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This article provides an overview of the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in Brazil, with a focus on its impact on labor and employment. While AI adoption in Brazilian industry is still limited, a significant portion of jobs in the country are considered highly vulnerable to AI. The article highlights the challenges and lack of regulation surrounding platform work and the potential impact of AI on agriculture. The Brazilian government has established the Brazilian National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (EBIA) to promote responsible AI development and the training of qualified professionals. Additionally, there are bills being drafted to regulate AI and establish principles, rights, and duties for its use, as well as to provide rights for individuals affected by AI systems. The article emphasizes the importance of social dialogue and workers' organizations in protecting workers' rights in the face of AI advancements. [Extracted from the article]

The environmental regulation of continental fish farming in Brazil is closely linked to land occupation and use. Areas used for this activity are mostly located in permanent preservation areas (PPA), close to rivers and springs, demonstrating the necessity of regulating this activity for its compliance with public policy. Santa Catarina is a leading state in fish farming and one of the first to regulate the use of PPAs. The feasibility of a proposal for environmental compensation to regularize the use of PPAs in Santa Catarina for fish farming; was therefore, assessed. The results showed that 74% of the fish farms analyzed need to regularize the occupation of production structures in PPAs. Regarding the proposed index of compensation for use in PPAs, the environmental compensation factor (ECF), through evaluation of the individual maps and subsequent integrated evaluation, all the fish farms identified with environmental liabilities in occupation had ratios of 1:2 and 1:3, and this index is a viable alternative for environmental regularization of the activity. It was further proposed that ECF be applied to small fish farms of up to four fiscal modules and that they have a standard minimum occupancy profile in relation to the total area of the property, as assessed in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines theoretical insights from vulnerability literature and interpretive paradigm using a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to examine smallholder farmers' climate perception, adaptation strategies, and challenges under the rural enterprise programme interventions in the Kintampo South district of Ghana. The farmers reported rainfall variability and rising temperatures as their key observed changes. The study revealed that climate impacts on farmers and their agricultural systems are multidimensional, which affect their productive capacity and livelihoods. These impacts have pushed them to adopt adaptation strategies with the support of the programme interventions. The farmers benefitted from material and non-material resources, minimizing climate impacts and reducing vulnerabilities. The paper provides critical insights into how future agricultural development interventions could develop effective interventions to build sustainable agricultural systems and livelihoods that are inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable communities and obviate smallholder farmers' vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To replace the traditional manual cabbage harvesting method commonly practiced by Indian farmers, a self-propelled walk-behind electric cabbage harvester was developed at the Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur. The key concept was to cut the cabbage head from its stem and push the cut cabbage head to a storage unit with the help of a real-time vision-based precise cabbage pushing mechanism. Two counter-rotating disk cutters were used as cutting tools. The performance of the developed harvester was evaluated in a field (20 × 12 m) with three Indian cabbage varieties i.e., Pusa Mukta, Pusa Drumhead and September Early. The developed harvester had a working width of 0.6 m and when operated at a forward speed of 0.25 m/s, the actual field capacity and field efficiency were found to be 0.029 ha/h and 54.86%, respectively. The maximum value of cutting efficiency was found to be 80% for Pusa Mukta variety. The maximum instantaneous power consumption for cutting, pushing, conveying and propelling was found to be 948.53 W. Economic analysis of the developed harvester was carried out and it was found that operational cost was 26.85% lower than traditional harvesting method. The break-even point of the developed cabbage harvester was calculated as 6.43 ha/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and humane euthanasia is crucial for animal welfare on swine farms, yet challenges persist in its implementation, particularly in Brazil, where the responsibility often falls to caretakers lacking training. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of swine caretakers regarding euthanasia across non-integrated farms (ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 housed sows) and different experience levels (from less than a month to 40 years working with pigs). A total of 117 people directly working with pigs participated in a survey designed to evaluate their decision-making skills, euthanasia competencies, and understanding of Brazilian guidelines for euthanasia methods. Using Cluster analysis, we identified two distinct groups of caretakers: (1) Empathetic, self-sufficient, apathetic about euthanasia; and (2) Empathetic, knowledge seeker, uncomfortable with euthanasia. Both Clusters exhibited high empathy toward pigs and confidence in identifying sick animals but differed in their attitudes toward euthanasia. The risk factor analysis showed a tendency for younger respondents (under 36 years old) and those from smaller farms (less than 2,000 sows) were more likely to belong to Cluster 2, while older caretakers (over 36 years) and those working on larger farms (more than 2,000 housed sows) tended to belong to Cluster 1. Furthermore, a significant proportion of caretakers lacked knowledge of the euthanasia Brazilian guidelines, as evidenced by incorrect responses regarding acceptable euthanasia methods, such as performing cardiac perforation or using non-penetrating captive bolt guns on growing-finishing pigs. This study highlights the variability in caretaker experience and attitudes toward euthanasia, suggesting a critical need for targeted training programs and euthanasia protocols that address both emotional and practical aspects. Improved understanding of caretaker attitudes can enhance both human and animal welfare on farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing pressure on food security and environmental sustainability has emphasized the importance of effective farm resource usage. Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) have been considered as one of the solutions to these challenges. Multiple stakeholders and agencies working in the agriculture sector have implemented various initiatives to facilitate their adoption. Despite numerous initiatives, the adoption of PATs in small farms is shallow in the United States. It is important to understand what socio-economic and demographic factors influence their decision-making regarding PAT adoption. This research aimed to provide actionable insights that can help farmers overcome existing challenges and capitalize on the benefits of advanced agricultural practices, ultimately contributing to the resilience and sustainability of the agricultural sector. This study used a mixed approach (a combination of mail, in-person, and focus group discussion) to investigate factors influencing PAT adoption by small-scale farmers in Kentucky. The data were analyzed using the binary logistic regression method. The results revealed that farm size and longer years of farming experience increased the likelihood of PAT adoption, whereas farmers' age negatively affected adoption. Other demographic variables, such as gender, income, and education, did not influence adoption significantly. To promote the adoption of PATs among small farmers in Kentucky, policies should focus on supporting younger farmers and building PATs suitable for operating in small farms and reducing barriers. Furthermore, providing targeted training and resources to small-scale farmers can help to promote the adoption of these technologies, thereby improving agricultural efficiency and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change threatens smallholder agriculture and food security in the Global South. While cropland expansion is often used to counter adverse climate effects despite ecological trade-offs, the benefits for diets and nutrition remain unclear. This study quantitatively examines relationships between climate anomalies, forest loss from cropland expansion, and dietary outcomes in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Combining high-resolution data on forest cover and climate variables within random forest and panel regression models, we find that 25 to 31% of annual forest loss is linked to climate variability. Using georeferenced household survey data, we then find that changes in forest cover have a significant positive association with changes in child diet diversity--a key proxy of nutritional adequacy--while cropland expansion does not, suggesting that such forest conversions may be an ineffective climate adaptation strategy for improving nutrition. Our findings highlight the potential of nutrition-sensitive climate adaptation to enhance yields, promote nutritious cropping choices, and protect remaining forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractManaging deoxynivalenol (DON) risks is crucial for the sustainability of small grain farms. One approach involves profitable utilization of contaminated grain resources, addressing potential losses from food safety concerns. This study explored distillation as a high-value alternative for utilizing DON-contaminated grain. Naturally DON-contaminated rye and wheat were used in two pilot-scale distillation runs involving milling, mashing, fermentation, and distillation. The ground grain, slurry, fermented mash, and post-distillation mash were sampled during process. For the distilled spirit, 29 fractionated samples, each containing 125 ml, were collected starting with the first drop of liquor. The fractionated samples were sequentially combined into 6 pooled samples of up to 5 individual fractions. If a pooled sample had a DON level above the lower limit of quantification, samples of the pool were tested individually. All distillate samples were tested by ELISA with a limit of quantification at 0.05 µg/ml and a limit of detection at 0.01 µg/ml. For both rye and wheat runs, DON levels in all distillate fractions were consistently below 1 µg/ml, reducing from barely quantifiable to below 0.01 µg/ml. The DON levels in ground rye and wheat were 3.62 and 2.69 µg/g, respectively. In the rye distilled spirit, the first pooled sample had a DON level of 0.1 µg/ml, and the first two fractions of that pool had DON levels of 0.1 and 0.06 µg/ml. In the wheat distilled spirit, the first pooled sample had a DON level of 0.05 µg/ml, and the first fraction of that pool had DON level of 0.12 µg/ml. All other distilled spirits had DON levels below 0.01 µg/ml. The results showed that distilled liquor from DON-contaminated rye and wheat contains very low DON levels at most. From a food safety perspective, considering DON-contaminated grain as an ingredient for distilled spirits appears viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between the mid-twentieth century and modern day, the animal-agriculture model has shifted from small farms to industrial operations. During that evolution, the negative externalities of animalfarming practices have intensified. One of those externalities--animal waste--has become particularly problematic. Because of the sheer number of animals raised in the United States for slaughter and dairy production, the magnitude of animal waste produced is overwhelming. To deal with this problem, animal farmers often liquefy the animal waste and then spray it onto open fields. In that spraying process, liquefied animal waste carries through the air and reaches nearby homes, coating those properties with manure and odor. Historically, this spraying was unnecessary: farmers did not have such large operations creating such immense waste. However, as these operations grew, so did the need to find alternative solutions. Alongside those solutions came protections for the externalities they created: all fifty states largely prohibit nuisance suits against animal-agriculture operations. This has left communities without a method to legally protect themselves from the spraying nuisance. Further, the members of these communities are often unable or unwilling to leave their homes, many of which have been in their families for generations, long predating the spraying operations. These communities deserve an alternative method by which they can obtain justice and compensation for bearing the negative externalities of American meat and dairy production. One such option is the Takings Clause. To engage in this manure spraying, many farmers must obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act. This Note argues that a permit granting farmers the right to spray manure should be considered a government authorization to occupy their neighbors' properties and significantly lower the value of their homes. In receiving just compensation for these regulatory takings, affected communities will not only find some financial justice, but also hold the government and farms accountable for the negative externalities that they impose on marginalized people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the efficiency levels of beef cattle farms in Izmir Province and identify the factors that affect their efficiency by means of Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis (BDEA). The study covers 62 farms engaged in beef cattle farming in five different districts of Izmir. The BDEA for beef cattle farming provided the result that the analysis should be conducted with the Constant Return to Scale (CRS) assumption. The average corrected input-oriented CRS efficiency after bootstrapping was found to be 0.90. According to the results of truncated regression analysis, a positive relationship was found between adjusted input-oriented efficiency scores and the number of fattening periods per year. On the other hand, it was determined that union membership had a statistically significant negative effect on efficiency. In addition, big farms had lower efficiency than smaller farms, farms in Buca District had lower efficiency than those in Odemis District, and those who fatten old cattle had lower efficiency than those who fatten young cattle. As a result, farms that fatten cattle for shorter periods of time, farms that do not increase the number of animals much, and farms that fatten young cattle achieve higher output per unit of input used, indicating higher technical efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Intercropping techniques like the Three Sisters, where maize, beans, and squash are grown in an intermixed arrangement, have sustained communities in the Americas for thousands of years and continue to be practiced around the world. In collaboration with the Catawba Indian Nation, we assessed the yield and labor demands required when farming with Three Sisters versus monoculture arrangements. Our results illustrate how farmers could use different planting strategies depending on their priorities (e.g., maximizing yield) and available resources (e.g., conserving land, seeds, or labor). Studies like these can help inform food sovereignty programs and support cultural initiatives in Native communities. Summary: Many Native American communities have historically grown maize, beans, and squash in polyculture as the Three Sisters because of the reciprocal ecological benefits the species provide each other and the surrounding environment. For instance, archaeological remains indicate that the Catawba Indian Nation had grown the Three Sisters for hundreds of years before experiencing the expansion of the colonial market economy, a smallpox epidemic, and the drastic loss of land.To support the Catawba Indian Nation's food sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge initiatives, we assess the yield and labor demands of growing their traditional variety of maize, beans, and squash plants in the Three Sisters planting design versus in monoculture conditions.While total maize yield was equivalent in monoculture and the Three Sisters, plants grew larger, had higher survival, and produced greater yield per plant and per unit area of land in the Three Sisters. [Correction added on 21 November 2024, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been corrected.] Squash yield was highest in monoculture. Trellising bean plants in monoculture required the most labor, and altogether, yield per hour of labor was higher in monoculture than in the Three Sisters.Ultimately, the most appropriate farming strategy for the Catawba Indian Nation to use will depend on their priorities (e.g., maximizing the production of one species versus all species). We discuss the challenges managers of small farms face when considering traditional versus modern agricultural methods and describe how a respectful partnership between the Catawba Nation and Davidson College expanded and enhanced the outcomes of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federalism is the foundation of the American governmental system with the dormant Commerce Clause serving as a barrier against states reaching beyond their borders. The dormant Commerce Clause was tested in the U.S. Supreme Court case, National Pork Producers Council v. Ross over California's Proposition 12, an animal health and welfare ballot measure that regulates the sale of livestock into the California marketplace. Proposition 12 survived its challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court because the Court found that pork chops are not regulated under the dormant Commerce Clause. This decision immensely impacts Iowa's economy as Iowa is the number one pork producer in the nation, and most of its production is not in compliance with Proposition 12. Exploring the economic, environmental, and human health impacts of factory farming, and the cost of compliance with Proposition 12, this Note suggests that the consolidation of the agricultural industry has harmed, rather than helped, Iowans. This Note argues that Proposition 12 presents a unique opportunity for the Iowa Legislature to wean itself off factory farming and reestablish its roots as a state committed to small family farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid deepening socioecological concerns, the future geography of food promises to become more contested in the next few decades. This special issue, which is an offshoot of the American Geographical Society's symposium on the Future of Food, brings together a rich blend of articles that interrogate diverse aspects of the future of food, including questions on the promise of high-tech modes of food production, alternative food sources for the future, and smallholder agriculture. In this introduction, we synthesize these debates across articles and highlight what is at stake for the future of food. While we may not be able to accurately predict what we will eat in the years ahead, food will change tremendously and foodways will be shaped by ongoing ontological politics and contestations over what constitutes "clean" and "healthy" food, and how to produce it. Globalization will shape place-based food practices, yet food will retain its cultural meaning even as traditional foodways are shaped by culinary practices and products from distant geographies. Similarly, small agriculture promises to be resilient and will continue to foreground food security for many across the world, particularly in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calves rely on the passive transfer with immunoglobulins derived from colostrum. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on colostrum management practices and colostrum quality on small scale family-owned dairy farms in Austria. The objectives of this study were to describe factors that are associated with immunoglobulin, protein, fat and lactose concentrations in dairy cow colostrum from the federal state of Salzburg. Therefore, an online questionnaire was designed to gather information on general farm characteristics. Further, the farmers collected individual colostrum samples and completed a detailed accompanying questionnaire for each sample. Immunoglobulin levels were determined by using a Brix refractometer and protein, fat and lactose by standardized laboratory methods. Linear mixed effect models were built to test factors associated with colostrum immunoglobulin, fat, protein and lactose concentrations. Results: In total, 1,050 colostrum samples from 72 dairy farms were collected. The number of calvings per year was distributed as follows: ≤10 calvings: 8.3% of the farms, 11 to 20: 31.9%, 21 to 30: 29.2%, 31 to 40: 15.3% and ≥ 41 calvings: 15.3%. Overall, the median Brix value was 22.0% (7.3–36.1%). The number of samples with good and poor-quality colostrum was 517 and 528, respectively. Cow-level factors significantly affecting colostrum Brix% were parity, calving season, ante partum colostrum leakage, time lag between parturition and colostrum collection. In total, a subset of 307 colostrum samples from 39 farms from pure-breed dual-purpose Simmental cows were further analysed for protein, fat and lactose concentration. The median concentration for fat was 5.1% (0.5–18.5%), protein 14.6% (4.2–27.5%) and lactose 2.3% (0.2–5.0%). The cow-level factors affecting protein concentration were similar to the factors influencing Brix%. Fat concentration was influenced by the time lag between calving and colostrum collection and by parity. Conclusions: The present study confirmed the factors, which are currently known to have an impact on colostrum quality. This was the first large scale approach in the federal state of Salzburg to survey colostrum management including colostrum sample collection. The range of colostrum quality was wide (7.3% Brix to 36.1% Brix) therefore many calves will be at risk of receiving poor quality colostrum as defined by a Brix of ≤ 22%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contagious Eczema (CE), caused by ORFV, impacts sheep and goats globally, with severe symptoms and economic losses. The ORFV situation in Yunnan, China, was unclear before 2021–2023 study. Eleven scab samples from goats on small farms in three Yunnan municipalities were collected. Four ORFV strains were isolated and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, cytopathic effect observation, and PCR. Phylogenetic analyses of ORFV011 and ORFV059 genes showed significant results. For ORFV011, the nucleotide similarity of the four strains to D1701 strain was 98.4–99%. For ORFV059, it was 97.2–97.9% with OV-SA00 strain. These findings suggest gene rearrangements and interactions among strains during Yunnan's ORFV outbreak, forming a unique evolutionary lineage. Our study is the first comprehensive one on Yunnan's ORFV prevalence with in-depth phylogenetic analysis. It has important implications. In vaccine development, understanding genetic variances helps create better vaccines. For disease control, customized strategies like targeted quarantine and disinfection can be designed based on strain characteristics. From a public health aspect, as CE is zoonotic, closely monitoring ORFV in goats aids in predicting and preventing human infections, thus being significant for protecting goats against CE in Yunnan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder rainfed agriculture in West Africa is vital for regional food security and livelihoods, yet it remains highly vulnerable to climate change. Persistently low crop yields, driven by high rainfall variability and frequent climate hazards, highlight the urgent need for evidence-based adaptation strategies. This study assesses the impact of climate change on maize yields in Burkina Faso (BF) using a calibrated AquaCrop model and recent climate projections. AquaCrop was calibrated using district-level maize yields from 2009 to 2022 and a genetic optimization technique. Climate change impacts were then simulated using two socioeconomic scenarios (SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5) for the periods 2016–2045 and 2046–2075. Climate projections show that Burkina Faso will experience temperature increases of 0.5–3 °C and decreased precipitation, with the most severe rainfall reductions in the country's southern half, including the crucial southwestern agricultural zone. Maize yields will predominantly decrease across the country, with projected losses reaching 20% in most regions. The southwestern agricultural zone, critical for national food production, faces substantial yield decreases of up to 40% under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. In light of these findings, future research should employ the calibrated AquaCrop model to evaluate specific combinations of adaptation strategies. These strategies include optimized planting windows, field-level water management practices, and optimal fertilizer application schedules, providing actionable guidance for smallholder farmers in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Algerian poultry industry has had the biggest growth in the country. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the modernization of the poultry industry, driven by the policies pertaining to poultry that Algeria enacted between 2000 and 2020, did not result in the creation of governance structures that were in line with the demands of improving the performance of these industries. This theory is supported by the "Turkey" sector example. Methods: In order to explain Algeria's poor governance of the poultry industry, the new institutional economy (NIE) invests within the framework of the "Sector" approach. The 1,288 units of turkey farms dispersed among 38 wilayas, or 80% of all the wilayats in the nation representing all possible production regions, were the subject of surveys conducted on turkey farms between 2015 and 2017. Result: The "atomized" breeding structures, the importance of "independent" breeding, the lack of economies of scale, the low level of development of integrated production and the absence of hybrid institutional arrangements are what set the "Turkey" sector apart, according to an analysis of its organizational structures. All of these things contribute to high production and transaction costs. Nonetheless, the "turkey" sector's lack of coordination mechanisms continues to be a serious problem that causes abrupt changes and volatility in producer pricing, which in turn causes cyclical crises. These crises are a source of uncertainty and dangerous hazards, especially for small farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the development and the evaluation of a low-cost sensor-based system to optimize the management of surface irrigation at the field level. During a surface irrigation event, water flows according to the slope of the field and it is difficult and time-consuming to predict the optimal time when inflow should be stopped. In such systems, measurement tools are uncommon and those existing are far too complex and expensive to be used as decision support tools on small farms. This article presents the development of an Open Source system, based on low-cost technologies, Internet of Things and LoRaWAN network, that allows: (i) detection of water at the sensor location in the field, (ii) sending an alert by phone to the user and (iii) remote control of surface irrigation gates. The metrological characteristics of the system and its suitability were tested in real conditions during one irrigation season of hay fields in the Mediterranean region. The results highlighted the reliability of the low-cost sensor system for detecting water and transmitting information remotely, with a 100% success rate. Remote control of irrigation gates was successful in 89% of trials carried out in the field, and adjustments resulted in a 100% success rate. The savings in labour time for the farmer and in irrigation water volumes made possible by the use of this system, as well as the inevitable trade-offs between accessibility, reliability and robustness of new technologies for agriculture, are finally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are promising tools for sustainable agriculture; however, the cutting-edge digital solutions in agriculture are impractical for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Smallholder farmers need access to credit and insurance services, quality farm inputs, advisory services, subsidies, and market services to be able participate in sustainable agriculture. This paper is part of an extensive study conducted using the design science research (DSR) methodology. As part of our previous research, we conducted a thorough survey of the various stakeholders in Tanzania to assess their needs. Thereafter, we designed a conceptual digital framework called Farmers' Digital Information System (FDIS), which provides all the necessary services to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders and addresses the identified needs. This paper presents a technical implementation of FDIS that aims to deliver essential services to smallholder farmers for sustainable agriculture within a comprehensive single mobile application. We used Android Studio Iguana and a Flutter framework to develop four service modules that include farmer and farm data, advisory services, and financial and marketing services as part of the FDIS platform. The system reflects the services offered in a real-world environment, as farmers can directly request advice from experts, apply for credit services from financial institutions, and market farm products to meet potential customers. It solves problems of access to farm advisory services and credit services for farm investment and helps farmers to find reliable markets for their products without going through intermediaries (middlemen). The completion of the FDIS development presented here will be followed by a test of the platform with real users for evaluation and improvement. Future research will focus on the scalability of FDIS for different regions, the embedding of more advanced technologies, and the adaptability of FDIS to different agricultural ecosystems. The FDIS solution has the potential to improve sustainable farming and empower smallholder farmers in Tanzania and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have shown how, under the policy agenda of agricultural modernisation, the Chinese government has promoted the large-scale transfer of rural land from smallholders to new agricultural operators (NAOs) such as agribusinesses, family farms, and professional cooperatives. Despite this national trend, there are important local variations in the extent and dynamics of land transfer, a topic that has remained underexplored in the literature. Using multiple-case methodology, this paper compares three cases of land transfer in a rural township in Shandong Province to examine how and why patterns of land transfer and management differ. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork and interviews, we reveal how trajectories of land transfer and agrarian transition are shaped by the different background and strategies of individual NAOs, which in turn structure the land and labour arrangements at each locality and give rise to distinct dynamics of interactions between the state, NAOs, and local communities. Our findings highlight the need to go beyond national statistics to explore the local politics of land transfer as well as the agency of NAOs in shaping diverse trajectories of agrarian transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart technologies are increasingly used in agriculture, with drones becoming one of the key tools in agricultural production. This study aims to evaluate affordable drones for agricultural use in the Posavina region, located in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. To determine which drones deliver the best results for small and medium-sized farms, ten criteria were used to evaluate eight drones. Through expert evaluation, relevant criteria were first established and then used to assess the drones. The selected drones are designed for crop monitoring and are priced under EUR 2000. Using the fuzzy A-SWARA (Adapted Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) method, it was determined that the most important criteria for drone selection are control precision, flight autonomy, and ease of use, all of which are technical attributes. The fuzzy MARCOS method revealed that the best-performing drones are also the most affordable. The drones D5, D4, and D8 demonstrated the best results. These findings were confirmed through comparative analysis and sensitivity analysis. Their features are not significantly different from those of more expensive models and can, therefore, be effectively used for smart agriculture. This study demonstrates that drones can be a valuable tool for small farms, helping to enhance agricultural practices and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we are concerned with the cultivation of food crops – comparing trajectories of millets and buckwheat in Eastern Himalayas, and the circumstances under which farmers plant or forgo certain crops. Crop choices and how farmers cultivate their crops have far-reaching consequences for society, economy and the environment. With accelerating climate change, present global, corporate food regime based on a handful of genetically identical crops appears as a high-risk venture. For many Indigenous peoples alternatives to and negotiations with these regimes are commonly located in their traditions: the crops, foodways, and diversity-based agricultural systems of their ancestors even as a multitude of factors have conspired to their decline across the Eastern Himalayan Region. Yet, paradoxically, with climate change these crops, agriculture and knowledge systems seem to hold the future, especially for smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to investigate the rural livelihoods of smallholders in the Manica Province in the context of socio-economic and environmental changes. Arguing from the theoretical vantage point of sustainable rural development, a mixed methods research design evaluated factors that shape the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the Sussundenga district. Based on focus group discussions, the qualitative phase revealed that smallholders regard poor soil quality, climate change and insufficient commercialisation as obstacles to livelihood robustness. The quantitative phase, based on a sample survey with 260 smallholder farmers, affirmed the importance of productive and economic factors in creating well-being, such as technology, market access, commercialisation, and soil enrichment techniques. It is recommended that the titling programme be expanded and supported by targeted training programmes in sustainable soil enrichment and climate change mitigation. There is also an urgent need to promote stable commercialisation while protecting Indigenous knowledge and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent rediscovering of the Millefiori Piemontese breed, previously considered as extinct, has led to its genetic characterisation: establishing the basis for its recovery and preservation. This study describes the morpho-biometric traits and compares the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese breed with that of other local chicken breeds using 26 microsatellite markers. A subset of 14 markers was used to compare the genetic variation of the Millefiori Piemontese breed with that of two other Piedmontese chicken breeds (Bionda Piemontese and Bianca di Saluzzo) as well as 17 Italian and 2 commercial hybrids, whose genetic variability has already been investigated. The present study confirmed the sexual dimorphism and assessed the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese in terms of number of alleles/locus (Na = 4), the effective number of alleles (Nea = 3), observed (Ho = 0.56) and expected heterozygosity (He = 0.53), self-coancestry (IB = 0.65), potential extinction risk (ERI = 2), and its contribution to the Italian poultry biodiversity (GDT = −0.60). The results indicate that, despite its small population size (Ne = 56), the Millefiori Piemontese population exhibits significant genetic diversity, making it a valuable resource for breeding programs focused on preserving the breed and safeguarding its biodiversity. This study is the first to investigate the genetic variability of the Millefiori Piemontese breed and compare it with other local poultry breeds. The findings highlight the genetic uniqueness of the Millefiori breed and its significant contribution to the biodiversity of chickens in Piedmont and Italy, emphasising the importance of its conservation. HIGHLIGHTS: The Millefiori Piemontese is an Italian local breed, whose population has drastically decreased due to the spread of commercial hybrids, bordering on extinction; today a little group of individuals has been identified in 5 small farms. Microsatellite markers were used to evaluate the genetic variability and the contribution to poultry biodiversity. Millefiori Piemontese showed a high degree of genetic variability useful for adapting to new environmental conditions. Millefiori Piemontese breed makes a positive contribution to overall Italian genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study deals with the statistical analysis of crop production structure concerning farm size. Given the large-scale nature of Czech agriculture and the deepening structural imbalance, this is a topical issue. Firstly, the trends in the area of sown crops between 1993-2023 and their expected development between 2024-2025 were assessed. Subsequently, the weighted data of conventional farms focused on field crop production operating in the Czech Republic were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. With the exception of peas, the share of crops grown depends on the size of the farm. There are statistically significant differences, mainly between small and very large farms and between small and large farms. At the same time, it is clear that in the long term, there has been a significant decline in the area sown to potatoes, rye, barley, and forage, which are crops that account for a higher proportion of the har vested area structure on small holdings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facility agriculture is one of the most crucial ways to implement the Greater Food concept in modern agriculture. The spatiotemporal evolution and distribution of facility agriculture land can also be essential to optimize its spatial layout for the successful implementation of national food security strategies. In this study, a three-dimensional classification framework of “Human-Land-Region” was constructed for facility agriculture land in urban agglomerations of China. The spatial layout of facility agriculture land was also balanced to match with the labor intensity and amount of facility agriculture land. In this study, the study area was taken as the 19 national-level urban agglomerations in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The parameters were then calculated, including the land area per capita area, geographic concentration, and the Moran’s I of the 19 urban agglomerations for facility agriculture during the period of 2013— 2021. Then the spatiotemporal evolution of facility agriculture land was obtained to evaluate the three-dimensional framework in urban agglomerations on the global scale. The typical cities were determined to combine the three-dimensional evaluation, geographic zoning, and the development level of urban agglomerations. Finally, four urban agglomerations were identified as the typical cases, such as the Central Plains, Chengdu-Chongqing, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Mid-southern Liaoning. The modified gravity model and core-edge analysis were also applied to explore the gravitational relationship of facility agriculture among cities within these four urban agglomerations. The facility agriculture land was realized at a downscaled scale from the whole situation to the inner part of typical urban agglomerations. The results indicate that the facility agriculture land in urban agglomerations decreased by 446 000 hectares between 2013 and 2021. There was the regional divergence, in which the Northeast and Central regions shared smaller scales of facility agriculture land, while the South generally had more extensive areas than the North. From 2018 onwards, the distribution of facility agriculture land was shifted from a highly centralized to a slightly decentralized pattern. The urban agglomerations with "high-high clustering" and "low-high clustering" were predominantly found in the eastern regions in various periods, indicating significant spatial dependence. While other areas showed more dispersed distributions. According to the "Human-Land-Region" analysis framework, the layout of facility agricultural land in urban agglomerations was divided into four types: "Growing population with reduced and decentralized lands", "Growing population with increased and centralized lands", "Shrinking population with reduced and centralized lands" and "Shrinking population with reduced and decentralized lands". Urban agglomerations with the first type were found in the relatively slow development in facility agriculture, with a weakening industry pull. While those with the second type were achieved large-scale operations in the concentration of resources. Two main types were accounted for a total of 73.68%, which was the leading type of facility agricultural land in urban agglomeration. There was the severe reduction in the scale of facility agriculture land over the past decade, with a spatial divergence from population changes. Recent trends showed a shift from the centralized supply towards risk diversification. Perennial vegetable plots can be expected to establish in the medium and large cities. The balance between local production and external supply can be strategically designed for facility agriculture within urban agglomerations, in order to enhance the resilience of the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the modernization of smallholder agriculture in China, where most farms are small, and farms' parcels are fragmented. The study puts forward a framework of agricultural modernization by vertical division of labor and specialized production in agriculture. We posit that hiring machinery services could be a pathway to connect smallholders with modern agriculture and achieve food security in China. Using household‐level data from China, this study examines how hiring machinery services affects farm productivity and rural households' welfare. Findings show that mechanization services increased rural Chinese families' food security and agricultural productivity. Hiring machinery services improves smallholders' income by influencing the input efficiency of maize production and increasing participation in off‐farm work. Our findings highlight the importance of technology to improve smallholder agriculture and food security, not only in China but also in other South and Southeast Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of water bodies and process upset in treatment plants in Mexico by cheese whey discharges is a matter of concern where scant inspection and law enforcement may aggravate the situation. This study analyzes the current state of environmental regulatory compliance and the impacts of whey discharges with particular emphasis on the country's leading dairy-producing state, Jalisco. Subsequently, cheese whey characteristics and current valorisation volume and uses are discussed in detail. From there, anaerobic digestion is presented as a key technology for cheese whey treatment mainly to comply with wastewater regulations, with recovery of biogas as bonus. From there, the volume of cheese whey discharged to the environment and potential equivalence in biogas and electricity production is calculated considering both the technologies commonly used in industrial applications and for farms and small producers. Also, the potential electricity generation and prevented atmospheric impact are calculated and framed against the current Mexican energy and emissions inventory. Finally, a review of past efforts to disseminate the use of anaerobic digesters to produce biogas from organic waste in Mexico is undertaken, followed by a discussion of the basic requirements for a strategy to sustainably manage and treat whey discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in global agricultural development. The digital transformation of smallholder agriculture can enhance productivity, increase farmers' income, ensure food security, and promote sustainable rural development. However, existing studies often fail to analyze the holistic nature of this transformation and lack a systematic review of the relevant literature. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive presentation of the current studies on the digital transformation of smallholder agriculture through logical synthesis and reflective summarization, thereby offering valuable academic insights and practical guidance for the digital transformation of smallholder farming. This study constructs an analytical framework centered on "government–technology–smallholders" using a literature review methodology, systematically examining the main practices, challenges, and future strategies for the digital transformation of smallholder agriculture. Our review reveals that current practices primarily focus on digital agricultural production, rural e-commerce, and agricultural information exchange. We identify key challenges at the government, technical, and smallholder levels, including inadequate digital agriculture policies, limited availability of digital applications, difficulties in adapting uniform technologies to the diverse contexts of smallholders, insufficient resources and endowment among smallholder farmers, significant group disparities, and constraints imposed by social and cultural factors. To enhance the digital transformation of smallholder agriculture, it is essential to improve the supply of policy resources, increase attention to and responsiveness toward smallholder needs, and refine digital governance policies. Additionally, we must develop user-friendly digital applications that cater to the varied digital needs of farmers, reduce access costs, enhance digital literacy, foster an inclusive environment for digital agricultural development, and respect and integrate the social and cultural contexts of smallholder communities. This study deepens the understanding of digital transformation in smallholder agriculture and provides theoretical insights and practical guidance for policymakers, technology developers, and smallholder communities. It contributes to sustainable agricultural development and supports rural revitalization and shared prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), commonly known as spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), is an invasive insect pest threatening the economy of many small fruit farms in the Americas and Europe. Biological control using parasitoids is a promising strategy for improving the sustainable management of SWD. To use the parasitoids as biocontrol agents, recognizing and understanding the presence and preference of North American native parasitoids and their local adaptation is necessary. We conducted 2 season-long field explorations of North American native parasitoids of SWD during 2021 and 2022 at major blueberry-producing locations in southeast GA, USA. A total of 371 parasitoids of Drosophila were collected using fruit-baited sentinel traps and classified into 3 families: Figitidae, Pteromalidae, and Diapriidae. Leptopilina boulardi (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) were the most abundant species. The abundance of parasitoids was higher during the peak blueberry ripening period through the end of the harvest season compared to all other phenological stages. Out of the North American native parasitoids of SWD that we collected, Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae successfully parasitized SWD in its natural habitat, and L. boulardi only parasitized SWD larvae at a low rate of 7% in the laboratory, but it failed to emerge from all the parasitized SWD. Ultimately, we found that the existing North American native parasitoids were inadequate to suppress the SWD in these locations. Planned intervention with the classical release of Asian native specialist parasitoids in addition to the existing SWD management approaches was deemed necessary in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most registered farmers' cooperatives in China are de facto private enterprises; while many bring economic gains to farmers, they do not function as cooperatives. Among the small minority that started as authentic cooperatives, however, most struggled to provide economic benefits to members, unable to achieve economic sustainability. The failure of true farmers' cooperatives in China has been widely studied; the success of the few that did become economically sustainable, however, remains poorly understood. Using a sample of 70 farmers' cooperatives across the country and comparing three "extreme cases"—cooperatives that are both authentic and economically successful—with the rest, this study argues that participation in alternative agrifood systems is the key to their success. In the Chinese context, smallholders are deeply integrated into the conventional agrifood system and have gained technology and market access through the mediation of private enterprises and public institutions, leaving little space for cooperatives. Only in alternative agrifood systems, which prioritize product quality and authenticity and value closer relationships between producers and consumers, do cooperatives, as a unique governance institution based on trust, have advantages. Our case analysis shows how cooperatives brought smallholders economic gains and achieved economic sustainability through shifting to ecologically sustainable farming and building alternative distributive networks. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of the relationship between smallholder cooperatives and sustainable development: in capitalist agrifood systems, ecologically sustainable agrifood alternatives provide the basis for cooperatives' social and economic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the self-perception of the socioeconomic reality of the productive process of small rural producers in a metropolitan region of Brazil. Small food production accounts for a significant proportion of the country's total food output. The objective of this study is to investigate the opportunities for advances in small production and the institutional, environmental, and economic obstacles that hinder this process. The hypothesis is that the producers' failure is related to regulatory complexity and the difficulty of adapting to legal regulations. The adopted methodology was documentary and qualitative analysis through online research. The results confirm the hypothesis, since in the view of small producers, regulatory complexity impairs the performance of their enterprises. The work also identified an unexpected complaint: difficulties in selling produce in the most developed region of the country. It is concluded that the productive activity of small producers faces difficulties because of both entangling and overlapping divergent laws and production flow infrastructure, which producers identified as inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Selecting the appropriate tractor for small-scale farms is a complex process due to the multitude of technical, environmental, and economic criteria that must be evaluated. This study addresses this challenge by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with machine learning (ML) to reduce the number of criteria and simplify the decision-making process. The research aims to determine the most relevant criteria aligned with sustainable development goals for selecting the right tractor, focusing on small farms in the Egyptian Delta. Four tractors, with horsepower ranging from 55 to 95, were evaluated based on inputs from forty-two governmental service providers in the study area. Initially, nine criteria were identified, encompassing key technical, environmental, and economic factors. These criteria were reduced to three—price, power, and maintenance costs by weights 0.142, 0.334, and 0.525, respectively—using Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering with Euclidean distance. This reduction streamlined the selection process, making it more practical for farmers. Results show that the second tractor (T2), with a priority score of 0.326 and a normalized value of 33.4%, emerged as the optimal choice for small-scale farmers, outperforming the first tractor (T1) (28.7%) and third tractor (T3) (21%). Integrating AHP and ML simplifies tractor selection, ensuring sustainability, cost-efficiency, and operational effectiveness.

Smallholder farmers are widely touted as essential to sustainable agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. But what exactly is meant by sustainable development, and how are smallholder farmers expected to contribute to it? In this perspective, we describe and assess two competing visions of sustainable development, namely Capital Theory and the Capabilities approach, paying special attention to the major yet divergent repercussions each approach implies for the future of smallholder farmers and the activities of their representative organizations. We present the core concepts, tools and practices stemming from each sustainable development perspective, and from a critique of these motivate the superiority of a capabilities approach as more conducive to smallholder farmers wellbeing now and in the future. In doing so, we bring to the fore the pivotal role smallholder farmer organizations and rural social movements, as collective vehicles for smallholder political agency, play in strategically advocating for the conditions that support sustainable and just smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study assesses how access to climate services influences cropping decisions and, subsequently, household food security. Employing a cross-sectional research design, the study surveyed a total of 217 smallholder crop farmers selected through a multistage sampling approach. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, and both descriptive statistics and a propensity score matching (PSM) model were employed for data analysis. Household food security was assessed using households' dietary diversity. The study's findings highlight that 69% of the surveyed farmers had access to weather forecasts, while only 24% had access to seasonal forecasts. Consequently, farmers with access to climate services exhibited changes in their farming decisions, including daily farming activities, planting timing, crop selection, and land preparation. Notably, approximately 35% of the respondents were identified as food insecure. The application of the propensity score matching model revealed that access to climate services had a statistically significant positive impact on farmers' decision-making processes and household food security. These results underscore the potential of climate services to enhance farmers' decision-making capabilities and, subsequently, improve household food security. Considering these findings, it is recommended that efforts to expand access to climate services among smallholder farmers in South Africa should be intensified. This can be achieved by developing and disseminating more accessible and tailored climate information, including seasonal forecasts. In addition, initiatives should ensure that climate services are integrated into agricultural extension services and support systems to equip farmers with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first plans to develop offshore wind farms (OWFs), concerns have been raised about the impacts on marine megafauna. Today, it is required to assess these impacts over the whole lifecycle of the OWF. Before construction, initial assessments are often conducted by visual surveys, but subsequent monitoring over the lifecycle of the OWF has to be digital due to safety requirements, leading to challenges in data comparability. The aim of this study was to attempt to establish generalizable intercalibration factors for this transition between visual and digital monitoring methods. To this end, intercalibration surveys were conducted at five different sites and at different times of the year within a site, using both visual monitoring at low-altitude and digital monitoring at both low and high altitudes. We tested the potential for intercalibration of the results based on the ratio of abundance estimated from data collected by the different methods. We explored factors such as the species under study and site-specific conditions that may influence intercalibration. We computed more than 100 intercalibration factors and found that, on average, abundance estimates from digital methods were higher than those from visual methods and that flight altitude for digital monitoring did not significantly influence abundance estimates. Aside from divergent abundance estimates depending on monitoring method, the findings also revealed significant heterogeneity, only one-third of which was explained by contextual factors such as taxonomy or the sea conditions. This outcome presents a pessimistic outlook on the prospect for the intercalibration of results between an initial assessment carried out with visual observations and subsequent monitoring with digital methods after OWF construction and until decommissioning. The high heterogeneity prevents seamless transferability of intercalibration factors and highlights the importance of local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural environments are experiencing rapid changes that must be explored to understand, enhance, and facilitate positive changes and adapt to detrimental changes. However, the information researchers can obtain about the environment to identify effective management strategies for rural resources is hindered by several factors. Participatory geospatial research presents an approach that integrates local voices to map the facts and values of rural people and represent environmental changes. Here, we draw on more than six years of participatory geospatial research in rural northern Malawi to identify and present various considerations that participatory geospatial researchers and planners should be mindful of when working with rural people to enhance participation in research and improve spatial data accuracy. Based on experiences using various research methods and activities applied in several transdisciplinary collaborative research projects, we posit that rural geospatial researchers should keenly consider i) ethical issues concerning data collection, analysis, and representation, e.g. taboos and sacred spaces, ii) integrating local spatial ecological knowledge of people about the environment, and iii) economic conflicts and gender dynamics that tend to disempower and limit participation in research and affect data quality. Considering these would build rapport between participants and researchers to facilitate active participation and data accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kyrgyzstan experienced a remarkable boom in potato production over the past thirty years, driven almost entirely by small farms. Today, potatoes are at once the backbone of national food security, a central source of income for many Kyrgyz households, and a non-trivial source of export earnings. This paper documents the central characteristics of the Kyrgyz potato economy and explains the conditions of its emergence and resilience. We show that Kyrgyzstan's potato economy is driven by three main features: land reforms that dispersed ownership of land early in the post-Soviet transition, dense social networks that connect producers to input suppliers and markets, and a match between the potato and the country's mountainous terrain and continental climate. Together, these features have given rise to a food security model that leverages the potato's well-known nutritional qualities, its cultural status as a food staple across the region, and Kyrgyzstan's geography and climate. We term this the Kyrgyz Potato Model (KPM). Unlike critics that stress the inefficiencies of Kyrgyz potato production, we highlight the model's strengths: it is extremely effective in feeding citizens, generates much-needed household incomes, and has been remarkably resilient in the face of recent global economic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting the appropriate tractor for small-scale farms is a complex process due to the multitude of technical, environmental, and economic criteria that must be evaluated. This study addresses this challenge by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with machine learning (ML) to reduce the number of criteria and simplify the decision-making process. The research aims to determine the most relevant criteria aligned with sustainable development goals for selecting the right tractor, focusing on small farms in the Egyptian Delta. Four tractors, with horsepower ranging from 55 to 95, were evaluated based on inputs from forty-two governmental service providers in the study area. Initially, nine criteria were identified, encompassing key technical, environmental, and economic factors. These criteria were reduced to three—price, power, and maintenance costs by weights 0.142, 0.334, and 0.525, respectively—using Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering with Euclidean distance. This reduction streamlined the selection process, making it more practical for farmers. Results show that the second tractor (T2), with a priority score of 0.326 and a normalized value of 33.4%, emerged as the optimal choice for small-scale farmers, outperforming the first tractor (T1) (28.7%) and third tractor (T3) (21%). Integrating AHP and ML simplifies tractor selection, ensuring sustainability, cost-efficiency, and operational effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unequal access to resources in the broiler industry hinders smallholders from competing effectively. To address this issue, farmers are being urged to engage in contract farming as a means to boost profits and improve access to credit. However, despite efforts to facilitate credit disbursement, empirical studies indicate that poultry farm loans are underutilized. These studies also demonstrate that not all farmers consistently benefit from increased profits and improved credit access. Purpose: This research was conducted to answer the nexus between credit access and profitability. Furthermore, this study reviews the problems and the role of contract farming on farmers' credit access. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation encompassed an analysis of 51 broiler plasma farmers affiliated with an integrator company in West Java. To elucidate the research objectives, a profitability analysis was conducted, employing both gross margin assessment and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method within a multiple regression framework. Findings/Result: The research findings elucidate that profitability among farmers is not guaranteed, with operational losses frequently attributed to negligence, adverse climatic conditions, and disease outbreaks. Consequently, some farmers must seek financial credit to sustain working capital and facilitate business expansion. Specifically, investment credit is allocated for the enhancement or construction of cages and equipment, whereas working capital credit aims to expedite the turnover of operational expenses. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis revealed significant determinants of profit, including access to credit, flock size, ownership of cages and land, employment of hired labor, and the farmer's age. Parameter estimation further delineated that, ceteris paribus, farmers who engaged in credit utilization reported substantially higher profits, amounting to IDR11,949 million more than their counterparts who did not access credit. It is noteworthy that credit application processes that bypass integrator companies necessitate sufficient collateral to secure the loans, limiting access to bank credit strictly to farmers who possess adequate collateral. According to the survey data, a mere 13,7%. The role of contract farming in mitigating the asymmetry of information regarding credit access remains suboptimal. Conclusion: The results rejected the hypothesis that credit access does not affect profit. However, farmers' utilization of credit access is relatively small and the distribution of credit access among plasma farmers engaged in contract farming is characterized by inequity. Originality/value (State of the art): This study addressed the vital role of credit access toward farmers’ profitability. This study combined Ricardo's theory and principal agency theory, applied to contract farming in the broiler industry. This sharpened the importance of the integrator company's role in providing capital and financing facilities to farmers based on the principle of risk sharing, thereby reducing the company’s risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws from African and Indian experiences to create a roadmap depicting points along the value-chain where social enterprises have leveraged partnerships. It explores the success of these enterprises in creating partnerships through opportunity recognition and co-creation of solutions, service delivery, market development, and scaling of social impact and examines the inherent attributes that social enterprises provide to transform the lives of smallholder communities. This article draws the attention of stakeholders including impact-institutions and traditional sectors that partnership with social enterprises, to maximise the impact on smallholder agriculture, given their unique attributes to create lasting changes in the smallholders' lives, is a valuable proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenya is one of several Sub-Saharan African countries vulnerable to climate change, which severely impacts their small-holder farming (SHF) sectors. To build resilience and reduce SHFs' vulnerability to the impact of climate change, there has been ongoing advocacy for an increase in adaptation funds disbursed to these African countries. However, the effectiveness of adaptation funds relies heavily on the quality of metrics used for tracking and assessing adaptation needs and actions developed by SHFs. This study, which set out to evaluate the impact of existing locally led adaptation (LLA) metrics relevant to Kenya's SHFs, systematically searched grey and journal articles published between 2007 and 2023 and found that these sources did not reveal the impact of LLA metrics on resilience of SHFs, nor did they provide a framework for developing adaptation metrics relevant to SHFs. Kenya's SHF sector is strategically vital for both rural and national economies and is the lifeblood of vulnerable communities. To mitigate the impact of climate change on this sector, the present study developed the first framework for locally led adaptation metrics for SHFs by drawing on the context knowledge of Kenya's SHFs and lessons from the resilience and adaptation policy literature. This framework requires five steps: (1) to carry out gender intersectionality analysis to unravel the diverse typologies of SHFs in Kenya in order to identify their adaptation needs; (2) to co-develop metrics with stakeholders, including SHFs, periodically reviewing their relevance; (3) to complement metrics with contextual data; (4) to develop a knowledge brokering platform for cross-community and cross-country learning; and (5) to connect with government and decision makers. While this study has provided guidance on implementing the locally led adaptation metrics for Africa (LAMA) framework in real-world settings, there is a need to explore further how quantitative metrics can be complemented with contextual data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ivermectin is a widely used antiparasitic in livestock, but its use can result in residues in bovine products and excretions. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of ivermectin residues in cattle meat, liver, milk, faeces, and urine and assess consumer risk from chronic exposure through contaminated bovine products using a deterministic approach. To determine the presence of ivermectin residues, 124 samples were analysed by liquid chromatography. Residues were found in 68% of faeces samples and small percentages (3%) in liver, milk, and urine, with no residues detected in meat. The mean ivermectin residue in the liver (16.46 µg/kg) remained below the maximum residue limit (MRL); however, in milk (12.46 µg/kg), the residues exceeded the permitted MRL. The results obtained from chronic dietary exposure show that the consumption of ivermectin residues was low, and the risk was assessed as being rare to very rare. Additionally, this study reveals concerning levels of ivermectin residues in milk that may far exceed established safety limits. This situation emphasises the urgent need for stricter regulations and monitoring in milk production, particularly from small farms, to protect vulnerable populations. However, from a one health perspective, the presence of residues in faeces poses potential environmental hazards, warranting further research. Moreover, the detection of residues in milk, despite the ban on ivermectin use in dairy cattle, underscores the importance of compliance with food safety regulations and the need for continued vigilance in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manure valorization through on-farm use or market transactions is an ancient and widespread practice in the mixed crop-livestock systems of the semi-arid areas of North Africa. While research has long focused on the manure contribution to soil fertility at the plot level, little has been done concerning livelihood conditions. The present paper aims to assess the contribution of manure use and exchange on the livelihoods of rural communities using an original dataset collected in 2021 among 150 farmers in Central Tunisia. This analysis is carried out within the analytical agroecology framework combined with factor analysis methods. Results showed that manure use and valorization differ along the watershed, from a socioeconomic perspective in small farms operating under rainfed tree-pastoral systems, to an environmental and agronomic perspective in the mixed rainfed-irrigated systems downstream. Manure flow analysis confirmed that on-farm manure balance is positively correlated to economic wealth. However, the manure fluxes questioned the environmental sustainability of the vulnerable zones. Its use and management could significantly impact livelihood discrepancies in the future, with the increasing of demand and use of manure in more favorable zones such as irrigated lands at the detriment of the rainfed zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in the Lamto area to evaluate the effect of cocoa shell compost and chicken droppings compost on cassava agronomic variables. The main aim is to increase cassava production, which is in relative decline due to soil impoverishment through organic amendments. The evaluation led to the monitoring of plant development until harvest by measuring some agronomic variables of growth and yield of four varieties of cassava, Alleda agba, Bonoua, Six mois and Yacé each grown on soil fertilized with cocoa shell compost or chicken droppings compost. The experimental design used for this study was a complete randomized block design with 3 replicates. The results showed that the two fertilizers used, being rich in mineral elements, improved the agronomic variables of cassava, superior to the control. This was reflected in a high number of stems per cutting (3.62). However, the chicken droppings compost gave the best development in stem length for the Six mois variety (121.10 cm). The Bonoua variety gave the largest diameter stems (21.98 mm). This variety gave the highest number of leaves (59) and a wider span (109 cm) with wider (16.75 cm) and longer (17.96 cm) leaves. As for yields, the best was obtained with the Bonoua variety, respectively 27.13 t/ha and 35.26 t/ha with cocoa shell compost and chicken droppings compost compared with 12.77 t/ha for the control. Thus, compost and chicken droppings compost can be recommended to improve cassava productivity in Côte d'Ivoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]