Mediterranean Cropping Systems: The Importance of Their Economic and Environmental Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Maria Pergola ◽  
◽  
Assunta Maria Palese ◽  
Alessandro Persiani ◽  
Pasquale De Francesco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Olive Tree ◽  
Well Being ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of people, as well as the production and economic systems throughout the world. The flow of raw materials and products, the supply of labor and manpower, and the purchasing power have all been changed to the detriment of individual health and well-being. Such a situation requires placing even more emphasis on the search for virtuous agricultural systems compatible with the goals of economic and environmental development so clearly defined at the world level in the last decades. The present study aimed to assess the environmental and economic performance of some typical Mediterranean crops grown under different agronomical management regimes, such as strawberry, hazelnut, apricot tree, kiwifruit, peach, olive tree, and grapevine, to emphasize the importance of the mentioned issues even in the current pandemic situation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to investigate the environmental profile of the studied crops, while lifecycle costing (LCC) was performed to assess and compare the economic aspects. From the environmental perspective, the hobby-organic olive systems were the most eco-friendly cropping systems, emitting 0.031 to 0.105 kg CO2eq per kg olives, while the organic hazelnut system had the greatest impact (1.001 kg of CO2eq per kg). Apricot, kiwifruit, and peach systems used N and P inputs most effectively, while strawberry systems efficiently used fossil fuels. Olive HO-2, kiwifruit, and peach cropping systems had the lowest budgets, with the costs amounted to 0.12 € kg-1 per fruit for Olive HO-2 and 0.28 € kg-1 per fruit for both kiwifruit and peach. On the contrary, organic strawberry cultivation was the most expensive (4.77 € kg-1). The variability in results due to the large differences between contexts, such as landscape, technical knowledge, and crop management, characterized the studied agricultural systems. To easily identify sustainability classes and to diminish the impact of farming practices, a considerable effort should be expended to combine LCA with LCC, C sequestration estimates, and some other useful indicators for the environmental quality evaluation.

scholarly journals The Impact of Lack of Clean Cooking Fuels on Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeoluwa Garba ◽  
Richard Bellingham
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The World ◽  
Cooking Fuels ◽  
The Impact

Access to energy is crucial in tackling many of the current global development challenges that impact on people’s economic, health and social well-being as well as the ability to meet the commitments of reducing carbon emissions through clean energy use. Despite increased attention from multiple governments and agencies, energy poverty remains a serious sustainable development issue in many developing countries. To date, most research have focused on general access to electricity and the generation of clean energy to replace fossil fuels, failing to address the lack of basic access to clean energy for cooking and heating. More people in the world lack access to clean cooking fuels than to electricity. This issue is one aspect of a broader research which investigates the impacts of optimized energy policy and energy business models on sustainable development in developing countries.

An Econometric Analysis on the Relationship between Globalisation and Inequality in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-89
Author(s):  
Jacques de Jongh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Causality Analysis ◽  
Global Integration ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The World ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

Globalisation has had an unprecedented impact on the development and well-being of societies across the globe. Whilst the process has been lauded for bringing about greater trade specialisation and factor mobility many have also come to raise concerns on its impact in the distribution of resources. For South Africa in particular this has been somewhat of a contentious issue given the country's controversial past and idiosyncratic socio-economic structure. Since 1994 though, considerable progress towards its global integration has been made, however this has largely coincided with the establishment of, arguably, the highest levels of income inequality the world has ever seen. This all has raised several questions as to whether a more financially open and technologically integrated economy has induced greater within-country inequality (WCI). This study therefore has the objective to analyse the impact of the various dimensions of globalisation (economic, social and political) on inequality in South Africa. Secondary annual time series from 1990 to 2018 were used sourced from the World Bank Development indicators database, KOF Swiss Economic Institute and the World Inequality database. By using different measures of inequality (Palma ratios and distribution figures), the study employed two ARDL models to test the long-run relationships with the purpose to ensure the robustness of the results. Likewise, two error correction models (ECM) were used to analyse the short-run dynamics between the variables. As a means of identifying the casual effects between the variables, a Toda-Yamamoto granger causality analysis was utilised. Keywords: ARDL, Inequality, Economic Globalisation; Social Globalisation; South Africa

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic and sustainability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueli Wei ◽  
Lijing Li ◽  
Fan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
World Economy ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Pumping elephantThe COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the lives of people around the world in millions of ways . Due to this severe epidemic, all countries in the world have been affected by all aspects, mainly economic. It is widely discussed that the COVID-19 outbreak has affected the world economy. When considering this dimension, this study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy, socio-economics, and sustainability. In addition, the research focuses on multiple aspects of social well-being during the pandemic, such as employment, poverty, the status of women, food security, and global trade. To this end, the study used time series and cross-sectional analysis of the data. The second-hand data used in this study comes from the websites of major international organizations. From the analysis of secondary data, the conclusion of this article is that the impact of the pandemic is huge. The main finding of the thesis is that the social economy is affected by the pandemic, causing huge losses in terms of economic well-being and social capital.

Risks of the Digitalization of Life of the Population and Ways of Decreasing Them

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4-1) ◽  
pp. 180-203
Author(s):  
Elena Stukalenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Digital technologies, ubiquitous in our daily life, have radically changed the way we work, communicate, and consume in a short period of time. They affect all components of quality of life: well-being, work, health, education, social connections, environmental quality, the ability to participate and govern civil society, and so on. Digital transformation creates both opportunities and serious risks to the well-being of people. Researchers and statistical agencies around the world are facing a major challenge to develop new tools to analyze the impact of digital transformation on the well-being of the population. The risks are very diverse in nature and it is very difficult to identify the key factor. All researchers conclude that secure digital technologies significantly improve the lives of those who have the skills to use them and pose a serious risk of inequality for society, as they introduce a digital divide between those who have the skills to use them and those who do not. In the article, the author examines the risks created by digital technologies for some components of the quality of life (digital component of the quality of life), which are six main components: the digital quality of the population, providing the population with digital benefits, the labor market in the digital economy, the impact of digitalization on the social sphere, state electronic services for the population and the security of information activities. The study was carried out on the basis of the available statistical base and the results of research by scientists from different countries of the world. The risks of the digital economy cannot be ignored when pursuing state social policy. Attention is paid to government regulation aimed at reducing the negative consequences of digitalization through the prism of national, federal projects and other events.

scholarly journals Aspects of chemical training of the personnel for organic farming

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-165
Author(s):  
M. D. Grigorieva ◽  
S. L. Belopukhov
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safety Control ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Russian State ◽  
Qualified Personnel ◽  
Products Analysis ◽  
Instrumental Methods ◽  
The Impact

Organic farming is aimed at providing the population with high-quality safe agricultural products and preserving the ecological well-being of agrocenoses and adjacent territories. The implementation of this project is currently associated with a number of problems, for the solution of which educational institutions must train qualified personnel. The authors investigated the aspects of chemical training of specialists necessary for the development of organic farming. The article considers three groups of specialties: 1) farm specialists working with soil and plants (agronomists, soil scientists, ecologists); 2) specialists engaged in product processing (food production technologists, medicinal and essential oil raw materials technologists, biotechnologists, etc.); 3) specialists of laboratories for quality control of raw materials and finished products. Analysis of the labor functions of specialists, the goals and objectives of organic farming, as well as the experience of cooperation of the Department of Chemistry of the Russian State Agricultural University-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K. A. Timiryazev with agricultural farms for the implementation of organic technology, showed that the most important components of chemical education are as follows: 1) basic chemical training that allows to understand and manage the dynamic processes occurring in the agrosphere; 2) modern instrumental methods of analysis necessary for quality and safety control of raw materials and products, agrochemical diagnostics of soils and water sources; environmental monitoring to assess the impact of agriculture on soil fertility; research activities; evaluation of processing, storage, packaging methods. Laboratory specialists should have the competence to perform physico-chemical determinations of test samples. Other groups of specialists should know the purpose of the methods, be able to interpret the results of determinations. The article presents educational programs of different levels (bachelor’s, master’s, qualification enhancement), which allow to form the necessary chemical competencies.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Pandemic: Coping with the Psychological Outcomes, Mental Changes, and the “New Normal” During and After COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 07-19
Author(s):  
Hiba Takieddine ◽  
Samaa AL Tabbah
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
New Normal ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease that has rapidly swept across the world, inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, healthcare providers and people with underlying health conditions. Authorities around the world tried to prevent the virus spread by imposing social distancing measures, quarantining citizens and isolating infected persons. Apart from its physical impact, COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous changes to people’s lives. It changed daily routines, caused worldwide economic crisis, increased unemployment, and placed people under emotional and financial pressures. It affected people psychologically and mentally especially in terms of emotions and cognition. During the acute crisis, everyone to varying degrees experienced fear of infection, somatic concerns, worries about the pandemic’s consequences, loneliness, depression, stress, as well as increased alcohol and drug use. As part of its public health response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked with partners to develop a set of new guidelines and messages that can be used to prevent, manage, and support mental and psychological well-being in different vulnerable target groups during the outbreak. Whether people like it or not, the psychological sequela of this pandemic will emerge and persist for months and years to come leading to long-term consequences. New lifestyles and “New Normals” will surely emerge. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the psychological and mental health of people around the world especially vulnerable groups. It also presents the relevant intervention actions and recommendations to cope efficiently and effectively with the psychological short-term and long-term outcomes, mental changes, and the “New Normal” during and after COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus, Psychological; Mental; New Normal

scholarly journals Predicting the global warming potential of agro-ecosystems

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1059-1092 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lehuger ◽  
B. Gabrielle ◽  
E. Larmanou ◽  
P. Laville ◽  
P. Cellier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Global Warming Impact ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane are the main biogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) contributing to the global warming potential (GWP) of agro-ecosystems. Evaluating the impact of agriculture on climate thus requires a capacity to predict the net exchanges of these gases in an integrated manner, as related to environmental conditions and crop management. Here, we used two year-round data sets from two intensively-monitored cropping systems in northern France to test the ability of the biophysical crop model CERES-EGC to simulate GHG exchanges at the plot-scale. The experiments involved maize and rapeseed crops on a loam and rendzina soils, respectively. The model was subsequently extrapolated to predict CO2 and N2O fluxes over an entire crop rotation. Indirect emissions (IE) arising from the production of agricultural inputs and from cropping operations were also added to the final GWP. One experimental site (involving a wheat-maize-barley rotation on a loamy soil) was a net source of GHG with a GWP of 350 kg CO2-C eq ha−1 yr−1, of which 75% were due to IE and 25% to direct N2O emissions. The other site (involving an oilseed rape-wheat-barley rotation on a rendzina) was a net sink of GHG for –250 kg CO2-C eq ha−1 yr−1, mainly due to a higher predicted C sequestration potential and C return from crops. Such modelling approach makes it possible to test various agronomic management scenarios, in order to design productive agro-ecosystems with low global warming impact.

scholarly journals Foreign Experience of State Management of Raw Materials Industries and the Possibility of its Implementation in the Russian Federation in the Post-Covid Period

2021 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
pp. 05004
Author(s):  
Dmitry Rodnyansky ◽  
Ivan Makarov ◽  
Evgeniya Korotayeva ◽  
Vadim Kovrigin ◽  
Vladislav Nazarenko
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
World Economic Forum ◽  
State Management ◽  
The World ◽  
World Economic ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Impact

In modern conditions, issues related to the effectiveness of the regulation of the oil industry by the state are becoming increasingly important. In January 2018, the World Economic Forum was held in Davos, which, in particular, noted the impact of the growth of protectionist trends in the global trade in hydrocarbons, and the impact of climate change on the planet on the export of hydrocarbons. As a result of the forum, the key ways of adjusting the policy of states in the relevant area were identified. At the same time, a significant number of states are already seeing the process of changing state regulation of the industry. In this article, the authors analyzed the systems of state regulation of the oil industry in different countries, and also gave assessments of the possibility of integrating new mechanisms into the system of sectoral management in Russia in the conditions of post-covid reality

scholarly journals Impact of Globalisation on African and Its Implications to Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p81
Author(s):  
Titus Ogalo Pacho
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Global Society ◽  
The World ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
Environmental Events ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diverse Cultures

Globalisation is one of the most powerful worldwide forces transforming society. It dominates today’s world as a major driver of change. Globalisation has brought about an agglomeration of cultures, where diverse cultures not only interact but also sometimes clash. It permeates through all spheres of life including the environment, politics, economy, prosperity, culture, religion, education, and human well-being in societies across the globe. The present “villagization” of the world has greatly affected many African countries in almost all aspects of life. It has done so in both positive and negative ways. With the emergence of a global society, social, cultural, economic, political, technological and environmental events in one part of the world quickly come to be significant for people in other parts of the world. This theoretical paper assesses the impact of globalisation for Africa and its implications to education.

scholarly journals Social Media and the Quality of Subjective Well-Being; Counseling Perspective in Digital Era

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zadrian Ardi ◽  
Indah Sukmawati
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Social Community ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Various studies in the information technology revealed that there has been a change in the trend of internet use in recent years. Internet users in the world prefer to spend time accessing the internet through the social media. Social media with a variety of platforms provides special communities with their own uniqueness and allows users to share lots of content. The members involves creates a new social community with various phenomena, both positive and negative. Counselors in the millennium era are required to have the insight andknowledge that is qualified to deal with the well being conditions of individuals from activities in social media. Counselors are also required to have specific skills in providing handling with the condition of well being individuals related to the impact of activities on social media.

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