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Purpose: The paper aims to examine interactions between demonstrations at programme level and Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS). It situates analysis of the demonstration programme activities within contemporary advisory contexts, asking: how do demonstration programmes interact with the AAS in which they are situated; and what role do demonstration programmes play in enhancing and contributing to the AAS? Methodological approach: Data, pertaining to organisational arrangements, were collected using interviews and workshops representing 35 demonstration programmes across Europe. Themes from the literature together with emergent themes were used to progressively unpack and understand the interaction between the programmes and the AAS. Findings: Demonstration organisational arrangements show different degrees of embedding in, and adapting to, the AAS. Embedding is being incorporated into existing formalised structures and is more likely in the AAS with a low level of pluralism. Adaptation occurs through collaboration, partnership and networking and is more likely in more pluralistic AAS. Practical Implications: The need to support demonstration programmes to create more stable networks, to strengthen their linking role in the AAS, and to foster strategies for the progression of farmers' learning was identified. Theoretical implications: The paper contributes to the literature by providing insights at the demonstration programme level (as opposed to farm or event level) and revealing embedded and adaptive processes with many interdependencies between the programmes and AAS components. Originality: This paper opens up new perspectives on understanding how demonstrations are positioned in contemporary AAS contexts, looking at AAS influences on delivering demonstrations beyond farm and event level methods.

The paper explores the difficulties and challenges in mobilizing and managing social capital in concrete local and territorial directed rural development project activities. The main focus is put on the roles of local facilitators working with farmers and other local stakeholders during project implementation. The EU 5th framework project IMALP included a strong component of implementing concrete actions. In each of the four participating countries a region was selected where a so-called local group was established. A local facilitator was employed to moderate the local group and to assist in the design and implementation of concrete projects. Research accompanied and monitored the process. The recent shift of EU policy towards rural development from a mainly sectoral (agricultural) approach to a territorial approach requires new competences in managing social capital and on their changing role(s) in the different stages of group formation and development. Professional support by facilitators with a set of new skills is needed in the course of group formation and development. The identification, mobilization and management of social capital become a crucial challenge. So far the mobilization and management of social capital does not happen consciously. Agricultural advisors taking over the task of local facilitators need to be specially trained in actively mobilizing and coordinating towards a common goal. The value of the paper lies in the analysis of the experimental approach of the project and the cross-country comparison of the results.

In a period of agricultural decline in the uplands of Europe, agriculture is ceasing to provide the primary rationale for the organisation, utilisation and functioning of rural space. Policy reform, market trends and changes to the way citizens and consumers think about the countryside all suggest a need for thinking strategically about the future development of these areas. However, without a broad involvement of stakeholders, land use conflicts, and social and cultural conflicts in general, may increase. Involving stakeholders in upland areas can be facilitated by using scenario technique and by discussing alternative futures in local stakeholder panels. In this paper we present four scenarios of land-use change for the year 2030, and their assessments by stakeholder panels in Scotland, France, Norway, Switzerland, Slovakia and Greece. The aim of the paper is to explore the ways in which stakeholders in these locations advocate and assess these scenarios. We also explore how stakeholders in different countries weight the visual landscape impacts, the livelihood and biodiversity aspects of the scenarios in their assessment, and the reasons for their prioritising. The cross-country analysis shows that stakeholders across the study areas are united in their overall rejection of agricultural liberalisation, advocating a production-oriented, but multifunctional and environmentally-friendly agriculture that maintains landscapes and biodiversity.

This paper attempts to estimate energy crop supply using a linear programming (LP) model comprising hundreds of representative farms of the arable cropping sector in France. In order to enhance the predictive ability of such a model and to provide an analytical tool useful to policy makers, interval linear programming is used to formalize bounded rationality conditions. In the presence of uncertainty related to yields and prices, it is assumed that the farmer may adopt a mm-max regret (MMR) criterion as an alternative to the classic profit maximization criterion. Recent advances in operational research are exploited, permitting an efficient implementation of the mm-max criterion within an LP model. Model validation based on observed activity levels suggests that about 40% of the farms adopt the MMR criterion. Energy crop supply curves generated by the MMR model prove to be upward-sloped, like classic LP supply curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We investigate how the structural conditions of eight different European agricultural innovation systems can facilitate or hinder collaboration and social learning in multidisciplinary innovation networks. Methodology: We have adapted the Innovation System Failure Matrix to investigate the main barriers and enablers eight countries (England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands and Switzerland). Findings: Results show some of the recent trends the AKS actors in these countries have experienced and how these have affected their potential to act as collaborators in multidisciplinary innovation networks. Lack of funds, combined with horizontal and vertical fragmentation and the lack of proper evaluation criteria for collaborative innovation networks are among the most important threats we found. Practical Implications: This study shows that each national AIS has some unique features. This means that the implementation of policies promoting collaboration and social learning (e.g. the European Innovation Partnerships and Operational Groups) should depend on a critical reflection of the existing structural elements of the AIS in each country and whether there is a need for inclusion of new actors, or whether certain innovations for collective goods should be promoted. Originality: The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in the scientific literature on the advantages and disadvantages of privatization of extension and advisory services and the shift from thinking in terms of the traditional Agricultural Knowledge System towards a broader Agricultural Innovation System.

In recent years, the European Union's stated commitment to the principle of multifunctionality within its Common Agricultural Policy has fostered a resurgence of interest in recovering and protecting the heritage and traditions associated with local agricultural products. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the growing political and economic salience of heritage-based initiatives, however, we argue that it is important to interrogate the meanings and assumptions that underlie notions of heritage and tradition. In this paper, we use case study research from France and Poland to explore the potential contradictions associated with heritage-based food systems. While quality initiatives create essential spaces for maintaining rural livelihoods in the face of the homogenizing trends in the global agro-food system, particularly for regions where traditional agriculture has been economically marginalized, they also have the potential to undermine local specificity and privilege powerful extralocal actors at the expense of local communities. We pay particular attention to how, in practice, these initiatives may (1) reduce the diversity of available products, (2) create static notions of culture and (3) fundamentally change or distort the character of products in promoting the shift from local to extralocal markets. Our analysis suggests that a more careful investigation of heritage-based initiatives' vulnerabilities is warranted, particularly with respect to the varied nature of local contexts. Initiatives that merely codify cultural products without taking the social-organizational context into account risk becoming little more than "museums of production."

Six agricultural landscapes in Poland (PL), the Netherlands (NL), France (FR), Italy (IT), Scotland (UK) and Denmark (DK) were studied, and a common method was developed for undertaking farm inventories and the derivation of farm nitrogen (N) balances and N surplus from the in total 222 farms and 11 440 ha of farmland. In all landscapes, a large variation in the farm N surplus was found, and thereby a large potential for reductions. The highest average N surpluses were found in the most livestock-intensive landscapes of IT, FR, and NL; on average 202±28, 179±63 and 178±20 kgNha-1 yr-1, respectively. However, all landscapes showed hotspots, especially from livestock farms, including a special UK case with landless large-scale poultry farming. So, whereas the average N surplus from the land-based UK farms dominated by extensive sheep grazing was only 31±10 kgNha-1 yr-1, the landscape average was similar to those of PL and DK (122±20 and 146±55 kgNha-1 yr-1, respectively) when landless poultry were included. However, the challenge remains how to account for indirect N surpluses and emissions from such farms with a large export of manure out of the landscape. We conclude that farm N balances are a useful indicator for N losses and the potential for improving N management. Significant correlations to N surplus were found, both with ammonia air concentrations and nitrate levels in soils and groundwater, measured during the landscape data collection campaign from 2007-2009. This indicates that farm N surpluses may be used as an independent dataset for validation of measured and modelled N emissions in agricultural landscapes. However, no significant correlation was found to N measured in surface waters, probably because of the short time horizon of the study. A case study of the development in N surplus from the landscape in DK from 1998-2008 showed a 22% reduction, related to statistically significant effects (p < 0.01) of measures targeted at reducing N emissions from livestock farms. Based on the large differences between the average and the most modern and N-efficient farms, it was concluded that N-surplus reductions of 25--50% as compared to the present level were realistic in all landscapes. The implemented N-surplus method was thus effective at comparing and synthesizing results on farm N emissions and the potentials of mitigation options, and is recommended for use in combination with other methods for the assessment of landscape N emissions and farm N efficiency, including more detailed 5 N sink and N source hotspot mapping, measurements and modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the environmental ambition of 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy in France. Since conditionality and agri-environment-climate measures are only marginally improved relative to the previous period, attention is focused on the new environmental instrument of the eco-scheme that in France targets the whole farm. Results suggest low environmental progress since almost all French farms would reach the standard level of the eco-scheme by one of the three access paths with unchanged farming practices, and 85% of them would reach the superior level. The percentage of farms at the superior level would be lower for farms specialized in annual crops than for cattle farms. We then show that the payment difference of €20 per hectare between the standard and superior level is probably insufficient for farms specialized in cereals, oilseeds and protein crops to offset the additional cost of the change in farm practices required to move from the standard to the superior level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though mares were essential to the breeding of medieval warhorses, they are elusive in written and iconographic sources dominated by male horses. When they appear, their portrayal is ambiguous: thirteenth-century encyclopaedists describe them both as an ideal representation of motherhood and as lascivious beings. This may have influenced the perception of mares in the context of equine husbandry. This paper compares descriptions in thirteenth-century encyclopaedias to French versions of Rufus's De medicina equorum (1250), and to its 1456 reinterpretation by Guillaume de Villiers. The Roman d'Alexandre (1180) by Alexandre de Paris, and the financial records of Charles VI (1368-1422) are used to understand the complex cultural perception of mares. Despite negative sexual undertones, mares were portrayed as strong and independent, eliciting wariness and admiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the way the digital transformation of the agricultural sector is implemented in Europe and in France. It describes the main European and national strategies, the structure of research and innovation initiatives, and the investment in capacity building to foster innovation, adoption and use. More specifically, the French research and innovation ecosystem on digital agriculture is described. The actors involved come from different organisations, such as research and higher educational institutes, government agencies, agricultural technology (AgTech) companies, farmer unions etc., and work together by means of associations (e.g. Robagri), networks (e.g. RMT Naexus, DigiFermes, Fermes Leader), or living labs (e.g. Occitanum) on both digital technology assessment and co-design. Additionally, support is devoted to capacity building (e.g. Le Mas numérique , Mobilab) and a better understanding of the drivers of adoption and use of digital technologies (e.g. FrOCDA). Among these various organisations, #DigitAg, the Digital Agriculture Convergence Lab, has been created to foster interdisciplinary research on digital agriculture. All these initiatives aim to use digital technologies to support the European Green Deal, Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity strategies as well as the French orientation towards more agroecological practices for safer and more sustainable food systems. Even though this organisational ecosystem is developing fast, the objective of encouraging the coevolution of both digital and green transformations is not without challenges that still need to be overcome, either through new research, innovations, initiatives or collaborations between the actors involved. Worldwide, agriculture is facing the challenges of digital and green transformations of its practices. This article describes how, in Europe and in France, an organisational ecosystem is developing to tackle these transformations in digital agriculture and facilitate their coevolution. Through European and national strategies, the structuring of research and innovation initiatives and capacity building, we describe how organisations are investing in the creation and deployment of digital technologies and solutions for safer and more sustainable food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this discussion piece, eight scholars in geography, urban planning, and agri-food studies from the United States (US) and France engage in a bi-national comparison to deepen our collective understanding of food and land justice. We specifically contextualize land justice as a critical component of food justice in both the US and France in three key areas: access to land for cultivation, urban agriculture, and non-agricultural forms of food provisioning. The US and France are interesting cases to compare, considering the differences and similarities in their colonial and agricultural histories, persistent and systemic race and class-based inequities in land access, and the roles of public bodies and social movements. In this paper, we synthesize literature, share reflections, and offer directions for future scholarship, including a broader comparative research agenda. An important difference we found is in the degree of scholarly attention to race and how it mediates access to land. We also observe that few scholars articulate a clear definition of justice in their work, nor do they share a common justice framework. We hope that this paper contributes to a more robust food and land justice framework for the use of scholars, practitioners and activists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of provincial government officials concerning agricultural reform in eighteenth-century French print culture. Recent historiography has argued that reform-minded officials were active in shaping public opinion. A growth in print publications fed public interest and allowed officials a space to work out ideas for the implementation of new projects concerning agronomy. Indeed, in the second half of the eighteenth century, officials negotiated reform rather than imposing it. Letters to the editor printed in late eighteenth-century newspapers (known as affiches) provided a forum for debate among writers from diverse backgrounds. Provincial officials, especially mayors and intendants, were active participants in such published conversations. Indeed, officials wrote to the paper to stimulate public conversations for social and agricultural reform in much the same way they posed questions for essay contests held by provincial Académies. Through how-to letters, administrators offered advice about agricultural improvement. The press acted as a critical conduit to work out practical problems. For the readers of the affiches, agricultural reform was situated within a more widespread practice of observation and experimentation at the heart of the Agricultural Enlightenment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, many SAR missions have been launched to reinforce the all-weather observation capacity of the Earth. The precise modeling of radar signals becomes crucial in order to translate them into essential biophysical parameters for the management of natural resources (water, biomass and energy). The objective of this study was to demonstrate the capabilities of two statistical algorithms (i.e., multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF)) to accurately simulate the backscattering coefficients observed over bare agricultural soil surfaces. This study was based on satellite and ground data collected on bare soil surfaces over an agricultural region located in southwestern France near Toulouse. Multi-configuration backscattering coefficients were acquired by TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2 in the X- and C-bands, in co-(abbreviated σ0HH and σ0VV) and cross-polarization states (abbreviated σ0HV and σ0VH) and at incidence angles ranging from 24° to 53°. Models were independently calibrated and validated using a ground dataset covering a wide range of soil conditions, including the topsoil moisture (range: 2.4–35.3%), root-mean-square height (range: 0.5–7.9cm) and clay fraction (range: 9–58%). Higher-magnitude correlations (r) and lower errors (RMSE) were obtained when using RF (r values ranging from 0.69 to 0.86 and RMSE from 1.95 to 1.00 dB, depending on the considered signal configuration) compared to MLR (r values ranging from 0.58 to 0.77 and RMSE from 2.22 to 1.24 dB). Both surpass the performance presented in previous studies based on either empirical, semi-empirical or physical models. In the linear approach, the information is mainly provided by the surface moisture and the angle of incidence (especially in the case of co-polarized signals, regardless of the frequency), while the influence of roughness or texture becomes significant for cross-polarized signals in the C-band. On the contrary, all the surface descriptors contribute in the approach based on RF. In future work, the use of the RF algorithm developed in this paper should improve the estimation of soil parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has recently been observed, that a change in the crop spectrum happened during the so-called Middle Neolithic in France at ca. 4000 BC. An agricultural system based on free-threshing cereals (naked wheat and naked barley) seems to shift to one based on glume wheats. This is a major change for traditional farmers and this paper aims to shed light on its possible causes. Here we describe the results of new investigations in a key area for the understanding of this process: the NW Mediterranean arch, where free-threshing cereals are the main cultivars since ca. 5100 BC. New data confirm that the shift towards glume wheats is also observed in some sites of the NE of the Iberian Peninsula and that among the glume wheats that spread at ca. 4000 BC we should not only consider emmer and einkorn but also Timopheevi's wheat. Stable isotope analyses indicate no major decrease in soil fertility or alterations in local precipitation regimes. The agricultural change may be the result of a combination of the spread of damaging pests for free-threshing cereals and presumably new networks being developed with the North-eastern part of Italy and the Balkans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long criticized, pluriactivity is now perceived as an alternative agricultural strategy and it is becoming a subject of support policies. However, having an off-farm job generates organizational issues that can penalize the viability of this strategy. In this paper, we study the initial motivations of pluriactivity and the strategies developed by farmers over time to handle pluriactivity difficulties and we examine conditions that lead to permanent pluriactivity or not. We use an original qualitative approach interviewing 29 pluriactive farmers in "Nord-Pas de Calais", region located in northern France. Our results show that pluriactivity is a dynamic strategy and farmers develop different strategies to adapt their pluriactivity over time to their farm requirements and time constraints. We find that most of the trajectories lead to a permanent pluriactive status, but pluriactivity lasts longer when both activities adapt to each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at better understanding the micro-foundations of current institutional changes in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS). A survey of 98 farmers and interviews with 37 advice providers in south-western France were conducted to analyse the ways in which farmers combine different sources of advice (microAKIS). The farmers' practices were observed for general farm management and for 3 types of innovation (new crop diversification, digital decision support tools, and labour outsourcing). The results highlight poorly-known characteristics of microAKIS regarding the variety of sources of advice used by farmers, and the limited number of reliable resources on which farmers can draw at key stages of the innovation process. They provide evidence of bottom-up mechanisms of institutional changes such as the routinization of the use of certain service providers that are often overlooked in AKIS analyses (e.g. upstream industries). These results can contribute to reducing the misalignments of stakeholders' representations of AKIS and microAKIS, and therefore facilitate public debates and improve the efficiency of interventions in this area. Studies of institutional changes resulting from the evolution of microAKIS are expected to complement analyses of increased pluralism of advice providers. Linking the observation of microAKIS and the analysis of incremental institutional changes in AKIS allows the identification of transformations of the AKIS rationale that would otherwise remain partially invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This paper presents a smart irrigation context-aware system to be applied on an experimental farm in France. The experimental farm is an ecosystem for agricultural machines and digital information systems developed by an alliance of European organizations and institutes. Moreover, the two ontologies proposed by this paper, CASO and IRRIG, are open access and have the potential to be used by other applications such as smart buildings or smart cities. The rapid development of information and communication technologies and wireless sensor networks has transformed agriculture practices. New tools and methods are used to support farmers in their activities. This paper presents a context-aware system that automates irrigation decisions based on sensor measurements. Automatic irrigation overcomes the water shortage problem, and automatic sensor measurements reduce the observational work of farmers. This paper focuses on a method for developing context-aware systems using ontologies. Ontologies are used to solve heterogeneity issues in sensor measurements. Their main goal is to propose a shared data schema that precisely describes measurements to ease their interpretations. These descriptions are reusable by any machine and understandable by humans. The context-aware system also contains a decision support system based on a rules inference engine. We propose two new ontologies: The Context-Aware System Ontology addresses the development of the context-aware system in general. The Irrigation ontology automates a manual irrigation method named IRRINOV®. These ontologies reuse well-known ontologies such as the Semantic Sensor Network (SSN) and Smart Appliance REFerence (SAREF). The decision support system uses a set of rules with ontologies to infer daily irrigation decisions for farmers. This project uses real experimental data to evaluate the implementation of the decision support system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how food planning policies address the reterritorialization of agricultural activities (RAA), a crucial component of local food systems. While food planning as an integrated local policy promoting local food systems has gained increasing research attention, most of the research has been urban-centric, resulting in a limited understanding of how it includes RAA. This paper fills this research gap by assessing 39 food planning projects in France, where the state defines food planning by national law and supports local projects. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, RAA-associated food planning policy goals, instruments, and agri-food professional actors' involvement are identified. The empirical findings highlight the central role of RAA in French food planning projects; it either serves as the primary motivation behind these projects or evolves into a substantial component as the projects develop. A wide range of policy instruments with local innovation to support RAA are identified, with more frequent use of informational and economic than regulatory and coercive instruments, and more focus on economic development than on ecological transition. Minority and majority farmers' organizations are involved in food planning processes with varying degrees of engagement across territories, reflecting local governance strategies. The analytical methods in this study may contribute to future research to better comprehend RAA in local food policymaking. The systematic overview of RAA-associated food planning measures also offers insights to policymakers in other contexts regarding food policy design. The paper concludes by arguing that food planning extends beyond urban food supply; it also presents an opportunity to leverage RAA for rural revitalization and transformation, in terms of production models, rural-urban links, and local governance. • Systematic analysis of 39 projects offers an overview of French food planning. • French food plans favor economic and informational over regulatory measures. • Food planning instruments prioritize economic development over ecological transition. • French food planning engages diverse actors; both major and minor farmer groups participate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the appropriation in Old Regime France, the First French Republic, and the nascent United States of the ritual wherein at the start of the agricultural season the Chinese Emperor ceremonially drove the plow. It argues that this cultural transfer insinuated Chinese ideals of political sovereignty into the highest political levels in Europe and the United States, even as it effaced references to China. Overturning traditional art historical definitions of chinoiserie, it posits instead dynamic, dialectical processes of cultural exchange whose scope of cultural transfer is not restricted to what can be identified through comparisons of style and iconography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme droughts have a strong impact on agricultural production. In France, the 2003 drought generated records of yield losses at a national scale for grassland (more than 30%) and for cereals (more than 10% for soft winter wheat and winter barley). These extreme events raise the question of farm resilience in the future. Studying them makes it possible to adapt risk management policy to climate change. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to analyze the frequency and the intensity of extreme drought in 2050 and their impact on crop yield losses (grassland and cereals) in France. We used the DOWKI (Drought and Overwhelmed Water Key Indicator) meteorological index based on a cumulative water anomaly, which can explain droughts and their consequences on agricultural yield losses at a departmental scale. Then, using the ARPEGE-Climat Model developed by Meteo-France, DOWKI was projected in 2050 and grassland, soft winter wheat, and winter barley yield losses were simulated. The results compare the frequency and intensity of extreme droughts between the climate in 2000 and 2050. Our results show that the frequency of extreme droughts (at least as intense as in 2003) doubled in 2050. In addition, the yield losses due to 10-year droughts increased by 35% for grassland and by more than 70% for cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New plant macrofossil studies in northwestern France enable a better insight into agriculture through the Bronze and Iron Age. Most of the previous analyses, carried out in Calvados (Normandy) on Late Iron Age dwellings, suggested distinctive characteristics such as the increase of Avena (oat) and the abundance of pulses in storage pits. The collection of a new database with 25 sites was done in response to the previous lack of studies, which became an issue in Brittany, Normandy and the Loire region, which are known for their western location and trade links throughout Europe. This paper deals with farming practices and their changes during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The aim was to gather new evidence related to sowing times, tilling of fields and fertility management of soils in order to discuss extensive or intensive cultivation in northwestern France. The crop cultivation techniques were investigated by studying the weed flora composition according to the FIBS approach (Functional interpretation of botanical survey). The results reveal combinations of evidence and a pattern of intra-regional diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Semi-natural habitats (SNHs) are essential to biodiversity and agroecological conservation. The impact of agricultural policies on the development of SNHs is a matter of substantial importance. This study conducted a comparative analysis to examine the variations of SNHs' quantity, landscape quality, and ecosystem services resulting from the differentiated agricultural policies in China and the EU from 1990 to 2020. The Yangtze River Delta region (YRD) in China and France was selected as the study area. The results revealed that France exhibited a higher proportion of SNHs, along with improved connectivity and diversity in its plains, whereas SNHs in the YRD were limited in quantity and characterized by unstable landscape structure and ecosystem services. Both the YRD and France experienced a shift in the declined SNHs towards higher altitudes. There was noticeable landscape fragmentation and degraded ecosystem services in the hilly areas of YRD and the high plains of France. The agricultural policies of the EU achieved limited success in protecting SNHs, while China's agricultural landscapes were rapidly losing SNHs due to the absence of policy support. Based on these, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for developing SNHs in China and the EU. Our study contributes to the global effort for agroecological conservation. • Comparative analysis of SNHs in China and the EU from 1990 to 2020. • Both YRD and France experienced a shift in declining SNHs towards higher altitudes. • Limited success of EU agricultural policies in SNH protection over three decades. • Rapid loss of SNHs in China's agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines conceptual thinking and empirical analysis of landscape labelling as a new governance approach. With the help of a literature review and qualitative interviews, we (1) explore the conceptual orientation of landscape labelling, (2) analyse existing approaches in Europe and (3) elaborate its potential for integrated landscape management on a regional scale. Governance analysis to identify fostering and hindering factors is carried out for regional brands in biosphere reserves in Germany, geographic indication in Spain, organic agriculture in France and a community forest in England. We argue that landscape labelling can highlight the multitude of landscape functions and values, target a broader range of stakeholders and act as a boundary object and exchange platform for rural transformation, experimentation and learning. However, landscape labels are no panacea, but one approach within policy mixes that depend on supportive governance structures and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The "Living Lab" (LL) model of innovation practices is increasingly applied and strongly supported by innovation policies in the agricultural sector. But while the main principles of LLs imply specific approaches to collectively implementing open innovation processes, few studies have developed an understanding of the different ways of doing so, in relation to the experimental practices on which they rely. While the specificities of agricultural LLs are beginning to be described, little is known about how they more particularly reconfigure experimentation in agricultural innovation systems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the diversity of experimentation practices in agricultural LLs. It looks at how these practices correspond to different contextualized appropriations of an open innovation model, as translated into key principles for LL implementation. First, we produced an analytical framework that combines the principles of the LL model as described in the LL literature with generic dimensions of experimentation as analyzed in Science and Technology Studies. Second, we used this framework to analyze the diversity of experimentation practices in eighteen cases of LLs in the agricultural and food sectors. Cases were analyzed via two approaches: 1- three small and recent ongoing LLs located in France were studied during a one-year immersive observation; and 2- a collection of 15 other cases (identified in scientific and technical literature, each case corresponding to experiments that are forms of appropriation of the LL model of innovation, sometimes in several similar LLs) were analyzed, mostly based on scientific papers (describing the LLs or their outcomes), technical documents and available information such as videos online, with additional visits and discussions with LL actors for a subset of cases. Our results enable us to characterize three ideal-types of experimentation practices within agricultural LLs: 1- experimentation as a game of creativity in a predefined space; 2- experimentation as a progressive contextual adaptation for innovation adoption; and 3- experimentation as a catalyst for long-term local collective action. Each ideal-type corresponds to a particular combination of ways of (i) controlling what happens within the experimentation space, (ii) defining a perimeter for experimentation, (iii) integrating plural knowledge in problematization, and (iv) integrating various actors' evaluations of experiments. Beyond a clear distinction among ideal-types, appropriations of the LL model reveal different ways of anchoring the experimental process in an explicit temporality and situation, and of considering the construction of the LL itself as experimental and open-ended. Our analytical framework opens a new way to distinguish between various experimentation practices claiming to develop open innovation processes in agriculture. The three ideal-types that we have identified show the need to pay attention to the relation between collective experimentation practices and the LL expected outcomes. [Display omitted] • Many Living Labs are developed as new models of and for innovation processes in the agricultural sector, and transform experimentation practices. • A new analytical framework of experimentation practices within agricultural Living Labs is developed and applied. • Three widely different ideal types of experimentation practices within agricultural Living Labs are identified and described. • These ideal types promote reflexivity on the processes and outcomes targeted by actors implementing agricultural Living Labs. • Our analysis offers an understanding of how products and outcomes of innovation processes relate to experimentation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural scientific research institutions constitute the vertebral tier of the world system. Eitheir the research institutions are under the national agricultural form, or they are under the form of agricultural research councils, that act as coordination bodies of the regional or local specialized research institutions, that form the biggest part of the research capacities in each region of the world. In the present study, I chose France because it has an agricultural surface of almost 30 million hectares, that represents more than a half of the total surface of its territory. The lands situated on one side and on the other side of 45 North latitude paralel allow a large variety of production. About 61% of the agricultural surface of the country is occupied with crops, 35% pastures and 4% vineyards. The paper makes an analysis of the research in the agricultural sector, in France and it highlights its main positive particularities, that apply also in other European Union countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents key results regarding a possible reform of the Common Agricultural Policy direct payments, based on a scenario analysis by the CAPRI (Common Agricultural Policy Regionalized Impact) modelling system. Combining aggregate programming models at the NUTS 2 level with a global spatial multi-commodity model, it enables depicting the impacts of different policy and economic scenarios from regional to the global scale. The paper discusses simulated impacts on farm income and agricultural markets from implementing the European flat rate hectare payment corrected for the purchasing power disparities across the Member States while reducing the overall budget outlays for direct payments by 50% and dismantling the remaining coupled support to ruminants. The results are an outcome of a comparative static analysis against a reference scenario which assumes the Health Check policy in 2020. The model results suggest a drop of the agricultural gross value added by 9% at the aggregate EU27 level compared to the reference scenario. Impacts differ between the Member States groups, Member States and regions, depending on the share of premiums in the income from agriculture, specialization and competitiveness of production. The largest reduction is projected for the suckler cow herd, dropping by 6% compared to the reference scenario. The drop is caused by removing the coupled support and affecting mostly the herds in Spain and France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat production stagnated in France during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, while cultivated acreage and wheat output declined sharply around the Mediterranean from the 1870s. Wheat output never recovered in this region despite the introduction in 1885 of tariff measures, such as the 1892 Méline Tariff. This paper analyses the response of Mediterranean wheat growers to changes in local rainfall and to variations of the duty on imported grains. It uses regional level data for nine administrative divisions located on or near the Mediterranean and assesses the impact of rainfall on yields. It argues that an interplay of protectionist policies and environmental conditions explain the decline of wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Oilseeds & Fats, Crops & Lipids (OCL) is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The permanence of land management practices adopted under agri-environmental schemes (AESs) is often questioned. This paper investigates the drivers of farmers' decisions as to whether to maintain "proenvironment" practices beyond the duration of a contract, and in particular the effect of social norms. Our results, based on the stated intentions of 395 French farmers, show that both pecuniary and nonpecuniary motivations drive farmers' decisions, which are also significantly influenced by information about a social norm. Therefore "nudging" farmers, by conveying information to them on other farmers' proenvironmental practices, appears to be a means of maintaining the long-run benefits of AESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proponents of short food supply chains (SFSC) have lauded their environmental benefits. Nevertheless, most studies on SFSCs have focused on their climate impact, while the synthetic pesticide use by farmers participating in SFSCs has received little research attention. In this study, we investigate the effect of farmers' involvement in different SFSC channels on synthetic pesticide use and crop yields. This study relies on data obtained from the 2020 French agricultural census and a 2018 French national survey on the phytosanitary practices of representative market gardeners. This paper uses a multinomial endogenous treatment effect model in order to account for endogeneity. We demonstrate that the effect of SFSC participation on farmers' synthetic pesticide use varies depending on the type of SFSC channel employed. Farmers who sell part of their vegetable crops through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides than those who only sell their crops through long food supply chains (LFSC). However, there is no evidence that farmers involved in direct-to-retailer (DTR) channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides. In addition, we have not found any evidence that SFSC participation decreases crop yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Agro-climatic indicators (AgcIs) provide a suitable tool to evaluate the implications of climate change on agriculture by simplifying plant–climate interactions. However, developing reliable AgcIs requires high-quality historical climate datasets. Consequently, reanalysis products (RPs) are frequently used as a potential reference dataset for observed climate in agricultural studies. This study aims to compare five RPs (ERA5, ERA5-Land, SCOPE Climate, FYRE Climate, and RFHR) at reproducing observed AgcIs over France. The RPs are evaluated against the SYNOP meteorological data over the 1996–2012 period, focusing on six AgcIs specific to apple, maize, and vine crops. The findings show that RPs perform well in reproducing temperature-based AgcIs, with some slight discrepancies in areas with complex topography. However, all RPs tend to overestimate precipitation amounts and to underestimate dry days, leading to a poor performance in reproducing precipitation-based AgcIs. This study emphasizes the need for a thorough evaluation of the RPs in developing both temperature-based and precipitation-based AgcIs, especially if findings are intended to support operational agricultural decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most collective agroecological initiatives in Europe today are built around a plurality of knowledge systems. Going beyond the well-documented instrumental goals of this knowledge-plurality, this paper highlights another, perhaps less obvious objective: the pursuit of recognition and cognitive justice. The subordination of alternative farming practices, such as agroecology, to industrial high-input farming leads to the misrecognition of peasant communities. Challenging industrial agriculture hence requires both equality between different forms of doing farming and an active engagement with different ways of knowing farming. Cognitive justice, a concept originating in decolonial thought, encompasses not only the right of different practices to co-exist, but entails an active engagement across their knowledge-systems. Using an example of participatory maize breeding in France, the paper illustrates how peasant movements in Europe organize an ’agroecology of knowledges’, a counter-hegemonic engagement with modern agronomic science, through the recovery and co-production of situational, environment-specific knowledge, and the reskilling of farmers. It aims not only at improving agricultural science, but also at rebuilding collective identities and reclaiming autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting wheat growth stages using ecophysiological models is of particular interest as it allows anticipating important agricultural managements. Numerous ecophysiological models exist but they need cultivar-specific parameterization, which is often costly and time consuming. The work presented here proposes a simple approach to predict wheat growth stages using the allelic composition of wheat cultivars. It relies on using the prediction of a modified version of the ARCWHEAT model for a well parameterized reference cultivar (Soissons) and the marker-based predicted deviation in days to the reference cultivar. First, the deviations to the reference cultivar Soissons for the beginning of stem elongation (δZ30) and heading date (δZ55) were calculated for a large panel of cultivars. Analysis of variance showed prominent genetic effects for δZ30 and δZ55 and possible genotype × environment interactions ( G × E ) for δZ30. Genotypic means δZ30 and δZ55 were used in association genetics revealing 90 and 83 genetic markers associated to these traits, respectively. Multiple linear regression models predicting δZ30 using 11 genetic markers ( R 2 = 76%) or δZ55 using 17 markers ( R 2 = 85%) were obtained by a stepwise procedure. Marker PPD-D1 had the largest impact in both models. Finally, marker-based deviations added to the prediction for the reference cultivar Soissons allowed predicting Z30 or Z55 for a large independent validation dataset. The root mean square error of prediction for Z30 and Z55 using the approach proposed in this paper (6.8 and 4.7 days, respectively) was comparable to the one obtained using the conventional approach with cultivar-specific parameters values (6.5 and 4.1, respectively). The models proposed in this paper appeared sufficient in order to predict growth stages of cultivars which cannot be parameterized such as new cultivars coming out on the market. Moreover, genetic markers involved in the multiple linear regression models predicting δZ30 and δZ55 may provide interesting candidates to unravel new genes determining earliness in winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events have strong impacts on agriculture and crop insurance. In France, drought (2003, 2011, 2017, and 2018) and excess of water (2016) are considered the most significant events in terms of economic losses. The crop (re)insurance industry must estimate its financial exposure to climatic events in terms of the average annual losses and potential extreme damages. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to develop a model that links meteorological indices to crop yield losses with a specific focus on extreme climatic events. We designed a meteorological index (DOWKI: Drought and Overwhelmed Water Key Indicator) based on a water balance cumulative anomaly that can explain drought and excess of water at the department scale. We propose a crop damage model calibrated by combining historical yield records and the DOWKI values. To estimate the financial exposure of insured crops at a national level, stochastic simulations of the DOWKI were performed to produce one thousand years of yield losses. Our objective was to estimate the effect of climatic extremes affecting the global production. Simulated average annual losses and the possible maximum claim for three crops (soft winter wheat, winter barley, and sunflower) are presented in the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years agriculture as a branch of economy has been the subject of large transformations. Agricultural holdings have played a very important role for the sustainable socio-economic development. Agriculture is becoming more modern but its contribution to GDP is decreasing. The question as to the connection between the condition of the agricultural market and economy-wide conditions and sustainable development seems to be fundamental. This is the objective of this paper. Based on wheat prices and in the US, the UK, France and Poland in the years 2000-2018, the connection between these variables was determined. The tests for causality were carried, and the auto-regression VAR model was built. The general conclusions are consistent. It is evident that economy-wide conditions indeed depend on the prices of agricultural produce from the previous periods. High prices for agricultural produce and, in particular those of wheat, weaken future economic conditions. This conclusion for Poland and France is strong, while it is weaker for the UK and the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brownfields are a widespread problem in the world. The poor quality of these soils and the potential presence of contaminants can pose a significant threat to plant establishment and growth. However, it may be possible to improve their establishment with an appropriate agricultural practice. In this paper, the effects of two common planting strategies, seeding and transplanting, on the establishment and growth of the hyperaccumulator species Noccaea caerulescens and on its phytoextraction capacity were investigated. A field experiment was conducted by direct sowing of N. caerulescens seeds on a plot of contaminated Technosols in Jeandelaincourt, France. At the same time, seeds were sown on potting soil under controlled conditions. One month later, the seedlings were transplanted to the field. One year later, the results showed that transplanting improved the establishment and growth of N. caerulescens. This was due to a decrease in soil pH in the rhizosphere, which subsequently increased nutrient availability. This change in rhizosphere properties also appeared to be the key that improved microbial activities in the rhizosphere soil of transplanted plants. The observed improvement in both rhizosphere nutrient availability and microbial activities, in turn, increased auxin concentrations in the rhizosphere and consequently a more developed root system was observed in the transplanted plants. Furthermore, the Cd and Zn phytoextraction yield of transplanted plants is 2.5 and 5 times higher, respectively, than that of sown plants. In conclusion, N. caerulescens transplantation on contaminated sites seems to be an adequate strategy to improve plant growth and enhance trace metal phytoextraction. [Display omitted] • Transplanting improved metal phytoextraction on low-fertility Technosol. • Transplanted plants had a more developed root system due to higher root exudates. • High rhizosphere fertility of transplanted plants promoted microbial activities. • Cd and Zn extraction yield was much higher in transplanted N. caerulescens. • Transplanting could be an adequate strategy for contaminated site management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of agriculture constitutes a major challenge to the achievement of sustainable development. There are new perspectives on greening (focusing on ecological objectives) and sustainability (combining both ecological and social goals). Academic papers mainly study the ecological efficiency of agricultural public policies, while real public policies, such as the European Common Agricultural Policy, examine both ecological and social considerations. The objective of this paper is to consider economic, social and ecological objectives within the design of agricultural public policies. Using a bio-economic model applied to France, we compare different optimal public strategies. We show that, when the biodiversity objectives are either very limited or very demanding, grassland subsidies are the best instruments from both green and sustainable points of view. However for medium objectives, reducing crops subsidies is the cheapest way to green the CAP, while subsidies on grasslands are the only strategy from a sustainability perspective. Our work highlights new trade-offs related to policy implementation, such as social acceptance or technical difficulties, and the spatial equity of performance among regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Forest ecosystems where periodical tree bark harvesting is a major economic activity may be particularly vulnerable to disturbances such as fire, since debarking usually reduces tree vigour and protection against external agents. In this paper we asked how cork oak Quercus suber trees respond after wildfires and, in particular, how bark harvesting affects post-fire tree survival and resprouting. We gathered data from 22 wildfires (4585 trees) that occurred in three southern European countries (Portugal, Spain and France), covering a wide range of conditions characteristic of Q. suber ecosystems. Post-fire tree responses (tree mortality, stem mortality and crown resprouting) were examined in relation to management and ecological factors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that bark thickness and bark harvesting are major factors affecting resistance of Q. suber to fire. Fire vulnerability was higher for trees with thin bark (young or recently debarked individuals) and decreased with increasing bark thickness until cork was 3-4 cm thick. This bark thickness corresponds to the moment when exploited trees are debarked again, meaning that exploited trees are vulnerable to fire during a longer period. Exploited trees were also more likely to be top-killed than unexploited trees, even for the same bark thickness. Additionally, vulnerability to fire increased with burn severity and with tree diameter, and was higher in trees burned in early summer or located in drier south-facing aspects. We provided tree response models useful to help estimating the impact of fire and to support management decisions. The results suggested that an appropriate management of surface fuels and changes in the bark harvesting regime (e.g. debarking coexisting trees in different years or increasing the harvesting cycle) would decrease vulnerability to fire and contribute to the conservation of cork oak ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides is one of the techniques employed in modern agriculture and in particular in intensive agriculture. The risks for the environment and for worker health have been debated in western countries for about ten years. Recent developments in epidemiology, toxicology and ergotoxicology have clearly revealed that pesticides could harm the health of farmers (cancers, neurological diseases and reproductive disorders). Failures and shortcomings in the risk prevention systems have also come to light. This paper aims to address the risks associated to the use of pesticides in French vineyards. The chosen approach draws from an anthropological approach as well as from developments in ergotoxicology applied to the French vineyard work. We shall discuss the use of pesticides from the point of view of the transfer of technology. Our recent research has shown that this technology transfer was not completely controlled by the different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between past climate and prehistoric Mediterranean agriculture by adapting a process-based dynamic vegetation model to estimate potential agricultural productivity under climate scenarios that characterize the extremes of Mediterranean climate in the Holocene. We adapt LPJmL (the Lund-Potsdam-Jena-managed-land model [Bondeau et al., 2007]), a process-based dynamic vegetation model, to the modeling of potential agricultural productivity in the past. Calibrating this model for past crops and agricultural practices and using a downscaling approach to produce high spatiotemporal resolution paleoclimate data, we produce quantitative estimates of potential yields under past climatic conditions derived from four Holocene climatic extremes (warm/wet, warm/dry, cold/wet, and cold/dry) under two different assumptions (approximate high and low limits) about the intensity of agricultural practice. We here discuss this process with reference to a case study in Provence, examining the methodology and data requirements for modeling past agriculture using LPJmL and considering the implications of the range of variability in potential agricultural productivity under distinct climate conditions. We focus particularly on comparing the range of variability induced by climatic shifts with that achievable through changes in agricultural practices as a means of approaching questions of past vulnerability and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the results of a case study within the SoCo project and aims to assess the benefits and constraints in the application of conservation agriculture (CA) methods in Midi-Pyrénées, France, along with an evaluation of the coherence of the policy framework designed to improve the protection of soil resources. Inappropriate agricultural practices, under particular climate, terrain and soil conditions, have contributed to make erosion the main soil degradation phenomenon in Midi-Pyrénées, particularly under spring crops. The decrease of carbon stock is also a relevant issue. Among the various techniques applied by local farmers to reduce the impact of soil degradation on their land, CA appeared popular and was therefore analysed in detail. No specific legislation on soil protection is currently available in France, while the present agri-environmental policy, including the Rural Development Plan and the cross compliance measures, focuses mainly on water quality and biodiversity. A mixed methodological approach was used consisting of a literature review on the status of soils, of the characteristics of CA practices and of the soil-related policies in force. Semi-structured interviews with selected stakeholders on the use of soil conservation techniques and on soil legislation allowed a broader discussion of the study results. The research suggests that CA can effectively contribute to mitigate soil degradation in Midi-Pyrénées, although some implementation drawbacks seem to limit its wider use mainly due to lack of a specific support. Therefore, a better targeting of existing policies would be desirable for an improved protection of soil resources. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock farming systems are major sources of trace gases contributing to emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), i.e. N2O accounts for 10% and CH4 for 30% of the anthropogenic contributions to net global warming. This paper presents scenario assessments of whole-system effects of technologies for reducing GHG emissions from livestock model farms using slurry-based manure management. Changes in housing and storage practice, mechanical separation, and incineration of the solid fraction derived from separation were evaluated in scenarios for Sweden, Denmark, France, and Italy. The results demonstrated that changes in manure management can induce significant changes in CH4 and N2O emissions and carbon sequestration, and that the effect of introducing environmental technologies may vary significantly with livestock farming practice and interact with climatic conditions. Shortening the in-house manure storage time reduced GHG emissions by 0–40%. The largest GHG reductions of 49 to, in one case, 82% were obtained with a combination of slurry separation and incineration, the latter process contributing to a positive GHG balance of the system by substituting fossil fuels. The amount and composition of volatile solids (VS) and nitrogen pools were main drivers in the calculations performed, and requirements to improve the assessment of VS composition and turnover during storage and in the field were identified. Nevertheless, the results clearly showed that GHG emission estimates will be unrealistic, if the assumed manure management or climatic conditions do not properly represent a given country or region. The results also showed that the mitigation potential of specific manure management strategies and technologies varied depending on current management and climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulations on genetically modified organisms in the EU require the implementation of co-existence systems in agriculture. This paper examines the economic effects and costs for farmers when introducing different co-existence measures in genetically modified maize. For this purpose different scientific methods are used including simulation methodology. First, the co-existence costs in maize crop and seed production for individual farmers are analysed in a region in France. Second, the focus is on the regional dimension of co-existence measures when analysing the costs of buffer zones in maize production in France and Germany. Some general conclusions are then drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

France's resistance to CAP reform has widely been attributed to the weakness of the state vis-à-vis organized farm interests. This paper argues that weak state theories overstate the role of administrative centralization and the organizational capabilities of farm groups and underestimate the role of ideas and of European politics in determining the transformative capacity of the French state. This argument is based on the observation that farm conservatism has persisted in the last two decades in spite of the growing autonomy of the French state vis-à-vis farm client groups. This article argues that we must pay more attention to the way European policy-making impinges upon the resources of the state and the organizational cohesion of farm groups and how the ideas held by domestic reform entrepreneurs determine their ability to win EU support for their blueprint and harness much-needed resources for carrying them out in the face of vested interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on understanding human impact on landscape. Both ecological and human practices are analysed as interacting processes. An agent-based model integrating biological and historical knowledge is used to analyse the pattern of Scots Pine encroachment in a French Mediterranean upland. In the STIPA model, pine trees are autonomous agents and a cellular automaton simulates land-use. We test the effects of shifting cultivation on tree establishment at the landscape scale. This allows us to understand how agro-pastoral practices patterned this area from the 17th to 19th century: simulations show the importance of shifting cultivation in limiting woodland progression. Fallow duration linked to environmental heterogeneity is a significant factor for explaining pine dynamics and landscape patterning at the scale of the study region. We put this result in perspective with current rangeland management policies that often consider grazing as the most relevant tool for open landscape maintenance. Our results also show the importance of taking into account time-scale effects when linking landscape patterns to agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been debate in the literature as to whether: (1) the risks and benefits of genetically-modified (GM) food and agriculture are considered and determined by individuals separately or whether they are jointly determined by attitudes; (2) consumer acceptance is determined by individuals weighing up their risk and benefit perceptions in a rational, even-handed manner, or if benefit perceptions are more important than risk perceptions, and (3) certain types of risk and benefit are more important than others. Against this background, this paper assesses the categories of risks and benefits and their relative importance in determining willingness to consume. A survey was carried out to collect data on the categories of risks and benefits in the US, UK and France, and the relative importance of selected perceived risk and benefit dimensions was estimated. The findings show: risk and benefit perceptions are negatively correlated, but not perfectly and, given that regressions we performed support the proposition that benefits are more important than risks in determining willingness to consume, a strong case can be made for measuring risks and benefits separately. Almost 2/3 of consumers perceive medium to high potential benefits from GM, though the proportion is slightly lower in the UK and down to 40% in France. Nevertheless, this suggests a much higher level of support for the technology than is normally assumed. From the study, benefits are more important for consumers’ willingness to consume than perceived risks, and slightly more interviewees scored above than below the mean on willingness to consume GM food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context There is a lack of data on pesticide exposure levels during spraying with a knapsack, while it could have important implications for their users' health. Methods We assessed levels and determinants of exposure in 24 male private landscapers/gardeners and municipal workers in France in 2011. Actual dermal exposure to glyphosate was assessed with cotton undergarments and gloves, and a cotton coverall changed between mixing and spraying to assess the contribution of each phase and body area to overall contamination. A field monitor observed the whole workshift and filled in a standardized observation grid. Results The median actual contamination was 5,256 µg for the body, and 4,620 µg for hands. Spraying was more exposing than mixing/loading for all body parts except hands, which contributed to nearly 90% of body exposure during mixing/loading, and 30% during spraying, followed by back (14%). In the most exposed quartile, levels were close to some observations in agriculture. Conclusion Our study provides new data on pesticide exposure levels of knapsack sprayer users; it should lead to a reinforced prevention, in order to make exposures as low as possible and lessen the risk of chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural research is expected to foster agro-ecological transitions. For that purpose, methodologies of participative integrated assessment of new farming and cropping systems are requested. However, the territory level and the stakeholders' participation are often not sufficiently embraced. Based on the companion modeling approach, a group of researchers from different disciplines experimented an approach where researchers and stakeholders collaborated intensively all along the process of design and use of the model. The researchers selected a small rural area where agriculture plays a major role (Valensole plateau, south of France) and where they had not carried out any investigation before. In such conditions, we argue that the interactions between researchers and stakeholders involved in the co-design from scratch of a simulation model stimulate a collective reflection about the sustainability of current and alternative farming systems. This article describes the different phases of the process from stakeholders' enrolment until the final discussion of the results provided by the model. It underlines the conditions that favored the emergence of consensus and the production of a new set of knowledge. It emphasizes how the discordances between data and disagreements between stakeholders were used to stimulate collective debates and underlines the role played by the model. Finally, the article discusses the drawbacks that the approach did not overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]