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Agriculture
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Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition
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Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3376

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florentina-Cristina Merciu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 0010041 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: identity heritage assessment and responsible resource management; representations of territorial identity and development; deindustrialization and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage; territorial dynamics; urban planning; urban regeneration; economic geography; geography of resources; rural development in less-favoured areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Camelia Teodorescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 0010041 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: economics; cultural geography; sustainable rural economy; social economics; economic impacts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural citizen science covers various activities related to close collaboration between groups and communities, in which scientists, decision makers, and organizations shape the aim, field, and scientific methods used. This provides scientific discoveries and expert stakeholders, as well as volunteers to consolidate results and improve projects focused on identifying viable solutions for sustainable agriculture. The concept of citizen science is less used in the development of sustainable agricultural practices, although it has great potential to motivate rural communities to become involved in projects focused on identifying ways to capitalize on their strengths and overcome challenges. In the current context of climate change, globalization, the COVID-19 crisis, and armed conflicts, which have multiple negative effects on agriculture and food security, it is a real challenge to ensure a balance between improving the efficiency of agricultural production and ensuring a low environmental impact. Positive results can be obtained based on the implementation of participatory projects using the existing infrastructure and tools of extension programmes.

The importance of this topic justifies the continuation of the previous Special Issue. This edition aims to offer new perspectives on the importance on the wider use of citizen science in agriculture, with a particular focus on its impact on sustainable regional development. This Special Issue welcomes submissions on the following topics: the role of citizen science in addressing challenges in agriculture and food research, citizen science and the efficient use of resources in enhancing food safety, citizen science and the impacts of climate change on agriculture, and even emerging opportunities in relation to agricultural citizen science (namely, the role of technology; involving citizen scientists in local decision making, in linking agriculture with other economic sectors, and in sustainable tourism in rural areas; emergency management and rural extension; and Geographic Information Systems as a tool for the sustainable development of rural areas). Original research articles and reviews are accepted.

Dr. Florentina-Cristina Merciu
Dr. Camelia Teodorescu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable rural development
  • community engagement
  • capacity building
  • innovative strategies
  • agricultural economics
  • agricultural policies
  • agricultural planning
  • food security
  • climate impacts
  • environmental impacts
  • rural extension

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 629 KiB  
Article
Beyond the Guestroom: Financial and Promotional Dimensions of Eco-Friendly Rural Hospitality in Agricultural Landscapes
by Aleksandra Vujko, Dušan Mandić, Aleksa Panić, Maja Obradović, Ana Obradović, Ilija Savić and Ivana Brdar
Agriculture 2025, 15(15), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151610 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 232
Abstract
This study explores sustainable rural tourism entrepreneurship within the Urlaub am Bauernhof (UaB) cooperative network in Austria, offering an integrated model that unites financial, social, environmental, institutional, and marketing dimensions. Employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on data from [...] Read more.
This study explores sustainable rural tourism entrepreneurship within the Urlaub am Bauernhof (UaB) cooperative network in Austria, offering an integrated model that unites financial, social, environmental, institutional, and marketing dimensions. Employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on data from 393 farm-based accommodation stakeholders, this research identifies sustainable entrepreneurship as comprising six interconnected dimensions: Economic Resilience and Diversification, Sociocultural Integration, Environmental and Regional Commitment, Market Visibility and Strategic Communication, Quality Assurance and Institutional Support, and Perceived Value and Branding. This multidimensional and hierarchically structured framework reflects the complex yet coherent nature of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship in cooperative tourism networks. The findings confirm the multidimensional nature of sustainable entrepreneurship and support the hypothesized structural relationships. The UaB network is presented as a transferable model that demonstrates how cooperative frameworks can enhance sustainability, regional identity, and rural revitalization, offering valuable insights and practical guidance for rural regions in the Western Balkans, where economic challenges, depopulation, and underdeveloped tourism infrastructure prevail. By illustrating a successful cooperative approach rooted in sustainability and regional identity, this study contributes to policy-making aimed at fostering resilient, culturally rich, and environmentally responsible rural tourism entrepreneurship in transitioning contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition)
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14 pages, 283 KiB  
Article
Between the Farm and Family: A Cross-Sectional Survey on Work–Family Conflict in Farmers in Ireland
by Siobhán O’Connor, Anna Donnla O’Hagan, Hannah Casey, Annie O’Connor, Mark Creegan, Alison Stapleton, Louise McHugh, Tomás Russell and Sinéad O’Keeffe
Agriculture 2025, 15(15), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151587 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 337
Abstract
Farming is a uniquely demanding occupation, with family and work often deeply intertwined. Whilst this integration is common amongst the agricultural sector in Ireland (99.7% farms classified as family), it can lead to a conflict of responsibilities, but this has not been examined [...] Read more.
Farming is a uniquely demanding occupation, with family and work often deeply intertwined. Whilst this integration is common amongst the agricultural sector in Ireland (99.7% farms classified as family), it can lead to a conflict of responsibilities, but this has not been examined to date. Therefore, this study aimed to examine work–family conflict (WFC) in farmers in Ireland, and if WFC differs based on socio-demographic factors, mental health, social support and farm-specific stressors. A cross-sectional study examined WFC in 446 farmers in Ireland. Depression, anxiety, stress, suicidality, general mental health, psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, self-experience, perceived social support, farm stress and attachment were also measured. Participants reported moderately high levels of WFC (25.1 ± 7.2). Being younger, male, having children aged 5 years or less, higher reported working hours on the farm, higher farm-specific stressors, and lower psychological flexibility contributed to higher WFC. In addition, lower social support, mental health and psychological skills were significantly associated with higher WFC. Future research should consider the integrated nature of work and family in farm life and use a qualitative approach to further understand gendered experiences of WFC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition)
23 pages, 1572 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Government Intervention in Rural Tourism Development on Residents’ Income: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from China
by Shuaishuai Li, Shuping Shen, Yang Hu and Ruiqi Sun
Agriculture 2025, 15(12), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15121269 - 11 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1004
Abstract
The examination of government intervention in rural tourism within developing countries remains a critical area of academic inquiry. This study investigates the relationship between government intervention in rural tourism and the income growth of rural residents by utilizing a Difference-in-Differences method based on [...] Read more.
The examination of government intervention in rural tourism within developing countries remains a critical area of academic inquiry. This study investigates the relationship between government intervention in rural tourism and the income growth of rural residents by utilizing a Difference-in-Differences method based on county-level data from the China County-Level Statistical Yearbooks from 2006 to 2022. The findings indicate that government-supported rural tourism development significantly promotes income growth among rural populations. This effect can be attributed to three key mechanisms: stimulation of entrepreneurial activity, promotion of related industrial development, and optimization of resource allocation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the income-enhancing effect is more pronounced in counties with stronger economic foundations, more developed agricultural sectors, and favorable geographic conditions. However, the intervention has not significantly reduced the urban–rural income gap or reversed the declining trend in the labor income share, suggesting that more targeted and inclusive strategies are needed. These findings offer important policy implications for developing countries aiming to foster rural revitalization through industrial policy instruments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition)
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18 pages, 2671 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Temporal Changes in Evapotranspiration and Crop Water Requirements in the Context of Changing Climate: Case Study of the Northern Bucharest–Ilfov Development Region, Romania
by Florentina Iuliana Mincu, Daniel Constantin Diaconu, Dana Maria Oprea Constantin and Daniel Peptenatu
Agriculture 2025, 15(11), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15111227 - 4 Jun 2025
Viewed by 693
Abstract
Climate change has a complex impact on the agricultural crop system, with knowledge of the processes being necessary to assist decisions that guide the adaptation of society to profound structural changes. This study aims to highlight the main changes generated by the modification [...] Read more.
Climate change has a complex impact on the agricultural crop system, with knowledge of the processes being necessary to assist decisions that guide the adaptation of society to profound structural changes. This study aims to highlight the main changes generated by the modification of climatic parameters (increasing air temperature, humidity and precipitation and decreasing wind speed) on agricultural crops in a region with important changes in its economic profile due to urban extension and land use modification. The analysis methodology is based on the Cropwat software to highlight the temporal variability of crop evapotranspiration, effective rain and water requirements for different crops—strawberry, sunflower and pea—and the possibility of using other types of crops with higher yield and lower water needs. The methodology used highlights this fact, showing that major changes are needed in the choice of crop schemes and future technological processes in the current context of climate change. The current results of the study, conducted over a period of 30 years (1991–2020), showed that the climatic, land use and economic changes in the study area have led to a decrease in evapotranspiration and crop water requirements due to the amounts of precipitation that can provide for the water needs of strawberry, sunflower and pea crops. The irrigation requirements during the analysis period 1991–2020 varied from <10 mm/year to 120 mm/year for strawberry crops, and can exceed 300 mm/year for sunflower and pea crops, having higher values in years with a precipitation deficit (effective rain less than 100 mm). Analyzing the irrigation requirements during the vegetation growing seasons shows that for pea and strawberry the trend is decreasing, but without a significance level. Only for the sunflower crop is an increasing trend recorded in the initial and late stages. The results obtained provide a methodological framework as well as concrete information for decision-makers in the field of agriculture who must build adaptation mechanisms for climate challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition)
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22 pages, 5573 KiB  
Article
Research on Spatial–Temporal Differences and Convergence Characteristics of Ecological Total Factor Productivity of Cultivated Land Use in China
by Shanwei Li, Yongchang Wu, Guangxuan Dai and Xueyuan Chen
Agriculture 2025, 15(11), 1172; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15111172 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 529
Abstract
The scientific evaluation of ecological total factor productivity of cultivated land use (ETFPCLU) is fundamental for advancing sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and safeguarding national food security and ecological stability. Using the epsilon-based measure and the global Malmquist–Luenberger (EBM–GML) index, this study [...] Read more.
The scientific evaluation of ecological total factor productivity of cultivated land use (ETFPCLU) is fundamental for advancing sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and safeguarding national food security and ecological stability. Using the epsilon-based measure and the global Malmquist–Luenberger (EBM–GML) index, this study quantifies and decomposes ETFPCLU across China. Spatial–temporal variations and convergence patterns are systematically investigated via an analytical toolkit comprising the spatial mismatch index, Dagum’s Gini coefficient decomposition, and convergence models. The results indicate that Chinese ETFPCLU increased by an average of 2.1% per year from 2001 to 2022, primarily attributed to technical change (TC), with limited contributions from efficiency change (EC). The spatial mismatch between ETFPCLU and TC, as well as EC, is predominantly characterized by low to medium mismatch types, exhibiting a high degree of spatial distribution similarity; inter-regional differences are the main contributors to regional disparities. Furthermore, except for the central region, significant σ-convergence exists in ETFPCLU across the country and in other regions, alongside absolute β-convergence and conditional β-convergence in the four major regions. The analysis concludes that to enhance ETFPCLU, it is essential to strengthen technological innovation, synergistically improve technological efficiency, formulate ecological protection policies tailored to local conditions, and foster collaboration among regions for cultivated land protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development—Second Edition)
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