Search

The importance of farmers' adaptation measures in addressing climate change has been widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, the assurance of their effectiveness in reducing vulnerability is not always certain, and there are instances where they may worsen the situation by promoting maladaptive outcomes. Despite its significant implications for sustainable development, empirical research has not thoroughly examined this issue. To bridge this knowledge gap, the present study undertook a comprehensive assessment of farmers' adaptation measures and the subsequent maladaptive outcomes in the Eastern-Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, India. The investigation encompassed household surveys, engaging with local stakeholders, and conducting an exhaustive review of relevant literature. This comprehensive approach led to the identification of various maladaptive outcomes, including the decline of groundwater levels, heightened emissions of greenhouse gases stemming from diesel-powered irrigation systems, the emergence of pest resistance, increased investment costs, financial losses, disruptions to social cohesion arising from alterations in cultural practices, among others. The study highlighted that climatic factors do not exclusively drive maladaptation; rather, they can be influenced by factors such as pre-existing vulnerabilities, disregard of socio-cultural norms, inadequate consideration of long-term implications, and the negligence of cost-effectiveness in adaptation endeavors. In light of these findings, the study argues for adopting more inclusive adaptation measures that yield multifaceted benefits conducive to achieving sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accelerate the transformation of agricultural development mode, promote ecological restoration and governance, and promote agricultural sustainable development, China has vigorously promoted the cultivation mode of rotation. As a region with significant natural environmental constraints, the cold black soil region has strict requirements for crop growth period, and it is relatively difficult to carry out crop rotation activities in this natural environment. This study used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and a structural equation model (SEM) to perform an empirical study on 742 farmers' rotation intention in Luobei County, China, to investigate the factors that influence farmers' rotation intention in the cold black soil region. According to the different planting area mechanism, farmers were divided into agricultural area, forest area and reclamation area, and the planting area mechanism was included in the study as a regulating variable. The findings demonstrated that farmers' intention to rotate their crops were significantly positively impacted by their attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control. There were notable beneficial effects on crop rotation intention due to the subjective norms and perceived behavior control in the three domains of agriculture, forestry, and reclamation. Farmers' attitude in the agricultural and reclamation regions have a significant positive impact on their intention to rotate, whereas their attitude in the forest regions have no significant impact. This study also shows that there is a significant positive correlation in all three regions between farmers' attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control, indicating that the TPB is a good tool to use when examining farmers' intention to rotate. The findings of this study will be crucial in helping the government advance crop rotation technology and encourage the sustainable use of arable land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are a vulnerable population with a potentially high risk for hearing loss due to farm-related noise exposures. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is permanent, and it is associated with an increased risk for injuries on the job, as well as communication difficulties, isolation, and depression. The México/US border region is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, however, no known studies have explored hearing loss among farmworkers in this area. This pilot study was a first step toward measuring and addressing hearing loss and noise exposure among this region's farmworkers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of subjective hearing difficulties among Yuma County, Arizona farmworkers. Survey interviews took place during a late-night farmworker health fair from 2 am to 6 am to accommodate local farms' labor schedules. Multivariable regression adjusted for demographic and work covariates estimated subjective hearing loss prevalence ratios. Among 132 farmworker participants, 36% reported they have or might have hearing loss, and 62% reported no hearing loss. Subjective hearing loss prevalence was lower in farmworkers who report not working in noise compared to prevalence in farmworkers who work in noise [prevalence ratio, 0.44 (95% CI 0.23–0.82)]. This report contributes to understanding the perception of hearing-related health and occupational exposures among farmworkers in the México-US Southwest border region. The information from this line of research will inform appropriate safety measures known to lower the risk of experiencing occupational NIHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mutis-Timau Forest Complex, located on Timor Island, Indonesia, is a mountainous tropical forest area that gradually decreases due to deforestation and forest degradation. Previous modelling studies based on patterns indicate that deforestation primarily occurs at lower elevations and near the boundaries of forests and settlements, often associated with shifting cultivation by local farmers. This study adopts a process-based modelling approach, specifically the agent-based model, to simulate land changes, particularly farmers' expansion of agricultural land around the Mutis mountain forest. The underlying concept of this agent-based approach is the interaction between the human and environmental systems. Farmers, representing the human system, interact with the land, which represents the environmental system, through land use decision-making mechanisms. The research was conducted in the Community Forest of the Timor Tengah Utara District, one of the sites within the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex with the highest deforestation rate. Land use change simulations were performed using agent-based modelling from 1999 to 2030, considering the socio-economic conditions of farmers, spatial preferences, land use decisions, and natural transitions. The results revealed that the agricultural area increased by 14% under the Business as Usual scenario and 5% under the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scenario, compared to the initial agricultural area of 245 hectares. The probability of farmers deciding to extend agricultural activities was positively associated with the number of livestock maintained by farmers and the size of the village area. Conversely, the likelihood of farmers opting for agricultural extensification decreased with an increase in the area of private land and the farmer's age. These findings are crucial for the managers of the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex and other relevant stakeholders, as they aid in arranging actions to combat deforestation, designing proper forest-related policies, and providing support for initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programs or further incentive schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research studies support has stressed the significance of nourishment on the physical health of humans. Some of the past academic literature has also hinted at an interconnect between food, thoughts, and action that becomes especially significant in the current era of Anthropocene. Organic farming production and consumption can not only enhance economic well-being but also promote social well-being along with subject well-being. Beyond the individual level, a community level facilitates fostering physical emotional physical and emotional ecosystems. However, several studies have inferred seemingly dubious claims about the impact of natural food intake on the mental well-being of an individual. In light of this impinging need, this first-of-its-kind study focused to search the impact of organic food consumption on the cognitive behaviour of individuals. Interview-based qualitative field research with 30 peasants' families was conducted in two phases in the model organic village of Manj Gaon of Uttarakhand. Results indicate that organic farming has positively impacted the mental well-being of the farmers, and apart from it, physical health, food security, and financial security are the fringe benefits for native organic farmers. However, there are many bottlenecks from the policy perspective such as non-availability of organic seeds, lack of marketplaces, lack of transportation infrastructure, and almost no facility of cold storage and warehouse, especially during the time of summer season. All these significantly hamper the adoption and sustenance of organic food production and consumption. Although many farmers exhibit the attributes of subjective well-being, as an outcome, it is rooted in the consumption of organic food, because better intake leads to a better thought process and eventually the results get reflected in the form of a better human being. To conclude, better thoughts, emotions, mind, and health of a human individual and society are strongly rooted in the adoption of chemical and pesticide-free food, i.e. organic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, agriculture is practiced in variable growing conditions that are further challenged by climate change and under external pressure caused by international competition, changing consumer preferences and demands, and the renewal of the European Union Common Agriculture Policy and Paris Agreement climate targets. Futures studies in agriculture have focused on scenario building with expert panels, though usually without farmers' involvement. This study focuses on farmers' views of shaping the future of Finnish agriculture. It builds on the disaggregative Delphi method and combines interviews and a representative survey of Finnish farmers. The study is based on a bottom-up process in which a farmer panel of 20 farms defined their views of the future in a semi-structured thematic interview. The views were turned into statements in a structured survey sent to the second panel, which comprised all Finnish farmers who had received agricultural subsidies in 2016, with 4401 respondents. The results were analyzed using quantitative factor analysis, which produced five future images for Finnish agriculture. The images were shown to the original farmer panel for reflection. They considered the probability of each future image and their own role in it. Technology solves as a future image was most favored by farmers, followed by Ecological and specializing small-scale production image. Business-as-usual was the least likely future images according to the interviewed farmers. This paper describes the process and discusses both methodological benefits and pitfalls, as well as farmers' future views of the forthcoming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of farm owners and farmworkers has significant impacts on farm businesses, farming families, and local rural communities where agriculture is an important driver of social and economic activity. Rural residents and farmworkers have higher rates of food insecurity, but little is known about food insecurity among farm owners and the collective experiences of farm owners and farmworkers. Researchers and public health practitioners have stressed the need for policies that target the health and well-being of farm owners and farmworkers while remaining sensitive to the nature of life on the farm, yet farm owner and farmworker lived experiences have been understudied, especially in relation to one another. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 farm owners and 18 farmworkers in Oregon. Modified grounded theory was used to analyze interview data. Data were coded using a three-stage process to identify salient core characteristics of food insecurity. Farm owner and farmworker meanings and interpretations of their food insecurity were often contradicted by evaluated food security scores using validated quantitative measures. According to such measures, 17 experienced high food security, 3 had marginal food security, and 11 had low food security, but narrative experiences suggested higher rates. Narrative experiences were categorized by core characteristics of food insecurity, including seasonal food shortages, resource stretching, working extended hours most days of the week, limited use of food assistance, and the tendency to downplay hardship. These unique factors have important implications for developing responsive policies and programs to support the health and well-being of farm livelihoods whose work enables health and well-being among consumers. Future studies to test the relationships between the core characteristics of food insecurity identified in this study and farm owner and farmworker meanings and interpretations of food insecurity, hunger, and nourishment are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarifying the impact of livelihood interventions on the livelihood resilience of farmers in undeveloped mountain areas can not only optimize interventions, but also provide experiential support for global poverty alleviation. To analyze the impact of multiple livelihood interventions on livelihood resilience, we constructed an analytical framework and analyzed the enjoyment of livelihood interventions and the heterogeneity of livelihood resilience among out-of-poverty farmers in the Longnan mountain areas, China. Then, we studied the impact of intervention intensity on livelihood resilience through the multiple linear regression model. The results revealed that: 1) the livelihood interventions enjoyed by out-of-poverty farmer in mountain areas were multiple. The proportion of farmers enjoyed diversified livelihood interventions was in descending order of high mountain areas, semi-mountain area and Chuanba valley areas. 2) The overall livelihood resilience of farmers in Longnan mountain areas was generally low, with an average of 0.299. There were significant differences in the livelihood resilience of farmers across different geographic areas in the study area and types of interventions. 3) The effects of industry interventions, employment interventions and education interventions were significant. The endogenous power of farmers not only had a significant positive effect on livelihood resilience, but also positively moderated the impact of the intensity of interventions on livelihood resilience. In addition, the household dependency ratio and the average altitude of the village area had a significant negative impact on their livelihood resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers’ decisions to adopt new technology or measures for agricultural production processes are crucial for adapting to climate change. Meanwhile, risk preference has received great attention over the years in agriculture-related studies as it has been identified as a strong driver for agricultural production decisions. However, empirical studies on the relationship between farmers' risk preferences and adaptation choices in response to climate change remain scant. The present study, utilizing data from a farmer survey in Denmark, aims to examine farmer risk attitude and determine to what extent it influences crop choice decisions, such as crop changes, as an important part of farm level adaptation strategies. Applying a logit regression method, our study finds that: (1) the majority of farmers in the survey were identified as risk tolerant; (2) several demographic and socio-economic factors, such as work experience and farmland tenure were significantly related with farmer risk preference; (3) actual adoption of the majority of farm level adaptation strategies through crop changes and management was found to be significantly less likely for risk averse farmers compared to risk tolerant farmers. Therefore, policy development to promote successful adaptation measures in the agricultural sector should take into account farmers' risk preferences. To this end, risk averse farmers may need better targeting strategies. Future studies could further investigate the role of farmers' risk preferences on the adoption of a wider range of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of study was to screen for health hazards related to sun exposure and to examine the effectiveness of a sun safety multicomponent intervention designed specifically for the Egyptian farmers. A multicomponent interventional study was conducted among 128 farmers from three villages in Zagazig district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, from January to July 2022. It passed through three phases: phase 1: assessment of participants' risk of skin cancer and vision screening; phase 2: filling a semi-structured questionnaire assessing sun exposure hazards and sun safety knowledge, behavior, and barriers; and phase 3: conducting multicomponent intervention composed of education session, providing sun safety supplies and reminders then evaluate the effect of this intervention after one month. Most of participants had moderate risk for skin cancer (69.0%), history of photokeratitis (77.3%), cataract (15.6%), and bad/very bad self-reported overall eyesight (43.0%). After intervention, there was a statistically significant improvement in the participants' awareness regarding sun exposure-related hazards, all knowledge items about sun safety measures (p < 0.01) and some sun safety behaviors (p < 0.05) including wearing protective clothing, minimization of direct sunlight exposure, taking breaks, plentiful water intake, regular self-checking of skin, wearing wide brimmed hats, and job rotation. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant improvement in all sun protection barriers (p < 0.01) except sunscreen and sunglasses related barriers (p ˃ 0.05). The multicomponent intervention composed of education session, providing sun safety supplies and reminders was effective in increasing awareness of farmers with sun exposure hazards and improving their knowledge and behavior towards sun safety measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly changing climatic conditions are adversely impacting the Indian agricultural sector. Farmers are frequently seen adopting several adaptation measures, which are neither equally efficient nor mutually exclusive. Based on the primary data collected from 300 farming households of the Indian Eastern Himalayan foothills, the present study attempts to examine the efficiency of local farmers' adaptation by developing indices combining the feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of the adaptation measures with the scale of actual adoption. Further, by employing multiple linear regression, the study analyzes the internal (psychological) and external (physical and socio-economic) factors influencing higher scores of these indices. Results show that local farmers are well aware of climate change and are responding through implementing at least one and up to seven adaptation measures. Farmers preferred agroforestry, a shift from cereals to low water-intensive commercials, irrigation, and intensification of winter crops as the most efficient. There was, however, a misalignment between the perceived efficiency of adaptation measures and their scale of adoption. Farmers' perceptions of pest infestation, satisfaction with farming, soil characteristics, farm size, remittances, and access to credit were found to be positively and significantly influencing the adaptation indices, while open-mindedness toward changing farming practices and crop-raiding by elephants were found to be negatively and significantly associated with adaptation indices. Lastly, the study made relevant recommendations for improving farmers' efficiency in adopting appropriate adaptation measures and strengthening the "State Action Plan on Climate Change". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability and change (CVC) affect many economic sectors including agriculture. In order to alleviate the negative impact of CVC on food production, farmers must adopt a range of strategies. However, the strategies will be less effective if farmers' perceptions on CVC are not considered. This study therefore, examined the perceptions of commercial farmers on CVC and their adaptation strategies to the perceived impacts. It used a cross-sectional survey involving 365 farmers in the intensive farming region of Zimbabwe. Results showed that farmers' perceptions on increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall amounts were cognate with climate data from the meteorological office. The findings also demonstrated that farmers were well aware of the CVC impacts on their livelihoods. These include increases in the frequency and severity of drought, and a shortening of the length of the rainy season. However, the most significant changes were observed among the natural and economic capitals including soil salinization, reduction in grazing pastures, fodder and crop yields in addition to increases in food prices. In response to the perceived impacts of local CVC, the farmers were adopting crop and land use management strategies that include planting rotation, cultivating short-season varieties and drought tolerant crops, crop and farm diversification, intensified irrigation, agroforestry, soil moisture conservation and mixed farming. The study concludes that farmers are active observers of local CVC. Therefore, they should modify their agricultural calendar and diversify their farming systems so as to better meet current and future risks from CVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a case study of the production of agricultural wage labour in southwestern Spain, in the region of Doñana, this articles analyses the process of constructing agricultural wage labour as a residual social relation. Through analysis of the deployment of labour in agro-industrial berry production, I trace the ways in which the notions of “temporariness” and “slave work” obscure the centrality of labour in the agricultural production process and conceal the reconfiguration of relations of exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers submit claims to insurance providers when affected by sowing/planting risk, standing crop risk, post-harvest risk, and localized calamities risk. Decision making for settlement of claims submitted by farmers has been observed to comprise of type-I and type-II errors. The existence of these errors reduces confidence on agri-insurance providers and government in general as it fails to serve the needy farmers (type-I error) and sometimes serve the ineligible farmers (type-II error). The gaps in currently used underlying data, methods and timelines including anomalies in locational data used in crop sampling, inclusion of invalid data points in computation, estimation of crop yield, and determination of the total sown area create barriers in executing the indemnity payments for small and marginal farmers in India. In this paper, we present a satellite big data analytics based case study in a region in India and explain how the anomalies in the legacy processes were addressed to minimize type-I and type-II errors and thereby make ethical decisions while approving farmer claims. Our study demonstrates what big data analytics can offer to increase the ethicality of the decisions and the confidence at which the decision is made, especially when the beneficiaries of the decision are poor and powerless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasing the incidence of extreme weather events which have a significant impact on public health. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally (40%). Apparent temperature (AT) and diurnal temperature range (DTR) have been extensively used to evaluate the effects of temperature on cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relevant information is quite limited from analysis and comparison of effects and differing pathogenesis of DTR and AT on CVD especially in less-developed, rural areas of China. This is the first attempt to analyze different effects between AT and DTR on CVD using distributed lag nonlinear modeling (DLNM) in rural area. Data on CVD hospital admission in Qingyang (Northwest China) in 2014–2017 originated from the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) of Gansu Province, and meteorological variables were provided by the Meteorological Science Data Sharing Service. Both AT and DTR had significant nonlinear and delayed impacts on hospital admissions for CVD. DTR had a stronger and more persistent effect on CVD incidence than AT. Females were more affected by high AT and low DTR than were males, while males were more vulnerable to low AT and high DTR. Temperature effects were not significantly different between people above and below 65 years of age. These findings provide local public health authorities with reference concerning sensitive temperature indices for susceptible populations with a view to improve CVD preventive strategies in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous field robots are a promising technology for solving several problems in agriculture, as they are electrical driven, can control weeds single-plant based mechanically or with microdoses of pesticides and exert less ground pressure on the field. Whether such robots will be applied on a large scale in German agriculture depends on various parameters. Therefore, the factors influencing the behavioural intention of farmers with respect to their future adoption of autonomous field robots were investigated. The analysis applies a structural equation model based on an extended version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The dataset, collected in 2019, consists of 500 German farmers. The results reveal significantly positive effects of farmers' expected performance, social influence and trust as well as significantly negative effects of farmers' effort expectancy and anxiety on the behavioural intention to use autonomous field robots. Additionally, moderating effects of age on the relationship of individual constructs to the behavioural intent to use robots could be confirmed. The results provide important information for various stakeholders. Robot suppliers should better inform farmers about the performance of their products, for instance by involving farmers in the development process of the robots. The ecological benefits attributed to field robots could meet public expectations and should be better communicated to address farmers' social influence on the behavioural intention to use the robots. Policymakers could try to create better framework conditions, for example by establishing a stable legal situation for autonomous systems or promote its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a higher prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases among Irish farmers than the general adult population. Lifestyle interventions that increase physical activity and improve dietary patterns have been associated with reduced chronic disease risk and improved quality of life among high-risk populations. The impact of lifestyle interventions among Irish farmers is unknown. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of a community-based intervention on farmer health, cardiovascular fitness, lower limb strength endurance, and dietary intake. Methods: A 6-week physical activity and lifestyle education intervention involving two 60-min circuit-based exercise training sessions and one 60-min health education workshop per week was implemented. Pre- and post-measurements included total body weight, body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, cardiovascular fitness, lower limb strength, perceived physical and mental health, and dietary intake. Results: Thirty farmers completed the intervention giving an adherence rate of 75%. At baseline, mean BMI (32.7 ± 4.1 kg/m2), body fat percent (31.7 ± 6.7), waist circumference (110.2 ± 10.4 cm), systolic (128.7 ± 7.8 mmHg) and diastolic (86.2 ± 6.8 mmHg) blood pressure were higher than recommended levels. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were found for total body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, cardiovascular fitness, lower limb strength endurance, systolic blood pressure, total energy, total fat, total unsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, saturated fat, trans fat, total carbohydrate, sodium, cholesterol and percentage energy intakes of total fat, saturated fat, protein, and physical and mental health scores. Conclusions: Irish farmers remain at high risk of developing chronic diseases but respond positively to lifestyle intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To empower knowledgeable resolution and to gratify informational needs, farmers obligate agricultural information and appropriate knowledge. In India, day by day, the agriculture sector is diminishing, and it devastates the mass production ability of the ecosystem. It is a crucial need to resolve the complication in the sector to reimpose vibrancy and place it back on elevated progress. With the aim of to offer superior agricultural development, the Internet of Everything (IoE) has been developed and accomplished that recognize agricultural habitat data gatherings like soil moisture, humidity, light and temperature. Every sensor node can transform tracking information into the cloud. Data mining principles are utilized with takes cause of discovering communicative systems in the atmospheric constraints recorded by the sensor network. The implementation of this exploration was carried as a use case within the farmhouse in Chennai, India. This paper, we are presenting a formal provision of Peer-to-Peer Central- Registry biased Internet of Everything Protocol (P2PRioEP) which is an application medium registry for hybrid peer-to-peer IoT networks. The results are obtained over a duration and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of unstable ecology and fragile environment, a sustainable cultivation approach is gaining gradual importance in place of conventional input-intensive agricultural production systems along with non-judicious use of agrochemicals and irrigated water. Many international development projects have started to promote Conservation Agriculture globally, in this perspective. Conservation Agriculture (CA) is mainly comprised of three interlinked principles, viz. soil disturbance to the null or minimal, permanent cover on soil using mulch or crop residues, and crop diversification. Day by day CA is getting more and more attention of farming community throughout the world. In 2015–2016 season conservation agriculture was adopted on about 180 MHA of cropland, about 12.5% of the total global cropland, i.e. 69% more than 2008–2009 in the world. The adoption behaviour of farmers has been reviewed in this literature. Key influencers on smallholdings, gender dimension and knowledge network, institutional and policy context are also theoretically presented in relation to CA system. Harmonizing this requires an understanding of the complex network of adopter-CA technology-adoption behaviour and global or national level policy formulation as well as strategic farm-level management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the barriers limiting the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) usage of sugarcane farmers in the disadvantaged districts of Tamil Nadu, India. Altogether, 240 respondents belonging to all the disadvantaged districts of Tamil Nadu, viz. Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Nagapattinam districts formed the sample case of the study. The sugarcane farmers responded to a list of barriers on a 3—point continuum, viz. not important, important and very important. ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison tests were applied to analyze the data. 'Lack of time' and 'lack of access' were perceived to be the two most important barriers. Significant differences were found among the districts in terms of the sugarcane farmers' perception to five barriers to ICT usage, viz. lack of time (perceived as more severe by Nagapattinam district farmers), lack of access (perceived as more severe by Tiruvannamalai district farmers), lack of training (perceived as more severe by Nagapattinam district farmers), no perception of benefits (perceived as more severe by Cuddalore farmers) and expensive input (perceived as more severe by Tiruvannamalai district farmers). Relatively, the sugarcane farmers of Tiruvannamalai and Nagapattinam districts had perceived the barriers to ICT usage as more severe. The differences in the perception of barriers ascertained by this study envisage customized, district-level sugarcane extension strategies to overcome the barriers and effectively meet the information needs of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, several studies have noted adaptation measures undertaken by farmers in India to mitigate potential crop loss, however, there is limited studies with reference to systematically review these papers. The mapping of these measures is imperative as it furnishes evidence for opted adaptation options and states. Further, it assists to design state-specific policies to achieve goals of sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, and maintain food security. This study aims to do it by limiting India as the boundary of analysis. Adopting a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method, a total of 44 studies were identified. Our major findings are: (i) evidence is found for eighteen states, and these studies, either individually or in sum, represent negligible percentage of state's total number of villages and households, and hence, findings may not stand for the whole state; (ii) a major focus so far has been given to farm management and technology; (iii) state-wise mapping indicates scanty of papers among options, and thus, we urge for studies with representative sample, either for state or nation, and also map several adaptation mechanisms rather than concentrating around farm-management and technology; and (iv) the widely studied options are water management (55%), crop-diversification (52%), crop choice (50%), diversification of livelihood and income (43%), altering agricultural practices/systems (36%), and changing crop-calendar and land holiday (34%). Such type of assessment supplies state-specific maps on studied adaptation mechanisms, and in doing so, it renders future direction in the field of adaptation research, and hence, we advocate to carry out systematic reviews for other vulnerable sectors to climate change in India and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate farmers' desire to benefit from renewable energy (solar and wind) in northwestern provinces in Turkey. The willingness of farmers to establish a renewable energy cooperative was also investigated in this study. The relationships between the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers and their willingness to establish a renewable energy cooperative were analyzed with the aid of nonparametric tests. According to Mann–Whitney U-test, farmers' age, frequency of visits to agricultural organizations, internet use to reach information, land size, and the province where they live were effective on farmers' willingness to establish a renewable energy cooperative. Additionally, 91.34% of the participant farmers were worried about climate change, and 70.84% were willing to receive training about climate change. Of the participant farmers, 65.88% were willing to establish a renewable energy cooperative. Extension programs should be organized by policymakers about renewable energy cooperatives, and such programs will provide significant public benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the measures to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are related to agricultural activities. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a method allowing implementation of agricultural practices in compliance with the efforts to combat climate change. CSA is an approach guiding agricultural systems under changing climate conditions to provide sustainable development and food safety. The targets of this approach included sustainable increase in agricultural production, resistance and adaptation to climate change and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Farmer participation and level of consciousness play a significant role in successful implementation of CSA. The present study was conducted to put forth farmers' adaptation of climate change. Farmer perceptions or approaches to CSA were taken into consideration. In the study, the literature was examined to analyze the adoption of CSA and the typology of CSA applications was developed. The typology consists of five categories: (1) soil management, (2) water management, (3) chemical input management, (4) crop diversification and (5) planting trees/agroforestry. Household survey data were used to create and test hypotheses about farmers' adoption of CSA. Nonparametric tests were used to estimate the socioeconomic variables that were effective in the adoption of CSA categories. The results generally show that CSA categories have high application potential among farmers. The factors influencing farmer decisions on these issues were identified as education, participation into agricultural meetings, land size and agricultural income. Such factors may guide policymakers while taking measures against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any new policy measure aiming to mitigate climate change and support adaptation in agriculture is implemented at the farm scale. This makes a farmer the key actor. This study aimed to understand farmers’ climate change views and reveal how farmers see their role, responsibilities and possibilities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess how various background variables and values associate with farmers’ views in order to have novel and comprehensive on farmers’ perspectives on climate change. Short-term changes in views were studied with a longitudinal framework. In total, 4401 farmers in Finland answered a standardized e-mail survey in spring 2018. A total of 2000 of them responded again in spring 2020. The respondents differed in gender, age, education, farming system, farm type, farm organization, farm size, revenue and region. The farmers were not a uniform group of citizens, and their views on climate change varied widely. For a Nordic, boreal zone country like Finland, climate change will bring not only challenges but also opportunities that may even strengthen the agricultural production. Such a “two-sided coin” causes confusion for farmers as indicated by this study. Climate change–induced risks often dominate the public dialogue with farmers. This study emphasizes the need for better balance between risks and opportunities not only in the dialogue with farmers but also with policy makers and all public discussion. Acknowledging farmers’ views in planning the future climate policies for agricultural sector is elemental to ensure success in farm-scale implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers markets in low-income, urban areas (LIUA) struggle to establish and sustain themselves. Accordingly, farmer recruitment and retention remain a challenge. This paper examines the perspectives of farmers who have been recruited to participate in farmers markets located in LIUA. Taking an ethnographic approach, we seek to understand why farmers join, stay, and/or leave newly-developed farmers market in LIUA. In-depth interviews revealed different motivations for joining new LIUA markets and that these motivations were closely tied to farmers' reasons for farming. We identified four categories of motivations: farming as (1) a primary livelihood strategy; (2) a new business opportunity; (3) recreation; (4) a social mission. Retention differed across these motivational categories. Farmers who joined LIUA farmers markets to support their livelihoods were the most likely to drop out of these markets. Farmers who used the farmers market to explore a new business opportunity were less likely to drop out and those who farmed for recreation or for a social mission were most loyal and did not drop out. The results indicate that understanding the motivations of farmers may be crucial to retaining farmers at LIUA farmers markets. They also indicate that farmers who are most suited to LIUA farmers markets may be currently overlooked by market managers who regularly target full-time livelihood vendors. These findings have implications for creating more stable farmers markets in LIUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French and EU policies have been only partially successful in promoting the restoration of groundwater quality. The currently proposed measures are scientifically valid but ineffective in encouraging farmers to change their practices over the longer term. Participatory approaches have been developed for co-designing scenarios at cropping system or catchment area level, to improve groundwater quality. Farmers are one of several types of stakeholders who make contributions in this respect. In this context, we propose a similar participatory approach, although with two key differences: only farmers take part in the co-design process, and a farm-scale systemic perspective is applied. Our method, inspired by co-development, involves five steps, including groundwater quality pressure assessment. Within this method, we generate farmer-to-farmer suggestions aimed at improving farm management from an economic, social, and environmental perspective, with an emphasis on reducing pollution in catchments. The co-design groundwater-friendly farm management combines re-designed elements (e.g., changing agricultural practices or cropping systems or machinery or labor) that are consistent with the project specified by the farmer and that simultaneously decrease pressure on groundwater quality. We tested our method using two groups of farmers from southeastern France, located in areas concerned by groundwater quality issues related to nitrate and pesticide pollution. Our results show that our method based on farmer-to-farmer exchanges with a systemic approach constitutes an interesting and viable solution. In the months following the co-design process, the farmers in the test groups implemented some of the innovations suggested by their peers, thus creating a new groundwater-friendly farm management. This approach could be used in regions with other environmental challenges since the ultimate goal is to encourage sustainable farming practices. However, in the proposed methodology, the knowledge provided only by farmers might be too homogeneous, thus limiting the scope of changes in farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of farmers' perceptions of and responses to climate change is important for decision-makers to design more effective adaptation policies. This study investigates farmers' perceptions of climate change, actual adaption responses at the farm level, and factors influencing farmers' decisions on climate change adaptation in Wushen Banner, China. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 220 farmers with a random sampling technique. We found that farmers were generally concerned about climate change. Most farmers have adopted adaption measures to address the adverse effects of climate change. Adjusting farming behavior and using financial means were the main adaptation measures used by local farmers. The results revealed that the implementation of adaptation measures was constrained by the lack of technology, shortage of money, and poor infrastructure. The binary logistic regression results showed that farmers' socioeconomic characteristics, such as education, farming experience, and gender, had significant impacts on farmers' decisions to choose adaptation strategies. The regression results also indicated that farmers who believed climate change would affect their health were more willing to choose financial instruments, and farmers who believed climate change would affect their agricultural productions were likely to diversify their livelihoods. The findings provide some critical insights based on local perceptions of climate change and enhance our understanding of cognitive beliefs attached to adaptive responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Social capital is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of adaptive capacity to climate change. Beyond formal adaptation infrastructure like insurance and public disaster support programmes, it can be difficult to identify the role that informal social capital—such as relationships, trust, and mutual support between community members—plays in climate adaptation. Drawing on a multi-site qualitative study in the Canadian Prairie region, this paper examines how three forms of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking) shape rural communities’ adaptation to climate extremes. Based on in-depth interviews with 163 community members, the findings demonstrate how social capital contributes to adaptive capacity, particularly in rural areas where more formal supports may be absent or lacking. We examine how social capital is affected by existing socio-economic sensitivities, such as rural depopulation, which can reduce informal social capital while simultaneously increasing people’s dependence on it. The findings indicate the strengths and limitations of bonding and bridging social capital, particularly in the face of future climate extremes that may exceed local adaptive capacity. Further, we find that informal social capital may also reinforce gender inequality, exclusion, and inter-group differences, indicating its limitations for socially inclusive adaptation. Addressing these structural factors can help communities move past coping and toward long-term adaptation. In the face of increasing climate risks, our findings suggest the importance of public supports that are attentive to local strengths, gaps, and social relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of poison by farmers to control livestock predators is a major threat to vulture populations across Eurasia and Africa. While there is now some understanding of poison use on freehold farmland regions in southern Africa, the prevalence and drivers of this practice are still unknown in communal farmlands. We surveyed 353 communal farmers in Namibia to assess the prevalence of reported poison use and intended poison use and the factors associated with both. We used the Randomised Response Technique, a method deemed to yield more robust estimates of the prevalence of sensitive behaviours compared to direct questioning. We found 1.7% of communal farmers admitted to using poison in the last year. Furthermore, across the study region, predicted poison use was the highest (up to 7%) in areas of the upper north-west. The identified 'hotspots' of poison use will assist conservation practitioners to focus their poison-mitigation efforts centred in the areas of the highest need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran. Farmers are exposed to the sun's ultraviolet radiation due to their job and are susceptible to skin cancer. The aim of this study is to survey the effect of educational intervention based on health belief model and social support on promoting skin cancer preventive behaviors in farmers of Fasa City, Fars province, Iran. In this quasi-experimental study, 200 farmers (100 in experimental group and 100 in control group) in Fasa City, Fars, Iran, were selected in 2017. The educational intervention for the experimental group consisted of eight training sessions (introduction to skin cancer, risk factors, complications, benefits and barriers to proper use of sunscreen, UV sunglasses and physical protection, self-efficacy in applying preventive behaviors, role of social support). A questionnaire consisting of demographic information, knowledge, HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and cues to action), and social support was used to measure skin cancer preventive behaviors before, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months later. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 via chi-squared, independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney, and repeated measures ANOVA at a significance level of 0.5. The mean age of the farmers was 42.21 ± 10.52 years in the experimental group and 44.28 ± 10.16 years in the control group. Three months after the intervention and 6 months after the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, social support, and skin cancer preventive behaviors compared to the control group. This study showed the effectiveness of the intervention based on the HBM constructs and social support in adoption of skin cancer preventive behaviors in 3 and 6 months post intervention in farmers. Hence, these models can act as a framework for designing and implementing educational interventions for the prevention of skin cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides has been increasing in agriculture, leading to a public health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate ototoxic effects in farmers who were exposed to cigarette smoke and/or pesticides and to identify possible classification patterns in the exposure groups. The sample included 127 participants of both sexes aged between 18 and 39, who were divided into the following four groups: control group (CG), smoking group (SG), pesticide group (PG), and smoking + pesticide group (SPG). Meatoscopy, pure tone audiometry, logoaudiometry, high-frequency thresholds, and immittance testing were performed. Data were evaluated by artificial neural network (ANN), K-nearest neighbors (K-NN), and support vector machine (SVM). There was symmetry between the right and left ears, an increase in the incidence of hearing loss at high frequency and of downward sloping audiometric curve configuration, and alteration of stapedial reflex in the three exposed groups. The machine-learning classifiers achieved good classification performance (control and exposed). The best classification results occur in high type (I and II) datasets (about 90% accuracy) in k-NN test. It is concluded that both xenobiotic substances have ototoxic potential; however, their combined use does not present additive or potentiating effects recognizable by the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides occupy a critical position among many chemicals to which man can be exposed; their diffusion into the environment causes killing and damaging of some forms of life. The lack of highly selective pesticide action represents risk both for man and other desirable forms of life present in the environment. The present study was designed to evaluate the relation between exposure to pesticides and disorder on hematological parameters and kidney function of male agricultural workers with the mean age 37.11 ± 9.3. Another 100 unexposed men matched for age, and socioeconomic status were recruited as a control to compare the levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells (RBCs), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and urea and creatinine concentration. The results indicate that there was no significant difference in hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value among exposed group as compared to control group. However, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the RBCs count and a highly significant increase (P < 0.01) in MCV among exposed group. There was no significant difference in MCH and MCHC among exposed group. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in urea (39.4 ± 22 mg/dl) among exposed group as compared to control (35.7 ± 26.3 mg/dl). Also, there was a highly significant increase (P < 0.01) in creatinine among exposed group (0.953 ± 0.3 mg/dl) as compared to control (0.8 ± 0.2 mg/dl). In conclusion, exposure to pesticides produces a variety of hematological parameter disorders as well as kidney malfunction in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, drought is the natural hazard that causes the greatest agronomic impacts. After recurrent droughts, farmers typically learn from experience and implement changes in management to reduce their future drought risks and impacts. This paper aims to understand how irrigated agriculture in a humid climate has been affected by past droughts and how different actors have adapted their activities and strategies over time to increase their resilience. After examining recent drought episodes from an agroclimatic perspective, information from an online survey was combined with evidence from semi-structured interviews with farmers to assess: drought risk perceptions, impacts of past drought events, management strategies at different scales (regional to farm level) and responses to future risks. Interviews with the water regulatory agency were also conducted to explore their attitudes and decision-making processes during drought events. The results highlight how agricultural drought management strategies evolve over time, including how specific aspects have helped to reduce future drought risks. The importance of adopting a vertically integrated drought management approach in the farming sector coupled with a better understanding of past drought impacts and management options is shown to be crucial for improving decision-making during future drought events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine perceptions of the farmers and key informants on the use of low-quality irrigation water for vegetable production in urban and peri-urban areas in Morogoro, Tanzania. The methods used to collect data were farmer surveys ( n = 60), focus group discussions ( n = 4) and key informants interviews ( n = 15). The results showed that the respondents had a positive perception on using low-quality irrigation water for vegetable production. The reported benefits include availability of water throughout the year, highest soil and crop nutrients in irrigation water, less costs of buying commercial fertilizers, vegetable production all year round, sustainable income generation from selling vegetables and also jobs creation in the community among farmers and vegetable sellers. Findings from Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test score on farmers perception scales indicate an association between the source of low-quality water used and the respondents' sex. Accordingly, female farmers had higher positive perception on the benefits of low-quality water compared to male farmers. Higher perception score was also observed among farmers who used polluted river water in irrigation vegetable production compared to farmers who used wastewater. Since low-quality irrigation water is a good strategy of coping with scarcity of freshwater for communities which have no alternative source of irrigation water, the study recommends multi-sectorial agencies across the country to be involved in formulating policies and creating health promotion awareness for safe use of low-quality water for benefit maximization and health risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In India, it is estimated that ∼16,000 farmers die by suicide each year, and at rates far above those of the general population. This paper reviews much of the literature concerning the factors associated with this crisis. Methods A literature search was undertaken from multiple databases on Ovid, as well as more elementary searches of Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed. This paper presents a review of the key results. Results Socioeconomic factors, rather than mental health problems, are associated with farmer suicides, with increased indebtedness playing the predominant role. Available research suggests this has arisen to a greater extent recently, due to an agrarian crisis affecting the most vulnerable farmers. This has multiple manifestations, including a lack of agricultural investment and irrigation improvement, use of cash crops, the increased use of noninstitutional credit sources, and the reduction of trade barriers. Bt cotton is unlikely to be an important factor and no studies reported a significant burden of mental health problems. Conclusion Indebtedness and numerous factors relating to this are clearly identified as the most important risk factors. Further large-scale assessments are required to further understand the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using household survey data from a sample of about 850 households selected from six States in south-west Nigeria, this paper analyses the effects of the adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICVs) on asset ownership among smallholder farmers. The results of the linear regression with endogenous treatment effects showed that adoption of ICVs is positively related to asset ownership. The results further showed that ICVs had greater impact on asset ownership among female-headed households. The impact analysis using propensity score matching (PSM) showed a significant and positive effect of adoption of ICVs on asset ownership and a negative effect on asset poverty. The empirical results suggest that improved agricultural technologies can play a key role in strengthening asset ownership of smallholder farmers for increased agricultural productivity and income generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, milk quality is often mismanaged in relation to husbandry practices, collection logistics, and the production of small batches. This paper investigates how the management of milk quality from farm to dairy processor impacts on both chemical and hygienic indicators, in a context characterized by farm scale diversity, the co-existence of formal and informal markets, and high milk demand. It is based on an analysis of the chemical and hygienic quality of milk samples collected over a 12-month period from 20 farms and three dairy processors. Data from the farmers' husbandry practices and the logistics of milk collection were also collected. A large range of quality profiles and farming practices were observed. This diversity is explained by rainfall and temperature pattern, farm size which affects hygienic quality, and lack of efficient logistics between farms and dairy processors. The findings indicate that in a context of high demand for milk and poor private and public regulations, milk quality is impacted upon by poor stakeholders' management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry is often portrayed as one of the ways towards ecological intensification of agricultural systems. This intensification process allows rural households to sustainably increase cash revenues and capital accumulation capacity. Many research studies have focused on the technical and economic improvement of agroforestry systems (AFS). However, it is equally important to study this the other way around, hence assessing the impact of the strategies and accumulation trajectories of farmers on the intensification of AFS. The present study aims at characterizing the various accumulation strategies of farmers and assessing their relationships with AFS intensification. The study involved semi-structured interviews of 82 cocoa farmers representative of the diversity of cocoa AFS farms in Central Cameroon. The results demonstrate that the successful accumulation strategies are the ones mainly based on the development of activities and revenues of off farm and of urban origin. This capital of urban origin has led to the strong emergence of large farms (from 5 to 30 ha). Due to the influx of financial capital and the adoption of improved agricultural techniques, these large farms achieve cocoa yields much higher (512 kg/ha) than smaller farms (<2 ha, 214 kg/ha) or medium farms (2-5 ha, 338 kg/ha). Nonetheless, the preliminary data collected in the present study indicate that the higher cocoa yields achieved by large farms does not necessarily translate into a sustainable improvement of the overall productivity (i.e. cacao as well as other products originating form AFS) or that of the labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being an agrarian region, the northwest part of Bangladesh frequently experiences recurrent droughts over the last decade. To cope with this insidious disaster, the farmers in this region practice various adaptation measures through their own efforts with institutional support. But these efforts and support are not sufficient for farmers to survive droughts. In this light, this study assesses the adaptive capacity of farmers along with institutions to develop suitable drought adaptation policy in the context of this region. The drought adaptive practices developed in this study are mainly adopted from the unique approach called socioeconomic, institutional and physical. Results reveal that establishment of mango orchard, vegetable gardening and community health care service would be helpful in enhancing drought resilience at community level. Moreover, an important policy message from this study suggests that validation of these practices through government offices, research institutes and other relevant organizations can help to develop an appropriate drought adaptation policy for this region. Similarly, by performing these practices from national to local level, farmers as well as communities in this region will be able to effectively sustain their livelihoods against droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted in central highland Ethiopia to: (1) assess the financial feasibility and relative financial attractiveness of three agroforestry practices (small-scale woodlot, homestead tree and shrub growing and boundary tree and shrub growing); (2) evaluate the impacts of implementation of these land uses on farm households income and (3) identify the constraints for the implementation and expansion of the agroforestry practices. Then, 82 different land uses (21 small-scale woodlots, 35 homesteads and 26 boundary plantings) which were older than 15 years and established by the current owner were selected for the financial analysis. The input and output data were filled in a data sheet by face-to-face interview with the owners. The results showed that small-scale woodlot is the most profitable agroforestry practice followed by boundary plantings and homesteads. An ex-ante analysis of implementing the agroforestry practices showed that with minimum land area allocated for the practices, a household can generate net discounted revenues ranging from 5,908 to 26,021 Ethiopian Birr (532-2,342 USD) in 15 years at 10 % interest rate. Hence, the expansion of such agroforestry practices has a vital effect on farm household's income. Lack of proper planning and poor in-depth understanding about roles of trees and shrubs for household's income, land and seedling shortage, financial constraints and labor scarcity were identified as major problems for the expansion of agroforestry practices in the area. A thorough extension service comprising both efficient land resources utilization and proper planning practices could enhance the expansion of agroforestry practices and thereby positively influence the farmer's livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To anticipate local livestock systems' adaptation to climate change, we created a modelling and participatory approach that relies on the development and use of agro-meteorological and agronomic supports that are based on climate- and plant-model outputs and shaped by a conceptual model of a livestock system. The objective of this paper was to examine the extent to which the approach, in particular the use of the supports in workshops with farmers and advisors, helped to stimulate learning about adaptation options of livestock systems to climate change and the way in which workshop discussions can improve researchers' conceptual models of livestock systems. We show that the use of supports can generate incremental adaptation options (interpreted as single-loop learning) and sometimes more radical ideas for change (interpreted as double-loop learning). Subsequent analysis of workshops provides new insights into livestock systems (e.g. considerations used by farmers for key decisions). We demonstrate that this modelling and participatory approach avoids the trade-off often found between the credibility of livestock-system adaptations to climate change and their relevance in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflict between farmers and primates increasingly impacts conservation efforts in Africa and Asia. Field crops provide a reliable and readily-accessible source of food for primates coping with habitat loss. However, crop-raiding undermines food security and tolerance of wildlife within neighbouring human communities. Many primates consume crops regularly yet there are few accounts of systematic evaluation of techniques to deter them. Working in partnership with farmers, this study was conducted over two growing seasons within four villages adjacent to the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. Using systematic observational sampling, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, we (i) monitored primate crop-raiding behaviour prior to and after installing locally-appropriate deterrents, developed with local farmers, and (ii) explored farmers' initial responses to the methods trialled. Deterrent efficacy was assessed by comparing the frequency and characteristics of raiding events across seasons. Primates were the predominant diurnal crop-raiders; six species were observed raiding. Deterrents implemented included barriers, alarms, repellents, and systematic guarding. Incidence of raiding and crop loss decreased in almost all cases, often by shifting raiding to unprotected fields or adjacent farms. Farmers identified benefits and shortcomings for each deterrent, and considered most to be effective and valuable. Insights from the research directly inform intervention strategies to address crop-raiding issues and extend options to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dairy farming is a risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed the prevalence of farming-induced COPD (FI-COPD) using a new screening device, and we analyzed symptoms and occupational risk factors. Methods: We performed on-site screening study of bronchial obstruction using an electronic mini-spirometer (EMS) on an entire population of dairy farmers ( n = 147) from two villages in Brittany, France. Suspected bronchial obstruction (FEV1/FEV6 <0.8) was confirmed with standardized lung function tests (FEV1/FVC ≤0.7). We assessed past medical histories, respiratory symptoms, and occupational tasks of subjects with bronchial obstruction; asthmatics were defined as atopic and/or reversible; smoking-induced COPD patients were defined as non-reversible, non-atopic with smoking histories (≥5 PY); and FI-COPD patients were defined as non-reversible, non-atopic, and non-smokers. Results: Using the EMS, 30.6% ( n = 45) of dairy farmers were suspected of bronchial obstruction and underwent standardized spirometry. The FEV1/FEV6 ratio and FEV1/FVC ratio were in good agreement ( r² = 0.66, P < 0.0001). The prevalence of confirmed bronchial obstruction was 9.5% ( n = 14), which included 4 asthmatics, 3 smoking-induced COPD subjects, and 7 FI-COPD subjects. All the COPD patients were GOLD Stage II, and none were aware of their respiratory disease. Foddering duration was significantly higher in FI-COPD subjects compared with non-obstructive subjects, with 44 versus 17 min/day, respectively. Conclusions: The EMS was a convenient mean of screening for bronchial obstruction, especially in on-site settings, and allowed us to diagnose FI-COPD in a non-spontaneously complaining dairy farmer population. Foddering was considered a significant risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climatic factors in Malaysia have been changing very rapidly affecting agricultural productivity and farmers' sustainable livelihood. Agriculture which depends heavily on climate is becoming increasingly vulnerable to risk and uncertainty. In order to face and manage the situation farmers are trying in various ways to adapt to these climatic vulnerabilities. This study analyses paddy farmers' perception of climatic variations and vulnerabilities and focuses on the techniques they use to adapt to the situation. It uses primary data collected through a questionnaire survey on the paddy farmers in the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA), North-West Selangor in Malaysia. Through a descriptive analysis of the data, the study finds that most farmers do not have a clear perception of the climatic changes and vulnerabilities. Farmers' adaptation practices to the climatic vulnerability are mostly based on their common sense responses. It suggests that farmers need necessary training and support from the government and international agencies to make them able to effectively adapt to the climatic vulnerability and avert any adverse effect on their socioeconomic sustainability and national food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal water scarcity in southern China has been an issue of concern for many years. The increased frequency of low precipitation in the growing season of rice created a flurry of discussions in the academic and policy arenas. These events severely disrupted the supply of irrigation water for agriculture in paddy field areas and posed a substantial threat to farmers' livelihoods. Within a broader context of accessing farmers' resilience to agricultural drought, this paper focuses on the response mechanisms and adaptive strategies adopted by farming households in three types of areas (Plain, Hill, Mountain) in Dingcheng, Hunan Province. With the increasing drought frequency and the pressure from the demand for livelihood improvement, farmers' response mechanisms have evolved, expanding from short-term adjustments to long-term adaptations, and switching focus from securing reliable water sources to improving irrigation efficiency and diversifying both on- and off- farm productions. The three types of geographic units have different resilience profiles and have developed diverse patterns of adaptive processes that update the conceptual model of Disaster Resilience of 'Loss-Response' of Location. It presents a temporal dimension to the study of resilience, which is largely missing from the current literature and provides insights into how to enhance farmers' response capacities in the face of agricultural drought in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]