BOVISOL Project: Breeding and Management Practices of Indigenous Bovine Breeds: Solutions towards a Sustainable Future

In order to deal with the effects of globalization, urbanization, increase in world population, global warming, and climate change; and according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 targets, which aim to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, it is urgently needed to transform our agriculture and livestock farming systems by taking into account the environmental considerations. The Breeding and management practices of indigenous bovine breeds: Solutions towards a sustainable future (BOVISOL) project is a scientific cooperation between three Mediterranean countries (Greece, Tunisia and Algeria) supported and funded by the European Commission under the European Research Area Networks (ERA-NET) scheme of the 7th Framework Programme. This project has been formed around the hypothesis that the local bovine breeds must be preserved since they possess a valuable genetic pool, and they are a part of the landscape and the biodiversity of rural areas. Moreover, their products (milk, cheese, meat, etc.) could contribute significantly to the local economies as they could easily be associated with recent food trends like “local” and “slow food”, which are considered today, as, not only a mean of nutrition, but also a way of living and a part of people’s identity. BOVISOL project aims to: (i) identify the local breeds and populations in a national level, (ii) describe the existing farm and breeding practices, (iii) analyze the quality of the main local animal products, (iv) propose solutions that will promote the sustainability of the traditional farming systems, especially nowadays that climate change proposes new challenges on animal production, and (v) disseminate the solutions on all the levels of the sector (farmers, scientists, local communities, governmental agencies).

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Nature-Based Solutions to face climate change adaptation and mitigation in Mediterranean watersheds

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2035 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Itxaso Ruiz ◽

María José Sanz

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Land Management ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Management Practices ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Watershed Scale ◽

Sustainable Rural Development ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

Rural areas of the Mediterranean watersheds face great environmental challenges, where climate change impacts the water cycle, the soil, and biodiversity, which are often priority issues for adaptation. These, have been aggravated by historical land management practices trends. In this context, we propose Nature Based Solutions (NBS) in the form of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) actions at the watershed scale to achieve climate change adaptation and mitigation while promoting other ecosystem services.SLM actions are local adaptation practices that promote sustainable rural development. Thus, we seek the combination of several actions to achieve regional (watershed scale) more integrated approaches. With this study, we aim at proving that NBS, and thus SLM, is a successful tool for alleviating climate change impacts (i.e. water scarcity, enhanced erosion, biodiversity decline) while promoting the role of land in mitigation and enhancing biodiversity in the rural Mediterranean areas.For this, we propose a novel conceptualization of SLM actions that moves from their local application and evaluation to the regional more systemic approaches through their combination. Results show synergies in the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, allow for the upscaling of SLM through systemic approaches and point at direct contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals.

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Perceived Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategy of Indigenous Community (Chepangs) in Rural Mid-hills of Nepal

Forestry: Journal of Institute of Forestry, Nepal ◽

10.3126/forestry.v16i0.28353 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 48-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pragya Khanal ◽

Bishnu H. Wagle ◽

Suraj Upadhaya ◽

Prayash Ghimire ◽

Suman Acharya

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Local Level ◽

National Level ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Adaptation Strategy ◽

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Marginalized Communities ◽

Indigenous Group ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is projected to increase in vulnerable areas of the world, and marginalized communities residing in rural areas are more vulnerable to the change. The perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies made by such communities are important considerations in the design of adaptation strategies by policy-makers. We examined the most marginalized indigenous group "Chepang" communities' perceptions towards this change, variability, and their attitudes to adaptations and adapted coping measures in mid-hills of Nepal. We interviewed 155 individuals from two Chepang communities, namely, Shaktikhor and Siddhi in Chitwan district of Nepal. We also analyzed biophysical data to assess the variability. The findings showed that the Chepang community has experienced significant impacts of climate change and variability. They attributed crop disease, insect infestation, human health problem, and weather-related disaster as the impacts of climate change. Strategies they have adopted in response to the change are the use of intense fertilizers in farmland, hybrid seeds cultivation, crop diversification, etc. Local level and national level adaptation policies need to be designed and implemented as soon as possible to help climate vulnerable communities like Chepangs to cope against the impacts of climate change.

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Eliminating dog-mediated rabies: challenges and strategies

Animal Diseases ◽

10.1186/s44149-021-00023-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Harish Kumar Tiwari ◽

Jully Gogoi-Tiwari ◽

Ian D. Robertson

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

One Health ◽

Management Practices ◽

National Level ◽

Wound Management ◽

Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis ◽

And Control ◽

Multiple Interventions

AbstractRabies is an acute encephalitis caused by a lyssavirus. It is primarily transmitted through bites of infected dogs which results in the worldwide death of an estimated 59000 humans every year. The disease is preventable through the application of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and its elimination has been demonstrated in many countries by applying multiple interventions simultaneously. Nonetheless, rabies is still widespread in many developing countries, primarily due to the poor implementation of intervention strategies that include inadequate dog-bite wound management practices, unavailability/unaffordability of PEP by the communities, failure to control the disease in free-roaming dogs and wildlife, improper dog population management, weak surveillance and diagnostic facilities and a lack of a One Health approach to the disease. In this review, strategies to control dog-mediated rabies through a One Health approach were discussed. We recommend applying multiple interventions against the disease by involving all the concerned stakeholders in selected urban and rural areas of the countries where rabies is endemic. An empirical demonstration of disease freedom in the selected areas through a One Health approach is needed to convince policymakers to invest in rabies prevention and control on the national level. This multifaceted One Health control model will enhance the likelihood of achieving the goal of global rabies eradication by 2030.

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Runs of homozygosity in the Italian goat breeds: impact of management practices in low-input systems

Genetics Selection Evolution ◽

10.1186/s12711-021-00685-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Matteo Cortellari ◽

Arianna Bionda ◽

Alessio Negro ◽

Stefano Frattini ◽

Salvatore Mastrangelo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Management Practices ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Small Population ◽

Runs Of Homozygosity ◽

Chromosome 11 ◽

Low Input ◽

Signatures Of Selection ◽

Genomic Inbreeding

Abstract Background Climate and farming systems, several of which are considered as low-input agricultural systems, vary between goat populations from Northern and Southern Italy and have led to different management practices. These processes have impacted genome shaping in terms of inbreeding and regions under selection and resulted in differences between the northern and southern populations. Both inbreeding and signatures of selection can be pinpointed by the analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH), which provides useful information to assist the management of this species in different rural areas. Results We analyzed the ROH distribution and inbreeding (FROH) in 902 goats from the Italian Goat Consortium2 dataset. We evaluated the differences in individual ROH number and length between goat breeds from Northern (NRD) and Central-southern (CSD) Italy. Then, we identified the signatures of selection that differentiate these two groups using three methods: ROH, ΔROH, and averaged FST. ROH analyses showed that some Italian goat breeds have a lower inbreeding coefficient, which is attributable to their management and history. ROH are longer in breeds that are undergoing non-optimal management or with small population size. In several small breeds, the ROH length classes are balanced, reflecting more accurate mating planning. The differences in climate and management between the NRD and CSD groups have resulted in different ROH lengths and numbers: the NRD populations bred in isolated valleys present more and shorter ROH segments, while the CSD populations have fewer and longer ROH, which is likely due to the fact that they have undergone more admixture events during the horizontal transhumance practice followed by a more recent standardization. We identified four genes within signatures of selection on chromosome 11 related to fertility in the NRD group, and 23 genes on chromosomes 5 and 6 related to growth in the CSD group. Finally, we identified 17 genes on chromosome 12 related to environmental adaptation and body size with high homozygosity in both groups. Conclusions These results show how different management practices have impacted the level of genomic inbreeding in two Italian goat groups and could be useful to assist management in a low-input system while safeguarding the diversity of small populations.

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Age Structure of Farm Owners and Managers: Problems and the Solutions Thereto in Latvia

Rural Sustainability Research ◽

10.2478/plua-2020-0013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (339) ◽

pp. 15-26

Author(s):

Aleksejs Nipers ◽

Irina Pilvere

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Age Structure ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Policy Instruments ◽

Value Added ◽

World Population ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Agricultural Industry ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Research Show

AbstractThe research paper presents the results of research on the situation and trends in the age structure of farm owners or managers in Latvia. The growing world population and the challenges caused by climate change make farmers reconsider their traditional farming practices. Therefore, scientists believe that the aging of farmers is a major obstacle to the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, as evidenced by the age structure of European Union (EU) farmers and other agricultural workers. Generation renewal is crucial for sustainable land management and food production. In 2018, according to statistical data, the share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in total gross value added in Latvia was only 3.8%. However, these sectors were the main job creators and drivers of economic development in rural areas. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to assess trends in the age structure of farm managers and owners and the policy instruments applied in Latvia. The results of the research show that despite the policy instruments implemented in Latvia after its accession to the EU to support young farmers and promote early retirement of farm owners, the aging process of farm owners and managers occurs relatively fast. The median age of farm owners and managers in Latvia has increased from 53 years in 2009 to 57 years in 2019, which could hinder the development of the agricultural industry and prevent the new challenge of growing global food demand and the negative impacts of climate change from being tackled.

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Grain yield, straw yield and economic value of tall and semi-dwarf durum wheat cultivars in Algeria

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859605004855 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 143 (1) ◽

pp. 57-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

P. ANNICCHIARICO ◽

Z. ABDELLAOUI ◽

M. KELKOULI ◽

H. ZERARGUI

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Durum Wheat ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Yield Stability ◽

Unit Weight ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Straw Yield ◽

Livestock Farming Systems ◽

Mediterranean Countries ◽

The Impact

In cereal-livestock farming systems of North Africa and West Asia the straw of durum wheat [Triticum turgidum (L.) Thell. ssp. turgidum conv. durum (Desf.) MacKey] is frequently used for feeding animals during the dry season and may enhance the sustainability and the flexibility of farming in various respects. In Algeria the average sale price per unit weight of the durum straw is around 30% of that of grain. Six tall and 18 semi-dwarf locally well-adapted cultivars were grown in the season 2000/01 at five Algerian locations representing the main durum wheat cropping areas to verify: (i) the impact of straw yield on the economic merit of cultivars for recommendation and (ii) the interest of tall v. semi-dwarf plant types for breeding. The tall material comprised four cultivars derived from local landraces and two old varieties. The semi-dwarf germplasm originated from CIMMYT, ICARDA or various Mediterranean countries. In the economic assessment the straw value was expressed in terms of grain-equivalent, defining an economic yield as: grain yield+(0·30×straw yield). The merit of individual cultivars was markedly affected by ignoring or taking into account the straw yield. On average, tall germplasm had a moderate (about 3%) but significant (P<0·02) economic advantage over semi-dwarf material as a result of much higher straw yield (+25%) and aerial biomass (+12%) and somewhat lower grain yield (−7%). However, three semi-dwarf varieties from CIMMYT were top-ranking for economic yield. They possessed outstanding aerial biomass and similar harvest index compared with the mean response of other semi-dwarf germplasm. On average, the tall germplasm showed higher grain yield stability (P<0·01), lower straw yield stability (P<0·01) and slightly higher stability of economic yield (P<0·11) than the semi-dwarf group as measured by Shukla's stability variance. Grain yield was negatively correlated with straw yield (r=−0·41, P<0·05), and was not correlated with aerial biomass, in the whole set of cultivars. However, it was not correlated with straw yield, and was positively correlated with aerial biomass (r=0·61, P<0·01), within the semi-dwarf germplasm. Information on straw yield can improve the targeting of cultivars for cereal-livestock farming systems. Breeding for these systems may target either a tall type within semi-dwarf material (i.e. a ‘tall dwarf’), or a truly tall plant type.

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Agritourism as a sustainable adaptation option for climate change

Open Agriculture ◽

10.1515/opag-2019-0074 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 737-742

Author(s):

R.P. Mahaliyanaarachchi ◽

M.S. Elapata ◽

M. Esham ◽

B.C.H. Madhuwanthi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Global Climate ◽

Climate Extremes ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Adaptation Option ◽

Climatic Effects ◽

Cropping Patterns

AbstractThe global climate change has become one of the imperative issue for the smallholder dominated agriculture and tourism sectors in Sri Lanka. This study investigated the perception of farmers on climate change and the potential of agritourism as a sustainable adaptation option to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in both tourism and agricultural sectors. The study was carried out in the low country dry zone (LCDZ) and the upcountry wet zone (UPWZ) of Sri Lanka. A survey strategy followed by structured and unstructured interviews were undertaken to collect the data. The sample was composed of 100 farmers each from the UPWZ and LCDZ respectively. The study revealed that there had been climate extremes in both climatic zones in terms of high rainfall and longer dry spells. Thus, it was important for the farmers to have necessary knowledge and skills on different diversification techniques related to crop-production, integrated farming systems and climate resilient production which are economical and mitigate the adverse climatic effects. However, the results revealed that the farmers have altered the cropping patterns and crop management practices rather than adopting entrepreneurial activities like agritourism. Lack of awareness of agritourism within the farming community is the main reason for farmers not contemplating this important diversification option. The results indicate that a significant number of farmers showed interest in considering agritourism as an option to mitigate climate change. It is important to educate farmers on diversification options.

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Towards Climate Smart Farming—A Reference Architecture for Integrated Farming Systems

Telecom ◽

10.3390/telecom2010005 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 52-74

Author(s):

Georgios Kakamoukas ◽

Panagiotis Sarigiannidis ◽

Andreas Maropoulos ◽

Thomas Lagkas ◽

Konstantinos Zaralis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Water Shortage ◽

World Population ◽

Reference Architecture ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Natural Resource Use ◽

Promising Solution ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

Integrated Agricultural Systems

Climate change is emerging as a major threat to farming, food security and the livelihoods of millions of people across the world. Agriculture is strongly affected by climate change due to increasing temperatures, water shortage, heavy rainfall and variations in the frequency and intensity of excessive climatic events such as floods and droughts. Farmers need to adapt to climate change by developing advanced and sophisticated farming systems instead of simply farming at lower intensity and occupying more land. Integrated agricultural systems constitute a promising solution, as they can lower reliance on external inputs, enhance nutrient cycling and increase natural resource use efficiency. In this context, the concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) emerged as a promising solution to secure the resources for the growing world population under climate change conditions. This work proposes a CSA architecture for fostering and supporting integrated agricultural systems, such as Mixed Farming Systems (MFS), by facilitating the design, the deployment and the management of crop–livestock-=forestry combinations towards sustainable, efficient and climate resilient agricultural systems. Propelled by cutting-edge technology solutions in data collection and processing, along with fully autonomous monitoring systems, e.g., smart sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the proposed architecture called MiFarm-CSA, aims to foster core interactions among animals, forests and crops, while mitigating the high complexity of these interactions, through a novel conceptual framework.

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