scholarly journals Attitude, Perception, Life Style and Satisfaction of Organic and Inorganic Farmers: a qualitative inquiry

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 1771-87
Author(s):  
Channaveer rachayya Mathapati ◽  
Bhagyashree Vadageri
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
Long Time

Abstract Agricultural practices are generally organic and inorganic practices. Organic agriculture is more about producing agricultural products without disturbing the ecosystem, biodiversity and the soil health; whereas, inorganic farming is completely opposite of organic farming.  Use of chemicals nutrients, hybridisation of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, is commonly used to get high yield. Since inorganic agriculture is practicing from long time and we are used to get more yield in less time, farmers are bit hesitant to change to organic farming. Behavioural, economic and social attributes of the farmers largely influence the future of organic farming. Objectives: The principal aim of the study is to assess the attitude, perception, lifestyle and satisfaction of organic and inorganic farmers. Methodology: A sample of 30 organic and inorganic farmers were selected from different districts of Karnataka state. Semi-structured tool was designed to collect data from the farmers through interview method.  Thematic and free-listing techniques were used to analyse and present the data. Results: Organic farmers tend to be resilient and motivated as compared to the inorganic farmers.  There were issues as perceived by the inorganic farmers that the organic farming was not an easy way to reap economic benefits and high yield for which conventional farming has been in practice.  However, the shared views were that the agriculture has to receive the due place and dignity as compared to other market occupations which are more profitable.  Conclusion: The study observes that organic farming needs sustainable systems to support, promote, advocate and practice it.  Behavioural domains and economic domains are equally important to influence the lifestyle and satisfaction of the farmers. Key Words: Agriculture, Organic, Inorganic, Satisfaction, Life Style, Attitude, Perception ____________________________________________________________________________ *Professor & Head, Department of Social Work, Dean, School of Media Studies, Central University of     Karnataka, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India, Email Id: [email protected]   ** Doctoral Scholar, Department of Social Work, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences,      Central   University of              Karnataka, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.  Email Id: [email protected]

scholarly journals Fertilizers, BT technology, and insecticides contributed to 60%, 23%, and 17%, respectively to the increase in BT cotton yield: An analysis from 2000 to 2014 in India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Parameswaran ◽  
B Cayalvizhi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Optimum Dose ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Individual Effect ◽  
Cotton Yield ◽  
The Individual

AbstractComplementary technologies and agricultural practices capable of sustaining profitability to the farmers cultivating BtCotton in India require urgent attention. In India, approval of Btcotton, cultivation of fertilizer-intensive hybrids, higher dose of fertilizer application by farmers, usage of novel pesticides all happened simultaneously during the same period (2002-04) which makes very difficult to identify the individual effect in the yield gain of cotton. In this background, we attempted to understand the proportionate contribution of fertilizers, BT technology and novel group of pesticides in enhancing cotton yield in India. For the analysis, linear regression model and change in partial factor productivity (PFP) of cotton was considered in four different scenarios for yield estimation between 2000 and 2014, i.e. Scenario I: Cotton yield in the absence of technology and enhanced fertilizers usage, Scenario II: Cotton yield only due to enhanced fertilizer usage, Scenario III: Cotton yield with enhanced fertilizer and application of novel pesticides for the insect control, and Scenario IV: Cotton yield due to BT technology, enhanced use of fertilizer, and novel insecticides (actual yield of Cotton in India during Bt phase).Their comparison showed that the individual effect of fertilizers, BT technology and insecticides contributed to 60%, 23% and 17% of cotton yield, respectively in India. Further, 18% reduction in PFP was observed recently as compared to 2003-08. Besides, 125 Kg/ha of fertilizers was identified as optimum dose for sustaining high yield in cotton. Thus, present analysis identified the individual effect of different technologies contributing to the yield of cotton in India which can be used in decision making processes for crop improvement. Further, in our opinion, three strategies namely drip fertigation, intercrossing Bt and non-Bt hybrids for resistance management in bollworms, and IPM for sucking pests will primarily drive the research priorities and policy actions for the next 5 to 10 years in sustaining the economic benefits of the six million cotton farmers in India.

scholarly journals Living Mulches For Organic Farming Systems

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Leary ◽  
Joe DeFrank
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Living Mulch ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Nutrient Runoff ◽  
Organic Farmers

An important aspect of organic farming is to minimize the detrimental impact of human intervention to the surrounding environment by adopting a natural protocol in system management. Traditionally, organic farming has focused on the elimination of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and a reliance on biological cycles that contribute to improving soil health in terms of fertility and pest management. Organic production systems are ecologically and economically sustainable when practices designed to build soil organic matter, fertility, and structure also mitigate soil erosion and nutrient runoff. We found no research conducted under traditional organic farming conditions, comparing bareground monoculture systems to systems incorporating the use of living mulches. We will be focusing on living mulch studies conducted under conventional methodology that can be extrapolated to beneficial uses in an organic system. This article discusses how organic farmers can use living mulches to reduce erosion, runoff, and leaching and also demonstrate the potential of living mulch systems as comprehensive integrated pest management plans that allow for an overall reduction in pesticide applications. The pesticide reducing potential of the living mulch system is examined to gain insight on application within organic agriculture.

scholarly journals OPTIMASI PRODUKSI USAHATANI SAYURAN ORGANIK (Studi Kasus Yayasan Bina Sarana Bakti, Cisarua, Bogor)

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-129
Author(s):  
Muh Saiful Djafri ◽  
Harianto Harianto ◽  
Yusman Syaukat
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Production Optimization ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Level Of Use ◽  
Organic Vegetable Production ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
Programming Analysis

The organic farming potential is relatively large because of the high economic benefits for farmers and it is beneficial to operate. The research carried out as an idea or information to change the paradigm of organic farmers through an approach towards research on the income aspects of organic farming by production analysis. Yayasan Bina Sarana Bakti (YBSB) is the selected organic companies in the study. The objectives of this study are (1) analyze the level of organic vegetable production optimization Yayasan Bina Sarana Bakti and the level of use of resources (2) identify changes in profit in optimal conditions Yayasan Bina Sarana Bakti (3) analyze the effect of changes in prices of production inputs and outputs to the optimal production conditions. Production optimalization analysis of organic farming in view ofincome changes is aright thing to do. Linear programming analysis was used in this research. The resultsshowed that Yayasan Bina Sarana Bakti as an agribusiness company in organic vegetable production has yet to produce optimally. Optimal conditions of the company turned out to show the change in resources optimal use of resources which have not occurred on the land surplus amounted to 10.06 percent and profits at optimal conditions which is higher than the actual which profits can be increased 57,86 percent.

scholarly journals 316 Regenerative grazing: restoring ecosystem function to improve farm profits

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 52-53
Author(s):  
Richard Teague
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Systems Science ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Goods And Services

Abstract I explore the hypothesis that managing grazing using regenerative grazing principles to improve soil health is a sustainable base to improve net farm profits. Carbon-rich soil is healthy soil and beneficial for the entire ecosystem. Changing current unsustainable high-input agricultural practices to low-input practices that regenerate ecosystem function will be necessary for sustainable, resilient agro-ecosystems. Current reductionist, small-scale, short-term research managed without goals to find what management framework will deliver positive outcomes for ranchers has produced very erroneous conclusions. Healthy ecosystems function by increasing soil carbon to improve water infiltration and retention; soil nutrient access and retention; and the diversity of fungi, microbes, plants, insects, and wildlife that contribute to both improved livestock nutrition and human nutrition. I will give an overview of our research endeavors using a systems-science, multi-discipline framework to find the best grazing management for regenerating: soil health and function; delivery of ecosystem goods and services; and farmer livelihoods and social resilience. To accomplish this, we partner with farmers who have improved the environment and excel financially to convert experimental results into sound environmental, social, and economic benefits regionally and globally.

Factors in the decision by Swiss farmers to convert to organic farming

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 571-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Home ◽  
Annina Indermuehle ◽  
Anna Tschanz ◽  
Elke Ries ◽  
Matthias Stolze
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
French Speaking

AbstractDemonstrated economic benefits of conversion to organic agriculture, combined with solutions to technical and production-related problems, suggest that farmers in Switzerland should have converted in large numbers to organic production. However, the number of organic farms in Switzerland has remained virtually constant in the last 10 yr, so it appears there are other factors that influence the decision of whether or not to convert. Several studies have sought to identify the factors that influence the decisions by farmers whether or not to convert to organic, but have found a range of factors that appear to be context dependent, while others can be seen as context transcendent, which makes it difficult to draw generalizable conclusions. The aim of this study was to identify how Swiss farmers’ decisions reflect the interaction of perceptions, relationships, policies and economic factors, which either enable or provide barriers to conversion. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2015 with 39 farmers of mixed and arable farms in the German- (n = 24) and French-speaking (n = 15) parts of Switzerland. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to their content. The results show that the decision of whether or not to convert relies on belief that technical problems have been sufficiently solved, as well as a range of social factors. Farmers perceive social pressure for them to be productive, but non-organic farmers often incorrectly perceive organic farming as not being oriented toward production. Furthermore, ‘official’ advice, which could correct this misperception, is sought about how, rather than whether, to convert and typically comes after farmers have made their decision. Major barriers in an area with a low density of organic farms are the lack of supply and delivery points within an acceptable travel distance, and lack of peer networks to provide informal support. On the basis of these findings, we propose that strategies to encourage conversion should be based around two main pillars: investment to create a network of supply and delivery points in areas with low density of organic farms; and actions, such as information events, to encourage dialogue between conventional and organic farmers to counteract feelings of ‘us vs them’.

The 1980s to the Present

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Barton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Organic Certification ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Mainstream Press

While a few positive stories on organic farming appeared in the 1970s most mainstream press coverage mocked or dismissed organic farmers and consumers. Nevertheless, the growing army of consumer shoppers at health food stores in the United States made the movement impossible to ignore. The Washington Post and other newspapers shifted from negative caricatures of organic farming to a supportive position, particularly after the USDA launched an organic certification scheme in the United States under the leadership of Robert Bergland. Certification schemes in Europe and other major markets followed, leading to initiatives by the United Nations for the harmonization of organic certification through multilateral agencies. As organic standards proliferated in the 1990s the United Nations stepped in to resolve the regulatory fragmentation creating a global market for organic goods.

scholarly journals Application of Nematode Community Analyses-Based Models towards Identifying Sustainable Soil Health Management Outcomes: A Review of the Concepts

Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Haddish Melakeberhan ◽  
Gregory Bonito ◽  
Alexandra N. Kravchenko
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Cycling ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Nematode Community ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Water Holding

Soil health connotes the balance of biological, physicochemical, nutritional, structural, and water-holding components necessary to sustain plant productivity. Despite a substantial knowledge base, achieving sustainable soil health remains a goal because it is difficult to simultaneously: (i) improve soil structure, physicochemistry, water-holding capacity, and nutrient cycling; (ii) suppress pests and diseases while increasing beneficial organisms; and (iii) improve biological functioning leading to improved biomass/crop yield. The objectives of this review are (a) to identify agricultural practices (APs) driving soil health degradations and barriers to developing sustainable soil health, and (b) to describe how the nematode community analyses-based soil food web (SFW) and fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) data visualization models can be used towards developing sustainable soil health. The SFW model considers changes in beneficial nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment index, EI; y-axis) and resistance to disturbance (structure index, SI; x-axis) in order to identify best-to-worst case scenarios for nutrient cycling and agroecosystem suitability of AP-driven outcomes. The FUE model visualizes associations between beneficial and plant-parasitic nematodes (x-axis) and ecosystem services (e.g., yield or nutrients, y-axis). The x-y relationship identifies best-to-worst case scenarios of the outcomes for sustainability. Both models can serve as platforms towards developing integrated and sustainable soil health management strategies on a location-specific or a one-size-fits-all basis. Future improvements for increased implementation of these models are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of Organic Energy Crop Rotations and Fertilisation with the Liquid Digestate Phase on Organic Carbon in the Topsoil

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1393
Author(s):  
Karin S. Levin ◽  
Karl Auerswald ◽  
Hans Jürgen Reents ◽  
Kurt-Jürgen Hülsbergen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Energy Crop ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Liquid Digestate ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
Positive Effect

Combining organic farming and biogas production from agricultural feedstocks has been suggested as a way of achieving carbon (C) neutrality in Europe. However, as the long-term effects of C removal for methane production on soil organic carbon (SOC) are unclear, organic farmers in particular have questioned whether farm biogas production will have a positive effect on soil fertility. Eight years of data from an organic long-term field trial involving digestate fertilisation and various crop rotations (CRs) with differing proportions of clover-grass leys were used to calculate C inputs based on the CANDY model, and these modelled changes compared with measured changes in SOC content (SOCc) over the same period. Measured SOCc increased by nearly 20% over the eight years. Digestate fertilisation significantly increased SOCc. Fertilised plots with the highest proportion of clover-grass in the CR had the highest SOCc. The C inputs from clover-grass leys, even if they only made up 25% of the CR, were high enough to increase SOCc, even with the removal of all aboveground biomass and without fertilisation. Our results show that biogas production based on clover-grass leys could be an important part of sustainable farming, improving or maintaining SOCc and improving nutrient flows, particularly in organic farming, while simultaneously providing renewable energy.

What's the problem with disaster? Anthropology, social work, and the qualitative slot

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1496-1516
Author(s):  
Tisha Joseph Holmes ◽  
John Mathias ◽  
Tyler McCreary ◽  
James Brian Elsner
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Disaster Anthropology ◽  
Political Economic

On March 3, 2019, an EF4 tornado devastated the rural Alabama communities of Beauregard and Smith Station, killing 23 people and causing direct injuries to another 97. This storm was unusually devastating, with twice the predicted casualty rate based on the tornado’s power, the impacted population, and impacted housing stock. In this paper, we apply qualitative methods from anthropology, geography, and planning to better understand the social context of this unusually devastating tornado. Recognizing that there are multiple formulations of the problem of disasters, we aim to highlight how interdisciplinary qualitative research can deepen our understanding of tornado disasters. Combining policy analysis, political economic critique, and ethnographic description, we seek to showcase how qualitative research enables us to interrogate and reimagine the problem of disasters. Rather than simply juxtaposing qualitative and quantitative methods, we emphasize how the heterogeneity of qualitative research methods can strengthen interdisciplinary research projects by generating dialogue about the multiple contexts relevant to understanding a social problem. While problem definition remains a central challenge to establishing a dialogue between anthropology and social work, here, we intend to extend this discussion to larger interdisciplinary collaborations. Situating the issue of problem formation within a broader ecology of qualitative inquiry, we highlight how dialogue about problem definition can, itself, produce meaningful insights into how we understand disasters.

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