Nutritional Characterization of a Traditional Cultivar of Tomato Grown Under Organic Conditions—cv. “Malacara”

The loss of genetic diversity due to the replacement of local tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties by improved cultivars has been mitigated in many cases by the good work of organic farmers in maintaining local agricultural biodiversity. In parallel to these initiatives, in recent years, consumers have developed an increasing awareness of both food-related health, environmental issues, and food demand to recover the flavors of the past. In the case of tomatoes, these attributes (nutritional, organoleptic, social, and environmental) are closely related to organic production using local varieties. “Malacara” tomato is an example of a local variety. Coming from Sierra de Cádiz, it is a varietal type called “Cuelga” (“for hanging,” because the tomato trusses are hung from beams in the farmhouses). Cultivated and harvested in the open air during the summer months, these tomatoes are commercialized and consumed in the winter. Historically, this variety has enabled the fresh consumption of tomatoes during the winter, without the need to force cultivation. It is highly appreciated in the local cuisine and is the basis for sauces figuring in typical dishes. Its characteristic traits are small, pallid fruits, and long shelf life. The main objective of this work has been to typify two Malacara tomato cultivars (red and yellow color) grown under organic farming conditions, through the characterization of morphological, nutritional, and volatile parameters. The main differences are due to morphological parameters (fruit weight and color of the exocarp and endocarp). Other characteristics such as the content of ash, fiber, moisture, the concentration of iron, magnesium, and calcium, and content of lycopene are different between both cultivars. This study provides information on the nutritional and aromatic composition of two Malacara tomato cultivars, differentiated by their color and grown under organic farming conditions. The results add value to the native horticultural heritage and can aid in the selection of tomato varieties suitable for a sustainable production system and to produce tomatoes with high nutritional value and rich in aroma.

Oilseed and protein crops grown in French organic farms: an overview of cultivation practices for sunflower and soybean

The development of organic agriculture in France was steady since 2010 but became stronger since 2014. Like other crops, the cultivated areas of organic soybean and sunflower doubled from 2014 to 2018. With a view to better characterize cultural practices in organic production, Terres Inovia and ITAB (in collaboration with Agence Bio) conducted in 2016 and 2017 a national farmers’ survey. These surveys reveal that sunflower was mainly cultivated over the same types of soil than in conventional production but were integrated in more diversified rotations. The main differences between organic and conventional systems concern sowing date and weed control. Organic sunflower was sown very lately compared to conventional one, which impacted the yield severely. Weed were controlled through ploughing, mechanical weeding and crop rotation and weed control was judged as satisfying by a major part of producers. Concerning soybean, a great difference is the use of irrigation which is almost systematic in conventional but concerned only 50% of cultivated area in organic production. Contrary to sunflower, soybean is integrated in short crop rotation, particularly when it was irrigated. This demonstrated the high profitability of soybean in organic systems. Like for sunflower, weed control done through ploughing, mechanical weeding, and crop rotation and weed control was also judged satisfying; nevertheless, criteria on harvest impurities are more severe and to respect them, organic farmers also use hand weeding in complement. These surveys will be reconducted over the years to be able to follow the changes of cultural practices over the years.

High dilutions of acetone affect the Avena sativa growth in vitro

Introduction: Acetone is an organic solvent with molecular structure CH3(CO)CH3, its endogenous production in the animal body is called ketosis. The production of this compound increases with the fat. Acetone influences the lipid membrane, altering its fluidity and lipid composition [1], causing cell damage and leakage and can cause cell death. The use of herbicides in organic farming is not accepted by the Brazilian legislation [2]. So the weed control becomes a problem for organic farmers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the herbicide potential of high dilutions of acetone on Avena sativa L. Materials and Methods: The preliminary tests were conducted at the Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Homeopathy, State University of Maringá (UEM). The seeds of Avena sativa are placed in Petri dishes. Fitty seeds were germinated and grown in Petri dishes containing 15ml of high dilution of acetone and maintained at 25°C ± 2 and 12h photoperiod. Acetone dilutions (6, 12, 18, 24 and 30cH) were obtained according to the Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia [3]. Were evaluated the shoot length (cm), total length (cm), fresh root (mg) and total dry mass (mg). The plants growth was measured after 7 days. The control consisted of distilled water. The experiment evaluated 4 replicates of each treatment and the data were analyzed by ANOVA and means were compared by Scott-Knott test (P ≤ 0.05). Results and Discussion: Dilutions 6, 24 and 30 cH inhibited the growth of the shoot and total seedling of A. sativa. The root fresh weight was significantly reduced by 4 dilutions (6,12,24 and 30x), with no difference of 24x compared to the control. The total dry mass of plants of A. sativa was reduced in all the dilutions studied, showing an inhibitory effect on growth of seedlings subjected to treatment. Somehow, acetone diluited inhibited the growth and accumulation of biomass of these seedlings, suggesting an imbalance in metabolism that resulted in a reduction in the variables values. Conclusion: The results suggest that high dilutions acetone interfere on the growth and accumulation of biomass of A. sativa.

Urinary Organophosphate Metabolites and Metabolic Biomarkers of Conventional and Organic Farmers in Thailand

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are used by most farmers to remove insects and to increase productivity; however, questions remain on the long-term health impacts of their use. This study assessed the relationship between OP biomarker levels and metabolic biomarker parameters. Conventional farmers (n = 213) and organic farmers (n = 225) were recruited, interviewed, and had physical health examinations. Serum glucose and lipid profiles, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were measured. The average age, gender, education, and self-reported agricultural work time, work in second jobs, smoking status, alcohol consumption, insecticide use at home, home location near farmlands and years of pesticide use were significantly different between the conventional and organic farmers. The urinary OP metabolite levels were also significantly different between the two groups. With an increase in urinary diethyl phosphate, dimethyl phosphate and dialkyl phosphate metabolites, the total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, were significantly increased for all farmers after controlling for age, gender, alcohol consumption, years of pesticide use, and home location near farmlands. The results are consistent with our previous studies which suggests that pesticide usage, especially organophosphates, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke among Thai farmers.

Relations and Influences in the Process of Conventionalization of Organic Markets in the Southern Region of Brazil: A Multilevel Perspective Analysis

The organic markets from all around the world are changing fast. An example is the proliferation of standards and the entrance of new actors in the organic market, as the processors. In this paper, organic farmers, agro industries, retailers, consumers, and rural extension agents were consulted through qualitative research methods to better understand these changes and to assess the conventionalization-bifurcation process of organic markets in the Southern Region of Brazil. The relations and influences that exist between these actors were identified and analyzed. The theoretical approach used in this study comes from the Multilevel Perspective. This approach sustains that a novelty, like organic farming, can produce radical or incremental changes in a socio-technical regime, as the dominant agro-food regime, while connections between both are built. We observed that these relations and influences are of three main types: outsourcing and elongation of supply chains; restrictions in the commercialization of the farmer’s production; and the consequences, adjustments and commercial conditions established through contracts with retail chains besides commercialization in alternative networks. Through these findings, we identified a bifurcation in the organic markets where some actors demonstrate practices similar to agrifood dominant regime. In this process, the regime is changing, but so are the alternative networks. It indicates that once again the alternative agriculture is capable of reaffirmation by some ways.

Assessing the Social-ecological Resilience of Organic Farmers in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Since resilience is continuing to make its rise to the top of the sustainable development policies, monitoring resilience has become critical because it provides stakeholders with practical actions that can strengthen the state of adaptability to cope with all kinds of change. In this study, resilience, and social theories, such as grounded theory and technography, were integrated as a conceptual framework to produce a specific set of indicators, which yielded forty-seven indices, called social-ecological resilience indicators (SERIs). This study attempts to manage the temporal and spatial scales of resilience systems and to make such indicators suitable for organic rice production systems in four districts of Chiang Mai Province. A questionnaire was utilized to survey fifty-three organic farmers, and the results of the descriptive data analysis indicated that 0.54 (1.00 = the maximum) had been the respondents’ average score. Meanwhile, the highest and the lowest scores were serially 0.69 and 0.40. In addition, the findings revealed that Kendall’s Tau-b rank correlation’s numeric value came closer to +, which meant that the respondents had demonstrated an average tendency to be resilient. Generally, the highest score of resilience existed for those organic farmers, who had been outstanding in creating opportunities for self-organization, such as considerably relying on food and farm materials from the availability of local resources. Moreover, the majority of them were found to have a secondary on-farm profession that was not only subsidizing additional incomes but was also providing new knowledge and opportunities. This contrasted with the group with lowest score. The farmers, who exhibited unsatisfactory resilience, were centralized in dimensions, ranging from a having a lack of diverse water sources to having sufficient competency to exploit the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). They are, therefore, more prone to being affected by negative pressures. It is recommended that for building resilience, the ‘holy grail’ is boosting self-reliance. This capacity is key to reducing the risk of losing sustenance and enabling stakeholders to apply the appropriate strategies in times of change

Attitude, Perception, Life Style and Satisfaction of Organic and Inorganic Farmers: a qualitative inquiry

Agricultural practices are generally organic and inorganic practices. Organic agriculture is more about producing agricultural products without disturbing the ecosystem, biodiversity and the soil health; whereas, inorganic farming is completely opposite of organic farming. Use of chemicals nutrients, hybridisation of seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, is commonly used to get high yield. Since inorganic agriculture is practicing from long time and we are used to get more yield in less time, farmers are bit hesitant to change to organic farming. Behavioural, economic and social attributes of the farmers largely influence the future of organic farming. Objectives: The principal aim of the study is to assess the attitude, perception, lifestyle and satisfaction of organic and inorganic farmers. Methodology: A sample of 30 organic and inorganic farmers were selected from different districts of Karnataka state. Semi-structured tool was designed to collect data from the farmers through interview method. Thematic and free-listing techniques were used to analyse and present the data. Results: Organic farmers tend to be resilient and motivated as compared to the inorganic farmers. There were issues as perceived by the inorganic farmers that the organic farming was not an easy way to reap economic benefits and high yield for which conventional farming has been in practice. However, the shared views were that the agriculture has to receive the due place and dignity as compared to other market occupations which are more profitable. Conclusion: The study observes that organic farming needs sustainable systems to support, promote, advocate and practice it. Behavioural domains and economic domains are equally important to influence the lifestyle and satisfaction of the farmers. Key Words: Agriculture, Organic, Inorganic, Satisfaction, Life Style, Attitude, Perception ____________________________________________________________________________ *Professor & Head, Department of Social Work, Dean, School of Media Studies, Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India, Email Id: [email protected] ** Doctoral Scholar, Department of Social Work, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India. Email Id: [email protected]

Psychological and Physical Health of Organic and Conventional Farmers: A Review

Farmers’ health compared to the general population has been the object of some studies and reviews. Among all factors implied in psychological and physical health, the farming system (i.e., organic or conventional farming) was identified as one of the relevant factors to investigate. This article aims to review the literature established on the comparison between organic and conventional farmers’ health and its correlates. Twenty-nine quantitative or qualitative articles were identified for inclusion (n = 29). Results showed that organic farmers had globally better psychological and physical health than conventional farmers. Effect sizes were small to large; they differed according to the target outcome. In addition, factors correlated with farmers’ health were usually psychological, social, financial, and agricultural. This review of literature encourages further research in this area, particularly on developing agricultural models.

A Comparative Analysis of the New Mexico Organic and Conventional Producer: Implications for Occupational Safety and Health Research and Practice

Research indicates that farmers’ demographic characteristics and production practices have safety and health implications. However, current systems do not identify organic farmers independently from conventional farmers, and literature on how organic and conventional farmers compare is very limited. We conducted a secondary analysis of 2012 Census of Agriculture data to compare organic and non-organic farms and principal operators (POs) in New Mexico (NM). Organic farms were smaller in size, and POs of farms with organic sales were significantly younger (55.8±9.5 vs. 60.5±5.5 years) and less experienced (19.5±6.8 vs. 25.2±6.8 years). Significant differences were also found in POs ethnicity, race, and primary occupation. More farms with organic sales had a female PO compared to farms with non-organic sales (27% vs. 19%). Other significant differences related to work arrangements, household income, living conditions, and access to Internet. National surveys and regional studies may not accurately typify and describe the local organic producer, which is essential in order to advance policy, develop health interventions, and properly address occupational safety and risk among organic farmers. This study makes a unique contribution to understanding the importance of surveillance and collecting place-based data that are specific to the organic producer.

Review on Status of Organic Farming

Organic agriculture started much more recently in thousands of years ago, Agriculture almost equal share of the farming systems of crop production and characterizes the key issues of Ethiopian economy. The quality of organic resources and their fertilizer equivalence are the main criteria to be judged for effective utilization of the organic resources for soil fertility improvement and promotion of agricultural products both in quantity and quality.Organic agriculture is production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. The evaluation of organic matter in soils depends on type and nature of organic source. Organic agriculture in the extent to which African farmers certified yields (more than 50% higher than local yield averages). The export main products produced are cotton, sesame and coffee, followed by cocoa, dried fruits, frozen fruit/pulp, fresh mainly tropical fruit and spices. Ethiopia is famous as the origin of coffee and is the largest producer in Africa. Forest coffee has the advantage that it originates from an organic and shaded production area - a quality increasingly important for coffee drinkers worldwide coffee cultivation systems, superior quality and organic in nature. Certified-organic farmers will generally require a higher price to compensate for the costs of inspection, certification and the major source of foreign exchange and thus account more than half of the value of total export. Total number of 12 forest coffee cooperatives in remote areas of southwestern Ethiopia were certified according to Fairtrade, organic (EU standard) and Utz Certified standards. The common understanding of agricultural production in all types of organic agriculture is managing the production capacity of an agro-ecosystem. Pesticides and fertilizers are damaging human health and polluting the surrounding environment and thus violating the sustainability of ecosystem.