Farm system economic effects of transformation toward sustainable hill country pastoralism: Whatawhata case study

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Effects ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Farm System

Quantifying the value proposition for white clover persistence on a New Zealand summer-dry hill-country farm

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 199-209
Author(s):  
Mike B. Dodd ◽  
Katherine N. Tozer ◽  
Iris Vogeler ◽  
Rose Greenfield ◽  
David R. Stevens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Value Proposition ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
The North ◽  
Farm System

The improvement in forage quality and quantity of summer-dry hill country pasture resulting from the introduction of clover is well recognised. However, ensuring the persistence of the commonly availablecultivars is challenging, in the face of seasonal moisture stress, intensive grazing, competition from established well-adapted pasture species, low soil fertility and low soil pH – conditions typical of the East Coast of the North Island. Here we quantify the value proposition associated with the introduction of white clover into a case study on a Gisborne sheep and beef farm, using a six-step process. A topographically explicit approach is taken, using an understanding of the underlying spatial variability, based on a combination of soil and pasture measurements, APSIM simulation modelling of pasture growth and farm system modelling of enterprise performance. We show that from a baseline of a typical low-fertility, diverse species hill country pasture, white clover introduction can increase spring and summer forage consumption by 17%, enabling inclusion of an additional 6-month bull finishing enterprise generating a 32% greater carcass weight production and leading to a 49% improvement in farm system EBIT. This represents a positive net present value of over $360,000 for the original investment in white clover establishment into existing pastures.

scholarly journals Fire Management in Mount Kenya: A Case Study of Gathiuru Forest Station

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Nyongesa ◽  
Harald Vacik
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Management Approaches

This paper proposes an Integrated Fire Management (IFM) framework that can be used to support communities and resource managers in finding effective and efficient approaches to prevent damaging fires, as well as to maintain desirable fire regimes in Kenya. Designing and implementing an IFM approach in Kenya calls for a systematic understanding of the various uses of fire and the underlying perceptions and traditional ecological knowledge of the local people. The proposed IFM framework allows different stakeholders to evaluate the risks posed by fires and balance them with their beneficial ecological and economic effects making it easier for them to develop effective fire management approaches. A case study of the proposed IFM framework was conducted in Gathiuru Forest, which that is part of the larger Mt. Kenya Forest Ecosystem. Focus group discussions were held with key resource persons, primary and secondary data on socio-economic activities was studied, fire and weather records were analysed and the current fire management plans were consulted. Questionnaires were used to assess how the IFM is implemented in the Gathiuru Forest Station. The results show that the proposed IFM framework is scalable and can be applied in places with fire-dependent ecosystems as well as in places with fire-sensitive ecosystems in Kenya. The effectiveness of the proposed IFM framework depends on the active participation, formulation and implementation of the IFM activities by the main stakeholder groups (Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the Community Forest Associations (CFA). The proposed IFM framework helps in implementing cost-effective approaches to prevent damaging fires and maintain desirable fire regimes in Kenya.

Resilient pastures and sediment: a case study in Hawke's Bay

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Read
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Independent Research ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Regulatory Issue ◽  
Sediment Loss ◽  
Return On Capital

For many hill-country farms sediment will be a bigger regulatory issue than nitrates over the next decade. A dense, resilient pasture can reduce the risk of insidious sediment loss. Any ecosystem that relies on a few species is fragile. Sowing a single species leads to repeated re-sowing and increasing bare ground to remove competition, increasing the risk of sediment flows. An important issue during regulatory consultation will be establishing a natural, pre-human baseline for forest cover and documenting more recent changes in sediment flows. Hill country cropping and pasture renewal is incompatible with resilient pasture. This is a farmer’s perspective on a diverse and persisting hill country pasture-based system that can make a good return on capital without re-grassing or fodder cropping. Funding of independent research on pasture and fodder systems is essential if farmers are to make good decisions.

scholarly journals The Introduction of Insect Meal into Fish Diet: The First Economic Analysis on European Sea Bass Farming

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brunella Arru ◽  
Roberto Furesi ◽  
Laura Gasco ◽  
Fabio Madau ◽  
Pietro Pulina
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Fish Meal ◽  
Sea Bass ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Fish Feed ◽  
Fish Diet ◽  
European Sea Bass

The economic and environmental sustainability of aquaculture depends significantly on the nature and quality of the fish feed used. One of the main criticisms of aquaculture is the need to use significant amounts of fish meal, and other marine protein sources, in such feed. Unfortunately, the availability of the oceanic resources, typically used to produce fish feed, cannot be utilized indefinitely to cover the worldwide feed demand caused by ever-increasing aquaculture production. In light of these considerations, this study estimates how aquaculture farm economic outcomes can change by introducing insect meal into the diet of cultivated fish. Several possible economic effects are simulated, based on various scenarios, with different percentages of insect flour in the feed and varying meal prices using a case study of a specialized off-shore sea bass farm in Italy. The findings indicate that the introduction of insect meal—composed of Tenebrio molitor—would increase feeding costs due to the high market prices of this flour and its less convenient feed conversion ratio than that of fish meal. Therefore, the expected environmental benefits of using this highly promising insect meal in fish feed do not align with the current economic interests of the aquaculture industry. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate this theme, and it must be noted that our findings cannot be generalized widely because a specific case study was used. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that efforts should be made—at least at the farm level—to find profitable ways to encourage the introduction of this attractive alternative to guarantee both economic and environmental sustainability in the near future.

scholarly journals A quantitative case study assessment of biophysical and economic effects from altering season of calving in temperate pasture-based dairy systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 102 (12) ◽  
pp. 11523-11535
Author(s):  
O.K. Spaans ◽  
K.A. Macdonald ◽  
M. Neal ◽  
M.J. Auldist ◽  
J.A.S. Lancaster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Effects ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
Quantitative Case Study

scholarly journals Water Retention in Nature-Based Solutions—Assessment of Potential Economic Effects for Local Social Groups

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3347
Author(s):  
Zwoździak Jerzy ◽  
Szałata Łukasz ◽  
Zwoździak Anna ◽  
Kwiecińska Kornelia ◽  
Byelyayev Maksym
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Impact

The upcoming trends related to climate change are increasing the level of interest of social groups in solutions for the implementation and the realization of activities that will ensure the change of these trends and can reduce the impact on the environment, including the health of the community exposed to these impacts. The implementation of solutions aimed at improving the quality of the environment requires taking into account not only the environmental aspects but also the economic aspect. Taking into account the analysis of solutions changing the current state of climate change, the article focuses on the analysis of the potential economic effect caused by the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBSs) in terms of reducing the operating costs related to water retention for local social groups. The analysis is based on a case study, one of the research projects studying nature-based solutions, created as part of the Grow Green project (H2020) in Wrocław in 2017–2022. The results of the analysis are an observed potential positive change in economic effects, i.e., approximately 85.90% of the operating costs related to water retention have been reduced for local social groups by NBSs.

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