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Economies and livelihoods in the Caribbean strongly depend on the terrestrial and marine natural resource base. There are critical gaps in quantitative data and the contextual and compositional factors affecting perceptions of changes in ecosystems and natural resources. This paper used interview data from 441 households in Belize, Dominican Republic, and Suriname to explore the contextual and compositional determinants of perceptions of change in the quality of the terrestrial, coastal/marine environment and natural resources as a composite variable. The outcome variable comprised changes in fishing effort, marine and coastal environment, forest cover, agricultural land area, and soil fertility, and relationships with predictor variables were explored using univariate, bivariate, and three multivariate models. At the univariate level, most respondents in Belize and Suriname reported perceiving a significant increase in fishing effort (i.e. days and fuel spent at sea) and a decrease in forest cover, quality of the coastal/marine environment, area of agricultural land, and fertility and productivity of soils. Sex, marital status, household size, and years of experience were not significantly associated with the terrestrial variables and fishing effort. Sex was only significantly associated with the quality of the marine environment. At the multivariate level, the elderly, high school education, and household incomes were associated with a lower perception of the outcome variable. It is concluded that policy and interventions should strongly consider ethnicity and community, and improve education and household incomes to enhance perceptions of changes in the quality of the terrestrial and coastal/marine environment in the studied countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cocoa swollen shoot virus disease persists in Ghana in spite of the implementation of an eradication campaign against the disease by the government since 1948. Two major factors are identified as limiting the success of the eradication campaign. First, the extension problem, namely, the low level of growers' knowledge (know-why) concerning the disease, including knowledge of the causal agent (3.8%), the vectors (2.3%), and the recommended preventive measures (8% to 67%). Second, the implementation problem, namely, the failure of growers and government-employed labourers to follow the recommended policy of cutting-out and replanting cocoa farms. Thus, about half (51%) of the affected farms were not correctly treated, despite the specialized labour provided and paid for by the government to implement treatment. In addition, about 73% of the growers who treated their affected farms without government support did so incorrectly. Other factors include the direct treatment cost (US $513.00 ha−1) to be borne by growers, as well as land tenure arrangements, and the waiting time of at least three years before the first harvest after replanting. A more researcher-grower collaborative approach in managing the disease could enhance growers' knowledge and the adoption of recommended practices to limit the spread of the disease. In addition, policy decisions on a nationwide disease management strategy that require growers' collective efforts should consider growers' socio-economic conditions like land tenure arrangements and disease treatment cost (direct and indirect) incurred by growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-waste contains hazardous chemicals and materials that threaten the environment and human health, when improperly disposed. This study examined levels of awareness of e-waste disposal among university students in Ghana, and their proenvironmental decision-making using two outcome variables: "knowledge on environmental impact and policy issues" (EIPI) and "environmental behavior and sustainability" (EBS). Reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha) for the two outcomes variables were 0.91 and 0.72, respectively. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to explore and determine the underlying factor structure for the latent constructs employed as dependent variables; and to verify the factor structure while testing the relationships between observed indicators and their underlying latent constructs. Ordinary Least Square techniques were then used to examine the effects of theoretically relevant covariates on the selected dependent variables. Results indicate satisfactory model adequacy, (?2=33.59, df = 29; p < 0.255; RMSEA = 0.01). Awareness of e-waste among the students was generally low. Students' awareness of e-waste contamination of air and soil (effects) was higher than their awareness of acceptable e-waste practices (change strategies) or environmental policy (vision). Gender and level of study were both positively related to "environmental behavior and sustainability" (EBS). Compared to females, males scored higher (b = 0.192) on EBS. Students in the lower levels of their university education scored higher (b = 0.256) on EBS, compared to those in upper years of university. Also, students in the lower levels of university scored higher on knowledge of environmental impact and policy (b = 0.0175), compared to those in upper years of university.

Agriculture is key to sustainable development globally - particularly in countries where agriculture both accounts for most of the land use and provides a livelihood for most of the population. We map out a collaborative research agenda aimed at tackling the urgent but poorly understood issue of the role of farmer organisations in overcoming political barriers to sustainable and inclusive agricultural development, with particular attention to sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Building on a critical and collaborative dialogue between a diversity of small-scale farmer-led organisations, local activist groups, transnational civil society networks, and heterogeneous academic institutions, our agenda is organized around two key objectives: 1) understanding the conditions for, development of and outcomes from farmer-based political mobilisation in rural areas; and 2) strengthening participatory, action-oriented research capacity for critically engaged research on agrarian questions in SSA. The approach we advocate emphasises the scientific and societal benefits of combining theoretically informed crosscountry comparison of farmer-based rural social movements, with deepening of academic-civil society collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' knowledge of major insect pests and their occurrence in cocoa plantations in Ghana as well as common practices of farmers to control these pests were assessed. It was found that 52%, 41%, and 74% of the respondents could not recognize mirid bug (Sahlbergella singularis), stink bug (Bathycoelia thalassina), and coreid bug (Pseudotheraptus devastans), respectively, when they saw these insects in pictures. Also, over 50% of the respondents could not describe the damage symptoms of mirid bugs. Farmers who accurately identified insect pests mostly observed a peak in the presence and damage of mirid bugs in August, and high presence of stink bugs and coreid bugs from April to June on cocoa farms. Most respondents (72%) mentioned the use of insecticides for pest management in their farms without any support by local institutes. Training is needed to enhance farmers' knowledge of the biology and behaviour of key pests in cocoa for effective pest management. A participatory research approach is also necessary to increase farmers' competence in the identification of those key pests and improve pest control practices. Consideration of these observations from farmers is necessary to support a review of the insecticide spray recommendation on cocoa farms in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]