectives of this paper are to analyze the current conditions and the main trends in the field of adult education in the agricultural sector and to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The analysis is centered to the current European context of lifelong learning and includes: statistical benchmarks, legal and institutional framework, adult training programs, funding sources and education and training providers. The working methodology targeted three stages: identification of documentary sources and collection of data and materials for analysis; statistical processing and analysis of data and information; information synthesis. The main conclusions of this study show that Romania has a well-established legal and institutional framework for adult learning with a diverse range of funding sources for the vocational training courses. In agriculture, the main vocational training providers are the county agricultural directorates/public advisory and extension service, private firms, agricultural faculties and non-governmental organizations. However the assessment of adult vocational training quality is facing the lack of a regulatory and implementation framework has led to the discrediting, to a large extent, of this type of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State Agricultural Universities, (SAUs), in India, have adopted the U.S. land-grant model to meet its goals. They are autonomous organisations with state-wide responsibility for agricultural education, research and extension education. Through teaching, research and extension activities the 64 SAUs across 28 states of India are significantly contributing to agricultural production and productivity of their respective states directly and therefore to the rural development. SAUs rural development strategies include technologies and innovations, extension and human resource development. Regional Agricultural Research Stations in various agro-climatic zones have strengthened research-extension-farmer (REF) linkages. KVKs under administrative control of SAUs serve as farm science centres of their respective districts. In this paper, the rural development approaches of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh is detailed. Furthermore, strategic planning by the SAUs to increase their effectiveness for direct rural development should be sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper was to use the analysis of the animal husbandry sector of the Republic of Moldova as a tool for predicting skills to be improved in related professional education programs. In order to achieve the proposed goal, the general trends in the evolution of the sector in the Republic of Moldova were evaluated; these trends were compared to those of the European Union level. The general problems of the sector were identified and, on this basis, the skills to be improved were deduced within the professional education programs of agricultural profile. The research resulted in the recommendations to improve skills in related professional education programs so as to create prerequisites for a higher quality educational service and, respectively, to optimize the contribution of professional education in increasing the performance of the animal husbandry sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the Romanian agronomic engineering universities focused on the promotion of entrepreneurship among the students, by including entrepreneurial competences in curricula or by promoting entrepreneurial support activities. To develop more educational instruments in this field, we considered that the main challenge is to assess the entrepreneurship interest and needs of the students. In this context, the present paper aims to reveal the attitude of agricultural engineering students toward the implication in the development of their own business and to emphasize the role of formal education in their necessary skills development. The research is based on a survey conducted among students in final years of studies from a Romanian agronomic higher education institution and consisted in 215 questionnaires. Our approach has taken into consideration the differences among the students linked to their age, gender, place of residence, the potential employment and family environment. The main findings of our study have indicated that the students from agronomic engineering field have basically a positive attitude toward entrepreneurship and meanwhile they are very aware of the challenges related to the development of new businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In front of climate change and the threat of food shortages, organic farming is an answer to both challenges. On the one hand, organic farming protects and improves environmental conditions, and on the other hand, it can provide food for the entire planet. Of course, the organic farming system is difficult to apply, requiring both financial resources and consumer awareness. The current work aims to carry out an analysis of how organic agriculture has evolved in the counties of Constanța and Tulcea, as well as identifying some particularities at the level of the organic farm, from demand to obtaining and delivering production. The study deepened the situation of organic farming using both published data and information collected with the help of a questionnaire. From the study, it emerged that the two studied counties together own 24.1% of the area certified in the ecological agriculture system of our country, respectively Constanța 6.5% (17,651 ha) and Tulcea 17.6% (47,757 ha). The number of operators in the ecological system, in 2020, was 280 in Constanța County and 343 in Tulcea County respectively, holding a share of 2.5% and 3.1% respectively of the total per country. The analysis of ways to capitalize on organic production consisted of the assessment of capitalization, the existence of a capitalization plan and the possession of storage spaces, the commercialization of production in the country or for export. Thus, from the answers of the farmers it emerged that out of the 70 respondents, 18 (25.6 %) consider the exploitation of production to be an easy and medium easy activity, and 28 (40 %) consider it a heavy activity and 24 (34 %) as a very hard activity, of which 85% have higher education; out of the farms analyzed, 35 farms have production storage facilities, of which 32 have higher education; the destination of the production is 41.4% only in the country, 11.4% outside the country and 37.1% capitalize the production both in the country and outside the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the characteristics of low-intensity, small-scale family farming and related aspects of farming sustainability, in a marginally productive peri-urban landscape, that of the capital town of Lesvos Island, Mytilini, Greece. These aspects and characteristics are explored on the basis of farmers'-landowners' perceptions and visions of local landscape/land use change, through a questionnaire survey. Our findings indicate that production is basically aimed for self-consumption; such practices yield low incomes but bear high cultural values, mostly run by hobby and part-time farmers-landowners, lacking agricultural education. Olive crops are the dominant, but decreasing, form of production, while some other less-water-reliant cultivations are increasing. Peri-urban small family farming remains significant, but in need of new policies/strategies further promoting its value and role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the determinant of youth participation in agricultural training programs using the case of Fadama program. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 977 respondents comprising of 455 participants and 522 non-participants. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that high asset index reduces youths' likelihood of participation. Also, participation in the program was negatively but significantly influenced by gender and household size but positively by age, years of education, perception of agribusiness, agribusiness ownership and youth's intentions to start farming. The result of the descriptive showed that majority of the respondents (56%) indicated lack of access to finance as their major barrier to participating in agribusiness and in agribusiness training. Other barriers include lack of mentorship and information. The study therefore recommends the need for strategies to facilitate youth access to credit, mentorship and timely information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article captures the perceived impacts of participation in an international study tour (IST). Using interpretive case-based methodology, the article explored how participation has contributed to improved management practices relating to sweet potato production and marketing in Papua New Guinea. Findings from the paper provide insight into how a thoughtfully designed IST incorporating social cohesion can support practice change and development outcomes within agricultural development projects. Further research into how an IST and its design can incite practice change in other contexts is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation has been proposed to improve agricultural extension programmes in developing countries. This paper reports on experience with COCREATE, an approach to agricultural extension programmes that supports agricultural chain actors in self-directed learning in action research with smallholder farmers and local traders in Indonesia. This approach resulted in the changes in relation and task division between farmers and their local traders in the agricultural production and supply and chains, improved their market position and in new institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economics literature on returns to education has focused largely on wage workers, thereby ignoring a sizable section of the workforce which is self-employed. This paper presents the estimates of private returns to education for business, farm and wage workers in India using a nationally representative household survey. The paper addresses the sample-selectivity issue arising due to endogenous sector allocation in the earnings equation using the multinomial-selection approach. Our results show that the average rate of return to education is higher for wage workers followed by business and farm workers. Focusing only on wage workers would provide an overestimate of returns by 30 per cent for business workers and by 40-50 per cent for farm workers. Further, the profile of returns across the education ladder varies perceptibly for the three type of workers with higher education being more rewarding for wage workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to evaluate adequately the academic performance efficiency of the teaching and research staff employed in the agricultural higher education institutions and organizations in the field of agricultural science and innovation. At the same time it is developed the nonparametric method of Data Envelopment Analysis for rating assignment DEA_UASM. As a result of analyzing the academic performance rating by option variable returns to scale, it is possible to determine the resources for improving staff activity by evaluating the distance function for each causal factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New agricultural management entities have appeared and been encouraged by the government in the People's Republic of China (PRC) in recent years. Mainstream opinion has stressed the need to take action to overcome the perceived inefficient, small-scale, subsistence smallholder economy that rejects the market economy, has no specialized labor and a low level of technology. However, the question as to whether smallholders are inefficient remains to be substantiated. Smallholder farming households play an important role in the agricultural community in PRC. We believe that smallholder farmers are not representative of inefficient agricultural producers. The smallholder business model, not only shows its tenacious vitality and regenerative ability, but it also plays an important role in the economic and political culture of the nation. We adopt the stochastic frontier analysis framework, which accounts for random errors in the production function, together with technical inefficiency effects that are associated with different management capabilities, to analyze the technical efficiency of smallholder farming households and the impact of their household endowments on technical efficiency of crop production in China. The data used in this paper are from the annual statistical surveys of 17 village-level, fixed-observation points in Anhui province from 2011 to 2014, collected by the Ministry of Agriculture. The sample smallholder farming households considered in this paper have typical significance in terms of both location and economic significance. Using these panel data, we avoid the loss of volatility of variables but utilize the dynamic characteristics of technical inefficiency changes. There is evidence that smallholder farming households are performing quite well, contrary to the findings of previous studies. The level of education, technical training, incidence of a cadre in the extended family, and nonfarm incomes have positive and significant impacts on the technical efficiencies of smallholder farming households. However, with the aging of smallholder farming households, increases in loans, increases in total farmland area and greater fragmentation of farmland, the crop production of smallholder farming households tended to be more technically inefficient. From the results of the empirical analysis, we suggest that the government increase investment in agricultural training and rural education, select and train more high-quality village cadres and encourage them to continue to assist in agricultural production of smallholder farming households, establish a unified urban-rural labor market, improve the rural financial credit mechanism so that rural financial institutions will not release loans arbitrarily, and make reasonable arrangements for land development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper was to elucidate the relationship between the performance indicator of professional agricultural education „the number of graduates" and rural labour market in the Republic of Moldova. Caring out an analysis of the statistical data regarding the number of graduates and the state of the labour market as well as making a synthesis of some studies focused on the rural labour market problems in the Republic of Moldova, the authors identified a series of problems related to the difficulties existing in the quantification of the impact of the professional agricultural education performance on the rural labour market, as well as its optimization. Consequently, some recommendations have been formulated in order to harmonize the relationship between professional education and labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework along with a set of hypotheses that reflects the dynamic relationships that operate within an entrepreneurial land-based university in order to then undertake empirical research.Design/methodology/approach This paper, through reflection on existing literature, critiques the interactions between student, academic, educational institution and industry in order to conceptualise the entrepreneurial modus operandi of a land-based university.Findings Specialist universities, such as those that serve the land-based sector, need to demonstrate multiple excellences not only in terms of the education they provide for students, but also in terms of consistently meeting or exceeding government, research community, employers and societies expectations. An institutional framework must be in place to facilitate and enhance the quadruple interface of academic, institutional, industry and student entrepreneurial behaviour. The social and economic factors that mediate the dynamics within this framework first underpin student development supporting them to reach their potential, second inform teaching excellence and research practice and finally, lead to outcomes that contribute to the global, national and regional economy.Originality/value This paper is of value for those working in the educational sector as the model outlined can be used to critically reflect on current principles and practice and derive options for action to embed entrepreneurship more deeply within the organisational culture of a university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the critical industry that supports the national economy and people’s livelihood. The shortage of labor resources, high-quality consumer demand, strict ecological environment requirements and increasingly intensified international competition have prompted the rapid development of China's agriculture towards the direction of mechanization, information, refinement, intelligence and unmanned operations. Agricultural engineering plays a vital role in agricultural modernization and rural revitalization. Universities are faced with new challenges from technological development, new requirements from social development, and new changes in the demand for talents. In the future, education will be more open, appropriate, human-oriented, equal and sustainable. This article reviewed the unprecedented challenges and opportunities faced by agricultural engineering education, and the unprecedented development of technologies, which had expanded the new territory for the development of agricultural engineering education. The vigorous development of new forms of agriculture provides opportunities for agricultural engineering talents. Agricultural engineering industry is facing new challenges from multiple competitions and the need of the construction of new agricultural and engineering disciplines. Agricultural engineering education faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. It is urgent for us to think about how to cultivate highly intelligent future innovators, leaders and supporters in agriculture; think about how to focus on the discipline of agricultural engineering, stick to the main responsibility, and form sustainable development. According to the analysis of international agricultural engineering discipline development, this paper found that the cultivation of international agricultural engineering talents had highlighted the intersection of agriculture, engineering, biology and information. The original curriculum system had been completely transformed and expanded, which greatly enhanced professional adaptability and competitiveness. Moreover, the core curriculum system had been the label of the irreplaceability of professional students. For example, among the 86 undergraduate programs majored in agricultural engineering in the United States, biochemistry courses with an opening rate of more than 20% included General Chemistry I (100%), Biology I (71%), and Organic Chemistry (55%), General Chemistry II (53%), Biological Materials Science (51%), Microbiology (35%), General Biology II (30%), Biochemistry (23%), and Bioreactor (Kinetics) (23%). Professional reforms had enabled the undergraduate education of agricultural engineering disciplines in the United States to achieve leapfrog development. The outstanding contributions of agricultural engineering disciplines to economic and social development were recognized by the whole society, and agricultural engineers had become an important and unique category of professional engineers. Given these successful experiences, the authors believed that strengthening the irreplaceability of the students majored in agricultural engineering was the key to strengthening and promoting the reputation of our discipline. The authors recommend four changes: from focusing on knowledge-based teaching to improving comprehensive literacy, from professional education to combined professional and general education, from highly specialized training to interdisciplinary cultivation, and from focusing on professional skills to focusing on overall development, aiming for the development of new agricultural engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focused on redefining agricultural extension practice in Nigeria in response to the challenges of climate change. We reviewed 58 articles from research databases that were in line with our inclusion criteria for adequate understanding of the current state of agricultural extension practice in Nigeria and climate change concerns. The review identified the effects of climate change on agricultural extension practice, ascertained the training needs of agricultural extension workers towards climate change resilience, highlighted the strategies for repositioning the Nigerian agricultural extension system for climate change resilience and ascertained the opportunities and barriers for agricultural extension system towards building climate change resilience. Results show that climate change has adversely affected agricultural extension practice in Nigeria by worsening its operational environment. Changes in rainfall pattern have made it cumbersome for effective implementation of extension advice in real time. Training needs of extension workers for climate change resilience among others include the need to bridge digital divide, implementation of strategies for a better interface with development partners and optimization of the use indigenous mitigation strategies for climate change. The review recommends that essential strategies that must be in-cooperated in the extension service delivery in Nigeria should include adoption of new scenario thinking in communicating resilience building, establishment of emergency management unit by the agency, encouraging the involvement of the private sector in the extension service, transferring of research results on best affordable resilience practices to farmers as well as ensuring that government and other agencies are kept abreast with farmer's feedback on their challenges in building climate change resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes with their effects: floods, drought, desertification affect agricultural production. Likewise, the Agricultural Policies on the European Union, through the Farm to Fork Strategy, propose limiting the amount of fertilizers to improve the quality of the environment. Farmers must adapt and use high-performance technologies to face these challenges. In this context, the study analyses the perception of farmers with large farms regarding the main factors that influence the evolution of agriculture in Romania. According to the survey, the factors that influence the increase in agricultural production are: the use of selected seeds, adapted to the agricultural area where the farm operates, the establishment/expansion of irrigation systems, access to new research in the agricultural field, the increase in the level of training of agricultural personnel, the intensive application of fertilizers and pesticides, easy access to low- cost financing. Regarding the association in agriculture and ecological agriculture adapted to climate change, the farmers' attitude is polarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agro-processing is becoming more popular and practiced by farmers to reduce postharvest losses, add value to farm products and increase farm income. This paper presents the small-scale crop farmers' level of participation in agro-processing in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Data were collected from 255 small-scale crop farmers selected by random sampling using a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23 of 2015) was used to analyse data. Descriptive statistics (in form of percentages) were used to analyse the background characteristics of the farmers, whereas the multinomial logit model was further used to show the level of participation amongst the small-scale crop farmers. With respect to agro-processing, results indicated that 47.1% of the small-scale crop farmers participated partly, 40.8% of them participated fully while 12.2% did not participate at all. Results of the multinomial analyses indicated that, educational level (p<0.05), size of the field (p<0.05), distance to the market (p<0.01), and access to credit (p<0.01) had positive significant influence on small-scale crop farmers' choice to participate fully in agro-processing. Gender, regarding male participation (p< 0.05), and age of farmer (p<0.01) had significant influence on farmers' choice to fully participate in agro-processing. Furthermore, the results of the multinomial analyses showed that size of the field (p<0.01) owned by the farmer and access to credit (p< 0.05) had positive influence on the farmers' choice to participate partly in agro-processing whereas older farmers (p< 0.05), widows (p< 0.1) and farmers with more number of fields (p<0.01) were less likely to participate partly in agro-processing activities. These results have implications for the development of smallscale farmers venturing into agro-processing in the Gauteng province. Young females should be encouraged to join the agricultural sector as they are likely to participate in agro-processing activities which in turn results in improved income and food security at the household level. Furthermore, new agricultural education programmes should be encouraged in the area households as educated farmers are more likely to participate in the value addition activities of agro-processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to obtain information to characterize potential trainees seeking training programs about organic farming in the form of mobile learning. This information is expected to allow for establishing a set of guidelines to design mobile training opportunities that could match the potential clients' wishes. Design/methodology/approach - For this survey an on-line questionnaire was used, translated into the languages of the participating countries (Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, UK, Italy and Turkey), and in the end 133 consented valid questionnaires were obtained. The data analysis was made with SPSS and included basic descriptive statistics, crosstabs and χ2 tests, considering a level of significance of 5 per cent. Findings - The results obtained in the present study indicate that designing training programs in organic farming for a wide target population should attend to the differences between countries, which showed to significantly influence the preferences of the possible clients for this type of training. Practical implications - This study provided valuable information for use in the preparation of training programs for adults who want to expand their knowledge on organic farming, in order to prepare courses more in accordance with their preferences. Originality/value - The fact that the study was undertaken in several countries, including North, Central and South Europe, is a positive indicator that globally accepted courses could be implemented successfully. To the knowledge no such work was undertaken up to the present, thus confirming the originality of the study presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the concepts of affect and assemblage, this paper expands the boundaries of the geographies of education by shifting the student focus from the urban to the rural. Based on the findings of student interviews, it demonstrates how a multiscalar and diversely constituted network of material and non-material things (including buildings, animals and plants) coalesces with students to create affective atmospheres of learning in a specialist agri-food and land-based rural university. This learning is underpinned by a sense of attachment to historical tradition through more than a century of agricultural education on the campus, giving students a strong sense of identity in corporeality. Animals are enrolled in teaching and learning through embodied sensory engagement with their states of health, welfare and disease. Students learn both with and from their student peers, centred on a mutual interest in the science and practicality of caring for production animals and pets. This mutual learning and sharing takes place both within, and informally beyond, the geographies of the classroom. The paper draws out wider cautionary lessons for ongoing university expansions; the praxis of university education within fieldwork- and vocationally-based domains; and the role of both formal and informal assemblages of teaching and learning within the academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper continues our research regarding basic agricultural terms in the context of english for specific purposes, extending it to the area of german for specific purposes. It is true that, nowadays, the language of science is english, and scientists all around the world need to be able not only to use the language in generic contexts and everyday situations, but also need to master the english technical terms relating to their field of study or research. However, for the european context in general and the romanian one in particular, the importance of the german language has reached a peak not encountered 20 years ago, for instance. This new importance is rendered not only by the height of political importance german has achieved, given its standing within the european union, but also by its economic importance as a partner in commerce as well as agriculture. As mentioned in our former research, agriculture has been established as an issue of utmost importance nowadays. German investors in the field of agriculture make their presence felt in various countries, but, for the romanian economy, they are a well-known and accepted reality. Therefore, during the last five years students attending the foreign language courses at faculties with an agricultural profile, have increasingly turned towards the study of german. The present paper offers a glossary of basic romanian terms employed in agriculture and their german equivalents. Alongside researchers and academic staff, this paper targets students as well, on all levels - bachelor, master and doctoral studies, since they are most likely to come into contact with specific german vocabulary either in their bibliographical studies, or through scholarships and internships. Moreover, we try to explain the reasons behind difficulties in translation and indicate reliable sources which will help researchers and students in their further contact with gsp (german for special purposes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]