scholarly journals An integrated approach to improving rural livelihoods: examples from India and Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 376 ◽  
pp. 45-50
Author(s):  
Barry Croke ◽  
Wendy Merritt ◽  
Peter Cornish ◽  
Geoffrey J. Syme ◽  
Christian H. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This paper presents an overview of work in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and SW Bangladesh through a series of projects from 2005 to the present, considering the impact of farming systems, water shed development and/or agricultural intensification on livelihoods in selected rural areas of India and Bangladesh. The projects spanned a range of scales spanning from the village scale (∼  1 km2) to the meso-scale (∼  100 km2), and considered social as well as biophysical aspects. They focused mainly on the food and water part of the food-water-energy nexus. These projects were in collaboration with a range of organisations in India and Bangladesh, including NGOs, universities, and government research organisations and departments. The projects were part funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, and built on other projects that have been undertaken within the region. An element of each of these projects was to understand how the hydrological cycle could be managed sustainably to improve agricultural systems and livelihoods of marginal groups. As such, they evaluated appropriate technology that is generally not dependent on high-energy inputs (mechanisation). This includes assessing the availability of water, and identifying potential water resources that have not been developed; understanding current agricultural systems and investigating ways of improving water use efficiency; and understanding social dynamics of the affected communities including the potential opportunities and negative impacts of watershed development and agricultural development.

Status, Impact, and Factor Determining Rural Non-farm Economy of India: A Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 68-76
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Present Status ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Farm Sector ◽  
Income Inequalities ◽  
Review Study ◽  
The Impact

The rural non-farm sector (RNFS) involves a spectrum of economic activity in rural areas and encompasses all rural productive entities other than farm holdings. It has the potential to play a pivotal role in holistic and inclusive development of India’s rural areas by increasing the employment and wages of rural labour, which can reduce income inequalities. The review was carried out in order to explain the present status of RNFE state wise as well as overall to get a comprehensive view on the topic. The review study also focuses to disaggregate RNFE on the basis of gender, size of landholding and castes. Literature depicting the impact of RNFE on rural livelihoods especially in employment and poverty and factors determining it also been compiled to get an overall idea on the study.

Private Agricultural R&D: Do the Poor Benefit?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jock R. Anderson ◽  
Regina Birner ◽  
Latha Najarajan ◽  
Anwar Naseem ◽  
Carl E. Pray
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
Agricultural Research And Development ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Private agricultural research and development can foster the growth of agricultural productivity in the diverse farming systems of the developing world comparable to the public sector. We examine the extent to which technologies developed by private entities reach smallholder and resource-poor farmers, and the impact they have on poverty reduction. We critically review cases of successfully deployed improved agricultural technologies delivered by the private sector in both large and small developing countries for instructive lessons for policy makers around the world.

Development of more effective conservation farming systems through participatory on-farm research

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.B. Wuest ◽  
D.K. McCool ◽  
B.C. Miller ◽  
R.J. Veseth
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Conservation Farming ◽  
Working Together ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Current Emphasis

AbstractResearch aimed at advancing conservation farming practices is typically performed using traditional scientific approaches, which have been highly successful in increasing agricultural output and efficiency. With the current emphasis on environmental and economic sustainability of agriculture, there is a need for a more integrated approach to applied agricultural research. Participatory research helps to bring scientific methods and the integrated production needs of farmers together to develop practical, effective, and carefully tested farming methods. The strength of participatory research is in the synergism of scientists and farmers working together to design, implement, and evaluate research. The development of new technologies for farming systems large or small, conventional or organic, can be greatly enhanced through more extensive use of participatory research.

Reply to van Donge

2002 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Ponte
Keyword(s):  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agrarian Change ◽  
Economic Diversification ◽  
Uluguru Mountains ◽  
Alternative Farming ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Access

Van Donge's comment on my reassessment of agrarian change on the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania, raises a number of issues that go beyond the specificities of the location under scrutiny. Before dealing with these, however, let me restate my argument, which van Donge has reconstructed only selectively. In my article (Ponte 2001a), I argued that rural households are not ‘trapped in decline’ on the Uluguru Mountains, as depicted in previous literature. Although agriculture is not going through an easy transition in the area, and some options are becoming more limited, others are being more skilfully utilised. On the Uluguru Mountains, land scarcity is the main feature of agriculture; deforestation and soil erosion are major problems; and inputs have become increasingly expensive. Under these circumstances, the main ways households can improve their quality of life – short of leaving the area altogether, and in addition to relying on remittances from outside – are to expand land cultivated in other locations, to experiment with alternative farming systems, and to increase non-farm incomes. I observed that Uluguru households were doing all of these in the mid-1990s, and that their income levels and housing characteristics had improved. This was intriguing and challenging to me, since farmers' adaptations to changing markets had not led to higher incomes in other areas that I had researched in Tanzania. Finally, I suggested that economic diversification can play an important role in improving rural livelihoods, but that this process is more likely to take place in locations with well-established economic ties and relatively good access to major markets.Van Donge has a variety of problems with my argument. These can be grouped around three main themes: (1) issues of methodology; (2) a perceived misunderstanding of his argument; and (3) the impact of liberalisation. Due to space limitations, in my reply to van Donge I deal with these larger themes. A more detailed response covering specific evidence and technicalities is available from this author and has been sent to van Donge.

scholarly journals Intensity of growth and development of rainbow trout using feeds Aller Aqua and Aquafeed Fischfutter

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (79) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Pivtorak ◽  
I. Y. Bobel
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Oxygen Content ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Energy Value ◽  
Feed Costs ◽  
German Producer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Content Of Oxygen

Due to the rapid development of feed since the early 1990's, efficiency has increased dramatically. The effectiveness is achieved by increasing energy levels, reducing the level of carbohydrates and balancing various nutrients that meet the needs of fish. Improvement of efficiency should be taken into account when determining the amount of ration feeding. The economic efficiency of growing fish depends largely on proper feeding. The feed should be dosed depending on its formulation and size, the physiological state of the fish, the temperature of water and the content of oxygen in it. Salmon fish are demanding oxygen treatment. The content of oxygen in water should be at least 7 mg/l. At a lower oxygen level, the growth of fish is suppressed, and the effectiveness of food is reduced. The optimum temperature of water for growing salmon fish is 14–18 °С. Excessive feeding leads to unproductive feed costs and water pollution, insufficient  feeding leads to incomplete realization of potential opportunities for the rate of growth of fish. The quantity of the daily ration is established taking into account the temperature of water and the mass of fish. Depending on their state, activity and conditions of maintenance, it can fluctuate within ± 20% of the norm. In addition, high fertility densities, unsanitary conditions, illness, low water exchange rates, low oxygen content in water affect the efficiency of feeding in trout farms. Due to the fact that the cost of forage for trout is up to 60% of all costs for its cultivation, the problem of it rational use and saving is at the forefront. When feeding trout it is necessary to take into account that the size of granules for young fish in the length of 4–20 cm should be from 2.2 to 2.6% of the body length (according to Smith), which corresponds to the size of the mouth and the distance between the gill stamens in rainbow trout. Fish is best fed often in small portions. The smaller the fish, the more often feeding. Going on a feed of another size or type should be gradually over 3–5 days. If necessary, it is necessary to use special therapeutic granulated food or a mixture of therapeutic ingredients to add to the wet granules. It is necessary to create optimal conditions for growing and to carry out constant monitoring of water temperature and its fluctuations, oxygen content in water, pH, atmospheric pressure, etc. It is necessary to follow the rules of storage of forages, taking into account that the quality of feed after being stored for more than 3 months is deteriorating. This happens. It may be caused by poor water quality or disease. In order for the fish to get used to a particular feeding regime, it is recommended to do feed it at the same time. Today, the diversity of feeds allows you to get a better feed rate, fast growth and a minimal impact on the environment under different conditions, since the need of  fish in nutrients is fully covered by feeds (energy, protein, minerals and vitamins). The use of Aller Aqua feed guarantees receiving of a strong, healthy fish, thus providing good economic performance to farms. The basis of the research is the analysis of the nutritional value of the feeds of the company Aquafeed Fishsfutter of the German producer and Aller Aqua of the Danish company in the production conditions on the farm of the Western Fish Company PP of Peremyshlyany district, Lviv region. Also we should study fodder, their composition and carry out an objective assessment. It is known that fodder of foreign producers are characterized by higher energy value due to increased fat content, which is achieved by application of the appropriate technology and equipment for vacuum desiccation. For example, Aller Aqua's salmon-based compound feed for protein levels 40–46% contains 15 to 32% lipids and 23–24 MJ/kg of gross energy. Due to the high energy value, these feeds allow to provide the growth of fish at low feed costs. The aim of the work was to analyze the impact of different producers of feed fodder for commodity groups of trout on their growth and the development and receipt of quality commodity products in short terms.

The Impact of Regular Research Field Hearings (RRFH) in On-farm Trials in Northeast Brazil

1988 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Baker ◽  
Hendrik C. Knipscheer ◽  
Jose De Souza Neto
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Northeast Brazil ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Farming Systems Research

SUMMARYThe study of livestock in farming systems research presents several challenges. Factors such as the small number of observations, high statistical variability in measurements, and the difficulty in valuing non-market inputs and outputs make it difficult to evaluate on-farm research. Regular Research Field Hearings (RRFH) can improve communication between scientists and farmers, thereby increasing mutual understanding, willingness to collaborate in evaluation, potential technologies, and also improving test results. Of three groups of sheep and goat farmers involved in on-farm testing in northeast Brazil, the group which participated in RRFH experienced a significantly higher level of success with the technology as measured according to performance criteria such as weight gains and farmers' perceptions of their animals' performance. The results confirm the importance of farmers' participation in agricultural research.

Urbanization and Its Impact on Rural Livelihoods: A Study of Xichang City Administration, Sichuan Province, China

2017 ◽  
Vol 05 (04) ◽  
pp. 1750028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishwambhar Prasad SATI ◽  
Wei DENG ◽  
Yafeng LU ◽  
Shaoyao ZHANG ◽  
Jiangjun WAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
City Administration ◽  
The Impact

This study examines urbanization in Xichang city administration (XCA) and its implications on rural livelihoods. Time series data on population size and land use (1990–2010) of Xichang city administration were gathered from population censuses and revenue records. The data were analyzed to observe changes in population size and land use/cover during the recorded period. Along with this, a case study of seven villages that are highly influenced by urban expansion in close proximity to Xichang city was carried out. We surveyed 110 households of selected villages using purposive-random sampling method and framed a structured questionnaire on urbanization implications for them. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression model was employed to analyze the data. From 1990 to 2010, the authors observed an enormous transformation in urban landscapes as the urban area has increased by 14.02[Formula: see text]km2 (111%) and about 20.65[Formula: see text]km2 (16 times) increase in public transit construction land. On the other hand, paddy fields and grasslands of the selected villages have decreased by 16.6[Formula: see text]km2 (4.9%) and 35.43[Formula: see text]km2 (8.4%), respectively. Along with urbanization, out-migration as well as medical and educational facilities has increased while agriculture and livestock activities have decreased. The study suggested that to lessen the impact of urbanization in rural areas, agricultural and its allied practices should be intensified so as to augment employment and reduce out-migration from the rural areas.

scholarly journals Mediation analysis in recursive systems of distributed-lag linear regressions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Magrini
Keyword(s):  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Recursive Systems ◽  
Linear Regressions

AbstractRecursive systems of linear regressions is a consolidated methodology for mediation analysis, allowing to determine causal effects of interest in a closed form based on the regression coefficients. In a dynamic perspective, distributed-lags can be added to each regression in order to represent causal effects persisting over several periods. However, mediation analysis in the dynamic case is challenging, because causal effects depend on the time lag, and a general procedure to compute their lag distribution based on the regression coefficients is currently missing. In this paper, we formalize the rules to perform mediation analysis in recursive systems of distributed-lag linear regressions, here called Distributed-lag Linear Recursive Models (DLRMs). Firstly, mediation analysis is based on the Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) representation of the DLRM, then a DAG-free algorithm is proposed to improve computational efficiency. Our DAG-free algorithm is applied to a DLRM representing the impact pathways of agricultural research expenditure towards poverty reduction in rural areas.

scholarly journals Conventionalization of Organic Agriculture: A Multiple Case Study Analysis in Brazil and Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6580
Author(s):  
Oscar José Rover ◽  
Adevan da Silva Pugas ◽  
Bernardo Corrado De Gennaro ◽  
Francesco Vittori ◽  
Luigi Roselli
Keyword(s):  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Alternative Food ◽  
Alternative Food Networks ◽  
Metropolitan Regions ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Food Networks ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The conventionalization of organic agriculture has been described as a process in which organic agriculture increasingly adopts the features of conventional modes of production based on industrial farming methods. The increasing supply of organic products to the large retailers is considered the main driver of conventionalization. This process has negative implications for the agrobiodiversity of organic farming systems. The present study aims to investigate and analyze the impact of retailing strategies on the agrobiodiversity of organic farms. A survey of farms located in rural areas near large urban centers (three metropolitan regions in Southern Brazil and four Italian regions) was undertaken. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The analysis indicates that the farms surveyed maintained a high level of agrobiodiversity and active participation in alternative food networks. Our findings point out that there was a significant and positive correlation between the crop richness index and the share of farm sales through alternative food networks. We conclude that adopting various forms of direct sale is the key factor in stimulating farms’ agrobiodiversity, but proximity to densely populated areas is a necessary precondition for the development of the short food supply chains needed to stimulate the diversification of organic agriculture.

scholarly journals External Technology Acquisition and External Technology Exploitation: The Difference of Open Innovation Effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzana Parveen Tajudeen ◽  
Noor Ismawati Jaafar ◽  
Ainin Sulaiman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Technology Acquisition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Technology Scouting

To sustain in today’s ever-changing and competitive landscape, firms must work within and outside of their organizations’ boundaries. Open innovation (OI) strategies such as external technology acquisition (ETA), and external technology exploitation (ETE), can effectively improve the innovation performance of the organizations. Technologies like social media can help organizations to scout for appropriate technology, and source for ideas and knowledge from external sources to support their innovations. Moreover, digitalization can hasten business operations and enhance the innovation process of the firm. Focusing on open innovation (OI), this study takes an integrated approach towards investigating the impact of OI strategies, technology scouting through social media, and digitalization vision on innovation and firm performance. Data were drawn from 153 organizations in Malaysia, and the partial least squares (PLS) method was used to analyze data. The findings revealed that ETE, technology scouting through social media, and digitalization vision have a significant relationship with innovation performance. This, in turn, shows a positive relationship with firm performance. However, ETA does not have a significant relationship with innovation performance in the Malaysia context. This study extends the current literature on OI through the use of specific technology variables, such as technology scouting through social media and digitalization vision to support organizations’ innovation.

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