Commodities

Agricultural seeds are sold as commodities yet seed quality can be non-uniform. Despite the extensive literature showing that plasma treatments of seeds provides advantages for many crops, lettuce studies, particularly in indoor farming systems, are limited. This study provides a systematic investigation of the impacts of non-thermal plasma treatments with various feed gases (N₂, O₂, dry air, and wet air) on the germination and growth characteristics of four lettuce cultivars (Red Oakleaf (RO), Black Simpson (BS), Valley Heart Romaine (VHR), and Paris Romaine (PR)) under controlled cultivation conditions in an agrivoltaic agrotunnel. Although the germination time was not conclusively affected by the treatments, the results show a complex interaction between germination rate and yield across the different cultivars and plasma treatments. Except for PR seeds (77.8% vs. 65.8% control), wet air plasma treatments increased germination rates by 18.7–100% over controls for all other cultivars. In yield analysis, wet air treatment had the strongest effect, especially for VHR (51.7 vs. 42.5 g/pot). Treatments did not notably affect RO. For BS, N₂ treatment gave the highest increase (54.2 vs. 48.1 g/pot), while PR responded best to O₂ treatment (58.4 vs. 51.8 g/pot). The energy consumption of plasma treatments was negligible for all treatments, while labor costs for small batches of seeds accounted for the largest share of secondary operating costs (839, 622, and 659 h/year, respectively for BS, VHR, and PR). Despite additional expenses, including labor, O&M, and degradation costs, the reduced seed requirements from higher germination rates and higher yield increased net profit by 12.0% compared to untreated cultivation in the most impacted (Valley Heart Romaine) lettuce. There is an opportunity for further cost optimization of the non-thermal plasma treatment for each type of lettuce seed.

Mexican octopus fisheries play an important role in both domestic and international seafood markets, yet little is known about the determinants of retail price in the national frozen octopus sector. This study examines how trade flows and domestic demand interact to shape price dynamics, providing insights into sustainability challenges. Multiple linear regression was employed to test the influence of economic, production, and trade variables on retail prices, based on annual data from 2010 to 2024. The best-performing model identified average daily salary, apparent consumption and import value as significant determinants, explaining more than 90% of the observed variation. Results show that rising salaries and greater domestic consumption are exerting upward pressure on prices, while imports, although limited, contribute to price moderation. Export values have declined, signaling a weakening role of the international markets. These findings suggest that domestic demand is becoming increasingly important for sustaining value in the sector, but this shift could intensify fishing pressure on wild stocks. Strengthening compliance with management measures and aligning policies with domestic market realities are crucial to ensuring long-term sustainability of the Mexican octopus supply.

This paper investigates whether participation in Zambia’s social cash transfer programme (SCTP) improves household dietary diversity among ultra-poor rural households. While cash transfers are widely implemented across sub-Saharan Africa as social protection measures, empirical evidence regarding their impact on nutritional status remains mixed. This study focuses on dietary diversity, a proxy for nutrition quality, and uses data from the 2015 Rural Agricultural Livelihood Survey (RALS). The analysis employs propensity score matching to control for demographic differences between recipient and non-recipient households, followed by a regression analysis to examine the association between SCTP participation and dietary diversity scores. The findings reveal no statistically significant association between receiving social cash transfers and higher household dietary diversity. In contrast, positive predictors of dietary diversity included household remittances, own production of animal-source foods, and maize sales. Notably, households that relied on foraging exhibited significantly lower dietary diversity, suggesting foraging may be a coping strategy among food-insecure households. These results imply that while the SCTP may enhance household income stability, it does not necessarily translate into improved diet quality. This study contributes to the ongoing policy debate on the effectiveness of cash-based interventions in improving nutrition outcomes. It highlights the need to complement cash transfers with interventions that support food production and access, particularly in rural settings where market and infrastructure limitations persist.