The Upper Juruá Extractive Reserve in the Brazilian Amazon: past and present†

Amazonian livelihoods are largely dependent on rivers, with local protein consumption mainly relying on several species of fish. The UJER (Upper Juruá Extractive Reserve - Reserva Extrativista do Alto Juruá) is located in the state of Acre, bordering Peru and several indigenous areas. Here we summarize the data we collected in 1993/1994 on the population living along the banks of the Juruá, Tejo, Bagé, Igarapé São João and Breu rivers on crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and use of game and fish resources. We interviewed 133 individuals (94 on the Juruá and Tejo, 16 on Bagé, 16 on Igarapé São João and 7 on Breu rivers). Our results include a comprehensive description on local livelihoods, including the most important fish species for local subsistence considering gender and seasonality, the main husbandry and game species, and the items cultivated on the local agriculture. Whenever more recent information was available in the literature, we compared changes in livelihoods over time in the same region and also with the recent patterns observed in the Lower and in the Middle Juruá River. We hope to provide useful information to understand temporal changes in local livelihoods, which can help adapt and shape the ecological management in the region.

Dragon Fruit Cultivation as a Solution to Rice Harvest Dependence in Kuwu Village, Madiun Regency

This article is the result of research that examines the efforts of the Kuwu village community to escape dependence on rice yields through dragon fruit cultivation by utilizing empty house yard assets with a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. This approach provides an opportunity for researchers from the University of the UINSA KKN Team and the Kuwu village community to partner and collaborate to conduct research together to find solutions to problems faced by the community to improve their economic welfare. After conducting the inculturation stage with a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the Kuwu village community, and conducting an analysis of the initial assets owned by the local community, the researchers from the UINSA KKN Team group 18 together with the community focused on efforts to solve the problem of the dependence of the Kuwu village community on the results. rice harvesters by looking for additional income alternatives by cultivating dragon fruit by utilizing their empty home yard land. To solve this problem, researchers from the UINSA Team and residents of the Kuwu village community worked together in every stage of the research. There are four stages in the CBPR method, namely: (1) Foundation laying, (2) Research planning, (3) Data collection and analysis, (4) Determination of action on findings. Through these stages, it can be concluded that the results of this study include; first, the planting of dragon fruit seeds carried out by UINSA KKN students and residents of the Kuwu village community, starting with a literacy study and socialization about the benefits of dragon fruit initiated by local community leaders and extension workers from the local Agriculture Service; second, efforts to carry out various joint experiments to make food/snacks from processed dragon fruit carried out by PKK women and UINSA KKN students. This action was also followed up by the village government by initiating a working group (farmer's group) to oversee this program until finally realizing the aspirations of the community members to become a dragon fruit center village in the future.

Local Value Chain Models of Healthy Food Access: A Qualitative Study of Two Approaches

Food value chains are increasingly recognized as more equitable alternatives to traditional supply chains and may represent a novel mechanism to achieve health equity at the local level. Country Fresh Stops (CFS) and Donation Station (DS) are two complementary programs that are part of a more robust value chain designed to support local agriculture in Appalachia Ohio. As the first study of these programs in the peer-reviewed literature, the objectives were to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of these two local value chain models of healthy food access and to identify the perceived impacts from the perspective of the sites implementing them. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with CFS (n = 7) and DS (n = 10) site representatives in January 2020. Template analysis was used to identify themes through a priori and inductive codes. Participants identified two primary facilitators: support from partner organizations and on-site program stewardship. Produce (and program) seasonality and mitigating food waste were the most cited challenges. Despite challenges, both CFS and DS sites perceive the models to be successful efforts for supporting the local economy, achieving organizational missions, and providing consumers with greater access to locally grown produce. These innovative programs demonstrate good feasibility, but long-term sustainability and impacts on other key stakeholders merit further investigation.

Empowerment, love, and connection: Lessons learned from the Farmacy Project, a food-is-medicine program in Rutland, Vermont

Senior high school student volunteer Tyler Carroll walks out to the car that has pulled up along the back of the renovated former iron works building, the site of the Vermont Farmers Food Center, in downtown Rutland, Vermont. Tyler says, “Hi! Can I get your name, please?” Tyler then takes one bag from the table covered with bagged farm shares and puts one in the customer’s back seat, thanking them as they drive off with their local goods. The members are here to receive their produce prescription through the Farmacy Project, a program that provides 150 individuals in the county with 15 weeks of fresh produce grown exclusively by local Rutland county farms. Finishing up its sixth year in 2021, the program has become a standard in the area, working with healthcare providers who identify individuals with chronic diet-related health conditions who could benefit from a “food as medicine” produce share. This project intersects community health and local agriculture. Many, although not all, members may be food insecure as well, as reflected in the 68% of members this year who were food insecure based on the results of the two-item food insecurity questionnaire of the U.S. Household Food Security Survey.

Rice crop insurance in Indonesia: adaptation to climate and farm production support

Indonesia’s Rice Crop Insurance (AUTP) scheme has successfully protected farmers from significant crop losses due to natural disasters. However, the current amount of AUTP’s compensation is still unable to accommodate farmer’s financing costs (i.e., unpaid micro-loan and its interests) to support crops production. This results in higher micro-loan risk and hinder the sustainability of farming enterprises. In this regard, the existing People’s Business Credit (KUR) should supposedly be accessible as a micro-loan source to help farmers fund their farms. This study has two objectives: (1) formulate an integration scheme between KUR and AUTP, and (2) determine the appropriate insurance premiums to meet the farmer’s operational and financing costs. This research used 100,000 Monte Carlo Simulations using lognormal distributions with assumptions based on the results of focus group discussion and in-depth interviews with farmer groups, the local Agriculture Service, and micro-loan distributors, as well as the data from the Ministry of Agriculture from the period of 2018–2020. Additionally, Individual Area Yield Index (I-AYI) policy and loss ratio is used to determine and evaluate the new integrated crop insurance premiums. The study revealed that the farmers expect affordable, accessible, and beneficial insurance products with premium subsidies bundled with KUR. Therefore, the government should develop an integration of crop insurance with KUR and determine the affordable premium calculations along with the insurance companies. Based on the simulation results, the total pure premium is estimated around IDR 1 million for a minimum KUR loan of IDR 8 million (suitable for farming costs).

Analysis of soil and water conservation practices by community throughout the Upper Citarum River Watershed: motivational, technical and institutional aspects

Forest degradation in the Upper Citarum Watershed requires an approach to changing farming patterns that applies techniques of soil and water conservation. The objective of the paper is to examine the extent to which the community in the Upper Citarum Watershed has practiced soil and water conservation techniques in its farming practices, as well as institutional support and community motivation in the application of the conservation practices. This study used a survey of 499 farmers to collect data in Bandung and West Bandung districts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic analysis. Results of the study indicate that the soil and water conservation practices have been implemented by 45% of the farm household. The households practicing conservation techniques have higher revenue compared to those who not practicing. The sources of information that households learned come from fellow local farmers, while the most reasons motivating households to practice soil and water conservations are to prevent erosion and improve water supply. The local Agriculture and Forestry Service Offices and Watershed Agency are the dominant sources of assistance with the form of assistance are either materials or training. This study recommends improving spatial planning, providing market incentives and assistance, and supporting the agroforestry system.

The role of farm-to-table activities in agritourism towards sustainable development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of farm-to-table (FTT) activities in agritourism towards sustainable development based on three agritourism farms in Brunei. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on qualitative data using semi-structured interviews with 23 participants involved in the management of the farms. In-depth interviews are considered the most appropriate approach to gain the unexplored perspectives of the agriculture community at the three agritourism farms. Findings The study found that FTT activities imparted in agritourism contribute towards sustainable development economically, socially and environmentally. FTT leads to the establishment of small medium and micro enterprises, which, in turn, creates employment for the local people. It also plays a part in preserving the ethno-culinary heritage of indigenous food, promoting food localism and sustainable agriculture. These findings suggest that FTT activities play an important role in revitalizing the local community. The outcome of this empirical research may enable planners to better formulate regional policy based on a balanced approach taking into account the three dimensions of sustainability towards agritourism development. From a theoretical standpoint, this study adds value to the literature by identifying the contributions of FTT activities towards sustainable development emphasising on the consumption of local ethnic food and food localism. Originality/value The contributions of agritourism for local farms has not been extensively discussed especially in Brunei’s local agriculture industry. This study will provide evidence that FTT activities contribute towards a moderate form of food activism; one that re-forges the disrupted linkages between people, nature and cultural heritage.

How local communities attribute livelihood vulnerabilities to climate change and other causes: a case study in North Vanuatu

Understanding the causal factors of livelihood challenges and associated vulnerabilities is essential for developing viable adaptation strategies. However, clarifying which livelihood challenges can be attributed to which causal factors remains a challenge. In this paper, we used a case study in Vanuatu to show how local populations attribute subsistence challenges to underlying causes. Particularly, we are interested in whether there is a tendency to view climate change as the primary cause, and if so, why. We followed a participatory approach involving local community members and experts at all stages of the study process. For this, we used complementary research methods such as resource mapping, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with local community members and local agriculture experts. The results show that local populations are indeed inclined to attribute problems to external causes, particularly climate change. However, the results also indicate that this external attribution is not definitive. Rather, we find that over the course of participatory reflection, attribution to climate change was supplemented and even replaced by internal causal factors, such as changes in garden practices. Our findings suggest that the initial emphasis on climate change may be related to prevailing narratives that may have influenced individual perceptions of the study participants and created social desirability. If such bias is not recognized, the narratives risk being reified, with potential new insights being overlooked. As a result, local attribution may overstate or understate specific causes, such as climate change.