Search Results (176)

Global policy narratives on livestock development increasingly emphasize environmental concerns, often overlooking the social dimensions of the sector. In the case of dairy, the world’s most valuable agricultural commodity, its role in social and economic development remains poorly quantified. Our study contributes to a more balanced vision of the UN SDGs thanks to the inclusion of a socio-economic dimension. Here we present a novel empirical approach to assess the socio-economic impacts of dairy development using a new global dataset and non-parametric modelling techniques (local polynomial regressions), with yield as a proxy for sectoral performance. We find that as dairy systems intensify, the number of farm households engaged in production declines, yet household incomes rise. On-farm labour productivity also increases, accompanied by a reduction in employment but higher wages. In dairy processing, employment initially grows, peaks, and then contracts, again with rising wages. The most substantial impact is observed among consumers: an increased milk supply leads to lower prices and improved affordability, expanding the access to dairy products. Additionally, dairy development is associated with greater agricultural value added, an expanding tax base, and the increased formalization of the economy. These findings suggest that dairy development, beyond its environmental footprint, plays a significant and largely positive role in social transformation, yet is having to adapt sustainably while tackling labour force relocation, and that dairy development’s social impacts mimic the general agricultural sector. These results might be of interest for the assessment of policies regarding dairy development. Full article

Under China’s “Rural Revitalisation” strategy, contract farming faces challenges including farmers’ limited access to advanced technologies and high operational risks for agricultural support enterprises. The collaborative involvement of scientific research institutions offers potential solutions but remains underexplored. This study employs Stackelberg game theory to model a contract farming supply chain under two agricultural assistance modes: enterprise-led (EL) and collaborative assistance with scientific research institutions (CI). We further propose two government subsidy mechanisms: subsidies to enterprises and subsidies to scientific research institutions. The models analyze optimal decisions, supply chain performance, and subsidy efficiency, validated through numerical experiments. Key findings reveal the following: (1) The CI mode enhances agricultural output and farmer revenue but may reduce enterprise profits, deterring collaboration. (2) Government subsidies incentivize enterprise–institution collaboration. Subsidizing scientific research institutions typically improves agricultural productivity and economic benefits more effectively than subsidizing enterprises. (3) Synergistic effects exist among the government subsidy coefficient, cost coefficient of technical assistance, consumer preferences for agricultural quality, and profit-sharing ratio. The latter three parameters significantly influence subsidy model selection. This research provides policy insights for enhancing agricultural assistance efficiency and sustainable contract farming development. Full article

Japan’s 8.5 million vacant homes (Akiyas) represent a paradox of scarcity amid surplus: while rural depopulation leaves properties abandoned, housing shortages and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder their reuse. This study proposes AKI2ALL, an AI-blockchain framework designed to automate the circular repurposing of Akiyas into ten high-value community assets—guesthouses, co-working spaces, pop-up retail and logistics hubs, urban farming hubs, disaster relief housing, parking lots, elderly daycare centers, exhibition spaces, places for food and beverages, and company offices—through smart contracts and data-driven workflows. By integrating circular economy principles with decentralized technology, AKI2ALL streamlines property transitions, tax validation, and administrative processes, reducing operational costs while preserving embodied carbon in existing structures. Municipalities list properties, owners select uses, and AI optimizes assignments based on real-time demand. This work bridges gaps in digital construction governance, proving that automating trust and accountability can transform systemic inefficiencies into opportunities for community-led, low-carbon regeneration, highlighting its potential as a scalable model for global vacant property reuse. Full article

Methane (CH₄) emissions from dairy farming represent a substantial yet under-quantified share of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. This study provides an in-depth, satellite-based fingerprinting analysis of methane emissions from Canada’s dairy sector, using Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI data. We utilized a robust quasi-experimental design, pairing 14 dairy-intensive zones with eight non-dairy reference regions, to analyze methane emissions from 2019 to 2024. A dynamic, region-specific baseline approach was implemented to remove temporal non-stationarity and isolate dairy-specific methane signals. Dairy regions exhibited consistently higher methane concentrations than reference areas, with an average methane anomaly of 17.4 ppb. However, this concentration gap between dairy and non-dairy regions notably narrowed by 57.23% (from 24.42 ppb in 2019 to 10.44 ppb in 2024), driven primarily by accelerated methane increases in non-dairy landscapes and a pronounced one-year contraction during 2022–2023 (−39.29%). Nationally, atmospheric methane levels rose by 3.83%, revealing significant spatial heterogeneity across provinces. Notably, an inverse relationship between the initial methane concentrations in 2019 and subsequent growth rates emerged, indicating spatial convergence. The seasonal analysis uncovered consistent spring minima and fall–winter maxima across regions, reflecting the combined effects of seasonal livestock management practices, atmospheric transport dynamics, and biogeochemical processes. The diminishing dairy methane anomaly suggests complex interplay of intensifying background methane emissions from climate-driven wetland fluxes, increasing fossil fuel extraction activities, and diffuse agricultural emissions. These findings underscore the emerging challenges in attributing sector-specific methane emissions accurately from satellite observations, highlighting both the capabilities and limitations of current satellite monitoring approaches. Full article

Debates persist regarding the win/lose dichotomy of the implications of contract farming (CF). We address these debates by examining the rule configurations of CF and the power dynamics behind it in a case study in a peripheral rural area in China. Using the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework, we investigate the rule configurations of land use, labor relations, and value distribution under CF schemes in Sanxing Township, Southwest China. The findings reveal that, although farmers lose control over their land and labor to a certain extent, they can benefit from adjustments in pricing and redistribution rules. Farmers’ resistance, village collective organizations, and local political resources contribute to farmers defending their rights in CF. Therefore, we argue that CF is neither an inclusive alternative to large-scale land acquisitions, nor does it always place small farmers in disadvantaged positions. We underscore the significance of moving beyond the “win–win” and “win–lose” debates to focus on the different levels of power struggles when assessing the implications of agricultural development programs. Full article

The purpose of this study is to test the response of rural–urban migration to land endowment while recognizing the heterogeneity of land tenure security perceptions. Based on the survey data of 751 migrant workers in Nanjing City, the latent class model identifies the secured group and unsecured group, with a particular focus on how heterogeneous concepts of land tenure security mediate the above relationships. Empirical modeling explores how land endowment affects household labor distribution and individual migration decisions, taking the heterogeneity of tenure expectations into account. The key findings reveal the following: (1) an inverse U-shaped relationship between land endowment and household labor distribution, but not between land endowment and individual migrant decisions; (2) farm households who perceive land tenure as unsecured tend to send fewer household members as job-seeking migrants, even as their land endowment increases; (3) however, individual migration decisions under conditions of a secured land tenure reduce the risk of losing land and induce migrant workers to stay in cities. The findings contribute to advancing the institutional analysis of the impact of land endowment on household labor allocation and how land tenure security affects immigration decisions, providing empirical evidence for China’s rural revitalization policies, which would support reforms that secure land tenure, such as the second-round contracting renewal policy and the rural revitalization plan in China. Full article

Contract farming has become a sustainable strategy in agriculture around the world. Formal farming contract in pig production is one of the priorities of the Vietnamese Government for livestock development. Due to the differences in husbandry methods, a comparison of the technical efficiency between contract and noncontract pig farms has not been studied in Vietnam yet. This study attempts to do so and proposes implications for the sustainable development of pig production in Vietnam. In this study, we surveyed 201 pig farms (63 contract farms and 138 noncontract farms) in Hanoi, Vietnam, and applied data envelopment analysis (DEA) with a meta-frontier. Under group frontiers, the technical efficiency of the contract and noncontract farms are 96.11% and 88.64%, respectively. However, the meta-technology ratios of the two groups are 82.30% and 99.99%, respectively, which means that contract farms’ technical efficiency is lower than noncontract farms. An interesting finding is that although the technical efficiency of contract farms is lower than noncontract farms, their annual pig income is significantly higher, making contract farming attractive to farmers. Results of Tobit regression models showed that land rent is one of the important factors that reduce the technical efficiency of both contract and noncontract farms. This result implies that the Vietnamese government should revise the land limit policy so that farms can own more land. Another finding is that the high feed price reduces the technical efficiency of noncontract farms. The policy implication from this finding is that the Vietnamese government should develop domestic raw material areas for feed production to lessen the dependence on imported raw materials from abroad, which contributes to reducing the feed prices in Vietnam. Full article

The threadsail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer, is an economically important marine species. However, wild catches have sharply decreased over the past 20 years, causing S. cirrhifer to be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accordingly, this study seeks to promote technological development for artificial breeding and early life-stage farming by defining the morphological characteristics of ontogenesis. The fertilized eggs, with a diameter of 0.62 ± 0.01 mm, were spherical and sticky and contained multiple oil globules of varying sizes. The embryonic development was observed and divided into eight phases, which were cleavage, blastocyst, gastrula, neurula, organogenesis, muscular contraction, heart pulsation, and hatching. At 3 days post-hatching (dph), the yolk sac was completely absorbed. The eye developed rapidly, and the mouth fissure and anus initially formed. Some larvae were fed on S-rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis). At 6–8 dph, the upper and lower jaws of larvae were gradually covered by leathery skin, and the head-to-body proportion increased. At 14–16 dph, the fin differentiation occurred in the dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins, with widespread distribution of yellow and melanin on the body surface. Swim bladder was clear. The swimming ability of larva was enhanced, resulting in an obvious clustering phenomenon. At 22–25 dph, the end of the notochord continued to tilt upwards, forming a tail fin. The trunk was evenly distributed with protruding circular punctate scales. The snout was covered with leathery epidermis, and the mouth began to round. At 40–45 dph, the juvenile completed metamorphosis, with horizontal dark stripes appearing on the trunk. Pigmented spots appeared on the tail fins. The counts of dorsal and anal fin spines were 34–36 and 32–34 dph, respectively. During the development of larvae and juveniles, the growth parameters, such as total length, standard length, body height, and body weight, were made as growth curves. The slopes of growth curves were calculated. We found two inflexion points occurring in the growth curves, which may be associated with metamorphosis and transitions in feeding habits. These results enrich the biological understanding of filefish species while providing guidance for artificial propagation and fry production in S. cirrhifer. Full article

Recurrent flooding near Tempe Lake, Indonesia, exacerbated by climate change, presents significant challenges for rice-farming communities, threatening their livelihoods and food security. This study explores the adaptive strategies employed by farmers to mitigate flood-related risks and evaluates the role of institutional frameworks in risk-sharing mechanisms. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed primary survey data from 140 rice farmers and conducted interviews with irrigation pump operators. The study viewed 30 years of historical flood records to identify environmental patterns affecting agricultural practices. The findings indicate that farmers employ various adaptation strategies to enhance resilience, including irrigation technologies, risk-sharing agreements, and livelihood diversification. Informal co-operative structures play a crucial role, with landowners covering 50% of production costs and farmers receiving 60% of profits after deducting operational expenses. However, flood-related income disruptions and shifting environmental conditions threaten long-term sustainability. This study emphasizes the need to formalize risk-sharing agreements, promote flood-resistant crop adoption, and improve water management infrastructure to address these challenges. Additionally, policies should support the development of community-led co-operative models and flexible contract structures, as well as training and access credit to ensure fair compensation for climate-induced losses. Integrating institutional support, technological advancements, and community-driven adaptation strategies can enhance economic stability, strengthen food security, and ensure the long-term viability of rice farming in flood-prone regions. Full article

Fish and seafood are increasingly recognised as safe and nutritiously valuable foods of animal origin, being a source of about 17% of animal protein globally. Novel culinary trends encourage the consumption of raw or thermally lightly processed fishery products. At the same time, consumers prefer wild, fresh and whole fish over farmed or processed fish. However, the consumption of raw or undercooked fish and other marine organisms poses a risk of contracting parasitic infections, potentially representing a public health risk. Among the most common seafoodborne parasites are members of the Anisakidae family, especially the genus Anisakis, which can cause potentially detrimental effects to human health. These parasites are the causative agent of a zoonosis termed anisakidosis that is prevalent in countries with high per capita fish consumption. Although the number of annual clinical cases varies among countries and regions and is generally not high, sensitisation to this parasite in the general population seems to be considerably higher. Therefore, anisakidosis is still significantly underreported and misdiagnosed globally, making it a disease of rising public health concerns. To prevent infection and mitigate potential negative effects on human health, proper preventive measures such as gutting the fish, freezing or thermal processing are needed. Moreover, a holistic approach implementing One Health principles together with educational campaigns towards the general public and primary care physicians can extend the knowledge on the occurrence of these parasites in their natural hosts and the diagnosis and incidence of anisakidosis, with a final goal to minimize risks for human health and reducing costs for health systems. Full article

Background: Modern societies and policymakers increasingly emphasize the advancement of organic farming practices and the preservation of rural culture. Sheep farming faces several challenges, including environmental impacts, antibiotic usage, and public concerns regarding animal welfare. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Melissa officinalis extract and its principal phenolic acids on the motility of the sheep jejunum and colon, with the goal of assessing their potential as health-promoting feed additives, particularly in animals with dysmotilities. Methods: The trials were performed on isolated jejunum and colon preparations collected from sheep undergoing routine slaughter. The effect of extracts from Melissa Officinalis and three major phenolic acids (rosmarinic, chlorogenic, and lithospermic) was evaluated to identify their ability to modify the spontaneous and pharmacologically-induced contractility of circular and longitudinal smooth muscle. Results: Regarding spontaneous contractions: Melissa officinalis extract, rosmarinic acid, and lithospermic acid caused a significant decrease in spontaneous contractility in the jejunum and colon, while chlorogenic acid exhibited myocontractile effects except for colon circular preparations where the effect was myorelaxant as in the other acids. In the case of ACh-induced contractions, all acids and the Melissa officinalis extract caused mostly a significant decrease in the magnitude of acetylcholine-induced contractions in both longitudinal and circular smooth muscle strips of the colon and jejunum. Conclusions: The findings suggest a predominantly myorelaxant effect of the Melissa officinalis extract and its major phenolic acids on the smooth muscle of the sheep jejunum and colon. These results underscore the potential application of the Melissa officinalis extract as a feed additive to modulate intestinal motility and address challenges in livestock production. Full article

The productivity of smallholder coffee cultivation is declining due to ageing trees, making the rejuvenation of coffee trees with superior seeds essential. This rejuvenation process requires the support and participation of various stakeholders, including the government, banks, investors, universities, community leaders, experts, extension workers, and other parties. The nature of an incomplete contract in building partnership with farmers requires confidence building to avoid higher costs in enforcing a new behavior. However, this study shows that the accumulation of social capital also leads to higher expenses in maintaining these relationships. This study aimed to develop a social capital model to enhance partnerships between coffee farmers and relevant stakeholders. The analysis used a system dynamics model for coffee production and farmer income. The data collection involved the gathering of data and information from 17 actors in the coffee industry in Lampung, particularly in Kopista community. The study reveals that the social capital model must be constructed from four components: (1) trust, (2) ongoing cooperative activities, (3) social capital connections, and (4) memories of successful cooperative actions. Active involvement and instruction from specialists on the concept of social capital and partnership models can enhance cooperation by maintaining social connections. The policy implication of this study is that the development of a social capital model and partnership must be constructed by mentoring for economic benefits and must be continuously supported. Full article

This paper offers a basic analysis for strategic decision-makers of the process when an economy shifts from oil to non-carbon energy exports and zero carbon emissions. The fundamental concept is how to offer environmental performance without causing an economic contraction. The costs and feasibility of solar, wind, and helium closed-cycle technologies are thoroughly and independently compared. Solar panels make up 0.67% of the USD 1.14 trillion total cost of solar energy, which is the capital investment, with panels accounting for 0.51%. Future technical developments are expected to bring down the cost of such solar farms to USD 0.74 trillion. Turbines comprise 66% of the estimated USD 0.67 trillion wind energy costs. At USD 0.36 trillion, helium closed-cycle gas turbines—which account for 0.78% of the overall cost—are essential for stabilising energy output. With a focus on cost viability, this analysis offers direction for Libya’s transition to energy self-sufficiency and export, in support of global carbon reduction targets. It also offers unique insights into areas not previously covered by other studies. This paper’s unique contribution is its economic analysis of the decarbonisation of an entire oil-exporting nation. Full article

Facilitating land transfers and contract standardization is crucial for optimizing farmland use and achieving high-quality agricultural development following the round of confirmation, registration, and certification of contracted rural land management rights by the government. Social trust is crucial for cracking the growth dilemma of land transfer, and the impact of farmers’ trust on land transfer may also change after the round of land titling. This study aims to examine the impact of social trust on farm households’ land transfer decisions and the formalization of land transfer contracts within the context of the new round of land titling in China, using models such as IV-Probit, Heckprobit, and conditional mixed process (CMP), with survey data from 2600 Chinese farmers in 2020–2021. The results show that increased social trust significantly enhances both land transfer and contract formalization, and these results remain robust after addressing potential endogeneity. Further analysis reveals that while interpersonal trust promotes land transfer, institutional trust plays a more pivotal role in the formalization of contracts. The results underscore the importance of strengthening grassroots governance to foster institutional trust, enhance institutional reliability, and support the regulated growth of the land transfer market. Full article

In developing countries with uncertain institutional environments, ensuring fairness in contractual arrangements within food value chains is crucial to overcome modern challenges. This paper empirically investigates the vertical relationship between tomato growers and canneries in Algerian agriculture to assess the determinants of contractual performances and price fairness implications. The study is based on an analysis of a comprehensive dataset of 9127 tomato growers engaged in contract farming over four years (2018–2021). Three regression methods were estimated, namely logit, tobit, and quantile regressions, alongside exploratory analysis. The main findings shed light on the factors influencing contractual performance among contracting producers, primarily farm scale and distance from the contracting processor. Additionally, the findings highlight the key role of contract enforcement mechanisms in influencing the contractual performances of tomato growers. Several recommendations are made to incentivize tomato growers and improve overall contractual performance within such public policy settings. Contract arrangements, including fair price negotiation and the requirement for tomato processing firms to make specific investments, are advocated to foster self-enforcement and significantly enhance the growers’ contractual performance. This is particularly important in many developing countries where the business environment is characterized by an absence of effective public enforcement institutions along with a highly uncertain environment. Full article