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In the research problem we consider three contexts: the centralization of the territorial planning in Chile, the tradition of the urban areas' regulation and the periurbanization process in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. This research is developed around the question How the local peri-urban space has been built through the instruments of urban regulation at the national, regional and local levels? For answer to the questions, we examine the instruments of urban regulation in Chile considering three geographic levels (national, regional and communal) from 1972 to 2014. Within the results, it's emphasize the 'waterfall effect' of instruments influence for different geographic level, the propose of the notion 'subcommunal administrative peri-urban', and the continuance of the centralization model in the urban instruments during forty years, where it is noted that the local level has no impact on the construction of the peri-urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) seeks to meet three challenges: improve the adaptation capacity of agricultural systems to climate change, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of these systems, and ensure local and global food security. Many CSA assessment methods that consider these three challenges have emerged, but to better assess the environmental resilience of farming systems, other categories of environmental impacts beyond climate change need to be considered. To meet this need, we propose the LCA4CSA method, which was tested in southern Colombia for family farming systems including coffee, cane and small livestock production. This methodological framework is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and multi-criteria assessment methods. It integrates CSA-related issues through the definition of Principles, Criteria and Indicators, and involves farmers in the assessment of the effects of CSA practices. To reflect the complexity of farming systems, the method proposes a dual level of analysis: the farm and the main cash crop/livestock production system. After creating a typology of the farming systems, the initial situation is compared to the situation after the introduction of a CSA practice. In this case, the practice was the use of compost made from coffee processing residues. The assessment at the crop system level made it possible to quantify the mitigation potential related to the use of compost (between 22 and 41%) by taking into account operations that occur on and upstream of the farm. However, it showed that pollution transfers exist between impact categories, especially between climate change, acidification and terrestrial eutrophication indicators. The assessment made at the farming system level showed that farms with livestock units could further limit their emissions by modifying the feeding of animals due to the large quantities of imported cereals. The mitigation potential of compost was only 3% for these farms. This article demonstrates the merits of using life cycle thinking that can be used to inform stakeholder discussions concerning the implementation of CSA practices and more sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay posits a hypothesis: the reason underlying the criminalization of abortion is not to seek the sanctity of the human life. Rather, its ultimate purpose, based on theological moral catholic concepts, is to control women's sexual autonomy. If the hypothesis is right, the intensity of the penal action in the classification of abortion as a crime becomes disproportionate and unjustified. This is because it supports the existence of an offense on grounds which are motivated by the imposition of the ethical dogma of a particular religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Guadeloupe, a French overseas region, civil society is calling for an agroecological transition (AET) to obtain access to healthy agricultural products following a major ecological scandal caused by a persistent pesticide that contaminated water and agricultural soils. To support such a transition, we tested a five-step methodological framework designed to enable farmers to describe and explore scenarios in farming systems, socio-technical systems, and social-ecological systems. This is one of the first operational methodological tools to build scenarios and action plans for an AET taking into account simultaneous changes in these three systems. We first surveyed 63 farmers and positioned their farming systems along an AET gradient using the Efficiency-Substitution-Redesign framework. In the second step, a sub-sample of 18 farmers, who represented diverse farming system types, individually defined AET scenarios at the level of their own farms. We then applied a farm simulation model to evaluate the technical and economic performance of each scenario. The third step involved analyzing the types of social networks used by 45 farmers to share information and promote technical, commercial, and social exchanges to implement agroecological practices in their territory. In the fourth step, we worked with a group of 15 farmers and 10 researchers in a participatory workshop to characterize the natural resources, their associated services and disservices, and the actors involved. In the last step, the farmers and researchers defined an action plan for the AET in their territory. Our results suggest that AET is understood by farmers to be a gradual and multiscale process involving the co-creation of knowledge, technical solutions, and organizational changes. An initial outcome of the process tested was a shift in the stance of researchers. Their focus shifted from experiments conducted on-station toward experiments managed by farmers to co-produce knowledge on the viability of agroecological practices under their own specific conditions, triggering discussions between stakeholders (such as advisers, policy makers, smallholders, and larger farmers) in the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To continue exporting in competitive markets small producers need to sell products which meet increasingly strict standards. However, the diversity of agricultural practices followed by small farmers raises issues regarding how farmers may coordinate to produce a product that meets clients’ requirements. An action research methodology was designed in Costa Rica with two farmers’ organizations, one exporting fresh pineapple and the other ornamental plants, to identify socio-technical and organizational innovations that could help their members meet the standards imposed on their respective products. The article analyses the methodology that was used to address this topic and the participation of the farmers and farmers’ organizations in the whole research process in order to collectively obtain results in line with farmers’ demands. The article concludes by emphasizing: i) the special role of the technical specifications in the innovation process; ii) the learning process within the action research stakeholders group; iii) the effect of a partnership dimension on action research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Setting up of agroecological practices in French Caribbean farms is highly diverse. • Strategies of agroecological transition may differ regarding production factors. • Agroecological practices, agrobiodiversity and family labor are positively linked. Managing the transition from conventional agriculture to agroecology needs to account for the diversity of farming systems. Here we evaluate whether indicators based on agrodiversity and implementation of agroecological practices can discriminate types of farms with different trajectories in the context of the agroecological transition. The indicators tested were coupled with production factor, performance and strategy variables to better target their need for innovation. We propose a composite indicator that captures the main agroecological practices implemented within the study area: the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Data was collected from 215 farms selected on the basis of their production strategy and their diversity. Eight variables related to production factors (farm size, equipment number, total and family labor), performance (total gross margin per hectare), surface devoted to implementing agroecological practices (SAEP), diversity (number of species produced), and local context integration (proportion of affiliation to professional organizations) were used to perform correlation and multivariate analyses (PCA and cluster analysis). The two PCAs (one with and one without SAEP included in the analysis) grouped agroecological practices, diversity, family labor and gross margin per hectare variables and opposed them against production-factor variables (farm size, total labor, and equipment number). Five farm clusters were identified when including the agroecological practices indicator in the analysis, i.e., 1) small diversified family farms, 2) medium-sized diversified family farms, 3) medium-sized diversified entrepreneurial farms, 4) medium-sized specialized entrepreneurial farms, and 5) large specialized entrepreneurial farms, and these clusters showed different degrees of agroecological and diversity practice implementation. Two extreme strategies of agroecological improvement were identified between large farms with high levels of production factors mainly oriented toward a light transition based on perpetuating existing agricultural models, and small family farms with high levels of diversification that already implement agroecological practices. Limits of this new composite indicator are discussed, and avenues for improvement are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African farmers have always been exposed to climatic and economic variability and have developed a range of coping strategies. Such strategies form part of flexible farm management, an ability that may prove very valuable in the face of future climate change and market dynamics. The generally low productivity of African smallholder farming systems is usually addressed by research and development institutions by a variety of solutions for improving farm performance. However, changes to the system may affect the flexibility of farms and thus their ability to cope with variability. We quantified the added value of being flexible and how this flexibility is affected by technical changes, such as composting and cattle fattening recurrently proposed and promoted by research and development institutions and projects. The study was conducted in two villages of the agro-pastoral area of Burkina Faso, where livestock, cereals and cotton are the main farming activities. A whole-farm simulation model was developed based on information gathered during focus group meetings with farmers and detailed individual monitoring of farmers' practices. The model simulates farmers' decision rules governing the management of the cropping and livestock farm components, as well as crop and livestock production and farm gross margin. Using the existing decision rules, current farm performance was simulated by assessing the cereal balance, the fodder balance and the whole farm gross margin. Then, by comparing the mean and the coefficient of variation of these indicators resulting from (a) the existing decision rules (baseline scenario) and (b) a set of less flexible rules (rigid scenario), the added value of flexible management was revealed. The adoption of composting practices allowed a slight increase in gross margin associated with a decrease in its between-year variability in comparison with conventional practices. Cattle fattening only led to a higher gross margin in the years with high rainfall and low input prices when no management practices were used to limit dependence on external input. This kind of technical change thus requires increased management agility by farmers to deal with climatic and economic variability. We conclude that assessing the impact of technical interventions not only in terms of productivity but also in terms of changes in flexibility is useful for a better understanding of potential adoption of technical changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little work dealing with the evaluation of aquaculture system sustainability has so far been undertaken on a global and comparative basis. Moreover, such work is mostly based on very unbalanced approaches in terms of the dimensions of sustainable development that are taken into account. The approach adopted in this article is designed to encompass all the dimensions of sustainability including the institutional one (governance). The taking into account of this latter, in particular, together with the role played by aquaculture in sustainability at the territorial level gives the approach its original and innovative nature. The process of establishing the checklist of sustainability indicators in aquaculture relies on a hierarchical nesting approach which makes it possible to link indicators with general sustainability criteria and principles. At once multidisciplinary and participatory, the approach compares several countries with highly differentiated types of aquaculture system. An original finding from this work is that the technically most intensive farming model scores better than more extensive systems, which might have been thought to be closer to natural systems in their environmental dimension and therefore intuitively more ‘sustainable’. This result suggests relating sustainability outcomes to the level of control and of devolved responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2005, the Government of Senegal embarked on a campaign to eliminate a Glossina palpalis gambiensis population from the Niayes area (∼1000 km2) under the umbrella of the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC). The project was considered an ecologically sound approach to intensify cattle production. The elimination strategy includes a suppression phase using insecticide impregnated targets and cattle, and an elimination phase using the sterile insect technique, necessary to eliminate tsetse in this area. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three main cattle farming systems were identified: a traditional system using trypanotolerant cattle and two "improved" systems using more productive cattle breeds focusing on milk and meat production. In improved farming systems herd size was 45% lower and annual cattle sales were €250 (s.d. 513) per head as compared to €74 (s.d. 38) per head in traditional farming systems (p<10−3). Tsetse distribution significantly impacted the occurrence of these farming systems (p = 0.001), with 34% (s.d. 4%) and 6% (s.d. 4%) of improved systems in the tsetse-free and tsetse-infested areas, respectively. We calculated the potential increases of cattle sales as a result of tsetse elimination considering two scenarios, i.e. a conservative scenario with a 2% annual replacement rate from traditional to improved systems after elimination, and a more realistic scenario with an increased replacement rate of 10% five years after elimination. The final annual increase of cattle sales was estimated at ∼€2800/km2 for a total cost of the elimination campaign reaching ∼€6400/km2. Conclusion/Significance: Despite its high cost, the benefit-cost analysis indicated that the project was highly cost-effective, with Internal Rates of Return (IRR) of 9.8% and 19.1% and payback periods of 18 and 13 years for the two scenarios, respectively. In addition to an increase in farmers' income, the benefits of tsetse elimination include a reduction of grazing pressure on the ecosystems. Author Summary: In 2005, the Government of Senegal embarked on a campaign to eliminate a tsetse population from the Niayes area (∼1000 km2) around Dakar in order to intensify cattle production. Three main cattle farming systems are present in this area: a traditional system using trypanotolerant cattle and two "improved" systems using more productive trypano-sensitive cattle breeds. Whereas the size of the herds in improved cattle farming systems is more than twice lower than in a traditional system, the annual sales per head are threefold higher. Improved systems are more than fivefold less frequent in the tsetse infested sites than in the surrounding ones, showing that the risk posed by trypanosomosis is a major constraint to the intensification and innovation processes. Based on two scenarios of shift from traditional to improved systems after tsetse elimination, the benefit-cost analysis shows that, despite its relatively high cost, the project is highly cost-effective and will allow a reduction of grazing pressure on the ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2005, the Government of Senegal embarked on a campaign to eliminate a Glossina palpalis gambiensis population from the Niayes area (∼1000 km2) under the umbrella of the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC). The project was considered an ecologically sound approach to intensify cattle production. The elimination strategy includes a suppression phase using insecticide impregnated targets and cattle, and an elimination phase using the sterile insect technique, necessary to eliminate tsetse in this area. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three main cattle farming systems were identified: a traditional system using trypanotolerant cattle and two “improved” systems using more productive cattle breeds focusing on milk and meat production. In improved farming systems herd size was 45% lower and annual cattle sales were €250 (s.d. 513) per head as compared to €74 (s.d. 38) per head in traditional farming systems (p<10−3). Tsetse distribution significantly impacted the occurrence of these farming systems (p = 0.001), with 34% (s.d. 4%) and 6% (s.d. 4%) of improved systems in the tsetse-free and tsetse-infested areas, respectively. We calculated the potential increases of cattle sales as a result of tsetse elimination considering two scenarios, i.e. a conservative scenario with a 2% annual replacement rate from traditional to improved systems after elimination, and a more realistic scenario with an increased replacement rate of 10% five years after elimination. The final annual increase of cattle sales was estimated at ∼€2800/km2 for a total cost of the elimination campaign reaching ∼€6400/km2. Conclusion/Significance: Despite its high cost, the benefit-cost analysis indicated that the project was highly cost-effective, with Internal Rates of Return (IRR) of 9.8% and 19.1% and payback periods of 18 and 13 years for the two scenarios, respectively. In addition to an increase in farmers' income, the benefits of tsetse elimination include a reduction of grazing pressure on the ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some postulates about sustainable development indicators: the example of aquaculture. Firstly, the authors illustrate the abundance of references and initiatives enabling to implement sustainable development in aquaculture. They develop a chart to assess such initiatives with regards to the main features of sustainable development. Secondly, this paper outlines the co-construction approach of principles, criteria and indicators, selected in reference to the assumption that implementing sustainable development requires a stakeholder commitment and a collective learning process. The construction of indicators is based on criteria which refer to principles accounting for local issues and stakeholder representations of sustainable development. Finally, the third part of the paper provides a reflexive analysis of the protocol which is proposed so as to develop a more general inventory of conditions and procedures for the appropriation of sustainable development. Focusing on these conditions and procedures outlines the need for collective learning regarding the appropriation of a new value system. They also emphasize on the organizational and institutional conditions of this learning process; this implies defining a co-construction system and taking into account intermediate elements. Consequently, the proposed approach underlines the multiplicity of indicator functions. As a result, criteria and indicators are "facilitating" and "mediating" tools for stakeholders, employed in the deconstruction/construction process for implementing sustainable development. Thus the authors agree with the recent observations stemming from the evaluation of sustainable development indicators' construction approaches. These approaches demonstrate the significance of their supporting role in the consultation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiatives for the sustainable development of aquaculture have so far focused on the production of codes of conduct, of best management practices, of standards etc., most of which have been developed by international organisations, the industrial sector and non governmental organisations. They were, to a large extent, produced using a “top down” process and inspired by models from intensive industrial shrimp and sea fish farming (mainly salmon). However, most of global aquaculture production comes from small- and medium-sized farms, essentially in Asia which contributes 92% of the total world aquaculture production volume. The objective of this article is to define the contours of systemic typologies that are able to express the sustainability conditions of aquaculture systems. The proposed approach builds on surveys of aquaculture systems which differ in terms of their biogeographical nature (temperate/tropical and north/south countries) or their farming techniques and their governance systems. This work is a prerequisite to any attempt at an individualised and comparative evaluation of specific aquaculture systems from either global or territorial viewpoints. In order to go beyond the cleavage of a typology based on the differentiation between developed and developing countries, three typologies were produced. These typologies allow for discriminatory variables to be identified such as for example the marketing methods or the pace of innovation: a structural typology, a functional typology and a systemic typology. Finally, the representations of aquaculture activity and of its sustainability that producers have of the 4 different types that emerge from the systemic typology were recorded and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]