Undervalued Spiny Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.): An Indigenous Fruit for Sustainable Food-Nutrition and Economic Prosperity

Strychnos spinosa Lam. is among the top nutrient-dense indigenous fruit species that are predominant in Southern Africa. It is a highly ranked indigenous fruit based on the nutrition and sensorial properties, which make it an important food source for the marginalized rural people. On the basis of the high vitamin C, iron, and zinc content, it has the capacity to improve the food- nutrition and the socioeconomic status of individuals, especially those in the rural areas of the developing nations. The nutritional composition of Strychnos spinosa compare favorably with many of the popular fruits, such as strawberries and orange. Additionally, Strychnos spinosa has antioxidant activity similar to well-known antioxidant fruits, which keeps it in the class of the popular fruits, giving it added nutrition–health-promoting benefits. In order to improve the availability of Strychnos spinosa, more research on the domestication, processing, preservation, value chain, and economic potential need to be further explored. Therefore, we recommend more concerted efforts from relevant stakeholders with interest in Strychnos spinosa fruit production as a possible sustainable solution to food shortage, food-nutrition insecurity, malnutrition, and austerity, mainly in the rural communities of the developing countries.

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The Impacts of Digital Infrastructure Transformation on Livestock System Sustainability in Rural Communities

10.20944/preprints202006.0332.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Leon Gwaka ◽

Julian May ◽

William Tucker

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Rural Community ◽

Value Chain ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Digital Infrastructure ◽

Context Specific ◽

System Sustainability ◽

Societal Problems ◽

The Impact

Investments in digital infrastructure in marginalised communities are set to increase in the next decade. These are premised on the potential of digital technologies to contribute towards solving societal problems, including the fragility of food value chains in rural areas. Although there are mixed empirical findings on the impact of these digital infrastructure investments, huge investments are continuing amid changing ICT policies in most developing countries. This paper, using a case study of a local livestock value chain in a rural community in Zimbabwe, argues for the application of non-conventional approaches towards digital infrastructure transformation impact assessment. Using selected theories and frameworks (socio-ecological systems framework, choice framework and technology affordances theory) as well as empirical data from a project in a rural community, the paper shows that real-time impact assessment using context-specific metrics may reveal hidden digital infrastructure transformation impacts, positive and negative, that are often overlooked when traditional impact assessment approaches are employed. The findings of this study contribute towards improving approaches towards ICT impact assessment. Practitioners engaging in impact assessment are challenged to move beyond dependence on traditional metrics (e.g. access) to the adoption of participatory processes to decipher context-appropriate metrics.

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Indigenous fruit species as a significant resource for sustainable development

Glasnik Sumarskog fakulteta ◽

10.2298/gsf14s1181m ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 181-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Evica Mratinic ◽

Milica Fotiric-Aksic

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Fruit Trees ◽

Fruit Production ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Scale Production ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Fruit Species ◽

Wild Fruit ◽

Indigenous Fruit

Sustainable agriculture means increasing yields and profits without degrading the natural resources which are the most important for agricultural production. The aim is to meet the people?s needs for food and improve the quality of life while preserving the environment. Among hundreds of forest species, particular attention is drawn to the wild relatives of cultivated fruit trees, so called indigenous fruit trees, whose regular collection, production and use can affect all aspects of agricultural economy. The natural habitats of the Republic of Serbia include 15 families and 26 genera with 100 species of wild fruit trees. The primary use of the indigenous fruits is for human consumption (either fresh or processed). A number of wild relatives of cultivated fruit trees could be used in the future as rootstocks for fruit production, or for large-scale production, either organic or conventional. In addition, indigenous fruit species are carriers of genes for resistance to economically important diseases and pests, and they can be used in breeding of fruit trees and grapevines. Wild species of fruit trees are used as planting materials for afforestation and erosion prevention, some for timber production, as well as some decorative forms in landscape architecture, while some species are important bee pastures.

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TURNING FARMERS INTO SOCIAL FARMER ENTREPRENEURS FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE

NORDSCI Conference proceedings, Book 1 Volume 3 ◽

10.32008/nordsci2020/b1/v3/31 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Remus Runcan

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Physical Work ◽

Healthy Environment ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural Development Programme ◽

Rural And Urban

According to Romania’s National Rural Development Programme, the socio-economic situation of the rural environment has a large number of weaknesses – among which low access to financial resources for small entrepreneurs and new business initiatives in rural areas and poorly developed entrepreneurial culture, characterized by a lack of basic managerial knowledge – but also a large number of opportunities – among which access of the rural population to lifelong learning and entrepreneurial skills development programmes and entrepreneurs’ access to financial instruments. The population in rural areas depends mainly on agricultural activities which give them subsistence living conditions. The gap between rural and urban areas is due to low income levels and employment rates, hence the need to obtain additional income for the population employed in subsistence and semi-subsistence farming, especially in the context of the depopulation trend. At the same time, the need to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural areas is high and is at a resonance with the need to increase the potential of rural communities from the perspective of landscape, culture, traditional activities and local resources. A solution could be to turn vegetal and / or animal farms into social farms – farms on which people with disabilities (but also adolescents and young people with anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, and alexithymia issues) might find a “foster” family, bed and meals in a natural, healthy environment, and share the farm’s activities with the farmer and the farmer’s family: “committing to a regular day / days and times for a mutually agreed period involves complying with any required health and safety practices (including use of protective clothing and equipment), engaging socially with the farm family members and other people working on and around the farm, and taking on tasks which would include working on the land, taking care of animals, or helping out with maintenance and other physical work”

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Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Challenges ◽

10.3390/challe12020016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 16

Author(s):

Farshad Amiraslani

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rural Setting ◽

Global Challenges ◽

Rural Settings ◽

Research Studies

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in rural settings where most people live without the necessary tools, income, and knowledge to tackle such unprecedented global challenges. Here, I argue that despite the research studies conducted on rural areas, these have not solved rising rural issues, notably poverty and illiteracy. I propound a global institute to be formed by governments that provides a platform for empowering rural communities through better training, skills, and competencies. Such global endeavour will ensure the remaining rural communities withstand future pandemics if they occur.

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Morphological and Biochemical Diversity in Fruits of Unsprayed Rosa canina and Rosa dumalis Ecotypes Found in Different Agroecological Conditions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13148060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 8060

Author(s):

Mehmet Ramazan Bozhuyuk ◽

Sezai Ercisli ◽

Neva Karatas ◽

Halina Ekiert ◽

Hosam O. Elansary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Fruit Production ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Soluble Solid Content ◽

Anthocyanin Content ◽

Fresh Weight ◽

Important Species ◽

Total Anthocyanin ◽

Rosa Canina

The Rosa is one of the most diverse genera in the plant kingdom and, in particular, its fruits have been used for multiple purposes in different parts of the world for centuries. Within the genus, Rosa canina and Rosa dumalis are, economically, the most important species and dominate Rosa fruit production. In this study, some important fruit and shrub traits of ten Rosa canina and ten Rosa dumalis ecotypes collected from rural areas of Kars province, located in the east Anatolia region of Turkey were investigated. We found significant differences among ecotypes in most of the morphological and biochemical traits. The ecotypes were found between 1446–2210 m altitude. Fruit weight and fruit flesh ratio ranged from 2.95 g to 4.72 g and 62.55% to 74.42%, respectively. SSC (Soluble Solid Content), Vitamin C, total phenolic, total flavonoid, total carotenoid, and total anthocyanin content of the ecotypes ranged from 16.9–22.7%, 430–690 mg per 100 g FW (fresh weight), 390–532 mg gallic acid equivalent per 100 g FW, 0.88–2.04 mg per g FW, 6.83–15.17 mg per g FW and 3.62–7.81 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent per kg, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined to be between 19.7–34.7 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per g fresh weight. Rosa ecotypes contained chlorogenic acid and rutin the most as phenolic compound. Our results indicated great diversity within both R. canina and R. dumalis fruits.

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Evaluating the Impacts of Smallholder Farmer’s Participation in Modern Agricultural Value Chain Tactics for Facilitating Poverty Alleviation—A Case Study of Kiwifruit Industry in Shaanxi, China

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11050462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 462

Author(s):

Hongyu Wang ◽

Xiaolei Wang ◽

Apurbo Sarkar ◽

Lu Qian

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Poverty Alleviation ◽

Poverty Reduction ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Multidimensional Poverty ◽

Well Being ◽

Reduction Degree ◽

Poverty Level ◽

Storage Technology

Market-based initiatives like agriculture value chain (AVC) are becoming progressively pervasive to support smallholder rural farmers and assist them in entering larger market interventions and providing a pathway of enhancing their socioeconomic well-being. Moreover, it may also foster staggering effects towards the post-era poverty alleviation in rural areas and possessed a significant theoretical and practical influence for modern agricultural development. The prime objective of the study is to explore the effects of smallholder farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain for availing rural development and poverty alleviation. Specifically, we have crafted the assessment employing pre-production (improved fertilizers usage), in-production (modern preservation technology), and post-production (supply chain) participation and interventions of smallholder farmers. The empirical data has been collected from a micro survey dataset of 623 kiwifruit farmers from July to September in Shaanxi, China. We have employed propensity score matching (PSM), probit, and OLS models to explore the multidimensional poverty reduction impact and heterogeneity of farmers’ participation in the agricultural value chain. The results show that the total number of poor farmers who have experienced one-dimensional and two-dimensional poverty is relatively high (66.3%). We also find that farmers’ participation in agricultural value chain activities has a significant poverty reduction effect. The multidimensional poverty level of farmers using improved fertilizer, organizational acquisition, and using storage technology (compared with non-participating farmers) decreased by 30.1%, 46.5%, and 25.0%, respectively. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of male farmers using improved fertilizer and participating in the organizational acquisition is greater than that of women. The multidimensional poverty reduction degree of female farmers using storage and fresh-keeping technology has a greater impact than the males using storage and improved storage technology. Government should widely promote the value chain in the form of pre-harvest, production, and post-harvest technology. The public–private partnership should also be strengthened for availing innovative technologies and infrastructure development.

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Solid Biomass Energy Potential as a Development Opportunity for Rural Communities

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14123398 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3398

Author(s):

Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski ◽

Paweł Dudziec ◽

Michał Krzyżaniak ◽

Ewelina Olba-Zięty

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Energy Potential ◽

Development Opportunity ◽

Biomass Resources ◽

Administrative Units ◽

Solid Biomass

Conventional energy sources often do not fully satisfy the needs of a modern economy, especially given the climate changes associated with them. These issues should be addressed by diversification of energy generation, including the development of renewable energy sources (RES). Solid biomass will play a major part in the process in Poland. The function of rural areas, along with a well-developed agricultural and forest economy sector, will be a key aspect in this as these areas are suitable for solid biomass acquisition in various ways. This study aimed to determine the solid biomass energy potential in the commune of Goworowo to illustrate the potential in the smallest administrative units of Poland. This research determined the environmental and natural conditions in the commune, which helped to identify the crucial usable solid biomass resources. The total energy potential of solid biomass resources in the commune of Goworowo amounted to 97,672 GJ y−1. The highest potential was accumulated in straw surplus (37,288 GJ y−1) and the lowest was in wood from roadside maintenance (113 GJ y−1). This study showed that rural areas could soon play a significant role in obtaining solid biomass, and individual communes could become spaces for the diversification of energy feedstock.

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Moving beyond Limitations: Designing the Helpdys App for Children with Dyslexia in Rural Areas

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7081

Author(s):

Andres Larco ◽

Jorge Carrillo ◽

Nelson Chicaiza ◽

Cesar Yanez ◽

Sergio Luján-Mora

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Educational Games ◽

Mobile App ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Full Potential ◽

Positive Contribution ◽

Self Confidence

Dyslexia is a relatively common language disorder which is generally ignored in rural communities. It hinders children’s learning processes and, in some cases, is the cause of dropouts or violence in schools. The present work strives to create a web and mobile app as a preliminary step towards the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexic children. Apps providing didactic educational games and activities improve literacy skills for students with reading disabilities. The current work incorporates user experience and prototyping to fulfill app requirements. The authors evaluated the apps with the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) tool to assess engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information. The app’s improvements were immediately implemented and tested in the “Escuela Linea Equinoccial” (Ecuador) school, proving its utility for future use in the education system. The app can be a valuable tool for children with dyslexia to progress successfully through school, raising their self-confidence and, thereby, helping them reach their full potential as adults able to make a positive contribution to society.

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Evaluation of Community Resilience in Rural China—Taking Licheng Subdistrict, Guangzhou as an Example

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115827 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5827

Author(s):

Jianhong Fan ◽

You Mo ◽

Yunnan Cai ◽

Yabo Zhao ◽

Dongchen Su

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Rural China ◽

Social Resilience ◽

Learning Abilities ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Guangzhou City ◽

Local Sustainability

Resilience of rural communities is becoming increasingly important to contemporary society. In this study we used a quantitative method to measure the resilience regulating ability of rural communities close to urban areas—in Licheng Subdistrict, Guangzhou City, China. The main results are as follows: (1) Rural systems close to urban areas display superior adapting and learning abilities and have a stronger overall resilience strength, the spatial distribution of which is characterized by dispersion in whole and aggregation in part; (2) the resilience of most rural economic subsystems can reach moderate or higher levels with apparent spatial agglomeration, whilst the ecological subsystem resilience and social resilience are generally weaker; the spatial distribution of the former shows a greater regional difference while the latter is in a layered layout; (3) some strategies such as rebuilding a stable ecological pattern, making use of urban resources and cultivating rural subjectivity are proposed on this basis, in order to promote the sustainable development of rural areas and realize rural revitalization. This work also gives suggestion for the creation of appropriate and effective resilience standards specifically targeted for rural community-aiming to achieve the delivery of local sustainability goals.

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What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4359

Author(s):

Carla Barlagne ◽

Mariana Melnykovych ◽

David Miller ◽

Richard J. Hewitt ◽

Laura Secco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Community Forestry ◽

Social Innovation ◽

Local Development ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Study Approach

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

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