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Background: Pesticides exposures could be implicated in the excess of Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors observed in farmers, but evidence concerning individual pesticides remains limited. Carbamate derivative pesticides, including herbicides and fungicides (i.e. (thio/dithio)-carbamates), have shown evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental studies in animals. In the French AGRICAN cohort, we assessed the associations between potential exposures to carbamate herbicides and fungicides and the incidence of CNS tumors, overall and by histological subtype. Methods: AGRICAN enrolled 181,842 participants involved in agriculture. Incident CNS tumors were identified by linkage with cancer registries from enrollment (2005–2007) until 2013. Individual exposures were assessed by combining information on lifetime periods of pesticide use on crops and the French crop-exposure matrix PESTIMAT, for each of the 14 carbamate and thiocarbamate herbicides and the 16 carbamate and dithiocarbamate fungicides registered in France since 1950. Associations were estimated using proportional hazard models with age as the underlying timescale, adjusting for gender, educational level and smoking. Results: During an average follow-up of 6.9 years, 381 incident cases of CNS tumors occurred, including 164 gliomas and 134 meningiomas. Analyses showed increased risks of CNS tumors with overall exposure to carbamate fungicides (Hazard Ratio, HR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.27–2.79) and, to a lesser extent, to carbamate herbicides (HR = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.94–2.22). Positive associations were observed with specific carbamates, including some fungicides (mancozeb, maneb, metiram) and herbicides (chlorpropham, propham, diallate) already suspected of being carcinogens in humans. Conclusions: Although some associations need to be corroborate in further studies and should be interpreted cautiously, these findings provide additional carcinogenicity evidence for several carbamate fungicides and herbicides. Keywords: Carbamates, Thiocarbamates, Dithiocarbamates, Herbicides, Fungicides, CNS tumors, Occupational exposure, Risk factors, Cohort studies

Impact of cotton dynamics on rural development: a case study of Korhogo area, in the northern and central IvoryCoast. Cotton cropping is the main cash crop in several African countries. This is the case of Mali where it provides 45 to65% of exportation incomes. Other countries can be added as Burkina Faso where cotton represents the fi rst export productgenerating 50 to 60% of foreign currency returns and Benin, in a lesser extent (only 30% of exports). Unlike these threecountries, Ivory Coast has a weaker cotton sector which counts only for less than 10% of the export incomes. Cotton is the thirdmost important industrial crop of the nation after cocoa and coffee. Nevertheless, cotton is the main cash crop and economicresource in the savannah area, although it has little relative importance at the national level. By 1995, fi bre production averages150 000 tons per annum, of which 90% are exported. The present study focuses on the particular case of the Ivorian cottonsector that benefi ted from agricultural research and extension training programs, and made it evolving within agriculturalproduction systems. As a matter of fact, cotton cropping changed from a mixed cropping with food crops into a monoculturesystem which plays as the economy driver of these regions. The fi rst part is dedicated to general comments. The second partreports on the technical impact of cotton cropping. The third part deals with the socio-economic impact, analysing the farmeragricultural incomes and their uses.

Cotton in the world, the position of African cotton and the major stakes. Cotton farming is a very old activity. More recently, cotton fi bre production impacted industrial history and allowed a tremendous rise of the textile industry. African cotton cropping, which mainly relies on rainfed agriculture, family farming and hand picking, is very different compared with the one conducted in large scale farming countries dealing with intensifi cation systems, irrigation and capital intensive management. An analysis of fundamentals of the world offer and demand for cotton initially highlights that China, UnitedStates, followed by India and Pakistan are major actors at the production level and count for more than two thirds of the worldvolumes. For several decades, the international cotton fibre consumption increased at an annual average rate that was very close to the one of the production. The main producers are also the main cotton consumers. Among them, China is the most important by far, absorbing more of the third of world consumption in 2004. This tendency will still clearly increase during next years. The large world cotton fi bre suppliers are, fi rst of all, the United States, followed by the African countries of FCFA zone. As most of the other agricultural basic commodities, the international cotton prices are characterized by a downward long-term trend. China has a strong incidence on this world market, because of its statute of fi rst producer and consumer.Production cost decrease noted in a great number of countries does not explain by itself price reduction. It is kept up with other factors: the subsidies granted by some countries to their cotton producers, in particular the United States. Cotton represents a substantial economic and social importance for the African countries which grow it, in particular those of fCFA zone. But, whereas cotton crop allowed these countries and their populations adopting undeniable socio-economic progress, it gives them nowadays a lot of trouble. Thus, after having suffered various crises during the last decades, African cotton chains are now confronted with a major crisis, without precedent by its extent. The stakes raised by cotton cropping in these African countries are numerous and complex. They constitute real challenges to be taken up. The main ones are underlined: competitive positionof African cotton in the world market; competition with synthetic fi bres; stakes of biotechnological crops; increase in the costsof the factors of production; aspects related to the quality of African cotton; diversifi cation of the productions; development ofnew cotton chains; local transformation of fi bre and valorisation of by-products; environmental concerns. In this context, we observe the emergence of African cotton farmer associations which are widening and investing, both in their own cotton chain and on the international scene, a new fi eld of infl uence.

The Observatory of Food Consumption in the Walloon Region (Belgium): why, how ? The behaviour of food products consumers is observed by several organisms. This paper gives some informations about situations abroad and in Belgium. It describes the Observatory of Food Consumption established in the Walloon Region.

Vermicomposting technique in South Vietnam. Earthworms play a major role in organic matter transformation. The vermicomposting allows to combine several advantages: the management of diversified organic wastes, and the production of earthworms and vermicompost. Crop residues and other plant wastes mixed with animal manure from individual farms can be used. In South Vietnam, farmers are rearing some livestock and growing a few number of crop species. From several years, an increasing number of vermicomposting units were set in many farms from the Ho Chi Minh City region. Two kinds of infrastructure materials are used: baked clay blocks or bamboo stems with plastic covers. In South Vietnam, all conditions are pooled to ensure an efficient earthworm production: suitable climate, available organic wastes and materials to build the vermicomposting structures. Both field plot fertility and protein feed for livestock (pigs, poultry, etc.) can be provided by rearing earthworms.

Household sheep farming : technical, socoieconomic aspects and improvement prospects in Yatenga (Burkina Faso). The paper presents a technical and socioeconomic analysis of the domestic sheep production and prospects of improvement in the province of Yatenga in the Sahelian Burkina Faso. A semistructured survey was carried out from June to September 1997 in 65 family farms distributed among 16 villages. The sheep are kept by women aged of 32.5 n 5.7 years, of the ethnic groups Mossi (80/) and Peul (20/). 75/ of the sheep are rams of Sahelian breed and 25/ are crossbreeds of Sahelian x Djalonke. The length of fattening period is 10 months on average starting at an age of 8 months and ending at 18 months. This period leads to the following expenses (in CFA francs, 1 CFA F = 0,01 French franc): purchase of the sheep (13,500 CFA F), veterinary treatments (5,000 CFA F), feed costs (15,000 CFA F), various expenses (3,350 CFA F), adding to an average total cost of 36,850 CFA F. The rams are sold to intermediate tradesmen in the village just before the Tabaski at an average price of 27,000 n 4,000 CFA F. The result shows on average a negative balance of 9,850 CFA F. Nevertheless, this sale is satisfactory for the women who do not consider as important the costs of feed which comes from the exploitation of natural resources. Three complementary ways are identified to increase profitability of household sheep fattening: 1) to improve the management of sanitary and genetic constraints ; 2) to increase average selling price of rams compared, at least, to the cost price; 3) to develop a marketing campaign emphasizing quality-price ratio and social impact of the activity.

We report a case of subcutaneous mycosis in the form of a subcutaneous cyst of the index finger, successfully treated by surgery and posaconazole in an 84-year-old female kidney transplant patient. Intra-operative mycological analysis enabled the diagnosis of Phialophora chinensis phaeohyphomycosis. Phialophora chinensis is an environmental mold recently described in human pathology in cases of chromoblastomycosis. This is the first case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to Phialophora chinensis in an immunocompromised patient.

Although charcoal production is a source of income, it is often associated with deforestation due to the felling of trees in rural areas. In this study, we quantified the yield of carbonization in the rural area of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), and identified its determinants. By analyzing 20 kilns of professional producers in different villages, we found that these charcoal producers build large kilns, which contained an average of 46.9 ± 21.5 m3 of wood from 19 species of Miombo woodland trees, with a predominance of Julbernardia paniculata (Benth.) Troupin, alongside Brachystegia microphylla Harms and B. spiciformis Benth. The average carbonization yield was 10.2%, varying from village to village due to parameters such as kiln size, quantity of wood used, kiln coverage time, wind exposure, substrate type, and tree species. It was noted that the moisture content and dimensions of the wood did not significantly correlate with the quantity of charcoal harvested per kiln. Yield improvement should, therefore, take these parameters into account to enable charcoal producers to increase their income while adopting sustainable production practices.

The place of local products in out-of-home catering and the growth of non-communicable metabolic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa raise questions. To identify the influence of the economic and social environments on this phenomenon, this study analyzes the foods and consumers concerning the main meal of the day. A survey of 180 customers from seventy-three catering establishments in the province of Haut Ogooué in southeastern Gabon was conducted. They were interviewed between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. over a month using a semi-structured questionnaire providing socio-demographic variables, foods, side dishes, cooking methods, prices, and food additives consumed in restaurants and at home. The results show that clients are disadvantaged young people (30.3 ± 9.7 years) who consume animal proteins that are less available at home. Low prices, imported food, proximity, the availability of food additives rich in oils and salts, and the possibility of consuming local side foods explain the success of out-of-home catering. The cooking and consumption patterns are conducive to the development in the long-term of non-communicable metabolic diseases.

Economists use two different approaches, unitary and collective, to analyze household decisions. The unitary approach ignores the differences between single-person and multi-person households, whereas the collective approach states that each person in the household must be characterized by specific preferences. The household’s decisions concern mainly the allocation of their income to current consumption or for savings and future consumer expenditures. This study uses the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) data collected from a random sample in 2015 in Rwanda. The ordinary least squares (OLS) method was applied to a linear regression model to estimate the household demand functions (total household consumption expenditures, household food consumption expenditures and household nonfood consumption expenditures). The results show that the socioeconomic characteristics of the household, the possession of productive assets and wealth conditions as well as the household locational controls are among the primary drivers of its consumption expenditures. The findings highlight the policy efforts that improve household human capital (education, health), access to and capitalization of productive assets and financial capital, continuous urbanization of rural areas, and sustained provision of quality infrastructure, to achieve high standards of household welfare.

Rising food security and safety concerns in developing countries have highlighted the importance of establishing efficient and dependable food distribution systems, which necessitate a thorough understanding of consumers and their needs. Thus, this study unravels consumer segments, their preferences, and socio-economic composition so that stakeholders in Pakistan’s mandarin (locally known as Kinnow) industry can improve their practices and supply consumers’ desired quality. Primary data were collected through an intercept survey of 540 mandarin consumers in four major cities of Pakistan. Collected data were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis, Mean ANOVA, and Post-Hoc tests for consumer segmentation and profiling. The study classified consumers into three groups: ‘value seekers’ (45.74%), ‘Kinnow lovers’ (26.85%), and ‘perfectionists’ (27.41%) related to their choice of various attributes of fresh mandarin fruits. The three segments significantly differed in their preferences for quality attributes, consumption and purchase preferences, and socio-economic composition. The study highlights the implications of understanding consumer preferences and market segmentation for private and public stakeholders in the mandarin industry. The existence of consumer segments with distinct quality preferences urges value chain actors to upgrade and align their practices with consumer requirements. The study findings provide insights for deciding relevant crop/cultivar mix with due consideration to geographically distinct consumer segments and land suitability. The findings may also be useful to relevant public-sector institutions in developing policies and programs for the development of the horticultural industries in Pakistan.

Background: Agricultural work can expose workers to potentially hazardous agents including known and suspected carcinogens. This study aimed to evaluate cancer incidence in male and female agricultural workers in an international consortium, AGRICOH, relative to their respective general populations. Methods: The analysis included eight cohorts that were linked to their respective cancer registries: France (AGRICAN: n = 128,101), the US (AHS: n = 51,165, MESA: n = 2,177), Norway (CNAP: n = 43,834), Australia (2 cohorts combined, Australian Pesticide Exposed Workers: n = 12,215 and Victorian Grain Farmers: n = 919), Republic of Korea (KMCC: n = 8,432), and Denmark (SUS: n = 1,899). For various cancer sites and all cancers combined, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each cohort using national or regional rates as reference rates and were combined by random-effects meta-analysis. Results: During nearly 2,800,000 person-years, a total of 23,188 cancers were observed. Elevated risks were observed for melanoma of the skin (number of cohorts = 3, meta-SIR = 1.18, CI: 1.01–1.38) and multiple myeloma (n = 4, meta-SIR = 1.27, CI: 1.04–1.54) in women and prostate cancer (n = 6, meta-SIR = 1.06, CI: 1.01–1.12), compared to the general population. In contrast, a deficit was observed for the incidence of several cancers, including cancers of the bladder, breast (female), colorectum, esophagus, larynx, lung, and pancreas and all cancers combined (n = 7, meta-SIR for all cancers combined = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77–0.90). The direction of risk was largely consistent across cohorts although we observed large between-cohort variations in SIR for cancers of the liver and lung in men and women, and stomach, colorectum, and skin in men. Conclusion: The results suggest that agricultural workers have a lower risk of various cancers and an elevated risk of prostate cancer, multiple myeloma (female), and melanoma of skin (female) compared to the general population. Those differences and the between-cohort variations may be due to underlying differences in risk factors and warrant further investigation of agricultural exposures.

BackgroundRecently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans.ObjectivesThe authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed.DiscussionWe concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed.ConclusionsThe IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

A value chain integrated Structure Conduct Performance (SCP) framework applied in agribusiness products in general and fishery products, in particular, is of great significance in conceptualizing strategy design specifically to a value chain segment in a territory in terms of economic development. This study analysed the market structure and financial performance of each actor in the tuna value chain in three South Central provinces of Vietnam to provide an overview of the economic efficiency of the value chain. We interviewed 315 respondents, including shipowners, middle-persons, and processors, directly related to the tuna value chain in 2018. The market concentration of each actor was quantitatively determined by the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. Actor's financial performance was calculated by costs and earnings models. The results showed that the market structure of middle-persons and processors tended to be monopolistic while shipowner's market structure tended to be in perfect competition. The processors received the highest return compared to other actors due to their highest value-added contribution and the most significant business scale. Several policy interventions were suggested to improve the economic efficiency of the value chain. Keywords: Market Structure, Market Concentration, Market Performance, Tuna Value Chain, Vietnam. JEL Classifications: M, Q, R DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.11911

Impact of non-agricultural activities on food security in mountainous South Kivu. According to the results of the participatory poverty analysis (28), the current economic and financial crisis, which is now extending to all underdeveloped and developing countries, is severely affecting the economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, more specifically, rural households in South Kivu province, which are affected by unprecedented recurring crises that plunge them into severe and unsustainable poverty. Paradoxically, these farmers, whose role is to provide healthy and abundant food to the Congolese population, are among the least well-fed. The objective of this study is to diagnose the impact of non-agricultural activity on household food security in mountainous South Kivu in the Luhwindja chieftaincy community. The results revealed that 37% of the rural households considered derive part of their income from non-agricultural activities, which improves their food security, while 63% of households with only agriculture as a means of subsistence had a critical level of food security because they were unable to obtain 2400 kilocalories per day per person. The non-agricultural sector and income from non-farming activities are therefore very important and contribute significantly to the economy of rural households because of their influence on the standard of living of households and their food security.

Despite repeated wars and the persistence of feudal land tenure, the agricultural sector is at the center of economic activity for most rural households in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study aims to assess the competitivity of the agricultural sector in relation to other sectors of economic activity, such as mining. To achieve this aim, it analyses and compares the agricultural incomes of different farmers. It also compares these incomes with their incomes from other sectors of economic activity. This study paid particular attention to two factors of production which may explain the differences in income between farms, namely access to land and family agricultural work labor. A survey was carried out among the 33 dynamic and efficient farmers selected on the basis of the results of previous research carried out in Kalehe territory, sud-Kivu province. Households selected depend almost entirely on agriculture and their agricultural activity makes up 91% of the overall household income. Statistical analysis suggests two important facts. First, there are no relation between the mode of access to land, family labor and rural households' income level. Second, it is only the area farmed and the number of fields that have an impact on overall household income. Keywords: agricultural sector, land tenure, farm income, farm households, poverty, South Kivu JEL Classifications: Q1, Q12, Q15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.10793

Agriculture plays a prominent role in the economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has considerable production potential. One of the most populous and poorest provinces in DRC is South Kivu, where many people live below the poverty line. This paper aimed to understand agricultural development’s role in reducing poverty and maintaining rural households’ food security in the DRC. This study developed a questionnaire to evaluate the household identity, source of income, access to land, crops grown on the land, farming and animal husbandry practices, and constraints faced by households in relation to agriculture. The survey included meetings with farm heads, data collection from 120 households on household characteristics of their livelihoods (human capital, land capital, social capital, financial, etc.), as well as an overview of living conditions and income from agricultural activities. The data were processed and analyzed using R 3.6.2 and Excel software. The results showed that access to land is problematic with relatively small farms, especially when one considers that household size is high and therefore, the “area per farm” ratio is low. Moreover, agriculture generates very little income and it is therefore very difficult for a farmer to emerge from poverty. As a result, implementing an effective and equitable anti-poverty policy in rural areas is important to address the issue of farming household incomes and target low incomes from all sources of income.

The study aimed to assess the farmers' cooperatives impact on the socio-economic living conditions of their members in North of Burundi. A research survey was conducted on two farmers' groups such as a sample of 90 farmers randomly chosen in three main cooperatives and a control sample of 60 non-members. Data were analyzed with a comparative approach of descriptive statistics. Among six main food crops considered by the study, results show a significant contribution of the cooperative only on bananas' production (p=0,075). Moreover, members gain a cost reduction of 50% per kg in maize milling or rice dehulling. Thanks to the multiple financial opportunities within the cooperative, members improve the quality of their houses (12%), subscribe supplementary health insurance (38%), pay easily the school fees for their children and equip themselves with household equipment. Finally, the value of solidarity among members enhances the spirit of confidence and cohesion in the community. Keywords: Farmers' cooperatives, impact, socio-economic living conditions, rural households JEL Classifications: O22, Q12, Q13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.8981

In the context of globalization, the success of a firm to sell its products on international and regional markets depends on the type of governance exercised in a given sector. This article mobilizes a theoretical framework of global value chain governance to analyze the type of governance exercised in the tea sector in Burundi. A qualitative analysis of data from a survey of 120 small tea farmers in the Ijenda and Teza areas reveals that control and coordination in the sector is ensured by captive governance. In addition, a stagnation of the price of the green leaf tea over a decade generates a lack of interest in the tea farming out on small farming areas. Only 25% of small tea farmers in Ijenda and 36% in Teza want an extension. Keywords: captive governance, market governance, global value chain, Tea. JEL Classifications: O13, O21, P32, P42 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.8857

Rwanda’s Land Policy Reform promotes agri-business and encourages self-employment. This paper aims to analyze the situation from a self-employment perspective when dealing with expropriation risk in rural areas. In this study, we conducted a structured survey addressed to 63 domestic units, complemented by focus groups of 47 participants from Kimonyi Sector. The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that having job alternatives, men heading domestic units, literacy skills in English, and owning land lease certificates (p < 0.05) are positively and significantly related to awareness of land expropriation risk. The decision of the head of the domestic unit to practice the main activity under self-employment status is positively influenced by owning a land lease certificate, number of plots, and French skills, while skills in English and a domestic unit’s size have a positive and significant influence on involvement in a second activity as self-employed. Information on expropriation risk has no significant effect on self-employment. The domestic unit survey revealed that 34.9% of the heads of domestic units only have one job, 47.6% have at least two jobs in their everyday life, 12.7% have a minimum of three jobs, and 4.8% are inactive. The focus group synthesis exposed the limits to self-employment ability and facilities.

Circulating miRNAs are promising biomarkers in oncology but have not yet been implemented in the clinic given the lack of concordance across studies. In order to increase the cross‐studies reliability, we attempted to reduce and to control the circulating miRNA expression variability between patients. First, to maximize profiling signals and to reduce miRNA expression variability, three isolation kits were compared and the NucleoSpin® kit provided higher miRNA concentrations than the other widely used kits. Second, to control inter‐sample variability during the profiling step, the exogenous miRNAs normalization method commonly used for RT‐qPCR validation step was adapted to microarray experiments. Importantly, exogenous miRNAs presented two‐fold lower inter‐sample variability than the widely used endogenous miR‐16‐5p reflecting that the latter is subject to both biological and technical variability. Although Caenorhabditis elegans miRNAs isolation yields were heterogeneous, they correlated to each other and to their geometrical mean across samples. The normalization based on the geometrical mean of three exogenous miRNAs increased the correlation up‐to 0.97 between the microarrays and individual RT‐qPCR steps of circulating miRNAs expression. Overall, this new strategy open new avenue to identify reliable circulating miRNA signatures for translation into clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent cancers among men worldwide. Its etiology is largely unknown, but an increased risk has been repeatedly observed among farmers. Our aim was to identify occupational risk factors for prostate cancer among farmers in the prospective cohort study AGRICAN. METHODS: Data on lifetime agricultural exposures (type of crops, livestock and tasks including pesticide use, re-entry and harvesting) were collected from the enrolment questionnaire. During the period from enrolment (2005–2007) to 31 December 2009, 1672 incident prostate cancers were identified. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: We found an increased risk for cattle breeders using insecticides [HR 1.20, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01–1.42] with a significant dose–response relationship with number of cattle treated (P for trend 0.01). A dose–response relationship was also observed with the number of hogs (P for trend 0.06). We found an excess of prostate cancer risk among people involved in grassland activities, mainly in haymaking (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02–1.36). Pesticide use and harvesting among fruit growers were associated with an elevated prostate cancer risk, with a two-fold increased risk for the largest area. For potato and tobacco producers, an elevated prostate cancer risk was observed for almost all tasks, suggesting a link with pesticide exposure since all of them potentially involved pesticide exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that the risk of prostate cancer is increased in several farming activities (cattle and hog breeding, grassland and fruit-growing) and for some tasks including pesticide use.