scholarly journals Basket of options: Unpacking the concept

2021 ◽  
pp. 003072702110194
Author(s):  
E Ronner ◽  
J Sumberg ◽  
D Glover ◽  
KKE Descheemaeker ◽  
CJM Almekinders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Individual User ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
Critical Attention ◽  
The Face ◽  
Potential Adaptation

How to stimulate technological change to enhance agricultural productivity and reduce poverty remains an area of vigorous debate. In the face of heterogeneity among farm households and rural areas, one proposition is to offer potential users a ‘basket of options’ – a range of agricultural technologies from which potential users may select the ones that are best suited to their specific circumstances. While the idea of a basket of options is now generally accepted, it has attracted little critical attention. In this paper, we reflect on outstanding questions: the appropriate dimensions of a basket, its contents and how they are identified, and how a basket might be presented. We conceive a basket of options in terms of its depth (number of options related to a problem or opportunity) and breadth (the number of different problems or opportunities addressed). The dimensions of a basket should reflect the framing of the problem or opportunity at hand and the objective in offering the basket. We recognise that increasing the number of options leads to a trade-off by decreasing the fraction of those options that are relevant to an individual user. Farmers might try out, adapt or use one or more of the options in a basket, possibly leading to a process of technological change. We emphasise that the selection (or not) of specific options from the basket, and potential adaptation of the options, provide important opportunities for learning. Baskets of options can therefore be understood as important boundary concepts that invite critical engagement, comparison and discussion. Significant knowledge gaps remain, however, about the best ways to present the basket and to guide potential users to select the options that are most relevant to them.

scholarly journals Determinants of Multiple Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebaw Hailu Fikire ◽  
Mesele Belay Zegeye
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Agricultural Technology ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Amhara Region ◽  
Barriers To Adoption ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Credit Access ◽  
Economic Survey

The adoption of agricultural technology is an important path for raising agricultural productivity, and thereby for reducing food insecurity and poverty. Despite the efforts to promote adoption in most of the rural areas of Ethiopian farmers, the adoption rate has always been very low. So, it is essential to understand the barriers to adoption. As a result, this study examined the determinants of adoption of multiple agricultural technologies in rural Amhara region of Ethiopia. The study is based on Ethiopian socio-economic survey of 2015/16. A sample of 656 farm households was considered. The paper used multinomial logit model to assess the factors affecting adoption. The result shows that farmers with more educational level, family size, off-farm participation, livestock, extension contact, credit access, advisory service, and farmers closer to plot, all-weather road, zonal town, and farmers with lower remittance income are more likely to adopt new or improved agricultural technology. Therefore, the study recommends the need of policies and interventions on adoption of agricultural technology should pay attention and move along with those variables significantly influencing adoption of agricultural technology.

scholarly journals On Using a Mobile Application to Support Teledermatology: A Case Study in an Underprivileged Area in Colombia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Sáenz ◽  
Mónica Paola Novoa ◽  
Darío Correal ◽  
Bell Raj Eapen
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Skin Lesions ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Forest Regions ◽  
The Face

Background. The use of mobile applications in dermatology to support remote diagnosis is gaining acceptance, particularly in rural areas, where dermatology services are commonly managed by healthcare personnel with no specialty training. Moreover, ontologies—sets of concepts that represent knowledge in a given domain—are increasingly being used to support medical diagnosis. A specific case is ONTODerm: an ontology to aid dermatological diagnosis. However, there is little information on the combined use of mobile applications and ontologies as support solutions in dermatology. Objective. Assessing the reliability of ONTODerm as a tool to support remote dermatological diagnosis when used together with a mobile dermatological application in underprivileged areas. Methods. A mobile application that allows characterization of skin lesions was developed, and the information about the lesions was sent to ONTODerm. An exploratory study was conducted in a remote area without access to a dermatologist. A total of 64 dermatological queries were recorded in the application and consulted with ONTODerm. Later, an experienced dermatologist evaluated the characterization and diagnosis of each query to determine the accuracy of the system. Results. The results showed that the probability of obtaining a correct diagnosis was between 64.4% and 85.6% with a confidence interval of 95%. A higher accuracy rate was obtained when the skin lesion occurred on the face or when its border was categorized as poorly demarcated. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the implementation of a teledermatology strategy based on mobile applications and domain ontology-driven knowledge base to provide timely assistance to healthcare professionals. This approach was found to be pertinent in the Colombian rural context, particularly in forest regions, where dermatology specialists are not available. The results of this article do not represent a final validation of the proposed approach; they suggest how the ontology can be improved to effectively support medical staff in marginalized regions.

An Assessment of Poverty Alleviation Measures and Sustainable Livelihood Capability of Farm Households in Rural China: A Sustainable Livelihood Approach

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1230
Author(s):  
Fang Su ◽  
Nini Song ◽  
Nannan Ma ◽  
Altynbek Sultanalive ◽  
Jing Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood Approach ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to identify effective mechanisms for government poverty alleviation measures based on the livelihood sustainability of farm households in Southern Shaanxi province, China. The paper utilizes data from 414 farm households, collected through field observations and in-depth interviews in 24 rural communes in Qinba Mountain Area of Shaanxi province, China. Using theoretical research methods and employing the sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) framework, this paper analyzes poverty alleviation measures as well as the impact of varied capital availability on sustainable livelihood. The study shows that developing local industries and governmental financial support improve the sustainable livelihood of farmers and eradicate absolute poverty. The findings of this study further indicate that there is a positive correlation between poverty alleviation measures and natural and social capital for sustainable livelihood. The paper provides empirical and quantitative evidence on alleviation of poverty, and the findings will help improve the sustainability of livelihood capability of farming households. This study suggests impactful approaches to stabilizing mechanisms for poverty alleviation in rural areas over the longer term.

scholarly journals Effect of Microcredit on Poverty Reduction among Rural Farm Households in Northeast, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
S. U. Nwibo ◽  
T. O. Okonkwo ◽  
A. V. Eze ◽  
B. N. Mbam ◽  
N. E. Odoh
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Rural Credit ◽  
North East ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Northeast Nigeria ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The paucity of empirical evidence to show the correlation between microcredit and poverty reduction in North-East, Nigeria led to the study on the effect of microcredit on poverty reduction among rural farm households. Multi-stage random and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select 200 farm households who constituted the sample size. Data were collected primarily using structured questionnaire and analysed with the aid of descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed informal microcredit as the major source of credit for farm households. The result further indicated that 46% of the loan applied for was disbursed, resulting to 47% rise in farm household’s income. Meanwhile, 62% of farm households surveyed were poor with poverty depth of 0.43 and poverty severity at 0.38. The regression analysis on the effect of microcredit on the income of the farm households revealed that the coefficient of income was positive and statistically significant at 1% probability. The effect of microcredit on the poverty profile of farm households revealed that microcredit exerts negative influence on poverty profile of farm households in the study area. The study recommends: the establishment of robust rural credit scheme in rural areas; and institution of policy framework that will enable poor rural households without appropriate collateral to access funds for farm and non-farm activities.

scholarly journals Green Tourism in the Context of Sustainable Development and the Challenges Posed by the Global Economic Crisis

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (45) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
T. O. Zinchuk ◽  
◽  
T. V. Usiuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Face ◽  
Green Tourism ◽  
Development Goals

The articles aims to substantiate the socio-economic, environmental, historical and cultural role played by green tourism and its contribution to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals based on current innovative trends and capabilities of tourism in the face of challenges posed by the ongoing crisis in global economy caused by the latest pandemic. The objectives of the research were to detail the theoretical, methodological and applied approaches to the development of green tourism, which is a market sector providing travel services. The definition of green tourism has been made more profound through connecting it with the Sustainable Development Goals, which is rather logical. The motivating factors for the development of green tourism have been analyzed taking into account the model of multifunctionality in agriculture and its importance in rural development policy. The nature of changes in the green tourism sector has been identified with respect to the peculiarities of the current global situation, when a pandemic is restraining the world tourism intensity, on the one hand, and is stimulating local tourism, on the other. It is worth adding that local tourism is mostly green and focused on the conservation of the environmental and natural resources, as well as sustainment of mostly rural areas. The research carried out shows that green tourism can become a driving force for economic growth in rural areas, a motivator for employment, a factor in preserving rural culture and traditions in a particular area. At the same time, the results of the research prove the existence of a link between green tourism and national economic, environmental, socio-cultural, intellectual, energy security due to the most typical development priorities of such tourism. On analyzing the experience of the countries that suffered the pandemic most, we have found some prospects for green tourism development. It is a new system of partnership between the state, business and civil society which can become an additional incentive to preserve the potential of green tourism. Thus, strategic guidelines for green tourism development based on institutional priorities, with the current economic crisis challenges in mind, have been designed.

scholarly journals Challenges of COVID-19 pandemic: The postgraduate case in Sustainable Management of Natural Resources - UIEP

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja Liza Fajardo-Franco ◽  
Martin Aguilar-Tlatelpa
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
Master Of Science ◽  
Digital Format ◽  
Academic Activities ◽  
Sustainable Natural Resource Management ◽  
The Face ◽  
Digital Gap ◽  
Teaching Learning

<p>A generalized preventive measure in Mexico against the COVID-19 pandemic was the suspension of in-person non-essential activities, including academic activities. The Universidad Intercultural del Estado de Puebla (Intercultural University of the State of Puebla - UIEP) suspended all classroom course from March 20th, 2019, until the present day. The program of Master of Science in Sustainable Natural Resource Management has remained active in a digital format, facing the following challenges: the speedy implementation of a virtual and distance teaching-learning process; the optimization of computer resources in the face of the digital gap and limited access to these technologies in the region; and an efficient traceability of research processes. COVID-19 displayed the social and digital gap present in the rural areas of Mexico, such as in the case of Sierra Norte de Puebla, in which UIEP is enclaved. However, it also displayed the ability of response and adaptation in the face of the contingency scenario caused by SARS-CoV-2.</p>

Managing hazards of the make-buy decision in the face of radical technological change

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 1345-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woo-Yong Park
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Strategy Choice ◽  
Switching Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bicycle Industry ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Sourcing Strategy ◽  
The Face ◽  
Technological Experience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the management of hazards arising from the make-buy choice in the face of radical technological change. This sourcing choice can lead to distinctive exchange and hierarchical hazards. This study’s main interest is in investigating the research question “How can firms reduce those distinctive exchange and hierarchical hazards arising from the make-buy sourcing strategy when dealing with radical technological change?” Design/methodology/approach The author develops hypotheses that the in-house retention of outsourced component knowledge will likely reduce exchange hazards arising from the buy strategy choice. And prior exploratory technological experience will likely reduce hierarchical hazards arising from the make strategy choice. The author explores the US mountain bicycle industry from 1980 to 1992 to test the developed hypotheses. For endogeneity arising from the make-buy sourcing decision, the author uses Heckman’s two-stage switching regression model. Findings The major findings are that the in-house retention of outsourced component knowledge and prior exploratory technological experience is distinctive moderating factors improving performance of a buy strategy and a make strategy, respectively. Originality/value Since the extant literature tends to focus on which of the two sourcing strategies provides the greatest performance advantages in the face of radical technological change, there is a strong implication to suggest that if a firm performs poorly with one sourcing decision, the firm should switch to an alternative one. Different from the expositions of the literature, this study elevates the understanding regarding how firms can improve the performance of their current sourcing orientation rather than whether they should switch from one sourcing strategy to another.

scholarly journals The Humanities And The University: Craig Calhoun Interviewed

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Peter Vale
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Research Universities ◽  
Global Capitalism ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Face ◽  
The University

In this interview Craig Calhoun talks about universities, the Humanities and his own research. Universities reinvent themselves in the face of societal and technological change. In the midst of this change, however, universities are charged with maintaining old ideals, with informing the public and creating opportunities for human development. The Humanities often bemoan these changes but they are ideally positioned to contribute to the changing university – especially through teaching – and so protect the traditional place of the university in society. The Humanities must help to defend the canon but, at the same time, be open to new rethinking the canon by embracing alternative epistemologies. One means to do this is to opening knowledge up by embracing languages other than English. Calhoun’s own research is focussed on those ‘parts of globalisation’ that are not commonly investigated: Belonging and Identity, Social Emergencies as an exception; the fragility of Global capitalism.

The preferred way of patient communicating with a cardiologist and declared objectives for future contacts (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Kalańska-Łukasik ◽  
Aleksandra Gładyś ◽  
Tomasz Jadczyk ◽  
Monika Gruz-Kwapisz ◽  
Wojciech Wojakowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Medical Visit ◽  
Remote Communication ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Face ◽  
Willingness To Use

BACKGROUND Telemedicine solutions, especially in the face of a pandemic, have intensified their role in the patient-cardiologist contact. Entirely recognition of modern technology must be based on the patient's acceptance to be able to improve effective cooperation with the physician. However, the successful application of patient-centric telehealth services requires an in-depth analysis of users’ expectations. OBJECTIVE To evaluate factors determining readiness for telecommunications solutions in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). METHODS A cross-sectional study based on an investigator-designed validated questionnaire including 19 items (demographics, health status, medical history, previous healthcare experience, expected telehealth functionalities and preferred remote communication methods) was used. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between readiness and their determinants. RESULTS Nearly 84% of respondents consent to the use of telemedicine solutions in the cardiologist-patient contact. Disacceptance to using telemedicine was two times frequent for rural dwellers, OR=2.411 (95%CI:1.003-5.796) and for patients without access to the Internet, OR=2.432 (95%CI:1.022-5.786). In comparison to studying participants living in rural areas, city dwellers demonstrated a higher willingness to use telemedicine solutions in particular function such as : issuing prescription (61,2%/83,2%), alarm at the deterioration of health (79,95%/61,5 %), arranging or cancelling a medical visit (53,8 %/75.5%). Contact by mobile phone was preferred by younger patients OR=2.256 (95%CI:1.058-4.814). Older people and patients who had no previous difficulties in contact with physicians prefer contact by line phone. CONCLUSIONS Patients with CVD are ready to accept the virtual solutions to contact a cardiologist. However, patients' expectations for telehealth services are associated with socio-demographical factors. Identifying needs in a group of patients with CVD may help to adjust telecommunication technologies for specific groups of patients

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