scholarly journals Understanding the Trade-Offs Between Environmental Service Provision through Improved Fallows and Private Welfare Using Stated Preference Approach: A Case Study in Chongwe - Zambia

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Elias Kuntashula ◽  
Eric Mungatana
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Improved Fallows ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Welfare Losses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Inorganic Fertiliser ◽  
Technology Users

<p>The trade-offs between environmental service (ES) provision through the uptake of improved fallows and private farmer welfare losses have rarely been evaluated. Unlike inorganic fertiliser, improved fallows provide ES in addition to improving the soil fertility. This study used contingent valuation methodologies to evaluate willingness to provide ES through improved fallows among 324 farmers in Chongwe district of Zambia. Given scenarios that improved fallows, unlike inorganic fertiliser, help in mitigating soil erosion and water pollution, more than 70% of the farmers were willing to supply these services through the technology. The willingness to be pro-fertiliser oriented was positively associated with cropped land sizes and soil fertility challenges and negatively associated with total farm size. In addition, for users of improved fallows, increases in per capita income increased the probability of willingness to embrace fertiliser. Group membership decreased the probability for the users’ willingness to embrace fertiliser. For the non-users, the probability of joining the association that would ensure blockage of an improved fallow policy decreased with maize productivity. For the few farmers, there was no significant difference in the willingness to pay (WTP) (<em>t = 1.546, p = 0.136</em>) to ensure availability of fertiliser or blocking a policy compelling uptake of improved fallows between the users (WTP = K1, 050,000, US$1 = K5, 000) and non-users (WTP= K1, 380,000) of the technology. The trade-off between ES provisions through improved fallows and loss in immediate private welfare by not embracing fertiliser was similar across the technology’ users divide. Therefore a payment for environmental services policy could target the farmers as a homogenous group.<strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Application of Chemical Fertilizers in Cocoa-Based (Theobroma cacao) Agroforestry Systems; Impact on Yields and Policy Ramifications: Empirical Evidence from Cameroon

2020 ◽  
pp. 38-49
Author(s):  
Azembouh Roshinus Tsufac ◽  
Nyong Princely Awazi ◽  
Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima ◽  
Roger Kogge Enang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Chemical Fertilizers ◽  
Cocoa Farmers ◽  
Cocoa Yield

Soil fertility decline has pushed farmers across the world to resort to chemical fertilizers in order to improve soil fertility and enhance crop yields. In agroforestry systems, the application of chemical fertilizers is a call for concern considering that agroforestry systems are supposedly agro-ecological, environmentally friendly and sustainable systems. It was within this context that this study sought to assess the application of chemical fertilizers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems and its policy ramifications. Data was collected through a household survey of 300 cocoa farmers in Cameroon, and analyzed on SPSS 17.0 employing descriptive and analytical techniques. It was found that the most commonly used chemical fertilizers by cocoa farmers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems were NPK 20:10:10 (60%), NPK 15:20:15 (50%), and Urea (40%). It was also noticed that a majority of the cocoa farmers sampled used no chemical fertilizer (35%), very small quantity (15%), small quantity (20%), and moderate quantity (20%). With respect to frequency of use, most cocoa farmers never used chemical fertilizer (35%), used it rarely (30%), or used it occasionally (15%). However, some cocoa farmers used chemical fertilizers frequently (5%) and very frequently (5%) in their cocoa agroforests. Coefficients of correlation and regression showed the existence of a statistically significant (p<0.05) direct and inverse non-causal and causal relationship between different explanatory variables (income level, availability of chemical fertilizers, access to information, membership in farming group and access to extension services) and cocoa farmers’ use of chemical fertilizers; while farm size and number of farms had a statistically significant inverse relationship. Correlation and regression coefficients showed the existence of a statistically significant (p<0.05) direct non-causal and causal relationship between different levels of cocoa yields (very high cocoa yield, high cocoa yield, average cocoa yield, low cocoa yield, very low cocoa yield, no change in cocoa yields) and the application of chemical fertilizers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. On the basis of the study’s findings, it is recommended that measures be taken to limit the use of chemical fertilizers in cocoa-based agroforestry systems in order to enhance the sustainability of these systems.

scholarly journals Technical Inefficiency Determinants in Potato Production: The case of Potato Farmers in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Hailu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Land Fragmentation

The study identified the factors that cause variation in the level of efficiency in potato production. The study used household level cross sectional data collected in 2015/16 from 196 sample farmers selected by multistage sampling technique. For the data collection, a personally administered structured questionnaire was used. In the analyses, descriptive statistics, a stochastic frontier model (SFM) and a two-limit Tobit regression model were employed. Tobit model revealed that technical efficiency was positively and significantly affected by education, land tenure status, extension service, credit and soil fertility whereas variables such as sex of household head, age of household head, farm size and land fragmentation affected it negatively. Therefore the study suggested the need for policies to discourage land fragmentation and promote education, extension visits, access to credit and soil fertility for improvement in technical efficiency.

scholarly journals Understanding uptake of digital health products: Methodology tutorial for a Discrete Choice Experiment using a Bayesian efficient design (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Szinay ◽  
Rory Cameron ◽  
Felix Naughton ◽  
Jennifer A. Whitty ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Discrete Choice Experiment ◽  
Discrete Choice ◽  
Choice Experiment ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Revealed Preferences ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Efficient Design ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Health Products

UNSTRUCTURED Understanding the preferences of potential users of digital health products is beneficial for digital health policy and planning. Stated preference methods could help elicit individuals’ preferences in the absence of observational data. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a commonly used stated preference method; a quantitative methodology that argues that individuals make trade-offs when engaging in a decision by choosing an alternative of a product or service that offers the greatest utility, or benefit. This methodology is widely used in health economics in situations where revealed preferences are difficult to collect but is much less used in the field of digital health. This article outlines the stages involved in developing a discrete choice experiment. As a case study, it uses the application of a DCE for revealing preferences in targeting the uptake of smoking cessation apps. It describes the establishment of attributes, the construction of choice tasks of two or more alternatives, and the development of the experimental design. This tutorial offers a guide for researchers with no prior knowledge of this research technique.

Happiness and farm productivity: insights from maize farmers in China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanglin Ma ◽  
Puneet Vatsa ◽  
Xiaoshi Zhou ◽  
Hongyun Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between farmers' happiness and farm productivity, taking maize production in China as an example.Design/methodology/approachThe conditional mixed process model is employed to account for the endogeneity that inevitably arises in regression models studying happiness and estimate the 2015 China Household Finance Survey data.FindingsThe empirical results show that a higher level of farmers' happiness is associated with higher maize productivity. The marginal return in maize productivity changes unevenly with increments in farmers' self-reported happiness on a five-point Likert scale. Farmers' happiness is positively determined by their age, educational level, farm size, machinery ownership, access to agricultural subsidy and car ownership. Machinery ownership and access to credit are two important factors that improve maize productivity.Research limitations/implicationsThe finding suggests that promoting the subjective well-being of farmers is conducive to higher productivity and improved national food security. The results have implications for China and other developing countries aiming for sustainable agricultural development.Originality/valueFirm-level data show that workers' happiness improves productivity. However, it is still unclear whether farmworkers' happiness affects farm productivity. Thus, this study provides the first empirical analysis of the impact of farmworkers' happiness on farm productivity.

scholarly journals Three Decades of Changes in Brazilian Municipalities and Their Food Production Systems

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva ◽  
Mateus Batistella ◽  
James D. A. Millington ◽  
Emilio Moran ◽  
Luiz A. Martinelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Socioeconomic Outcomes ◽  
Economic Output ◽  
Trade Offs

Agricultural systems are heterogeneous across temporal and spatial scales. Although much research has investigated farm size and economic output, the synergies and trade-offs across various agricultural and socioeconomic variables are unclear. This study applies a GIS-based approach to official Brazilian census data (Agricultural Censuses of 1995, 2006, and 2017) and surveys at the municipality level to (i) evaluate changes in the average soybean farm size across the country and (ii) compare agricultural and socioeconomic outcomes (i.e., soybean yield, agricultural production value, crop production diversity, and rural labor employment) relative to the average soybean farm size. Statistical tests (e.g., Kruskal–Wallis tests and Spearman’s correlation) were used to analyze variable outcomes in different classes of farm sizes and respective Agricultural Censuses. We found that agricultural and socioeconomic outcomes are spatially correlated with soybean farm size class. Therefore, based on the concepts of trade-offs and synergies, we show that municipalities with large soybean farm sizes had larger trade-offs (e.g., larger farm size was associated with lower crop diversity), while small and medium ones manifest greater synergies. These patterns are particularly strong for analysis using the Agricultural Census of 2017. Trade-off/synergy analysis across space and time is key for supporting long-term strategies aiming at alleviating unemployment and providing sustainable food production, essential to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

scholarly journals Legume-maize rotation effect on maize productivity and soil fertility parameters under selected agronomic practices in a sandy loam soil

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeyinwa Monica Uzoh ◽  
Charles Arizechukwu Igwe ◽  
Chinyere Blessing Okebalama ◽  
Olubukola Olularanti Babalola
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Rotation Effect ◽  
Maize Productivity ◽  
Agronomic Practices ◽  
Loam Soil

scholarly journals Prepectoral Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction: Early Outcomes and Analysis of Postoperative Pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi Fredman ◽  
Cindy Wu ◽  
Mihaela Rapolti ◽  
Daniel Luckett ◽  
Jason Fine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postoperative Pain ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Complication Rates ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Aesthetic Results ◽  
Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy

Abstract Background Direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction provides high-quality aesthetic results in appropriate candidates. Most commonly, implants are placed in the subpectoral space which can lead to pain and breast animation. Surgical and technological advances have allowed for successful prepectoral implant placement which may eliminate these trade-offs. Objectives Here we present early outcomes from 153 reconstructions in 94 patients who underwent prepectoral DTI. We sought to determine whether these patients have less postoperative pain and narcotic use than subpectoral implant or expander placement. Methods A retrospective review was performed for all prepectoral DTI reconstructions at our institution from 2015 to 2016. Data were collected on postoperative pain and narcotic use while in hospital. Results The average follow-up time was 8.5 months (range, 3–17 months) and the overall complication rate was 27% (n = 41) with the most common complications being skin necrosis (9%, n = 13) and infection (7%, n = 11). No statistically significant difference in complications was found in patients who underwent postmastectomy radiation therapy. Patients who underwent prepectoral DTI reconstruction did not have a statistically significant difference in postoperative pain and narcotic use while in-hospital compared with other techniques. Conclusion Prepectoral DTI reconstruction provides good results with similar complication rates to subpectoral techniques. Prepectoral DTI eliminates the problem of breast animation. Although our series did not reach statistical significance in pain scores or requirement for postoperative narcotics, we believe that it is an important preliminary result and with larger numbers we anticipate a more definitive conclusion. Level of Evidence: 4

scholarly journals Agricultural diversification promotes multiple ecosystem services without compromising yield

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (45) ◽  
pp. eaba1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Tamburini ◽  
Riccardo Bommarco ◽  
Thomas Cherico Wanger ◽  
Claire Kremen ◽  
Marcel G. A. van der Heijden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Nutrient Cycling ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Context Dependency ◽  
Water Regulation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Impact

Enhancing biodiversity in cropping systems is suggested to promote ecosystem services, thereby reducing dependency on agronomic inputs while maintaining high crop yields. We assess the impact of several diversification practices in cropping systems on above- and belowground biodiversity and ecosystem services by reviewing 98 meta-analyses and performing a second-order meta-analysis based on 5160 original studies comprising 41,946 comparisons between diversified and simplified practices. Overall, diversification enhances biodiversity, pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and water regulation without compromising crop yields. Practices targeting aboveground biodiversity boosted pest control and water regulation, while those targeting belowground biodiversity enhanced nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and water regulation. Most often, diversification practices resulted in win-win support of services and crop yields. Variability in responses and occurrence of trade-offs highlight the context dependency of outcomes. Widespread adoption of diversification practices shows promise to contribute to biodiversity conservation and food security from local to global scales.

scholarly journals Barriers to Agro-Ecological Intensification of Smallholder Upland Farming Systems in Lao PDR

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Von Yi Yap ◽  
Phaeng Xaphokhame ◽  
Andreas de Neergaard ◽  
Thilde Bech Bruun
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Crop Damage ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Ecological Intensification ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Grazing Livestock

Intercropping of legumes can be a strategy to improve soil fertility and enhance overall productivity while reducing dependency on external inputs in intensified cropping systems. Integration of legumes in maize-based cropping systems is promoted as an agro-ecological intensification option for input-constrained smallholders in uplands of Southeast Asia, but adoption rates in the region remain low. The overall aim of this study was to assess the suitability and trade-offs of integrating ricebean in maize-based smallholder cropping systems in upland areas of Northern Laos. We conducted a researcher-managed field trial to investigate the agronomic performance of ricebean/maize intercropping, and farmer-managed trials combined with surveys (N = 97), and focus group discussions in 10 villages to understand factors influencing farmers’ decision making concerning ricebean adoption. Drought, rat infestation and crop damage by grazing livestock were identified as important constraints to the production of ricebeans. Factors facilitating adoption included improvement of soil fertility, the potentially high selling price of ricebeans and the presence of extension agents, while barriers included labour shortage, concerns about competition with maize and lack of a market outlet for the ricebean produce. We conclude that the investigated maize/ricebean intercropping system is poorly suited to the current conditions in the study area, and call for farm-based studies focusing on developing locally adapted legume intercropping systems able to perform under variable rainfall conditions. Initiatives addressing challenges related to free grazing livestock and efforts to link legume producers in remote areas to emerging markets are also needed.

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