Search Results (39)

Agrarian women are at the forefront of rural livelihoods increasingly affected by the frequency and severity of climate change impacts. However, their household livelihood resilience (HLR) remains limited due to gender-blind policies, scarce sex-disaggregated data, and inadequate consideration of gender-specific needs in resilience-building efforts. Grounded in participatory feminist research, this study employed a multi-method qualitative approach, including semi-structured interviews and oral history narratives, with 60 women in two climate-vulnerable provinces. Data were analyzed through thematic coding, CATWOE (Customers, Actors, Transformation, Worldview, Owners, Environmental Constraints) analysis, and descriptive statistics. The findings identify nine major climate-related events disrupting livelihoods and reveal a limited understanding of HLR as a long-term, transformative concept. Adaptation strategies remain short-term and focused on immediate survival. Barriers to HLR include financial constraints, limited access to agricultural resources and technology, and entrenched gender norms restricting women’s leadership and decision-making. While local governments, women’s associations, and community networks provide some support, gaps in accessibility and adequacy persist. Participants expressed the need for financial assistance, vocational training, agricultural technologies, and stronger peer networks. Strengthening HLR among agrarian women requires gender-sensitive policies, investment in local support systems, and community-led initiatives. Empowering agrarian women as agents of change is critical for fostering resilient rural livelihoods and achieving inclusive, sustainable development. Full article

Traditional villages (TVs) and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) serve as dual carriers for the living transmission of agrarian civilization, with their spatial compatibility being crucial for the sustainable development of cultural ecosystems. Existing research shows deficiencies in quantitative analysis, multidimensional driving mechanism interpretation, and spatial heterogeneity identification. This study establishes a three-phase framework (“spatial pattern identification–spatial relationship analysis–impact mechanism assessment”) using nationwide data encompassing 8155 TVs and 3587 ICH elements. Through the comprehensive application of the spatial mismatch index, Optimal-Parameter Geographic Detector (OPGD), and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, we systematically reveal their spatial differentiation patterns and driving mechanisms. Key findings: First, TVs exhibit a “three-primary-core and two-secondary-core” strong agglomeration pattern, while ICH shows multi-center balanced distribution. Significant positive spatial correlation coexists with prevalent mismatch: 65% of China’s territory displays positive mismatch (ICH dominance) and 35% displays negative mismatch (TV dominance). Second, the spatial mismatch mechanism follows a “weakened natural foundation with dual drivers of socio-economic dynamics and cultural policy momentum”, where the GDP, tertiary industry ratio, general public budget expenditure, number of ICH inheritors, museums, and key cultural relic protection units emerge as dominant factors. Third, core drivers demonstrate significant spatial heterogeneity, with economic factors showing differentiated regulation while cultural policy elements exhibit distinct regional dependency. The proposed “economy–culture” dual governance approach, featuring cross-scale analysis methods and three-dimensional indicator system innovation, holds practical value for optimizing cultural heritage spatial governance paradigms. Full article

Under the global climate governance framework, the Paris Agreement and the China–U.S. Glasgow Joint Declaration established a non-negotiable target of limiting 21st-century temperature rise to 1.5 °C. To date, over 130 nations have pledged carbon neutrality by mid-century, with agricultural activities contributing 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The spatiotemporal dynamics of these emissions critically determine the operational efficacy of carbon peaking and neutrality strategies. While China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commit to achieving carbon peaking by 2030, a policy gap persists regarding differentiated implementation pathways at the county level. Addressing this challenge, this study selects the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGRA)—a region characterized by monocultural cropping systems and intensive fertilizer dependency—as a representative case. Guided by IPCC emission accounting protocols, we systematically evaluate spatiotemporal distribution patterns of agricultural CH₄ and N₂O emissions across 18 county-level units from 2006 to 2020. The investigation advances through two sequential phases: Mechanistic drivers analysis: employing the STIRPAT model, we quantify bidirectional effects (positive/negative) of critical determinants—including agricultural mechanization intensity and grain productivity—on CH₄/N₂O emission fluxes. Pathway scenario prediction: We construct three developmental scenarios (low-carbon transition, business-as-usual, and high-resource dependency) integrated with regional planning parameters. This framework enables the identification of optimal peaking chronologies for each county and proposes gradient peaking strategies through spatial zoning, thereby resolving fragmented carbon governance in agrarian counties. Methodologically, we establish a multi-scenario simulation architecture incorporating socioeconomic growth thresholds and agroecological constraints. The derived decision-support system provides empirically grounded solutions for aligning subnational climate actions with global mitigation targets. Full article

In the dialogue between “wind” and “earth”, terroir-built heritage and the natural environment together construct the cultural landscape of agrarian civilization. Understanding historical heritage within the broader landscape system and recognizing the cultural connotations and collective spatial memory embedded in this dialogue are crucial for identifying the value of heritage, excavating urban history, and promoting high-quality development. This article examines the Water-distributing Shrine landscape structure (WSLS)—a Japanese model comprising four spatial elements: focus, boundary, direction, and domain—and explores its relevance for interpreting the spatial logic of Chinese historical cities. The study adopts a visual-analytical method combining literature review, historical document analysis, field observation, and diagrammatic interpretation. Through a case study of Taiyuan, a city shaped by the Fen River and surrounding mountain systems, this study analyzes the historical characteristics of WSLS elements, reconstructs Taiyuan’s cultural landscape structure, and proposes integrated heritage conservation strategies. Rather than treating cultural relics as isolated objects, the approach emphasizes structural relationships between nature and culture, revealing how spatial configuration encodes collective values. This study aims to preserve the spatial logic and symbolic landscape system of agrarian civilizations and offers a reference for other Chinese cities seeking to rediscover and protect their historical landscape heritage. Full article

To achieve agricultural modernization, agricultural land must be operated on a large scale. The primary means of encouraging massive operations is through the conveyance of farmland. This is crucial for advancing China’s digital farming. In this article, the degree of digital farming growth is evaluated via the entropy value approach, the impact of farmland transfer on digital agricultural development is analyzed via fixed effects and mediating effects, and the mediating role of resource allocation in farming land transfer to advance digital agriculture growth is investigated. It has been found that agrarian land transfer can effectively stimulate the growth of digital farming. From the mediating effect, farmland transfer fosters the advancement of digital agriculture by transferring farm labor and increasing the input of digital capital. According to heterogeneity analysis, the impact of agricultural land transfer on advancing digital agriculture is more pronounced in eastern and central China. Relevant countermeasures are proposed to enhance the farmland transfer system to promote the large-scale operation of digital agriculture, to increase the input of digital capital to support the growth and construction of digital agriculture, and to improve the regional talent flow mechanism and technological innovation environment to attract from and retain technical talent in digital agriculture. Full article

The agrarian continent of Africa has many fruits with nutritional, medicinal and spiritual values. Regardless, Africa leads the statistics of poor healthcare globally. Two major challenges in Africa’s healthcare system are poor access and the high cost of medical healthcare. Among others, the effects of such challenges include low responsiveness to medical treatment and a high mortality rate. However, it seems the nosophobia that accompanied the global mortality rate during the COVID-19 pandemic may have triggered a spiritually influenced alternative. One of the traditional alternatives was a subscription to Garcinia Kola, popularly known as Bitter Kola (BK). This article, majoring in spiritual and not psychological influence, raised a hypothetical question: does spirituality influence Africans’ traditional response to COVID-19? To answer this question, Sunnyside in Pretoria was chosen as a demography to investigate the hypothesis. Data were collected via mixed research methods. There were 16 qualitative respondents, including sellers, herbalists and clergies, and 75 consumers as quantitative respondents under probability sampling. The results analysed using Excel and Python’s regression analysis demonstrated strong connections between consumers’ spiritual motivations, the sales period, the sales rate, and the swift traditional response to the pandemic and related illnesses. The outcome validated the influence of spirituality on 60.9% of quantitative respondents and showed how 25–72% responded to COVID-19 symptoms with BK. Likewise, 87.5% of qualitative respondents consumed BK via indigenous spiritual knowledge in response to the pandemic. Subsequently, this article discussed the benefits, limitations and lessons of spiritual influence on BK consumption in the post-COVID-19 era. Full article

This paper reviews, compares, and critically evaluates two broad groups of sustainable agriculture models: “sustainable agriculture” and “sustainable agrifood systems”. The “sustainable agriculture” models—comprising organic farming, regenerative agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, carbon-capture agriculture, and nature-based solutions—focus primarily on improving ecological sustainability through farm-level practices. These models emphasize reducing external, industrial inputs, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting climate resilience, relying on technological and market-based solutions to address environmental concerns. On the other hand, the “sustainable agrifood systems” models—agroecology, alternative food networks, and permaculture—offer more ambitious visions of systemic transformation. These approaches not only seek to implement environmentally sound practices but also aim to reconfigure the broader food system by challenging corporate power, promoting local governance, fostering food sovereignty, and prioritizing social justice. Grounded in grassroots movements, these models emphasize social justice and economic viability in addition to ecological sustainability. This paper’s contribution lies in its comparative analysis of the wide array of sustainable alternatives, highlighting both their strengths and limitations. Adopting an agrarian political economy perspective, it critiques the former camp for limited engagement with structural issues inherent in capitalist agriculture and the latter camp for underplaying the importance of industrial agriculture for national development in the Global South. Full article

This study reconstructs the recent history of Therasia by examining the interplay between traditional settlements and the island’s natural and agricultural landscape. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates spatial and architectural analysis, historical records, and NDVI-based vegetation mapping, this research highlights the significant impact of agrarian structures like dry-stone walls and terraces on the environment. The unique dry-stone wall and terrace system is shown to have been crucial for both spatial organization and the survival of Therasia’s inhabitants. This study also addresses the challenges of dating these structures, employing a relative dating methodology to establish a timeline of habitation from the late medieval period to the present. This research reconstructs the island’s recent history, from early seasonal settlements to the eventual decline of rural architecture in the 20th century. The findings indicate that settlement patterns were closely linked to environmental and geomorphological factors, with the evolution of these sites driven by agricultural practices and broader socio-economic changes. This research not only reconstructs Therasia’s past, but also proposes a novel methodological framework combining remote sensing with traditional historical analysis, offering new insights into the relationship between human settlements and the environment in the Aegean region. Full article

Organic agriculture represents an alternative system of agricultural production that is included in the so-called sustainable agricultural practices. Development strategies in almost all countries today highlight the problem of environmental degradation, which is partly caused by the application of agrotechnical measures used in conventional agriculture. Consequently, organic production is gaining more and more importance, affecting the trend of its development. Considering the status of the Republic of Serbia as a candidate country for the European Union, it is of particular importance to understand the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU and the position that organic producers and production have. The aim of this research was to analyze the attitudes of organic producers towards the CAP and the agrarian policy of the Republic of Serbia and their expectations following the Republic of Serbia’s entry into the EU. Statistical data processing involved descriptive statistical analysis followed by binary logistic regression. The results of the research showed that organic producers are not sufficiently familiar with the CAP, they believe that the agricultural policy of the Republic of Serbia is not favorable for organic producers and that their situation will not change significantly with entry into the EU, but that the position of organic production in the EU is better in comparison to that of the Republic of Serbia. In conclusion, the authors state that such attitudes and thoughts of organic producers are a limiting factor in the further development of organic agriculture and that it is necessary to work on them through continuous measures developed by competent ministries, local self-governments and advisory services. Full article

Water is an essential element for agricultural sustainability. In volcanic islands, freshwater sources are limited, challenging the local farming water supply. Rainfall dependence in the Galapagos Islands limits continuous agriculture, and despite using natural water sources, their irrigation quality is little known. This study aimed to carry out a control–diagnosis of irrigation water quality of the natural sources of the four agrarian islands of the Galapagos, considering water quality parameters for the proposal of sustainability strategies in the water and agricultural context. The workflow included (i) freshwater supply situation diagnosis, (ii) physicochemical parameters measurement and hydrochemical characterisation, and (iii) irrigation analysis and sustainability strategies configuration. Results indicated that of the 34 sources analysed, 55.88% are suitable for irrigation and are located in San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. The remaining 44.12% showed problems with parameters such as faecal coliforms, salinity, metals, carbonates, BOD₅, and COD above the national permitted limits. Six strategies for water and agricultural sustainability are proposed, including periodic water monitoring, academy–government–community projects, community water board creation, water sowing and harvesting systems, effective management of effluent, and agricultural strengthening. The study guides comprehensive hydric management initiatives to benefit agrarian development and food security, aligning with SDGs 2 and 6. Full article

Changes in land-use practices have been a central element of human adaptation to Holocene climate change. Many practices that result in the short-term stabilization of socio-natural systems, however, have longer-term, unanticipated consequences that present cascading challenges for human subsistence strategies and opportunities for subsequent adaptations. Investigating complex sequences of interaction between climate change and human land-use in the past—rather than short-term causes and effects—is therefore essential for understanding processes of adaptation and change, but this approach has been stymied by a lack of suitably-scaled paleoecological data. Through a high-resolution paleoecological analysis, we provide a 7000-year history of changing climate and land management around Lake Acopia in the Andes of southern Peru. We identify evidence of the onset of pastoralism, maize cultivation, and possibly cultivation of quinoa and potatoes to form a complex agrarian landscape by c. 4300 years ago. Cumulative interactive climate-cultivation effects resulting in erosion ended abruptly c. 2300 years ago. After this time, reduced sedimentation rates are attributed to the construction and use of agricultural terraces within the catchment of the lake. These results provide new insights into the role of humans in the manufacture of Andean landscapes and the incremental, adaptive processes through which land-use practices take shape. Full article

The policy of payments for environmental services is implemented in public policies in Brazil, and there are many efforts to increase projects that subsidize rural producers, combining payments with incentives for good agricultural practices that promote these services. Thinking about ways to add these values in projects to restore degraded areas is an opportunity to generate monetary benefits for producers and attractiveness for stakeholders, aiming to increase investments in projects of this nature and gain scale in the restoration of these areas. In this way, this study evaluated the financial viability of a project to implement 16.9 hectares of agroforestry systems in agrarian reform settlements located in the Descoberto HydrographicBasin near Brasília, Federal District, and the proposition of a scenario of payment for environmental services associated with adoption of this agricultural practice by producers. The results were promising for both investors and farmers, as demonstrated by the financial analysis criteria (NPV: USD 63,097.49, IRR: 71%, simple payback: 3 years). The PES scenario was even more attractive, proving to be an encouraging increase for the adoption of this practice by producers. Full article

Agriculture is the principal source for satisfying the growing global demand for food. However, current production patterns and socioeconomic and demographic pressures could lead to an unsustainable, inequitable food supply. Government interventions support technical advances designed to meet future needs following international trends while overcoming biophysical constraints. Those most often used are focused on augmenting land productivity through mechanisation and increased dependence on external inputs. To that end, public policies have emerged as engines of development in agriculture and the agri-food system. This article provides a chronological analysis of the relevant milestones in the agri-food sector in Ecuador (1960–2020). At first, agrarian reform focused on land distribution and tenure. Subsequently, the focus moved to the implementation of research, technological innovation and technology transfer programmes promoted by the state with support and financing from international organisations. For this article, we chose for our approach the water–energy–food nexus. Until now, insufficient study based on this approach regarding agricultural programmes has been conducted in Ecuador. It is essential to concentrate on this sector because it represents about 10% of the gross domestic product and is a principal source of employment for more than two-thirds of the economically active population in rural areas. However, land fractioning, the lack of project continuity and the focus on the application of technological packages identified in this analysis suggest the need to rethink public policies for a sustainable agri-food system. Full article

Climate change is one of the most emergent environmental challenges, with rising global temperatures, changes in precipitation regimes, and an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Climate change impacts on the agrarian sector are being experienced across the world and are expected to be aggravated in the upcoming decades. Almond fruits are highly sought after due to their economic and nutritional interest, which contribute to their spread throughout the world. In 2021, the world almond production was approximately 3.9 × 10⁶ t with upward of 4.9 × 10³ t year⁻¹. Despite being relatively drought- and heat-resistant, this species is also vulnerable to climate change, particularly its production, which is highly dependent on soil water content and air temperature. To address the challenges of climate change, farmers and other stakeholders in the almond industry are increasingly adopting a range of adaptation measures, such as implementing irrigation systems and planting more drought-tolerant almond varieties. This manuscript describes the impacts of climate change on almond cultivation, reviewing the most recent studies on the subject. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of possible adaptation strategies against the potentially negative impacts is carried out, which might be of relevance to almond producers and other stakeholders operating in this value chain. Full article

Knowledge-based synergistic automation is a potential intermediate option between the opposite extremes of manual and fully automated robotic labor in agriculture. Disruptive information and communication technologies (ICT) and sophisticated solutions for human-robot interaction (HRI) endow a skilled farmer with enhanced capabilities to perform agricultural tasks more efficiently and productively. This research aspires to apply systems engineering principles to assess the design of a conceptual human-robot synergistic platform enabled by a sensor-driven ICT sub-system. In particular, this paper firstly presents an overview of a use case, including a human-robot synergistic platform comprising a drone, a mobile platform, and wearable equipment. The technology framework constitutes a paradigm of human-centric worker-robot logistics synergy for high-value crops, which is applicable in operational environments of outdoor in-field harvesting and handling operations. Except for the physical sub-system, the ICT sub-system of the robotic framework consists of an extended sensor network for enabling data acquisition to extract the context (e.g., worker’s status, environment awareness) and plan and schedule the robotic agents of the framework. Secondly, this research explicitly presents the underpinning Design Structure Matrix (DSM) that systematically captures the interrelations between the sensors in the platform and data/information signals for enabling synergistic operations. The employed Systems Engineering approach provides a comprehensible analysis of the baseline structure existing in the examined human–robot synergy platform. In particular, the applied DSM allows for understanding and synthesizing a sensor sub-system’s architecture and enriching its efficacy by informing targeted interventions and reconfiguring the developed robotic solution modules depending on the required farming tasks at an orchard. Human-centric solutions for the agrarian sector demand careful study of the features that the particular agri-field possesses; thus, the insight DSM provides to system designers can turn out to be useful in the investigation of other similar data-driven applications. Full article